Middle NZ: Line laundry causing a stir

It's a funny old world we are living in at the moment.

On the one hand we have teenagers marching for climate change and on the other hand we have a some residents in an Auckland community upset because their neighbours have the audacity to actually hang their washing on the line.

Yep that's right folks — some people in Hobsonville Point are not happy that people are actually hanging their underwear on the line and sacre bleu — they are visible from the road.

Let's start with the marching teens. I say good on them for making some noise about a subject they are passionate about.

People have been doing the exact same thing for generations. Think Vietnam War, the nuclear movement, the Springbok Tour of 1981, abortion laws, the list goes on.

One of the saddest events, I think, and one that we should be marching about every day, was the March for Moko which followed the death of 3-year-old Moko Rangitoheriri at the hands of two women who were meant to be caring for him.

The young are always going to need our help and as yesterday was International Day of the Older Person it's a timely reminder that the elderly do too.

Which brings me back to the younger generation.

While it's all very well marching and chanting action is what's needed, you know what?

It would be a fantastic idea if they all went and spoke to someone over the age of 70 and asked them advice on how to improve our environment which is what climate change is all about.

I bet they would say things like "Don't spend your weekends at shopping malls buying things that only last five minutes. Instead go for a walk in the bush or the beach and if you see rubbish pick it up. Or spend the day planting some vegetables."

I'd like to add walk or bike to school, however our roads are so congested now that I don't blame parents for not wanting their children to bike on the roads or have to cross busy intersections.

One solution would be for parents to walk their children to school, save gym fees. But again these days most parents work and probably drop their children off to school on their way.

Or they live too far away to walk. No more little country schools these days.

It is hard but one thing the marchers have done is to make everyone take notice and good for them.

Now back to the laundry.

I learnt something while writing this column. Some people never hang their washing on the line. Everything goes straight in the dryer.

I'm still trying to get my head around that. I don't even have a dryer. All I can think about when people tell me that is the power bill.

I'll still be hanging my washing on the line until I can't physically do it — then I'll ring my children to come do it — now that's something for them to look forward to.

FOOTNOTE: Right oh, people. Get those local body election voting papers filled in and sent back. Then ring your family and friends and remind them to do the same because at the moment we are not doing very well.

Just 8.39 per cent of Napier voters have returned their voting papers. Central Hawke's Bay is doing the best with 14.09 per cent of ballots returned. In Hastings, 9.17 per cent of papers have been handed in. Data for Wairoa was not available. We need to do better than that — have your say and vote today.