Adjunct to Newman

As an adjunct to the day I thought I might share a small observation on the 'typical' person that works in the mining industry (according to me). And I might be very wrong! ( I have been know to before).
Sitting at camp here we are surrounded by more than 600 accommodation rooms (according to Graham our caravan park assistant manager), where the many shifts come and go of the various people who live here on the FIFO lifestyle.
As they trek through and around our camp we say 'hello' to receive a half-hearted G'day, or a grunt of some description. I'm thinking that maybe:

1. They are too tired to talk to us
2. They don't want to talk to us as we are beneath them or they are jealous of our lifestyle
3. They are actually robots!

There appears either an apathy or arrogance in the people who work in this environment. They are obviously here for the money and as one girl we did get to talk to us said " working in the mines, well you sell your soul to the devil ", and I think she might be right.

They become so obsessed with the almighty dollor a lot of them seem to forget there is a life out there to be lived: not just material "stuff" to obtain. The attitude "I would not get out of bed for less than $600 per week"  is one I've heard many times, including from one worker today. 

How does the bulk of Australia survive? Very well I think if you consider family life, work/life balance, and realistic expectations. Surely there is more to life than money?

The girl we talked to said, to survive up here you need a:

1. Tough skin
2. Remember this is only temporary and there is another life
3. Have a strategy plan to get out!

Amen.