It’s the People that Count

On Wednesday…

…watching Miss Saigon, we heard the song:

They’re called Bui-Doi, The dust of life
Conceived in Hell, And born in strife
They are the living reminder of all the good we failed to do
We can’t forget
Must not forget
That they are all our children, too

‘Bui-Doi’ in Viet Nam originally were starving country people, who came to the towns, in the 1930s; it came to mean young gang members or street children. In ‘Miss Saigon’ it refers to the children of Vietnamese women and American soldiers, abandoned after the Viet Nam war.

They were children, people to be acknowledged and provided for, not an inconvenience to be forgotten.

Yesterday…

…In conversation with a local politician. She talked about restoring buildings, budgets and finance, party politics, meetings and bureaucracy. She spoke at length, occasionally pausing for breath. It became a monologue… Never once did she talk about people.

…Morning, at the Seagull Theatre. There was a talk about the youth theatre, creative learning, community projects, support work, staff, partner organisations… What came across most powerfully was the theatre’s value to individuals… children, adults, senior citizens… improving mental well-being, reducing loneliness and isolation, enhancing emotional resilience…

…Afternoon, at our church community café. Conversations… corned-beef hash, cheesy chips, football, church services, school holiday café arrangements… What was more important was the people there – worries about a daughter’s school exams, a granddaughter’s recovery from surgery, a husband’s unsettled mental health…

…Later, two conversations with gents I’ve known for many years… cars, work, holidays, beer, church, pets, parties, pensions… What was most important was the people in our lives – families, friends… the effects of cancer, bereavement, work situations… resentments, regrets, fears usually hidden.

Years ago…

…I remember the TV advert I saw as a child – for Player’s cigarettes – that announced: ‘It’s the tobacco that counts’. This morning I’m musing on ‘It’s the people that count’… If I believe that to be true, how does that affect the way I live my life today?