In Hobart the ex-pat
communities get together to keep alive the culture they left behind. They do
this via language, religion, music, food, dancing and making the kids wear
embarrassing clothes.
In distant lands I
encountered an ex-pat Aussie who told me about their local ex-pat community and
what they celebrate.
They have a sweep and a get
together on Melbourne Cup day.
They have a party on AFL grand
final day. With people dressed in their team colors.
On a day close to Boxing Day
they have a Boxing Day cricket party. Replete with plastic bat, ball and
wickets, cossies, beach towels and a radio.
They don’t care about Sam
Kerr. They don’t realise she is one of the best soccer players in the world.
They don’t care about Elise Perry who is arguably our best cricket player. You could argue Steve Smith is our best
cricketer and she is number two.
They do know about Ash Barty.
They had heard of her.
The ex-pats made me realise our
society has changed. They are stuck remembering our society the day they left.
They are stuck in a time warp.
While they have lived
overseas and spent years remembered Australia, Australia has changed.
AFLW has arisen. Women are
now playing football professionally with increasing media coverage. At the
moment facilities are not quite at a similar standard but we are heading
towards equal facilities. We are heading towards women and men having similar
opportunities, similar leagues and similar facilities.
Cricket is travelling along
the same path. We are heading towards a day when women will have similar opportunities
to men. The will be able to play cricket in the back yard, local comps or aim
for professional matches with all the associated opportunities and stress.
Since these ex-pats left Australia
it has become more egalitarian than it used to be. More people have the
opportunity to play more different sports. More people have the opportunity to
be fit and healthy: physically,
emotionally, intellectually and socially.
And this is good for everybody.
If women play football at the
local club then the men benefit as much as the women. The men live in a better balanced
society with happier people and are released from their old straight jacking
limiting roles. When a woman is allowed to
play football a man is set free. He is liberated and free to follow his own
path.
When I look at my grandkids I
imagine them as fit and healthy adults. I imagine them as being fit and healthy
physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially. I imagine them living in
a society without discrimination. Without discrimination based on sex,
heritage, ability or age. I imagine them as playing sport. Of having access to
good facilities and well run competition against and with people they work and
live near.
I would like to see them as
being fit and healthy. I hope they finish up with good, positive, constructive
jobs. If they finish up working in the media I hope they have equal opportunity
to become a sports journalist. I hope it doesn’t depend on their sex. But if
they do finish up in the sports media I hope they think about their health and
fitness. Not the fitness of the players they are commenting on.
Based on my encounter with
ex-pat Aussies they left Australia when it was not perfect. Based on living in
Australia in 2019 we are still not perfect but we are heading in the right
direction. Towards a worthwhile
goal. Makes me proud to be an Aussie.
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