– Kriston – 12/12/96
What has become of me? I have sub-consciously become part of a modern man’s complex. I bought a 4X4, diesel
Landcruiser and somehow displayed the latest of modern man’s urban inadequacies.
The sale of 4X4 vehicles is the major growth area in NZ vehicle sales. I suspect the reasons are two-fold. 1)We have all had aspirations to be like Barry Crump, becoming itinerant scribes and being able to go bush at a moments notice. 2)We want to be able to visit small-town New Zealand without having people whisper, “bloody-loopys” under their breath. The urban psyche tricks us into believing that we are not quite kosher unless we have some sort of “rural
connection” or “bond with the bush”.
Does our behaviour change? Do we regress into some rural male myth that we’ve made up in our heads? I must seek help and counselling…
I think a national education office must be set up before we all turn into tobacco-chewing, mumbling, homophobes
resemblant of a KKK recruitment drive.
But then, perhaps I’m slightly alarmist or paranoid?
