Those people who follow my personal blog
would be aware that I have absolutely no issues
with being, shall we say, the embodiment of the
definition of this month’s GLOSS theme.
Let’s take it apart and see, shall we?
disruption
NOUN
Line breaks: dis|rup¦tion
Disturbance or problems which interrupt an
event, activity, or process.
I believe that I could be summed up most
politely as a disturbance. A certain Senator let’s call her... ooohhh... Maxima, in keeping
with the Superman theme - may see me more
as an irritant, a bother, or even a pest, but let’s
stick with disturbance for now.
I have continued my career as a disrupter of
late. Perry White, aka Editor of the Daily Planet,
sent me in my day job as intrepid and fearless
reporter Lois Lane to seek out the truth behind
what became known in the newspaper game as
HonourGate, or the Case of the Blue(blooded)
KryptoKnight.
For those unfamilar with this torrid state
of affairs, it involved Lex Luthor, cunningly
disguised in a pair of speedos, a fairly elderly
man known largely for committing social faux
pas and shooting anything that moves, possibly
including Lex Luthor, and the Australian public.
Where, you may ask, was Superman when we
needed him?
That one is yet to be revealed, and as this is not
strictly speaking a political column, my answer
shall stay within the confines of the Fortress of
Solitude, along with the answer to who killed
JFK and the answer to life, the universe and
everything*.
What I did find out was this, during my time out
on the streets with my faithful sidekick Jimmy
Olsen (otherwise known as Osky the Spy Cat,
who gave up after half an hour and went back
to sleep).
Australians are, by and large, fond of being
disruptive. We don’t settle to the status quo,
and we don’t like being told what to do. We
particularly don’t appreciate authority figures
assuming that we will accept anything less
than disrupters in their turn to look up to and
admire.
Does this make us a nation of brawlers? No.
That’s not my point. My point is that we
recognise an inherent need to not dumb down
the process of selecting our heroes, and we
respect those who are prepared to disturb
unfair treatment within the political system, the
workplace, the home, the military, the sporting
arena, the public sector and protective services.
Disruption to the majority of Australians is more
than a hashtag or a catchcry. It is more than an
of the moment business phrase, more than a
Gen Y thought process.
It’s something we have embraced since the
ANZACs decided to put a little bit of bush
mateship into the way they played with the
British officers.
This is something that I feel Lex Luthor, in all his
newly-found super-powers, may not quite have
understood.
Just because one has the ability to use
KryptoKnight, doesn’t mean it necessarily
imbues one with the wisdom to control it.
Nor the ability to see that despite the glorious
blue glow of its jewel-like tones, sometimes it
shines a false light...
...and leaves a path of true disturbance - as
opposed to disruption - in its wake.
This time, I don’t think there’s going to be a
man in a red cape coming to save us either.
Maybe it’s time for Wonder Woman and the
Justice League instead?
Now that’s what I call disruptive thinking.
*It’s 42. In case you were wondering.