The hills are alive, with the sound of sirens…

No, I am not referring the rock band. I am talking about the sirens emitted from police, ambulance and fire engines. It is amazing in this town of 40,000 people; I can hear sirens ringing in my ears almost every day. I used to live or travel to cities with millions of people and I hardly hear sirens at all. Therefore, something must be awfully wrong in the town I am living.

To those who think NZ is a peaceful country, I suggest you to change your perception. I too, once had the same misconception and thought NZ is a peaceful and safe country. Now that I live here, I can tell you with a straight face that NZ is just as violent as any other parts of the world.

You might think I am exaggerating but I am not. For example, in the town (40,000 people) where I currently reside, the following statistics for 2005/2006 shows the grimness of the situation:-

• 4 murders (3 assault murders and the other was classified as accident but I doubt it)
• 1467 violence crimes
• 72 sexual crimes
• 1521 drugs and antisocial crimes
• 5212 dishonesty crimes
• 936 property damage crimes
• 436 property abuse crimes

As I write this, I can hear the police car siren wailed across the town and this is the 3^rd time for today. Either the people in this town have too much free time to commit crimes (which may be true because this region has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country) or the authorities want to remind us that they exist.

Someone once quoted this to me:-

If the minds of the people are impure, their land is also impure.
But if their minds are pure, so is their land.
There are not two lands, pure and impure in themselves.
The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.

When I think about it I find the quote makes a lot of sense to me.Most people without their knowing create physical environments that reflect their inner reality. Everything that revolves around them like work, family, relationships and community is actually the reflection of their inner lives. Everything is perceived through the self and alters according to the individual's inner state of life.

For instance, someone who is depressed is likely to neglect his home and personal appearance. On the other hand, people who are secure and generous create a warm and attractive environment around them.

So, the moral of the story is if we change ourselves, our circumstances will inevitably change also. If the people in this bloody town can awaken to this truth, I am sure this place will turn into a vibrant, prosperous and harmonious place. If only they awaken to the truth…