The bar was deserted when he entered – just the bar tender cleaning the bar.  Not that it needed cleaning; he just needed something to do.  He wore a name tag saying his name was John and he was the owner.

John watched the stranger as he looked around.  He looked tired, but also apprehensive.  After a few minutes, the stranger approached the bar.  John was a little suspicious, but also a little curious.  He started the conversation, even though it felt a little reckless.

"You look like you need a break.  How far have you come?"

The stranger responded hesitantly at first "I have been driving for around four hours, most of it in heavy rain.  It only eased off over the last thirty minutes."  He was also being cautious, as if he was feeling vulnerable, reckless.

While he was talking, the stranger kept looking around, mostly towards the door.  John’s concern was growing, rather than reducing.  The stranger was obviously concerned that someone might find him.  Who was taking a risk here – John in accepting the stranger in this isolated pub, or the stranger stopping at the pub.

After some further conversation about the weather, and when no-one else turned up, the stranger started to relax.  John was still a little concerned about what the stranger was hiding from, but he was not young and did not look dangerous.  Eventually John decided to offer him some food - he looked like he needed it.  It was not normal to open the restaurant part of the pub if there were no customers, but his wife was pottering around in the kitchen any.  He also warned his wife to act quickly if necessary.  So, the stranger sat down, still at the bar, for some hot soup and bread.  John kept his eye on the door, the stranger, and where his phone was in case he needed to act quickly.

After eating, the stranger finally relaxed totally, sighed, and made the surprising statement "I have escaped!"

At John's concerned look, he explained "I have had enough of my children trying to mother me.  I am quite capable of looking after myself, but they are always hanging around as if I was a child.  How they thought their mother and I managed without them I don't know.  But once she has been gone, they decided I could not look after myself.  I have decided to take a holiday on my own without telling them.  I had to leave without them seeing, and needed to make sure I got far enough away they could not find me."

John laughed with the stranger and called his wife out.  They all sat around talking, becoming friends.  Since the pub had accommodation, the stranger stayed the night.  He went on his way the following morning much more relaxed - and with no rain to contend with.

Every year at about the same time, the stranger returned to the pub, spending a day or two with his new friends before going who knew where.  John and his wife never met the stranger's children, but saw many photos of grandchildren and shared stories of their own growing family.

The life of a publican in a country area of Australia meant meeting so many different people and making many interesting friends.  Taking a risk in accepting the stranger had worked out after all, and he had become a regular customer.  You cannot know what life will bring, but sometimes taking a risk brings great rewards.


Joy Shirley
​November 2016

Maybe it was not all that dangerous, but it felt like a huge risk at the time.

Things were a little uneasy at work, and rumours were flying around.  Redundancies were thought to be likely.

It was Friday afternoon preceding a long weekend that there was a message on my phone when I returned from one of the many meetings my job entailed.  It was not from someone I knew well, but it was someone I knew.  He was not actually from Human Resources, but it was a related area if I remember correctly.  It was too late to return the call, so that had to wait until Tuesday morning.

My husband worked in the same department, but in a very different area.  That evening when we got home he confirmed that he had received a call from the same officer, and he had in fact been asked if he would consider taking a voluntary redundancy.  So, the time had come!

We spent the weekend trying to work out the financial implications.  It would mean retirement for both of us – Tim was already 60 and I was only a few months short.  The chances of getting work in the IT industry in management level roles at our ages was not high – and we were far past getting jobs at a technical level.

What would the redundancy payout be?  What should we do with the payout to provide an income that would last?  Was this even possible?  What would be the level of the Superannuation income?  And so on – the weekend was spent in front of the computer trying to work out whether this was too great a risk.  And it was a three-day weekend so more time to ponder and worry.

Tuesday morning came at last, and I made the call.  Yes, I would consider the offer.  Help – was I right to do this?  I cannot remember the full process, but I think there was some early information about the amount of the payout, including outstanding leave and long service leave before the final decision had to be made.  It looked OK.  And they paid for us to receive advice from a financial planner – they got it cheaply of course because we had to do it as a package – two for the price of one.  No sense in doing it separately as we were both taking the redundancy.
 
Still it felt full of risk.  Could we live on the income streams that we would be receiving?

Well, of course it all worked out perfectly – as far as the financial side was concerned.  No need to have worried at all.  We have even managed some overseas holidays, travelling at business class level, and not backpacker costs.
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There was another sticky point though.  Should we move to Benalla?  What would that mean financially and socially?  And so, taking a deep breath made those plans as well.  Maybe you have an idea how that is working out for us!!!!

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Joy Shirley,
​November 2016