The trigger was the current radio awareness campaign for insurance fraud. It’s the one that encourages people to ring a hotline if you think someone is making a bogus or fraudulent claim.

It’s a good example of the near perfect use of the understatement, a mechanism of language often employed by writers and satirists to great effect but sometimes even funnier when delivered off the cuff.

Employees with such a gift for understatement can be very useful to a business. They seem to have nerves of steel as they calmly say: “There’s been a little glitch with the dry cleaning of your skirt Madam, and we hope you won’t be too upset.” With that they produce a garment for a small fairy that once fitted a full size adult human.

They are people who often use phrases like ‘tiny problem’, ‘minor inconvenience’ or ‘small hiatus’ when the event actually sits at the catastrophic end of the scale.

You have to love women who say, “Well he was a tad cross,” referring to their husband’s heart damaging rage in reaction to something.

Others are very good at understating their illnesses – near loss of a limb becomes, “a bit of a scrape” or a fatal tumour, “a small bump on the brain that needs to be taken care of.”

While the overly dramatic can be energising, often producing a fun adrenalin rush, I have always had a greater pull towards the understated.

I was reminded of the understatement as used in comedy the other day when I caught a repeat of the still amusing ‘Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em’ on TV.

Michael Crawford’s character Frank Spencer was always having “minor troubles” or a “spot of bother” when in reality he had left an irreversible trail of destruction in his wake.

The English are particularly good at it in both comedy and real life. A good friend lives on a river bank in the west of the county and has a great story about his very nice English neigbour getting into difficulty on the river quite late one night.

This morning streets of suburban London lie littered with burned out cars, gutted buildings, piles of broken glass and looted businesses; anarchy on a level rarely witnessed in modern times. While it is suggested that the shooting of a black man in suspicious circumstances in Tottenham last week was the spark that blew the powder keg, it is far too simplistic an explanation for what unfolded. It would appear that this was bubbling for a long time and just like a devastating tsunami or an earthquake, it seemed to come from nowhere and take everyone by surprise. The thing is this is not strange, unpredictable weather phenomena, but the actions of real people albeit a disaffected youth who seem to be nothing short of feral and without parental control. Were the authorities that out of touch that they couldn’t see the anger and social breakdown amongst the Hoodies? Obviously they haven’t been reading their own tabloids. This is just the antisocial behaviour on a grander and bolder scale with the resulting horrendous consequences. It is about the breakdown of communities and society where human values have become totally distorted. It’s about the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ where the ultimate prize is a piece of electronic equipment or cash regardless of the cost or consequences for others. Watching the footage of the initial night’s rioting it was interesting that the main targets were the electronic shops with the cameras and the mp3 players. While the initial focus has to be on containment and restoring order the underlying problems remain. Hopefully this will have exposed that underbelly of poverty, boredom, unrest and general disregard by a whole section of society for people and property. It may even prove to be a tipping point but one fears that there will be a great deal more pain before the cancer is fully cut out or cured.

It has been said in as many ways as possible.  Not only was the festival a super financial boost to the area, it was also a boost to the collective confidence and morale of the inhabitants.  We proved to everyone that we now have the maturity and ability to host a well thought out and well organised international event.  It was no doubt a huge team effort with everyone playing to their strengths and, like most things in life, by removing even the smallest element, the machine wouldn’t have worked as efficiently.  With that fact acknowledged and everyone thanked, something we can’t overlook is how blessed we are as a city to have such a vibrant organisation as Spraoi.

The experience and knowledge that Spraoi bring to Irish festival events is invaluable and, I believe, not recognised enough locally or nationally.  It was particularly interesting during the Tall Ships how many people from outside Waterford were so taken with the random street entertainers.  There were giant lobsters, people nonchalantly walking wooden dogs, towering, stilt walking fantasy sea creatures, miniature taxis and all the other tremendous acts that just seemed to pop up here and there adding to the majestic backdrop of the Tall Ships.

