In hindsight, our Top Five this week should have been a Top Six, with the addition of advice to leave the world a better place than you found it.
During this remarkable week, when a memorial services for the ages was held today for Gough Whitlam, his credo seemed to have found an echo, as if by osmosis today’s politicians are starting to realise that there’s no point getting elected unless you contribute something while you have your hands on the levers of power.
Our state member for Campbelltown, Bryan Doyle, actually listed it as one of his strengths in a conversation earlier this week: “I want to leave Campbelltown a beter place than I found it.”
And in a profile in the Voice not long ago, the man who wants his job, Greg Warren, spoke eloquently of what a noble pursuit public service is.
We are blessed, indeed.
Also working hard to leave our neck of the woods a much better place than he found it is violinist and music teacher George Kowalik.
How lucky we are to have the “maestro” in our midst, giving some of our young people the opportunity to pursue a career in music.
Last Saturday night, in the theatre room of the art gallery the “maestro” and his young apprentices – on violin, cello and double bass – put on a performance Gough himself would have enjoyed.
As was said at Gough’s memorial, we all must play our part in trying to improve our society, inch by inch if necessary.
We have to remember that giants like Gough, who make giant strides when given the chance, don’t come around very often, so the rest of the time it’s up to us mere mortals to do the pushing and the shoving.
Driving past the renewal work at Airds the other day and seeing the massive sewerage pipes reminded me of Gough and his promise to sewer western Sydney.
There is no way anyone anywhere in this country would ever allow a new housing estate to go ahead without sewerage, something that wasn’t always the way.
But Gough changed that, and it would be a great legacy if we all pledged to continue to live by his credo of leaving the world a better place than we found it.
