Opinion: Good mates add to life

Ngahi Bidois shares the lessons he's learnt from time spent with friends this week. Photo/File

I have had an interesting week which has made me realise I am fortunate to have a lot of good friends who are definitely contributing to me having a full and enjoyable life.

Last Saturday we had a whanau fun day with one of the Maori trusts I am on from my mother's Ngati Tahu Ngati Whaoa side.

It was great to meet people from Tokoroa I had known for the 10 or so years I have been on that trust.

It was also enjoyable to be there with fellow trustees and people on the trust who are now friends as well.

We were making good memories and a positive difference for our whanau in Tokoroa as we played games and created learning opportunities for our tamariki. That was my exercise covered.

Saturday night I was at the Rotorua Stockcar meeting with my best friend and wife Carolyn where I saw another friend, Ken Hunter, win the Bay of Plenty Superstock Championship.

Shot Ken.

I also witnessed the spectacle that is the Demolition Derby which is still lots of fun to watch after all these years.

On Sunday I spent the day with my wife Carolyn and we went for a Sunday drive.

We ended up in Hamilton at the World Lego Exhibition which was very cool.

I have been chilling with my wife and taking Sunday drives with her for 33 years now, so as far as friends go, she is a keeper.

Tuesday morning saw me meeting with the trustees of another Maori trust I have also been on for about 10 years and we made important decisions for our people regarding future investment opportunities.

This trust is on my Ngati Rangiwewehi side and the people are more than relatives. They have become friends as well.

Immediately following that hui I had a coffee with a couple of other friends from the Rotorua Stockcar club where I am the cultural adviser and we made a presentation to the widow of one of the Stockcar drivers who had recently passed away.

She is also a good friend as was her husband, Darcy Hunter Junior.

It was yet again another hui where friends were looking after friends. Tuesday covered off the business and aroha aspects of my life.

On Wednesday night you will usually find me at the Springfield Twilight golf competition with awesome golfing buddies such as JJ, Gonz, Marama, Gerald, Peter and Andrew, but instead I had been invited by another group of Ngati Rangiwewehi whanaunga and friends to create lots of fun and memories playing speed scrabble.

This was an iwi-wide event organised by Te Papa Takaro o Te Arawa.

One of the funny memories was when a friend saw my business truck with the writing "Inspirational Speaker" on it and he commented that he hoped I was also an inspirational Speller. I think we came last.

As poorly as I did, that was the intellectual part covered.

Thursday night saw me at the Rotorua Arikapakapa Golf course for their final Twilight Golf evening with my Deloittes golfing buddies.

The highlight of the night there was Martin Kinder, who organises us all, winning the trip for two to Fiji which was kindly sponsored by Hello World.

Last year one of our other Deloittes boys won it so this is obviously a good bunch of friends to be around for luck and good fortune. One day.

Golf again on Friday saw me at the Chamber of Commerce golf tournament with a few mates from earlier in the week and some others.

What a great day that was at Lakeview Golf course who hosted us magnificently and the guest speaker, Barbara Kendall was inspirational and awesome.

But wait, there is more. Last night I went to Baypark Speedway with a few mates to watch more stockcar and saloon car racing.

That ended with Nick Beazley and I having a midnight feed at a local famous restaurant starting with M.

I must admit that this was an outstanding week of being with mates.

However, these same people are in and out of my life weekly and frequently along with others that I am pleased and honoured to call friends.

Friends are important if we want to have a full, eventful and safe life.

They can determine many aspects of our lives, the physical, intellectual (speaking or spelling), aroha, leadership, serving, luck (or not), business and investing as well as life long friends in marriage.

To have a friend we need to be a friend.

Many years ago my Uncle Mita Mohi taught me a proverb which I think sums up the essence of friendship nicely.

"Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au." I am you and you are me. Thank you for being a friend.

Ngahihi o te ra is from Te Arawa and is a Professional Speaker, Professional Director, columnist, author, businessman, husband and father. www.ngahibidois.com