April 1999 Volume 80 Number 4 "serving the protectors"
When The Heat Is On
By David Marr

Some handle the heat pretty well, of course. They've a natural affinity for it and respond well to adversity. The difficult tasks performed in the heat by labourers of yesteryear makes you wonder how people today would cope if suddenly faced with such adversity.

Old coppers can tell you about the harsh conditions under which they operated and travelled throughout the Far North. It must have been hard for them and for the families they dragged about with them. There were often distinguishable qualities that set these people apart from the field. A bravery that led them to the outback firstly and a further commitment that made them stay on. These days it's all different: better roads; air conditioning; access to services; health and safety; and a whole host of things.

Walter Bailey was an untameable, tough man and skipper of a Murray River steamer years ago. He was up the Darling at Wilcannia unloading once with the thermometer pushing 50 degrees. It was a sweaty business and his crew pulled the pin to take a breather. Walter, however, toiled on. A passer-by inquired about the state of his men. "Men?" he sneered, "they're only beer and cigarettes." Blokes were tough in those days.

The testy "heat in the kitchen" comes upon us in different ways, of course. Some heat or pressures we can take. Others we can't abide. Discouragement, disappointment, rejection or hurt in some form or another can knock the best of us about pretty badly, leaving us to lick our wounds and ponder our future.

There are times when all we need is a little insulation; some understanding; some protection; some time to let the flames die; and for the heat to pass. Sometimes we need to tackle the very source of the fire, and other times we need to take an honest look at where we are standing and the reasons we feel so burned. Life goes on and somehow we need to be sure of our perspective too.

My plumber mate next door works in all weathers and mostly under difficulty. He's good at his job and is well sought after too. He's an outdoors man is Gus. He can handle any fiery customer or any job you like to throw at him. He can lift and dig and work like a man possessed. In his younger days he could fight a bit too. If you put him to work driving a desk he'd go mad. He becomes testy just thinking about it.

St Paul told his Corinthian friends that they would not be tested above their coping capacity. Gus suggested that it was all right for St Paul to say things like that when he didn't have to clamber about inside roofs or dig trenches during a heat wave. I told Gus that I didn't see him wearing St Paul's shoes either. Gus's wife, Floss, suggested that if he was to bring his dirty boots onto her clean kitchen linoleum he would soon know what real trouble was.

Hoping your kitchen is cool.

SA Police Chaplains

Welfare Section 58	David Marr Tel: 8364 3567
	Senior Police Chaplain.
Academy 8	Mark Thomas. Tel: 8296 9616
Adelaide: Angas Street 158	Bruce Grindlay. Tel: 8295 2220
Adelaide: Hindley Street 62	Bruce Grindlay. Tel: 8295 2220
Adelaide Hills Division 54	Adrian Stephens. Office: 8398 2517
Berri 212	Vacant
Ceduna 214	Bob Borgas. Tel: 086 253 503
Christies Beach 20	Vacant
Clare 202	Michael Dutschke. Tel: 088 423 681
Communications 172	David Hand. Tel: 8295 6992
Elizabeth 52	Stephen Brooks. Tel: 041 884 0739
Far North 210	Tony Redden. Tel: 08 8672 5011
Focus 21	Richard Lawton. Tel: 08 8363 2536
Gawler 52	Brian Tscharke. Tel: 085 222 288
Glenelg 22	Malcolm Thomas. Tel: 8377 0772
Henley Beach 18	Brenton Daulby. Tel: 8443 8286
Holden Hill 44	Tony Swansson. Tel: 8258 8951
	Rod Dyson. Tel: 8365 1170
Kadina 71	Mark Dickens. Tel: 8823 2513
Kingston 208	Richard Dutton. Tel: 08 8767 2590
Mount Gambier 208	Brian Ashworth. Tel: 087 231 353 (W) Tel: 087 252 537 (H)
Murray Bridge 200	Malcolm Bottrill. Tel: 085 325 536
Naracoorte 208	Keith Brice. Tel: 087 622 303
Norwood 60	Vacant
Nuriootpa 204	Andy Kowald. Tel: 085 621 011
Para Hills 46	Stephanie Swansson. Tel: 8258 8951
Plympton 14	Ian Dempsey. Tel: 8210 8108
Port Adelaide 6	Jeff Oake. Tel: 8341 5930
Port Pirie 206	Vacant
Prosecution Services 176	Vacant
Port Augusta PS 210	Shirley James. Tel: 08 8641 0146
Port Lincoln PS 214	Rob Packer. Tel: 08 8683 0302
Salisbury 53	Stephanie Swansson. Tel: 8258 8951
Sturt 12	Brenton Williamson. Tel: 8270 4316
Tea Tree Gully 48	Vacant
Thebarton Barracks 32	Joe Grealy. Tel: 8338 3225
Transit Division	Wayne Shepherd. Tel: 8443 4895
Unley 28	Max Bowers. Tel: 8272 8324
Whyalla 218	John Dunckley. Tel: 08 8645 2500