A big stage show was in rehearsals down at the Civic and yet again, Brendan turned up on the set, begging for a role. On seeing Brendan the stage director laughs “Nuh! Nuh! Nuh! No way!! You’re the worst actor in Wagga! You get nervous and you can never ever remember your lines!” Brendan pleads “Just give me a real little part, just one word, so I can use it as my comeback role!” The director finally gives in. 

So the director begins to direct: “In this play Brendan when you are brought into the courtroom and the judge looks at you and asks ‘Was this the man outside of the bank on the night of the robbery?’ all you say is ‘It is.’ Nothing more, nothing less.” Brendan replies with an over-confident laugh  “Easy, ‘it is’ only two words!”

So Brendan begins rehearsing everywhere. Walking down Baylis Street, to complete strangers, he’d exclaim “It is!”. Jogging around Lake Albert “It is!”; waiting in line for his unemployment benefits he’d shout over and over “It is.”

Finally it is opening night at a packed Civic Theatre and Brendan is backstage practicing his “It is!”. The tense courtroom scene begins and the audience are on the edge of their seats as Brendan comes on stage.

The judge asks Brendan the question ‘Was this the man outside of the bank on the night of the robbery?’. Brendan sees the audience, freezes up and says “Is it?”

Oh, you’re a tough audience! 

It is good to be the sort of person who encourages people to live their lives, rather than the sort who encourages people to live in a shell. To show support and even help those who are willing to “have a go” is to “have a go” ourselves.

The “tall poppy syndrome” is an Australian term used all over the world and it does more damage to society than we even realise. How many great artists and performers, scientists or public speakers down through the centuries were never discovered and so never contributed their talent to humanity because they feared what the not so silent minority would say or do to them.

We are all the poorer for this. It is no wonder that the Bible says “The mocker is the scourge of all mankind” (Psalms 24:9).

It is important that we keep getting up and having a go and doing the right thing regardless of what others might say. Now you might say “But people are so critical of anything I try and do!”. People are not critical; “some” people are critical and you’re paying more attention to them than to the majority of people who do not have a problem with you or anybody trying to “have a go”.

“Some” people who criticise your efforts are secretly jealous. These dream-crushers never reached their own potential in their own eyes and they are bitter about it. It’s a lot to process, but often when our efforts are mocked it is actually an unintended compliment from the insulter and recognition of our efforts; hence the term “backhanded compliment”. Eddie McGuire would not be criticised half as much lately had he not first had so much success. When people mock you for no reason (no reason mind you), 11 times out of 10 it is jealousy. If this comes as a shock to you and you are still asking yourself “Is it?” let me assure you “It is.”