Fireworks

As inhabitants of course we enjoyed it, but also, to a degree we tend to take it a little for granted, just like we are also spoiled when it comes to night time fireworks.  It was the visitors who kept checking their watches to make sure they didn’t miss them, while the natives were a little more relaxed about it.  We need to realise that fireworks are not necessarily an annual event in every town and city in Ireland.  Some people have only seen live fireworks maybe once or twice in their lifetime.  Along with the street entertainment the Spraoi signature was stamped all over the music events.  Running live music gigs is not easy and for everyone to enjoy a good and safe time, many things need to be in place.  Most organisations running music events have the added advantage of starting with a proper music venue; Spraoi had Bolton Street car park!   It is only when you step back and take a look at what was achieved that you realise the wealth of expertise within Spraoi.

Now already you are probably wondering why I have singled Spraoi out as perhaps the same can be said of all the other groups involved; City Council for example were unbelievable in their care and organisation of so many things, the Gardai were also outstanding and what about the groups that looked after the crews from the ships themselves? As stated earlier, I have no doubt that if any of the elements, no matter how small or apparently insignificant were removed it would have created a week link and a potential for problems.  However I single Spraoi out because I want to point out where they came from.  Spraoi, the fantastic arts organisation that we are always proud to call our own, was born out of the simple act of a group of people in the early nineties literally getting off their arses and doing something constructive and fun for themselves and their community one Sunday in the summer!

Tremendous example

Spraoi is a tremendous example of the value of volunteering to both the individual and the community.  It shows us clearly how volunteering and just doing something without need or thought for financial reward can have such hidden treasures.  And even now, all these years later, Spraoi still continues to foster and depend on the pillars of volunteerism.  Of course Spraoi received plenty of help in the intervening years from many organisations in Waterford City including the City Council and the Arts Council to continue its good work.  With that help it has created a core body of arts professionals that earn their living from it today, but even the most cynical cannot believe that the original idea was a cunning, money making venture engineered to create employment and an indigenous local industry.

So we, as a city, county and country, find ourselves pretty much back in a place not too dissimilar to those early days of Spraoi.  It was also a time when unemployment was relatively high, amenities and opportunities, for youth particularly, were thin on the ground and there wasn’t much cash floating around, but it couldn’t stem the flow of creativity.  Today is just the same.  They can take our jobs, steal our money and attempt to dampen and trample our dreams of a future, but they cannot take away a willingness to make the world a better place or the ability to do things for ourselves.  Waterford has many, many examples of this.  Moving away from the arts the Solas Centre is another great example of people doing it for themselves and the amount of sports bodies dependent on volunteers is immense.  I could spend the next two pages detailing groups and organisations that are out there thriving because of what people do for no monetary gain at all.

People are out there

From the obvious ones like the Civil Defence and the Lions Clubs to small residential housing estate committees and choirs, people are out there doing something for the benefit and good of others and we are all the richer for their efforts.  Indeed the entire Tall Ships event, outside of the Spraoi involvement, depended on several hundred volunteers in many different aspects; without them perhaps I would be writing a very different article this week.

There is such a tremendous value in volunteerism for both the volunteer and the community in general.  People learn new skills, make new friends and become another healthy contributing cell in the body of society.  For many their act of volunteerism has led to a career or job change, for others it has meant a social life or circle they would never have encountered and for others it is just the joy of knowing they have helped out; whatever the reason we need to encourage it and value it.  If you are out of work right now I understand that looking for a job can become a job in itself, but don’t underestimate the value in volunteering.  Even if it is just for a few hours a week or a month the difference in can make is often incalculable and you certainly don’t need to be out of work to become one.

The proposal is to cut €10 million from the SNA education budget which will have direct, swift and detrimental consequences for hundreds of children with special needs.  In turn that will affect their immediate families who have enough to deal

Last week saw the opening of the Bishops Palace Museum and the reopening of the historic Reginald’s Tower. They are well worth a visit along with the other marvellous addition, Kite Design Studios, located near Christchurch Cathedral. This is a Waterford based arts and design collective comprising five individual businesses creating new and exciting quality products. It is an eclectic group of jewellery, print, glass and fashion designers working out of an open plan space with a smaller retail shop attached. It’s a lovely place to explore as visitors can watch the designers as they work. These days it is very rare to have an opportunity of buying a piece of art and being able to speak directly to the artist. It also opens up the possibility for discussion on bespoke and custom made items.

