Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Get On Your Soapbox #15

If I don't say what I'm about to say, I'm likely to implode!

I'm sure some people will find this offensive, but, to be honest, I really don't care.  It's the type of people in this post whose behaviour I find highly offensive, and, since I'm not just referring to one individual, if people take offense, then they must have a guilty conscience.

Ever since I announced to my Perth mob that I was moving to a farm, I was met with many excited responses.  So many people told me they would keep in touch, and would love to visit.  Well, we've been up here for two years now....and I'm still waiting.

I could rant forever about people who keep making empty promises and breaking them.  I could rant about people who are disorganised, vague and hopeless at answering the many avenues of contact they set up for themselves.  I could rant about people who expect us to just accept the lopsided friendship of having us visit them all the time in Perth, but them never making any effort to travel to us. We do our best to maintain relationships with people, and it hurts greatly when the gestures are not reciprocated.  The vast number of conversations I've had with people over the past two years indicate that some people are ignorant.  They really don't have any idea about our lives up here.  One person got the idea in their head that our house is only accessible by four-wheel drive.  They know I don't have a four-wheel drive; how on earth do they think I get home?!?  Now that doesn't really bother me in the larger scheme of things.  People will always be ignorant about what they don't know.  I'm ignorant about a lot of things.  What I don't like is when people live by their ignorance.

We keep hearing the excuse that it's 'too far' for them to come and visit despite the fact that we've told them repeatedly it is only three hours.  That's the same time as it takes to go down south from Perth.  The SAME TIME.  And we know for a fact that many of the people who say it's 'too far' frequently go down south for the weekend.  Apparently it's too far and too expensive for some people to come up here, yet we are supposedly made of money and expected to come to Perth all the time.  Hmmm funny that.  Whenever we invite people to come to our place, I then get the question, "When are you coming to Perth next?" and I just roll my eyes.

I know some people have very good reasons for not visiting.  Some have large families and wouldn't fit comfortably in our house (and there is nowhere else for them to stay).  Some have difficulty travelling.  Unfortunately our house is not wheelchair-friendly.  I know many people have visited us already, some more than once.  This post is not aimed at them.

A friend who lives in Tom Price feels the same.  She has hardly had any visitors because everyone says it's too expensive to go up there.  Yet, she's expected to make all the effort by going to Perth all the time.

I've really gotten over the stage of begging, pleading, nagging etc.  I realise it's not going to make any difference.  The harsh reality is that many people are not too busy, too poor etc....they are SNOBS!

Unfortunately snobbery is growing at rather an alarming rate among city Christians.  I didn't notice it when I was in Perth, but now that I'm in a dead-end place (according to some people), people don't want to leave the comforts of the city in case the get their immaculate fingernails dirty.  I'm sick of the bogan jokes, and the indication that they think our home isn't good enough for them.  I'm tired of the mocking of country folk as if they are aliens who need to be kept in a glass case and studied carefully to deem if they are human.  Newsflash:  the country is where you'll get some of the best hospitality you will ever receive.  Yes, we'll actually cook for you and welcome you into our home - not take you to a restaurant and make you pay $30.  Yes, there are city folk who are wonderful at hospitality, but the country folk excel, in my opinion.  This is MY HOME, for goodness sake!  I do not like people ridiculing it, especially when they've never ventured past their cultivated lawn and backyard pool to see it for themselves!

I see so many people on Facebook, who claim to be Christians, complaining endlessly about coffee (apparently Perth has NO good coffee....in the whole of Perth), the fact that their mobile phone is a year old, some supposedly horrid restaurant they visited, or that the shops are SO FAR (when there are four shopping centres within a ten minute radius).  They laugh at people who live in a more lowly suburb, and then the same people talk about the possibility of being missionaries in a developing country.  Hmmm so let's see....Dally is not good enough for you, but you're going to live in the slums of India?!?  Whatever!  Toughen up, princess!

Seriously I've had Christians complain about my house (when I lived in Cannington), the wine I've brought to dinner, and laugh at my mobile phone because it wasn't the latest model.  I still cannot believe it; their attitude would almost be laughable if it wasn't so sad, and some Christians really need a reality check, to focus on eternal things, and not things that spoil, perish or fade.  I get sick of the simpering smiles I get accompanied with the question, "So what do you DO up there?"  Well, if you come and see, I will show you how you can live without shops, cafes and nightclubs.  But of course, some people will never come.  We can never compete with down south.  We don't have a chocolate factory or a multitude of breweries and wineries to entertain people.  What you'll get if you come up here is US.  When I've invited people up, I get asked, "But what will I DO up there?".  Ummmm how about nothing?  Or (shock horror) you could actually talk to us!  You know, sit and talk, communicate, share together....the way people did before Wiis were invented.  When I go to a friend's house, I go to see THEM....not their house, not their possessions.  I don't expect them to put on a show, I just want them to share their lives.  And these are the same people who complain that their city lives are too fast, too busy and that they just need to get away and do nothing.

In desperation the other night, I suggested to Duncan that we buy a Wii so people can play it if they visit.  He said no, that he wasn't willing to spend several hundred dollars on a contraption we would hardly ever use ourselves, just to bribe the 'Here we are, now entertain us' types.  That snapped me back to reality.  He's right.  Stuff 'em.

