Being Aussie.

Well. We've got Australia Day coming up. There's always a bit of discussion about whether we should be celebrating Australia on this day or not, but I thought I'd talk about something else in this post. Basically, the phrase, "That's just un-Australian." Usually applied to someone who perhaps, isn't fond of meat pies, or isn't much of a swimmer, or doesn't drink beer, or doesn't watch AFL or State of Origin, or isn't a big 'snag on the barbie' fan.

And there are some - well, many, really - people who can get quite passionate about this. Who will really take a bit of offence if you call yourself Australian, but haven't had pavlova. But really - all these things don't actually matter that much. And to me, really don't define what being an Australian is. It's not about shortening every second word, or cussing like a sailor, or having an accent as broad as the Nullarbor.

But there are, to me, a few things that do define being Australian.
Firstly - sharing. "For those who've come across the seas, we've boundless plains to share." We have one of the most multicultural societies you'll see. And I think that's something to be insanely proud of, and something we should keep pushing to grow, not stamp out or be afraid of.
Secondly - friendship. Being there for your mates, your friends, is something distinctly Aussie and awesome. Let's keep doing that.
Thirdly - comedy. We love to laugh. Even though I'll admit we're as likely to laugh at you as with you (which is something to work on), we do it with a good heart. We're good at still being able to have a laugh in the worst of things, and that's pretty great.
Fourthly - stories. We are a nation of stories and storytellers; and this goes back long beyond us whitefolk. We're not the first folks here by a long shot! So many tribes and tongues have been telling stories under these stars for thousands of years before we got here.
Fifthly - freedom. As much as we'll complain about this or that, there are so many freedoms that we have in this country, and opportunities that would be impossible anywhere else.

I think these are things to celebrate, and perpetuate, much more than beer and meat pies. I think these are things that anyone can understand and connect to, and things that I love about this country. And I hope that these will stay true for many a year to come. These are what it really means to be Aussie.