Coexistence

Even when we were once-a-year campers, that once a year was Easter. I’m sure we are not alone in that either. Easter brings out all sorts of people, and because there are lots of people out and about, lots of interesting places that are normally quiet, become hives of humanity.

Now many of these places attract people of a certain interest and that is only natural. If you go to a beach, then you would expect people who like go to a beach, if you can generalise. Some places have a range of attractions, and so continuing my hypothesis, are prone to attract a range of people.

And so we come to Lake Broadwater. In terms of attractions, we have a lake, power boat permits, broad-acre campgrounds, bush camping and birdlife. We also have families, youths, water-skiers, birds and other wildlife.

So what happens?

Well, you have ski boats mingling with swimmers. You have testosterone and alcohol-fuelled youths letting off romantic frustrations in utes sharing roads with kids on bikes. You have V8-powered boats disturbing nesting birds. You have unsupervised kids emptying rainwater tanks to watch the water running across the dry earth making all sorts of fascinating channels.

And how does it all end up?

Surprisingly well. When you consider all of the possibilities for disaster in the above mix you really have to think it quite marvellous that the weekend went off without a hitch. Perhaps we were all lucky, and every time you read of a disaster you realise just how close you are at any time you can be when your time is up.

Now we could get all up tight and paranoid and perhaps that is the right thing to do. That might be safer, but is it as much fun, and is it enjoyment that we are lacking most in our lives today?

It reminded me of a philosophy I once read which related to programming communications protocols between computers, but may be equally applicable to life more generally. It suggested to be liberal in what you will accept and conservative in what you expect of others. Perhaps it is a dose of that that makes Easter work so well.