I know I'm not the only country person to go through this.  I've met heaps of people up here who have struggled for years to get their friends to visit, but get scolded if they don't visit the city slickers in Perth.  I guess we're very fortunate that we have genuine friends in our lives who bother to make the effort.  That's all I'm asking.  Some effort.  Once a year is enough.  I'm not asking for a visit every month.

I won't be nagging anymore.  They can sit in their fancy coffee shops and drink lattes until they come out of their noses for all I care.  I will focus my efforts on those who want a friend, and not a court jester who lives in a toy shop.

3 comments:

Meredith said...

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for this great and honest post. It makes me think of three things.

Firstly, when I was teaching in the country I had a gazillion more visitors for the three years I was in the south west compared with the three years I was in the wheatbelt, not far from where you are! Mmmm....

Missed out on those beautiful big rocks and gorgeous sunsets.

The other thing is that we recently had a visit from friends who used to live in Perth but have long resided in Adelaide. They were shocked when they came here recently at the change that has occurred in Perth, no doubt made possible by the boom but due to all sorts of things (don't get me started on that one!!). So many Perth-ites seem intent on "living the dream" - and it is just not like that in other places.

And "living the dream" is a life of excessive waste and does not bring contentment (or eternal life) in the long run. I think you are on the right track.

And the third thing that comes to mind is the hard part of moving. Over time, it becomes apparent who your true friends are - the ones who SHARE THE INITIATING in catching up and maintaining contact. These rise to the surface and the rest slowly (and painfully - because there is grieving to do) fall by the wayside. In our more recent moves I have made it a point NOT to say, "We'll keep in touch" because I know that they and we won't, except for the accidental meetings that happen. To say anything else is a lie.

But God in His goodness always seems to fill the holes with real and good friends for the present. And as I said, the passage of time reveals the enduring friendships. This group will be fewer in number but ones to cherish.

But I hear what you are saying.

Iris Flavia said...

Isn´t it sad?
I can tell the same (and did) about my family. And that´s just a third of the time needed, I talk about one hour!

I think many people are just too darn lazy, cause (in my case): I live in the city, we have the beautiful botanical gardens, the city to shop and so on, whereas my family sists in a place where you can´t do much. Going for a walk is really not nice there. And the restaurants are limited, we go to the same ones all the time (they don´t cook that much).
In their case at least, it´s not snobby in the kind you speak of, but they see it like this (I suppose):
Driving to a city is much more exhausting than drving in their little place. City means heaps of traffic, why bother, let me come to them. I´m used to it anyways...

Gahhh. They don´t see either it´s always my time, my money!
And... well, aren´t we also proud on our places? It´s kinda an offence to me, too. They don´t only refuse to just drive, they refuse to also give me a bit of value that way.

But... guess you cannot change people... they just don´t understand.

I´m seriously thinking of a place in the middle to meet (in your case certainly not possible) - then you see how much effort they´re willing to put in seeing you! But then... it´s family. But I can relate, I´m fed up, too.
Bro now said after holidaying they wanna come over. Wo-hoo. A wonder...

What really did surprise me very negatively is the thing about not having the latest mobile (Wii, whatever)!
Mine is??? 3? 4 years old. And I´m totally ok with it! Amy friends as well.
Why would I want to spend money all the time on the laatest version? I wanna be able to call or text someone, that´s it!
But I don´t get it, huh, it´s just all about prestige. I don´t care much about that!
I bought a new cam the other day. But... mine is likely to break down any minute! And the new one makes better pics.

But that I need something to show off? Maybe I´m too old for that (though, nah, I never was like that).

Hope people rethink their behaviour and make the "effort" (they do have cars, no? They don´t use horses and wagon still?!!). Guess as long as they (those who refuse to come, I mean) are not in your situation, they won´t be able to understand...

Well, what is to say: Good luck!

Sarah said...

Thanks both of you for your wise words. It's good to know I'm not the only one with this dilemma - although I knew I wasn't, it sure can feel that way.

Iris, when I was writing this post I remembered that post you did a month or so ago about your family never visiting and thought 'Iris will be able to relate to this.' The meeting somewhere in the middle is a good idea except the only places I can think of are New Norcia or Moora and unfortunately neither of those would entice those who are lazy or expect entertainment.

Meredith, I think you touched on something when you mentioned your Adelaide friends coming back to Perth and seeing how much it's changed. I think Perth is trying too hard to be like Sydney, and I know a number of ex-Sydneyites who are now in Perth and complain about the lack of 'good coffee' and how Perth is too quiet. The thing is they moved here to get away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney and are now complaining that Perth isn't like Sydney!! Fair enough, Perth is expensive to live in....but still.

Since moving up here, I've learned to appreciate the beauty of the Wheatbelt. I grew up in Albany and I'm used to beauty being spectacular rock formations and coastlines. Here it is different, but many Perth people can't seem to appreciate it. Some have said it looks flat and dead.

I'm planning on making less trips to Perth from now on as a test to see who our true and loyal friends are. We'll go for important things like milestone birthdays, weddings, appointments....but not just to catch up with people. So many people have been shocked when I've turned up at things in Perth, and have actually said, "What are you doing here?" like they didn't think I'd bother to drive down. Sadly the things people will make an effort for is dwindling. I'm not trying to blow my own trumpet, but I have a strong conviction of making an effort. However it needs to go both ways.