The designers in residence are Ken and Claire Coleman from Stradbally Jewellery. They produce handmade silver jewellery and, as the name suggests, they live in Stradbally which they claim has hugely inspired their work. The Irish Handmade Glass Company is a glass blowing and cutting studio formed by four former Waterford Crystal master craftsmen. They are producing a range of clear and coloured crystal.

Unique skills

Sean Egan of Sean Egan Art Glass is also ex Waterford Crystal, but has brought his unique skills of engraving to his own business. Sean has been commissioned by the US Ambassador to create a 10th Anniversary piece this year to commemorate 9/11. The studios also house the official glass memorial piece by Sean Egan of the original 9/11 Twin Towers Commemorative sculpture which is on open display. Anne McDonnell-Murphy produces fine art prints and her signature is the creation of complex black and white images. Watching Anne at work is a feast for the eyes as pools of drizzling ink worked with her hands, magically transform into wonderful images. Finally Bonzie Designs is an independent Irish Design Label with a romantic vintage appeal.

Bonzie Designs has already made an impact nationally and internationally winning both devoted customers and a slew of awards.

Female Excellence in Business 2010, Excellence in the Arts 2011 and voted among the Crafts Council Top New Products of 2011 and Ireland’s Top Designer- People’s Choice 2011. Bonzie Designs is best known for whimsical fascinators, wraps, shrugs, bags and corsetry and just a stroll by the window of the Kite Design Studio will create a desire to go in and see more.

Sadly, however, Bonzie Designs is the only one that has to date really made the most of the window space, which is a great shame for passers by, particularly out of hours. There is a large window space on one side that has been used to great effect by Bonzie in one corner, but then there is nothing else to see and gives the impression of a shop almost ready to open but not quite there yet. This great window is largely unused but for a useful and tasteful explanation display about where the name came from. Then as you walk on and come across the windows of the retail space they appear to be too cluttered as is the retail space itself. These are the teething problems of all new businesses and ventures that eventually get ironed out, but in the meantime don’t let it put you off going inside.

Kite Brooch

Talking of the name, in my ignorance I was also unaware of the significance of the chosen name, “Kite Design Studios”. I originally thought it was chosen for aspiration; the idea of flying as high as a kite and why not. In fact it has so much more depth and resonance for both the area and the work. The name is taken from the Waterford Kite Brooch, which was found in a pit in Peter Street in 1989. It is believed to be one of Ireland’s finest pieces of late eleventh to early twelfth century secular metalwork. To date there have only been fourteen Kite shaped brooches found in Ireland and the Waterford Kite Brooch is among the finest. It is made from several materials including silver, gold filigree, glass studs and amethyst coloured cabochon. According to the information cabochon means a stone that is polished without being cut into facets. Originally the brooch would have been made and used to close a cloak. It is a tiny but beautiful piece of work that would come from around the same period as the Tara Brooch and has evidence of a mix of traditional Irish and Viking craftwork. According to one source it is “a remarkable and well-preserved find from the excavations of Waterford city centre between 1986 and 1992 and bears testimony to the wealth and sophistication of the city’s inhabitants. It was found in a pit in Peter Street having presumably been lost. Secular metalwork was not as highly valued as church so when jewellery went out of fashion it was simply melted down and the materials reused. To date it is the sole really ornate piece of Irish jewellery to survive from this period and has many traits in common with contemporary ecclesiastical metalwork, e.g. St. Patrick’s bellshrine.”

If you are in the City over the weekend you will find Kite Design Studios at 11 Henrietta Street, opposite Christ Church Cathedral. It is open Monday to Saturday and is another testament to the super talent that exists in Waterford and the great things that are happening despite the incessant talk of downturn and recession.

