Sydney Maco

We live in a society with an abundance of food, more than could be imagined by previous generations. Our affluence as a society has enabled us to substitute food for comfort rather than it’s primary purpose, i.e. nourishment. Another important, sometimes overlooked concept is that a meal shared is always better than one eaten alone. There is something special about sharing a meal together, with friends for lunch, with family at dinner time, etc.

With the increase in the variety of food available, and the popularity of easily accessible (not as easily digestible) junk food, the way we spend meal time is changing.

You have teenagers and squatting adult children (some in their 30s) who wouldn’t touch a home cooked meal if an offer to go and eat out with friends came up. It doesn’t leave a very nice taste in the parents mouth, treating the home like a hotel, coming and going as they please.

On the other hand, our parents probably wouldn’t be caught dead in a cafe or restaurant, and look forward to weddings and christenings for a semi-formal dining opportunity. Not many people say grace before a meal these days, and the few that do make the effort don’t seem to be consistent or ask their children to do the same. By diving straight in to eat, not waiting for the father to sit at the head of the table, we’re reducing the value of the meal to the equivalent of a frozen lean-cuisine.

It’s important to make the effort not only to eat good food, but to enjoy it in good company. This can take many forms, and doesn’t need to be an expensive dinner out with friends.

A simple picnic (not one where you pack half the fridge and take a folding table and chairs) is the best way to enjoy the outdoors with your family. You don’t need to fire up a coal barbecue, just pack enough to make a few sandwiches, some fruit, water, and enjoy. By keeping it simple you’re more likely to do it more frequently.

Many of us have grown up with memories of our parents going to work in the factories in and around Sydney in the mid 1970s to late 1980s.
There is a false belief that these factories have now disappeared, all production has gone offshore, there is no more work for the lower classes.
This infact cannot be further from the truth, infact what has happened is a shift in the classes in such a way as to instill a false sense of progress.

Our parents had high hopes that we would grow up doing some easier work, less demanding physically, cleaner, and generally a better and easier life, etc. Has this materialised, most people would argue that it has, I’d like to explore where we have infact ended up, and what we can do going forward.

By making people believe that they have gone up the social ladder, when infact the level of dependence has increased through consumerism, people generally feel content without realising what has happened. The quality of life has not increased, infact I’d argue that quality of life has generally declined, particularly when it comes to family.
A false indicator of quality of life is material possessions, when infact it should personal relationships primarily within the family.

My answer to anyone would be family comes first, don’t let money, wealth, or material possessions get ahead of your personal relationships. This is difficult to contemplate in today’s world, we’ve come a long way from the weekend picnics, visiting each other regularly for just a chat, helping each other when in need. The prospect of a flashy new car, or several weeks of indulgence on a cruise ship, a brand new shiny kitchen with stainless steel appliances are just too much to give up in exchange for attention to the people we love.

We are the factory workers of today, we may work inside air conditioned offices, but it’s still a factory when you think about it. We can be factory workers in today’s world and still retain the family values that our parents held, these are not mutually exclusive. The really difficult question that needs to be asked, and most people would go to great lengths to avoid is this; Who do you live for ? When you wake up in the morning do you think, wow, I’ve got a fresh 24 hours in which to live and enrich the lives of people around me. I’ll tell you now, if we did this first as a family, then as a community, we’d all benefit from better relationships.