January

You, Dear Reader, (the singular you – I would be totally delusional, not to mention presumptuous, if I thought for one minute there was more than one reader. See this post earlier in the month) will have noticed there is a certain pattern to the minimal activity around blog posting in the Soup Kitchen.

There is a minor flurry of activity at the beginning of each year; possibly it’s something to do with the undeniable move forward into yet another year.  A fresh sheet, marked 2018, begging to have something written on it. And so, the January posts get under way.  It may be only a short time before they falter and fall into total neglect but January is the month where the blog puts on a bold, brave, forward-looking face, the post machine is cranked up and begins to churn out the material.

It’s also the month that stretches away through the expected hot days; cafes which have been closed for the holiday break re-open as the days pass and mothers heave a sigh of relief as the end of the month draws near. They turn to the task of filling book lists, uniforms are pulled out, passed on if they are too small and replaced in time for another year of growth.

It’s also the month where people take advantage of time away from their work place. They may go down to the Surf Coast, or any other coast which takes their fancy.  It’s the time of the year when those holiday houses which often stand empty for many months of the year are alive with families, their friends and passing visitors, who take the opportunity of a break away from the city.

The tennis juggernaut rolls into town, activity is observed at the Tennis Centre from the windows of passing trams and there is much talk about who will win what and every second tennis player seems to sport a totally unpronounceable name. Yes, the Australian Open is the sporting news of the moment.

The second national public holiday presents itself on January 26 and without a shadow of doubt it will be accompanied by much media hype about the suitability of the date, sides will be taken and opinions stated.

That’s January in a nutshell.

Surf Coast                                                       Archive photo: Year unknown