Shark fever

The talk of the town has been the shark all day. People have been unusually open with their comments and positions but it has been a very healthy, balanced discussion. Adelaide had lost that capacity to forge its own destiny and now we seem to be like we were: not prone to over reaction,not without compassion and ready to consider all the information. The radio news and TV news programmes are now full of shark information. Good, because we obviously need reminding.The remains they found were not human. For the second time this year I have seen a father confronted with the most impossible hurt hold his head up high and speak with quiet human dignity. The first was the Russian father I spoke of earlier who lost one of his children in that chaos in a Russian school. He said he was going to find out the facts for himself because he no longer believed the media. He looked shaken but was wise. This father, today, came on the TV and said his family didn't want the shark killed. He knew it was not his decision to make, but he said it firmly and quietly and he became so human and humane because of it. The people at West beach are upset their beach has been the one to stop the beach fun. It's a great beach. People were having fun on a hot day. A shark expert of 23 years said he's never heard of a white pointer coming into our beaches. Me either. I'm no expert, but I have lived here a long time and we get the grey ones cruising up and down the coast from time to time. They are reported and followed by the sea planes but they don't come into the close coastal waters. So everyone is thinking about that. The general public didn't want the shark killed because of the pragmatism with regard to humans swimming in someone else's home. I love Adelaide when it's like this. "It's their home, if we go in there, we know the risks." They are providing supervised beaches, like before! We had flags to swim between on some days. So it has been a big day in Adelaide . Hot. 36 degrees and hotter tomorrow. So it is beach weather ,Christmas shopping and watching Australia do in Pakistan at the WACA!