As a theory it has received a great deal of support but also criticism. More than ten years ago now, when I wrote that article about broken windows theory I was a supporter, I still am. While age and maturity allow me to see it as just one tool that requires the support of other mechanisms and programmes for total success, I still believe it to be a valid and worthwhile theory. In Waterford City we witnessed an undocumented broken windows theory experiment unfold in the case of the old Ard Ri Hotel. Had the first broken windows and the first break in at the unoccupied former hotel been dealt with appropriately, the rapid and sickening destruction that ensued would never have happened.

Band stand

A good example of the theory in action is the recent attack on the band stand in the Peoples Park. Had the damage not been attended to swiftly by Waterford City Council and left for days on end I have no doubt that further damage and decay would have ensued. It may take a few months or even a year or two, but left untended it would have been the start of further erosion and seen as an invitation to destroy. This is classic broken windows theory in action. Immediate action is seen as a successful strategy for preventing further damage. Clean up litter from footpaths every day and the tendency is for litter not to accumulate and, studies have also shown, people are less likely to throw litter on a clean street than they are a littered one.

Human behaviour has been the subject of thousands of studies and research projects. It has been widely proven that we constantly monitor other people and their environment in order to determine the norms. The group sets the trend. If there are lots of people drinking openly and behaving inappropriately in an area this gives a signal that it is alright for anyone to do it. However if there are no people around as is often the case in large urban environments, we look for other signals. A clean and orderly environment says it is cared for and, more importantly, suggests it is monitored. A less well kept area where there is litter and general urban decay is a signal that says this is a place where people do what they like and go undetected.

Tidy Towns

On a personal note, while my loved ones joke about my mild OCD, they also appreciate the benefits of order. I am not naturally an ordered individual. I was bestowed with messy, unruly hair and therefore have always hankered after that sleek, neat polished unattainable look. Being unable to achieve it in my appearance I have transferred it to other areas of my life. Sadly I am far from perfect and only aspire to order and organisation, rather than inhabit it completely. However the areas I have mastered bear out the theory. I work better when my desk is tidy. I sleep better when the bedroom is in order. I have proven to myself time and time again that an orderly environment does indeed help me. I find it calm and supportive, a good antidote to my often chaotic and busy mind. Were my personal environment to reflect such mental chaos, which it does from time to time, the results are…..well…..ugly.

And so my ongoing quest for a better physical environment led to an invitation to sit on this year’s Waterford City Tidy Towns Committee. It’s actually a good year to be involved as the imminent arrival of the Tall Ships has been a tremendous incentive to get things done. I have also been made aware of the fantastic work that is ongoing, and has been for many years by the local authority, residents’ groups and voluntary bodies that we are indebted to. The volunteers of this nation don’t get nearly enough credit for their contribution and the local authorities are always an easy target for what’s not being done, but when you see the list of items that have been completed and the hard physical evidence of the work, it is very impressive.

One thing every day

So once the Tall Ships leave the national Tidy Towns competition is on the horizon. The judges visit over the summer months without fanfare so it is a bit of a lottery, but then again if the place is looking as good as it can be then we have little to fear. Out of a potential 400 points we scored 261 in 2010, that’s a mark of 65%. This year along with all the group work that is ongoing, if we as individuals did just one thing every day or even every week, it would definitely have an impact. It could be pulling an errant weed, picking up one piece of litter, having the office windows cleaned – it needn’t be expensive or time consuming, we’re talking seconds and minutes of effort. The spin off for a national Tidy Towns accolade is really what we want as it translates into priceless national media coverage and another talking point for those seeking overseas investment. So if you can do just one thing for a tidier city this summer then do and encourage those around you to do the same, it will really help and ultimately we all benefit. Even if it doesn’t cure all the ills, at least it is one less thing to contend with.

