Recently, I was in Auckland and ran into someone I hadn’t seen for a while from Whakatane who asked me how Taupo was.  When I answered “Taupo?” they responded “Or was it Tauranga?”.
The story is that I apparently moved out of town to somewhere starting with T, and I’m no longer in the Whakatane district.  Initially I was a bit annoyed about this story as I’m still living in the same house I have lived in for over seven years and still working as an accountant and business coach.
Then I thought about it from the perspective that maybe others think I have moved too and maybe I should do something about it.
It was an interesting exercise as I talked to people at the places I shopped and supported.  The engagement with locals, the similar stories that other people in business told me they had heard about themselves in the past, the discussions about how tough business can be in a small town and the support was amazing.
To those people who suggested I speak to this story online, to the people who agreed to pose in photos with me, to the ones who didn’t want to be in the photos and still cheered from the sidelines, to the people who stopped and talked, to the people who shared their own stories and to my family who were my hungry film crew, I thank you all.
You turned what could have been a negative situation into a fun, opportunity to engage with my local community in a way that was full of smiles and reminded me how lucky we all are to live in a district with so many lovely supportive people.