Last night ABC 2 broadcast a wonderful documentary on the evolution of life on Earth, developed on the old aphorism of “all that lives is grass”.

The first notable thing about the doco was that it was narrated (or if you prefer) presented by a (now mandatory) Scot whose name eludes me.  The narrative line was brilliant and the use of computer animation was superb.  Yes, we did see the occasional dinosaur that moved like it had Parkinson’s disease, but by and large it was spectacular and represented rather arcane and complex (but crucial) scientific descriptions of processes like photosynthesis with stunning clarity for lay people and science-trained alike.

I was particularly impressed by the illustration of how photons split water into hydrogen (to be made into simple carbohydrate sugars) and oxygen (for we animalia to breathe) – and how the chloroplasts in plant cells migrate towards flashes of light – extending the notion that chloroplasts inside plant cells behave like free-floating algae.  Join your own dots, creationists !

Which brings me to our dear friend Warrigal.

I “met” Warrigal over at the ABC when “the Drum” was called “Unleashed”.  He was a vigorous participant – and may still be – although I think it highly unlikely.  I remember that he forgave me for calling him “Waz” – possibly on the grounds that I meant no harm and that I do tend to shorten nicknames (Gez, for example).  Waz went on to answer in careful detail my question about how could we tell whether the changing temperature of the Earth (whether it was impacted by man-induced effects like burning fossil fuels or not) was not merely the onset or end of an ice age – the likes of which have occurred throughout long periods in the Earth’s history before the rise of industrial man.

If I recall correctly, since it was some few years ago now, Warrigal has detailed knowledge of the critical differences in the rates of change and sound evidence that placed a great weight on the likelihood of anthropogenic climate change.

Moreover, I was struck by the clarity of his prose, his encyclopaedic knowledge and his generosity in taking the trouble to respond in the first place amidst a plethora of redneck rage and just plain bone-headedness of the many commenters that my piece equating climate change denialists with creationists, flushed out.  Ah, those were the days when the articles were open for long enough to let hundreds of comments pass through.  Moderating nightmare, I reckon.  But I digress – which essentially sums up all my pieces – I digress.

I am deeply grateful for all the brilliant contributions Waz has made to the Pig’s Arms.

I love the way he has of seeing the world of Molong on four legs from about 18 inches or so from the ground.  I love his mysterious lives – his appreciation and passion for indigenous art and his eclectic tastes in music.  And I love his humour, wit and skill with Photoshop.  “Digital Mischief” indeed – and Waz’s collaborations with Hung One On are legendary in my book.

In recent time’s we’ve seen less of our Waz and I know that we are aware of his battle with the big C – if not some of the other travails he and I have shared privately across the interweb tubes.  And it is true that while I have met many of our Pig’s Arms patrons, friends, contributors, ratbags, artists, poets, writers, foodies, musos, historians, car nuts, trainspotters and casual observers of the human condition, I have never met Waz face to face.  Or rather if I HAVE met Waz, I was completely (if not exactly blissfully) unaware.

Nor do I remember sniffing his bottom when I was playing in the park or hanging at the back of some random pack in the Inner West.  Which, I suppose is just as well.  I mean, there are limits to a friendship, are there not ?

Anyway, there come times in the lives of men, women, and indeed canine spirits when it is right to take an extended walkabout and explore further afield.  Recently Warrigal wrote to me with a long discussion about changing priorities and the downside of blogging and I know from close hand experience that there are touchpoints in a person’s life that change us profoundly and cause us to evaluate our fundamental positions and even revisit things that we usually hold so constant that we take them for granted.   I know that a lot of extremely challenging and difficult events have prompted Waz to take a critical look at blogging as an activity and make some changes.

He was saying in effect that he was going to be absent from the pub and that while it has been a good idea and we’ve had some terrific times, the recent shitfighting and personal attacks amongst patrons is not conducive to sticking around and is a signal that it is time for change.  I know that Waz and others have misgivings about my (over)reaction to Hung’s troubles and I can’t blame anyone for feeling uncomfortable about that

Waz’s position reminded me of a well-worn aphorism from my profession (if it’s not puffery to think of consulting as a profession).  It’s called the Law of Dill Pickles and it goes like this: “The cucumber becomes more like the brine, than the brine becomes like the cucumber”.  Put another way, like Woody Allen’s Zelig, we soon become alarmingly like the company we keep and the environment in which we spend our days.

To my mind this is a two way street.  We also contribute to – and – absorb the goodness as well as the less wonderful things.  But we are all free, as friends always are – to come and go.  To be kind to each other.  To be selfish and unkind as we may from time to time be – sometimes without intent – to be misunderstood and to misunderstand.  Is human.  And so is forgiveness.

In recent times I have been pressed and unable to make the kind of contribution to the Pig’s Arms that I made in the first couple of years.  Work is a real problem at present – finding it and making a quid are very high priorities for FM and I – otherwise we cannot afford to keep the roof over our heads.  There is also the possibility of ~ and the need to beat burn-out.  I have been consulting (which is really a series of shortish well-paid jobs interspersed with no pay at all) for over 23 years now.  If you can imagine what it’s like going for three to six job interviews per year – every effing year – with all the preparation, anxiety and disappointment for those that do not pan out – regardless of how well you could have done, you can see why it becomes hard to write funny pieces all the time and moderate hundreds of comments on a blog.

And it’s hard to keep the black dog at bay.  Thank goodness for FM.  I for one have been rather short-tempered and cursory in my visits to the pub of late, and for this I apologise without reservation.

But I value our community, warts and all, and I treasure the hundreds (more than a thousand) of contributions made with no thought of personal gain.

I miss the wonderful works of Neville Cole and Atomou for example and I will very much miss Warrigal Mirriyuula.  I wish you all the best, dear friends.

I am very pleased that Waz’s departure has been delayed a little with his participation in Hung’s rehabilitation – re-creating new digital mischief for the O’Way Empire.

May the force be with you; may the grass be green here too.

“May you grow sweet and lush and may you not be cut or trampled for we are all grass.”[1]

Kind regards,

Emm