We tend to use the word ‘childish’ as a derogatory term while being childlike is quite a desirable personality trait. We are led to believe that we all have an inner child and are encouraged to nurture it. It is apparently good for us as adults to remember to be playful and inquisitive. Yet the Ireland of today calls more for childishness rather than childlikeness. Who can blame anyone for throwing the mother of all tantrums as decision after decision seems to be another blunt instrument to torture the average citizen. Income reduces as expenditure increases. It is a most infuriating equation; less money coming in and more money going out equals a bloody large gaping hole of unpleasant debt.

So how can being childlike help us?

Learned a lot!

Having spent some time recently with a few under sixes, I’ve learned a lot. First of all they have a never ending capacity for play, great imaginations and everything and anything can be turned into a game. Despite our belief that they need sophisticated toys, I discovered that a roomful of expensive gadgetry couldn’t have produced the laughter that breaking invisible eggs on their heads caused. Running, cycling and hunting for fairies all created hours of endless mirth. Make believe worlds were accepted instantly as fact and the spirit of the adventure wholly embraced without the raising of even one cynical eyebrow. We went to Spain, California, Alekadamia (wherever that is!) and the Swamp of Doom without packing so much as a toothbrush. We were instantly transported to California and Alekadamia when we stood on the magic rock at the bottom of the garden but we travelled to Spain on an old rug from the shed which, of course, had no engine, wheels or wings but great magical powers. We accidently walked into the Swamp of Doom on a fairy hunt and nearly didn’t live to tell the story. Thankfully we were saved by the invisible cloak that someone had in their invisible bag. We threw it over us immediately and so the monsters in the swamp couldn’t see us as we made our escape! We don’t need expensive toys to have a good time.

A beautiful gift

It was ridiculous, but no one was so rude to suggest it. It was all about ‘now’. No one was worried about their dinner or where it was coming from. When thirst or hunger hit, the game was instantly abandoned for a drink, a snack or an ablution and then immediately resumed. In fact I was told more than once, “Put yourself on pause I need to pee”. These are children who are totally comfortable with Sky Plus and believe life can be paused or rewound on a whim. During one pee break I actually considered the idea of pausing and rewinding.

Wouldn’t that be something! While we can’t physically rewind we can indeed pause and it’s no bad thing every now and again. We should all do more of that.

Children have a beautiful gift of living right in the ‘moment’.

Unlike adults, a happy child is always ‘present’. Rarely will you find a child unwilling to play now because they are worried about what is going to happen tomorrow or next week. We teach them that and how masterful we are with the ‘worry’ lesson. We also teach them about guilt because they don’t have it naturally. On doing something wrong the episode is forgotten pretty quickly and they move on. They don’t tend to wallow around for days feeling bad about it. Adults on the other hand have a nasty habit of going over and over and over it again; verbally, mentally or both often depriving themselves of things on the back of it. Even the odd childish tantrum is worth observing.

While it’s not fitting for any of us to lose control, scream with abandon and stomp our feet, it has to be said that it is a highly effective way of getting what you want. Having had lunch out on Sunday, my three year old niece decided she wanted to go home with my mother for the afternoon. When her mother said “No” a noisy standoff ensued. The screaming and crying were all too much and eventually she was loaded into the back of my mother’s car. When my mother got into the drivers’ seat she was told, “Now drive quick Nanny, let’s get out of here!” Another good lesson; adults can change their minds so drive quick and get out of there once the decision has gone your way.

Natural trust

While playing with the kids I was also struck by their natural trust.

They would have gone anywhere with me because they felt safe and secure. There are two things here, first of all betraying that trust is the most evil thing in this world. To wilfully damage such innocence, physically, sexually or mentally is unnatural and wrong in the extreme and it must never be tolerated, even in academic discussion. Secondly as adults we have lost that feeling of trust

and no wonder we feel so abandoned. The erosion of trust is what makes us hard, suspicious and complicated. We have been let down by so many, the church, authority, the government and even people. No wonder life is difficult and petrifying for our inner child as we choose fear over faith more often than not. It’s time to get back to faith; a simple childlike faith that everything is going to be alright, even if we are at present walking through the Swamp of Doom.