Aboriginal wisdom
Not sure, after all these years on DU, why I have decided to share these memories now. Maybe we all need a distraction and an uplifting story.
In the mid 80s, when I was in my early 30s, I sold up and decided to see a bit more of the country. After staying a month with my sister in Eumundi on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, I took a job as chef at a remote tourist lodge in the Carnarvon Ranges in central Queensland.
While I was there, a group of three Aboriginal park rangers came to give talks to the tourists in the lodge and in the national park campgrounds. Being staff, I got to know them quite well.
The first stunning piece of wisdom was, and I'll attempt to paraphrase, "The original owners of this land may need a canoe. They could cut down a big eucalypt and make six or eight bark canoes, or - they could take one canoe from the bark and come back every year for twenty years and get a new canoe".
The second magical moment that stays with me happened after we had all knocked off work for the evening. The rangers and a few lodge staff decided to take wine, beer and musical instruments up to a waterfall overlooking Carnarvon Creek. We played, sang, drank, and became very merry. Fred, the oldest ranger produced a didgeridoo and played along.
After several wines I couldn't contain myself; 'Can I try the didgeridoo?' I said, reaching out for it. Tipsy as I was, I felt a hush between the three rangers, then Eric, the most qualified (in environmentalism) said, 'Yeah sure'. And he showed me how to blow to get a rhythm and sound out of it.
The next day I hadn't forgotten the tense nano-second when I had unthinkingly reached for the didgeridoo and asked Eric why that had happened. His answer was:
"In our culture, women are generally not supposed to play the didgeridoo. But you had shared your wine, your instruments, your song with all of us, and as the senior man, it was my call to make whether you could play it or not. You shared so we must share".
These two small events forever shaped my love of the country and its people.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I didn't know that at the time, but the guys dealt with my ignorance with grace. 
That's a wonderful memory to share. 
We all just need to relax about others' cultures and enjoy learning. 
