If you are not Australian you may know thongs as flip-flops....
I keep thinking of this bloke at the Cygnet expo thingy and how like him we could all be if we let ourselves.
I was setting up my stall right next to the info desk in Carmel Hall on Saturday afternoon. The hall was almost completely empty and waiting for all the stall holders to arrive and fill it with their stuff to bring it to life.
A bloke walked in with a few bits and pieces. Mr. Thongs greeted him and directed him to his site.
"Where's my trestle, mate?" Asked the stall holder.
"You didn't order one, according to my list." answered Mr. Thongs
"Bugger.... last year I had one.... "
"It was on the form, mate"
"Oh, my partner organised it this year"..... both men sniggered. "Have you got one spare?"
(At this point I looked around the empty hall and it was very obvious there was not a single spare anything in this hall......)
Mr. Thongs looked at his info desk, which was 2 card tables, side by side..... "Here," he said shuffling his papers along onto one table..."You can have this one.... will this do?"
"Gee, thanks a lot mate." and off he went, happy.
A few moments passed and a young woman came in laden down with a huge banner....
"Where can I put this up, Mr. Thongs?" she asked.
"Let me see.... do you have something to attach it with or to?" asked Mr. Thongs.
"Oh..... no I don't.... gosh... I didn't think of that. But its so beautiful...." she replied.
He did not sigh or scream or refuse to know about her problem..... he said "Give me a few moments" and he left the hall.
About 10 minutes later he was back.... with hammer, nails, twine and a big smile "OK, now let's put it up here, above my desk"..... the only bit of wall without windows or exit signs or someone else's stall.
And so it went on the whole time I was there.... about 2 hours on and off. When I had finished I told him how wonderful he was but I forgot to ask his name! He was a volunteer from the Huon Environment Centre. Maybe someone will pass on this story to him.
3 comments:
It sounds like Mr Thongs has a great attitude. I know I could definitely benefit from being more like that.
Tracy
wonderful story Kate, I dont know if you have been watching the ABC show on happiness. They say that helping other people, volunteering and random acts of kinds is what makes most people happy. I think Mr Thongs is a happy man!
Aren't such people wonderful. We ought to preserve their genes or do workshops based around them to spread the wonderful-ness. Positive and can-do and helpful. No groans of all right then or sorry you should have. No acting like we are all individual atoms fending for ourselves. Just a positive, good natured individual!
And why should be find this remarkable? Because there are not enough of us like this.
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