Community in the Real Sense

I have just come back from Bencubbin, a small country town in the wheat belt north east of Perth and about 100kms from Merredin. I had been invited up there to speak to a women’s forum. And wow what a fantastic experience this was.

I was billeted by one of the women attending the forum, on her farm just out of the town. Not only did she open her home to me, but she kindly drove the 100kms to Merredin and back to collect me from the train. The event itself was so well organised, with a committee of women preparing an amazing range of mouth-watering dishes with ease, efficiency and warmth. It was hard to stop refilling my plate during mains, so plentiful and scrumptious was the food. But I had to eventually pause so that I could do my talk.

My guide dog stared with longing at the buffet cart, and when it came to sweets, she could restrain herself no longer. She planned her attack well, pretending to guide me back to my seat after a quick trip to the oval outside for a nature stop. No, I didn’t reach my seat. Instead, I felt her rear up. Strange, I thought, what is she up to. I pulled her back just before she sank her teeth into one of the tempting desserts. It got a laugh and we certainly left an impression.

After the talk and devouring all the desserts, lots of women came up to me thanking me for my speech. I was so touched by their interest, their genuineness, and overall, their community spirit. It was the best event I’ve attended, where everyone pitched in, produced a really worthwhile event, and had a great time.

I learned of the many struggles people in the country are facing these days, and I was in awe of how strong these women were in times of trouble.

I have really taken something from them–their strength and resolve.

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