That Guy: Do unto others and reap the philanderer's rewards

Sir Peter Leitch. Photo / Dean Purcell

Opinion

I was very moved the other night watching This is Your Life, which celebrated the achievements of Sir Peter Leitch, better known as the Mad Butcher.

I have met him a number of times and he certainly is a character. He always has time for a chat, a punch in the ribs or a good old-fashioned smack on the back of your head.

And although I have most often bumped into him at charity events, I never quite realised until watching the show just how much of himself he gave to others.

It was inspirational, so well done, Sir Peter.

Let's face it: some people are givers, some are takers, and most are somewhere in between. I would put myself in the group of "somewhere in between" but, like many of us I suspect, I would like to be more of a giver. In other words, if I could use the correct technical term, I would like to be more of a philanderer or a philandrapist.

We are only on this earth once, so I believe giving to others through philandering is the way to go. Through philandrapy we can change the lives of the people around us, sometimes overnight.

Billionaire Warren Buffett announced recently that he was giving the bulk of his riches to charity. I may not have as much money as him but that doesn't mean I can't be a philanderer and share what I do have with others. After all, it is the little things that can make all the difference.

I would, in all likelihood, keep my philandering to myself or between the people directly involved, as there is no point in doing it if you are just trying to make a name for yourself.

The best philandering goes on tirelessly behind closed doors and often those closest to you don't even know that it is going on. I believe you can be far more successful if you avoid sharing your philandering with the media, although I have to admit it is tempting to tell other people what you are doing.

One of the downsides of being a well-known philanderer, I suspect, will be the fact that many people will come out of the woodwork hoping to get a piece of you, and you may find that you begin spreading yourself a little thin.

There is only so much philandering one person can physically do, no matter how much he or she tries.

It is a good idea to involve as many people as you can in your philandering, to really make it a community thing. You can try getting parents from your kids' schools or daycares involved. There are bound to be parents you haven't even met who have fresh ideas and plenty of time on their hands.

These people can offer practical solutions to many problems, such as where to hold philandering events, and some of them may be well-known personalities who are willing to give up their time to run an auction.

I am sure it won't always be easy. There will be those who claim that I am a philanderer merely for personal gain. On that front I plead guilty as charged. It does make me feel good. And the more I philander, the better it feels.

And surely philandering works best when the benefits are mutually beneficial. There is an old saying: philandering by yourself is not really philandering, but involve others and anything is possible.

If I can take my philandering to a whole new level, I may be rewarded one day for my achievements with my very own episode of This is Your Life.