Darley Street: Episode Eight – The Facey Page
The Facey page as it had become known, was often a source of amusement for the local shopkeepers, a joke here, an amusing quote there, a serious questions and a few comments soon made sure there was something to smile about or ponder.
Some days there were difficult things discussed like the passing of Rex’s Dog Harry. Rex showed anyone who bothered to mention it, photos of his dog. Actually they didn’t have to mention it, he would show them anyway. Harry was deep into his fourteen years of energetic life in Rex’s home. A golden retriever well known for leaving lots of ‘floof!’ behind as the shedding season kicked in, well even in the ‘non shedding season.’
A lovely photo went up on the page. Lots of likes for Harry and condolences all round. Soren and Sally organised a condolences card which Rex was delighted to receive.
Occasionally a humorous gif about customers would show up or even just a quick line of text. ‘This doesn’t fit me… I want a refund!’ - ‘It doesn’t fit, because it’s for a five year old.’ Karen storms out. Stops at the door, throws the item on the floor and calls out ‘I’ve never been so humiliated in all my life!’ - ‘The server calls back. ‘You should get out more!’
Another one came through shortly after that one. ‘A customer checks every single pocket twice, only to realize their wallet is currently in their hand.’
Someone would spot some business advice that seemed to fit for the types of shops in the strip. It might be ‘The top ten tips of effective leadership’. Often these points came from Gail who seemed to manage to get to more business conferences, workshops and seminars than seemed naturally feasible.
Holiday photos were sometimes met with ‘Oh lucky you!’ so they didn’t show up much.
Artie's investment list showed up, someone would copy it and put the details up, there was always a disclaimer about checking the details and only investing an amount that you are sure you would be happy to lose etc. Most of the time they were spot on selections.
Adding to that people would read investment books and add in methods that others had used to select stocks. Some of these had been explored before and a quick thinking piece of input, ‘That might take the edge off that bit of investment theory.’
Barely a day went by that something wasn’t put on the page. Sometimes people wanted advice on a wilting indoor plant, or ideas for what to make for dinner.
The page built a solid sense of connection and many felt blessed that they were able to be part of such a close knit community. For new businesses it gave them a quick sense of belonging, and for the older ones a sense of ‘place’ in the hierarchy of the area.
Every so often the admin would ask people for a behind the scenes look at what their interests are, sports, cultural items, what their kids are up to and so on.
Penny at the Laundromat told the group of her fascination with cats and how she has shown pedigree cats in the past. Naomi at Chapter Two books, explained a minor but challenging health battle her partner was going through complete with some medical jargon to help explain things.Halley at Carl’s Collectible Cards mentioned a collectors exhibition she went to in Sydney, showcasing some of the items on display, there were a few obligatory photos of cocktails with friends afterwards.
One of the group found some information on Mr Mandal and his philanthropic work in Nepal. The group were most impressed, he was getting more support at each mention, both for him and his community.
Tammy at the Crepe shop often shared a photo or two of new food offerings. This usually caused a ‘yum’ or two to be posted in response.
Brain teasers relating to business got a showing as well, and occasionally a bit of gossip managed to sneak through as well. ‘I have keys but no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I? Answer: A keyboard.’
Sally liked finding positive ancient quotes that still held decent meaning these days, like this one from Aristotle. ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.’
Every now and then someone will suggest a new techno way of connecting the community, but due to techno reluctance any new offering is met with some degree of scorn. The quote, ‘If it ain't broke, don’t fix it comes to mind.’
One afternoon a bunch of shady kids on scooters were at one end of the street and looked like they might be up to ‘no good’, by the time they got half way down the street people were on alert and watching their every move.
This didn’t happen all the time, but when a group can act collectively to keep an eye on things, then that’s useful. On a lighter note when the Graham family came down the street with a harness on Rosa, their six year old, it didn’t take long for an Ai version that showed Mrs G with a Harness on her husband who was connected to Rosa and then Tito, Vaguely amusing to those who saw it on the day.
No two days were the same in Darley Street; people come, and people go. Today was loaded with amusement and some useful material.
Stay tuned for the next episode of Darley Street!
More from Steve Gray
Steve writes with passion and intrigue, aiming to inspire and or raise awareness of topics. His poetry can take abstract turns, and his 'Odd Angry Writes' on his website are sure to turn heads with his aggressive approach to topics.
A background in Art and Design, as well as teaching, often gives his written pieces a unique creative perspective.
Like many, he is an ADHD person with some neurodiverse edges. A bunch of E books under his belt and some honourable mentions in the Geelong Writers Group puts his work in good standing.
