And so this is Christmas, and what have you done.

Just another day in the community. People are out and about doing their thing. The people from The Big Red Bus are busy organising the upcoming Christmas dinner for the homeless, disadvantaged and just plain lonely folk of our town. Last year they had about a 120 volunteers from the community to offer assistance for the day. The State Emergency Service people if not actively fixing people's houses and gardens after the last big blow will probably be out training so they can be effective the next time calamity strikes. The soup kitchen people will be preparing their regular weekly, fabulous meal for the poor and struggling of our town. This will not only be soup but a meal worthy of a first class restaurant. As they collect the food and drink for the meal they may brush shoulders with the people from First Harvest who collect unused food from kind businesses around town and redistribute it to the needy. The people from Mrs York's Garden will be making plans for the continuation of the work they are doing, planting, weeding and restoring a wonderful garden on the edge of town. All volunteers of course. Apex, Rotary and other service groups are going about their business doing what service groups do, helping people that can't cope. The Salvation Army volunteers will be out again raising money for those that have made poor decisions with their lives or who have mental health, and addiction problems. Helping as best they can. Volunteer drivers will be out picking up elderly people that can no longer drive and take them shopping or to social events then deliver them home safely again. The lovely volunteers at the dog shelter will be helping to feed and walk dogs that have for whatever reason found themselves without a home. The volunteer firefighters are guarding our forests, the volunteer lifesavers are guarding our beaches. Volunteer workers will provide services and raise money for the sick and disabled in our hospitals. People will be presenting again at the blood bank to volunteer their life saving blood. Me? I'll probably be listening to the bloke up the road, tell me again what a terrible place the world is. I won't argue with him because I sense that his view is more about the state of his own life than the state of the world. When I suggest he does some volunteer work to relieve his boredom and loneliness he demurs. Instead he will go back inside and watch the news to confirm to himself that the country is in a bad way.