THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: HERE'S TO A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY FESTIVE SEASON

By Graham Potter | Sunday, December 25, 2016

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

So what will you be doing on Boxing Day ... or New Year's Day or any day in-between during this holiday season?

Does the beach beckon ... or the couch perhaps with a quiet 'do nothing day' helping you get over the night before.

Either way, there is likely to be some well-deserved down time to be spent at leisure with your family.

Well, that is except for the number of people who do not get a break at this time and who we should take a moment to acknowledge here.

The availability and commitment of the essential service personnel obviously deserves special mention and all of our thanks go to them.

And, while they might not fall into the same category as those professional services already mentioned, spare a thought too for those who work in a ‘hands on’ capacity in the racing industry where a public holiday is just another work day.

Horses have to be groomed, fed, exercised, transported to the races and cared for there as per the daily routine and it takes a committed army of racing people to get that done.

I said spare a thought for all of those people ... just a thought and perhaps a quiet acknowledgement of their hard work and their commitment to racing's cause ... but there is no sympathy required.

You see most of them love what they do and that is why they won't be at the beach or on the couch ... and at some stage they will probably have to tell the family that they will see them later, they have to go to work.., but it's all good.

So this is just a little thank you to those who help put on a show that is such a popular Australian past-time and one that gives pleasure to so many enthusiasts.

This one is for you guys in particular.

But also, to everybody out there, from those who are beach bums or couch potatoes for a day to those who help keep an industry going ... to, most importantly, those who keep us safe and are there to tend to our health needs ... have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy festive season one and all!

Cheers!