Grumbling and complaining come easily and naturally to all humans, and North Islanders are not immune to the malady.
So let’s salute the songsters of Sointula, who saw their complaints as an opportunity to provide a little humour and entertainment to the community. What started as a fun project for Artopia has turned into something bigger and better: a spot on a CD/DVD set featuring Complaints Choirs from around the world.
That little song on YouTube, which complains a lot about the rain, may at first appear to be a negative portrayal of North Islanders, but it demonstrates just how well North Islanders can laugh at themselves.
And we can use a laugh. For years North Islanders have been complaining, and often rightfully so, about the economy, the government and big business. We complain about our neighbours’ pets, the plethora of potholes and planned power outages. And of course, the rain.
But we can all take a lesson from the Sointula Complaints Choir. Just try singing while complaining. Hard not to smile. Puts grumbling in perspective.
A positive attitude and a commitment to creating a better community is the start of making real change and silencing all those complainers and their complaints.
Then all North Islanders will really have to complain about is the rain.