But, we’re not at war, our country is still beautiful and the sun truly will start shining again pretty soon. The strawberries also seem to be having a bumper season.
The next few months will be about appreciating what is good about summer in New Zealand – sunshine, beaches, fish n’ chips and family.
Half my life ago, I played Sir Dave Dobbyn’s Loyal at my 21st birthday party. Sir Dave’s songs are anthems of multiple generations – probably why he was knighted.
I re-lived those nostalgic movements this week when it was announced Sir Dave was going to play the sundown spot at Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne this New Year’s Eve.
I won’t be there – heck, I’m too old and I have two young kids to see in the New Year with, but the fact that people a couple of generations younger than me will be yelling the words to his classics is surely something to celebrate. New Zealand is a special kind of place to experience summer.
It seemed to me that it made headlines bigger than the international acts that will finally be back to take the stage at R&V this year. Well, the Dobbyn headlines caught my attention anyway.
They came just over a month after the legendary singer announced he was battling Parkinson’s Disease. What better way… or Kiwi way… for an iconic rocker to prove the show will go on.
I didn’t really know how much I missed events of all kinds until they came back. Even hearing about them brings me unexpected joy.
And if you’re reading this thinking, “I can’t afford to attend events”, I understand. But you can afford to attend summer. You can afford to enjoy some good weather, read a book, take a walk, or simply breathe in the fresh air without having it restricted by a mask. Better still, get in the water.
And you can afford to switch off for a moment – stop scrolling bad news and search out the good. Read the story about the miraculous dog rescue. You can fill your own cup.
Speaking of cups, the Women’s Rugby World Cup final was a good reminder of an event lifting the mood of the nation. I was staying at a motor lodge in Palmerston North that night and we walked back in at half-time.
The next 40 minutes were some of the best television I’ve watched in months. They offered the suspense of a Hollywood blockbuster with some absolute standout Oscar-worthy performances. There was no way we were going to bed before the final credits. If ever I’ve wished I was in a crowd at Eden Park, it was then.
Events bring strangers and friends together. They create unexpected moments in life, where you run into an old school friend you haven’t seen for years. You hear a song that sparks a long-forgotten memory or you make some your children will never forget.
In a world where the big stuff is weighing us down, it’s the little stuff that can remind us of the good things. Our kids don’t know that the ‘80s were a better time to be little. Before Covid, before screens - before the internet when everyone knew about everything - the minute it happened.
At the threat of sounding like a wellness influencer, the more we seek the drama, the more of it we tend to find – and no, it isn’t going to ease up any time soon. Occasionally, I still meet those people who welcome me with a huge smile and a hello that makes me question what they’ve taken with their coffee.
Chances are they probably just made a choice not to take in much, but simply to appreciate that they’re alive, their kids didn’t fight that morning and the service station coffee they’ve just inhaled was the right temperature – we may as well start looking for the small things because the big ones aren’t stopping.
This summer I plan to make a conscious effort to drown out the negative noise, crank the music up and lap up some sunshine – because it surely is coming.
I’m simply done waiting for the storm to clear.
- Michele Hunter is a local business owner, mum of two school-age children and a former Bay of Plenty Times chief reporter. She is Tauranga born and bred - with opinions on most things. You’ll often find her by the water – sea or lake - enjoying all this great region has to offer.
