On being local

Yesterday I headed up to the local fete. While I was there also to babysit my niece while her mum volunteered for a stall, I was mostly there because it’s something I love to do. I enjoy walking to the school on a weekend, watching the children eat too much fairy floss, seeing the volunteers try to maintain calm in the face of excited children.

Being local is very important to me. I believe in the notion that it takes a community to raise a child. Last week I shared this story of Japanese children walking to school and taking public transport alone. For me it reinforced the idea that each of us must work/live towards being part of our communities. That means speaking to people in our streets, and participating in the organisations in our area. We shouldn’t have to be afraid to speak the people around us.
The 2nd North West Business Network event in full swing.
At the newly formed North West Business Network there was quite a discussion about how we, as business owners, can support the community in which we live and work. Being in business and engaging with the community was a big theme of the morning. This month I have two catch-ups with fellow local business owners and while I don’t think I’ll have much in common with them with regards to business, it will be useful to find connections.I believe that being local is just as important as having a national focus.

One of the things I’m keen to work on developing is a portal for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources and communication that we can use for our children in our local schools and more broadly. I have made a bit of a start on creating an online portal. While I’m just beginning, I hope that it’s one thing that I can leave behind or pass on to someone in the future. Gathering resources now so that that job is done for people in the future will hopefully be a worthwhile contribution.

Image: Of a Brisbane school oval – the grass is green. The oval is filled with tents and people at a school fete. There are clouds hovering overhead. Sadly a rainy day for the 2016 fete, but a good day nonetheless.

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