Kia ora, I read a press release in the local paper a couple of weeks ago. It said there would be a meeting at the RSA Otaki to give information on the many ways to use the Senior card.
Oh good, I thought, probably a million things I don’t know.
I emailed a friend, we arranged she would arrive at my place early, we’d have a quick lunch, then go to the meeting at 1 pm.
There was a really good crowd and eventually the meeting started. It was hosted by the Elders Group funded by Kapiti District Council.
First of all the mic was either not set right or they didn’t know how to use it. Both, I suspect. In any case the man talked above it so even if it had been working he wouldn’t have been heard from where I was sitting. Or even if I’d been up the front for that matter. To add to the thrill of it all the RSA Pokie machine kept shouting chug chug chug or treating us to a 500-decibel rendition of Tie a Yellow Ribbon (or something).
There were agitated encounters with people from the RSA and at some stage the Pokie gave a tremendous belch and had a seizure — peace reigned.
Very little of relevance was said about Otaki, most was about Kapiti — about three-quarters of an hour later, a woman, bless her, said, ‘This meeting’s being hi-jacked — I came to hear about the Senior card.’
‘Me too,’ various others said.
No notice was taken.
Then someone mentioned the fatal word, ‘water’ which, around here, is guaranteed to get even a small room of people shouting and when you add meter to the aforementioned word, you’re in deep trouble, add account to the first two and you’d better leave town.
Of course a man, in the patronising way some men my age have, explained what the bill items meant — I mean it’s not even a legal bill is it? A large number of residents got their neighbour’s totals on their trial account but what’s new with Kapiti District Council?
‘You’re not paying for water,’ the man explained, ‘but for the capturing, treating and piping’.
So — why do they want to know how much water we use? Once the water’s been ‘captured’, treated and piped, what does it matter how much or how little water we use? If we have plenty and don’t wash the car every five minutes, what the hell does it matter?
But I digress —
More time was taken up with other people telling us things they thought we should know — restive murmurs and worse, loud grumbles, could be heard all around the room. These were ignored.
There were 2 bright stars, one James Coote, Chair of the local Community Board, who talked briefly and clearly about how to do a request for service from the Kapiti District Council. Apparently if you go on their website, it’s very hard to find the Request for Service form — are we surprised?
But there are ways. Stick it on the Councils’ Facebook page and action will be (almost) instantaneous — one person told him.
The second star was an ex-policewoman who name was Sonja (if I’ve spelled your name wrong I’m sorry) who gave a very clear, funny, talk about keeping ourselves and our belongings safe. She was great.
Both these speakers stood out because they spoke clearly, kept it brief, included information we all needed to know, and knew when to sit down.
The Labour Candidate introduced himself, and correctly reading the feelings of the meeting, kept it at that.
By the time the person spoke on the various ways we could use the Senior card I wanted a lie down with a bottle of pinot and a straw.
Apart from the stars mentioned, it’s a long time since I’ve been to such a boring meeting and it reinforced every prejudice I’ve got about people who elect themselves to speak in public and haven’t the faintest idea how to go about it.
You know darlings, even an hour with someone who knows about public speaking, would do wonders.
You got us along under false pretences because you thought we were so old we probably wouldn’t even notice you took up three-quarters of a meeting with information that had no bearing on the place where we live and was of little help to us. Maybe you thought we were stupid too? Believe me, I know where I’d like to tie the yellow ribbon. Very tight.
But silly me, I was forgetting — I’m an old woman, what would I know?
Renée
