“Mateship is an Australian cultural idiom that embodies equality, loyalty and friendship, usually among men. Russel Ward, in The Australian Legend (1958), saw the concept as a central one to the Australian people. Mateship derives from mate, meaning friend, commonly used in Australia as an amicable form of address.”
Source: Wikipedia
Sure that defines it for all those that need a text book answer, but is that really it?
No, of course it isn’t.
Mates are people who can trust each other no matter what the situation, no matter how tough the going gets and no matter what the consequences may be!
That could be a way to describe mateship, at least that is how I would describe it.
This is without a doubt one of the core foundations to Australian society, “The Australian Way” as some would call it!
From a very early age Australians are taught all the way from kindie to be team players, sure there are some individuals who are the exact opposite, but they are not the norm, or at least they weren’t, back when mates were mates!
“Sharing is caring”, no matter how rich or how poor a family may be, every family pitches in to the school fete, to the school raffles, to all the charities and fundraisers.
No matter how good someone was or wasn’t at a sport everyone was given a chance to play.
No matter what it takes, everyone helps everyone in all activities.
Mateship and respect, loyalty and the honour that it brings with it.
The core foundation that built our great nation!
Is it possible that Australian society has become so Americanized that we too have started worshiping the unholy dollar?
Has our society got to the point where everything is revolving around money and nothing else?
I would hope not!
From what some people are telling me, with all the warnings about how it is in Australia today, I somewhat get a picture that we are talking about The United States of Australia and not “Down Under”, “The Great Southern Land”, “The Sunburned Country” HOME!
HOME... that’s right, HOME.
The place that we call HOME, for everything good that the word and term HOME mean to people.
Could it be true that these decades of “career politicians” have taken their toll?
I don’t know, but I do not like the idea that what is the core of our nation has been forgotten or put in second place to some paper/plastic money that could never turn a true mate against his mates.
I would like to believe that somewhere in the backs of our heads, if nowhere else then somewhere deep in our subconscious is that little chip marked “Mateship”.
When the time comes to stand up for our rights and liberties, for our Australian way of life and to ensure that no body messes with our HOME, that this chip can kick in as it always has done in the past.
What is the price for mateship?
It isn’t up for sale, not for real mates, not for those who believe in Australia and our Australian way.
I do not wish to accept what some people are trying to tell me about the unholy dollar and just how cheap some people have become.
Life is a lot more than any currency or anything it can buy. For the things that money cannot buy are the things that are priceless.
Mateship was one of those and as far as I’m concerned it shall be for most true blue Aussies, no matter where we may be in this mucked up world.
GOD BLESS.
