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tcpip"There are many questions that can not be answered. But there are no answers that should not be questioned."
- Paul Dahan and Lev Lafayette, 2015
Two days ago I attended the funeral of Paul Dahan, aged 85, at the Uniting Church in South Melbourne. I had known Paul for about twenty-five years or so as a member of the Unitarian Church, of the Isocracy Network, and a Georgist. We always had excellent conversations, as he had a wide range of knowledge - especially religion, politics, and history - and always displayed a very interesting (if not downright quirky) way of getting to solutions. Of a very even temperament he was never prone to anger, and nor did he seem overly excitable, but always displayed enormous compassion for those whose life had dealt a pretty unfortunate hand.
Paul was quite a pillar in his community; for nineteen years he was a councilor in South Melbourne and, for a while, the Lord Mayor. During this period he was more than a little famous for his advocacy of those who would otherwise not get many opportunities to have their voice heard. Rather bravely (and he was brave) during his time as mayor he tried to introduce a by-law to ban smoking in the city! One must mention the rather charming family business "Garden of Eden" nursery that he was involved in as well.
In so many ways the funeral was an affair both dignified and down-to-earth. A succession of speakers gave stories from his life, all with this consistent theme of his community-mindedness, his kindness of heart, his integrity, and the very fact he made a real and honest attempt to make a difference in this world. I was especially pleased to see The Wizard of Belgrave in attendance and spent a good period of time afterward in the company of Lyle Allan who came from Barwon Heads to attend. Penny, Paul's wife, was understandably distraught. As a migrant from a non-English speaking background, I am certain that Paul's family and closest friends will do their best to provide consolation.
Ultimately, I find that Paul provided an example of how one can live a life worth living. If life's elusive meaning is a question that cannot be answered in itself, Paul provided the words and deeds that helped make living just a little bit better for many people. I'll miss you, my dear friend. But I will try to do honour to your memory.
- Paul Dahan and Lev Lafayette, 2015
Two days ago I attended the funeral of Paul Dahan, aged 85, at the Uniting Church in South Melbourne. I had known Paul for about twenty-five years or so as a member of the Unitarian Church, of the Isocracy Network, and a Georgist. We always had excellent conversations, as he had a wide range of knowledge - especially religion, politics, and history - and always displayed a very interesting (if not downright quirky) way of getting to solutions. Of a very even temperament he was never prone to anger, and nor did he seem overly excitable, but always displayed enormous compassion for those whose life had dealt a pretty unfortunate hand.
Paul was quite a pillar in his community; for nineteen years he was a councilor in South Melbourne and, for a while, the Lord Mayor. During this period he was more than a little famous for his advocacy of those who would otherwise not get many opportunities to have their voice heard. Rather bravely (and he was brave) during his time as mayor he tried to introduce a by-law to ban smoking in the city! One must mention the rather charming family business "Garden of Eden" nursery that he was involved in as well.
In so many ways the funeral was an affair both dignified and down-to-earth. A succession of speakers gave stories from his life, all with this consistent theme of his community-mindedness, his kindness of heart, his integrity, and the very fact he made a real and honest attempt to make a difference in this world. I was especially pleased to see The Wizard of Belgrave in attendance and spent a good period of time afterward in the company of Lyle Allan who came from Barwon Heads to attend. Penny, Paul's wife, was understandably distraught. As a migrant from a non-English speaking background, I am certain that Paul's family and closest friends will do their best to provide consolation.
Ultimately, I find that Paul provided an example of how one can live a life worth living. If life's elusive meaning is a question that cannot be answered in itself, Paul provided the words and deeds that helped make living just a little bit better for many people. I'll miss you, my dear friend. But I will try to do honour to your memory.
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Date: 2023-02-02 05:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-02-02 06:24 am (UTC)Who dares say they own land ? Are we not buried beneath it ? Pay the rent , we’re on Aboriginal land . TAX LAND not LABOUR & abolish NEGATIVE GEARING which was introduced by BOB HAWKE & exploited by most of our leaders. “ Land monopoly is the WORST monopoly “ Winston Churchill