Day: 18 May 2010

tony abbott in true flight, as pursued by Kerry

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I really think everyone should watch this: Tony Abbott being called to account by the sublime Kerry O’Brien on the 7:30 Report. If you haven’t already. We have an election coming up. This performance is important to reflect on:

For a blow by blow account, Dave Penberthy at The Punch did  a neat job.

There are a few things about Tony Abbott that concern me. His thinking on climate change (he thinks it’s crap), abortion, RU486, industrial relations and the rest are closed-minded and limiting to the human spirit. He also strikes me as the affable Dad at the school fete turning sausages, rather than a politician.

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ernie and bert: who are you in the tryst?

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When I was a kid I used to feel dead sorry for Bert. He had to be the sensible anchor to Ernie’s silliness. Ernie got to have fun. Bert had to uphold standards and sensibility. Someone had to, right? Everyone loved Ernie. Everyone found Bert a stick-in-the-mud. But, really, Bert, always did the right thing. On behalf of both of them. At least, ostensibly. His only outlet was to do that ” Wa-Wa-Wa-Waaaaaah” collapse backwards!!

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I always identified with Bert. I was the sensible big sister, while my four brothers and sister got to be silly. This dynamic played out in my relationships over the years, too. I kept going out with blokes who played the Ernie role. Which, I now realise, was all about keeping me in my comfortable Bert role. I resented them for it. And observed myself becoming the dour nag who said things like, “You can’t get drunk tonight because it’s your mum’s birthday tomorrow!”.

At some point, though, we have to acknowledge that we choose the people we hang around with. And often because they keep us in roles we’re cosy with, even if they don’t make us happy.

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