I have already heard it said by the new National Party Leader Todd Muller,,, it is the word FAMILY.

There is a strength in that word alone.

I was just watching old footage of the 1978 Election campaign, it was kinda pleasing seeing the senses of humour and the banter between the leaders of parties and their comfortable connection with the public and a seemingly respectful relationship with journalist and the media, .. but it struck me how enjoyably engaged the public seemed,, a whole bunch of NZers’, from old to young, being just as individual as they like , comfortable together, enjoying the politics and very much feeling a part of it, a big part of it.
I know these were a bunch of NZers’ who were as we were back then, a people who have come from good values, albeit they considered conservative, but these times allowed for the individual just fine, underlying this feel good time was the very thing that we all not only had in common but what was a large driving force of New Zealand, it was the FAMILY…the family extended to the community for many of us as we grew in small towns all over lil’ Ol’ NZ. That is when it struck me, like..I had never considered it before, the fact that what was missing in the very people growing up here for the last almost two generations, the lack of strength, commitment and values of old was the lack of FAMILY.

Excuse me though, I don’t want to generalise about the young kids, they have had many burdens, technology being a biggie, I do know many that do not have what I had, a normal Family, you know the kind that has a Father in it,, It would be great to think that one day that ‘F’ word could be in vogue…FATHER the new ‘F’ word.