Less than a week ago, our tranquil town of Kernot, along with the wider Bass Coast Shire, was tested by a somewhat unexpected storm. It wasn’t a catastrophe of epic proportions, but it paused our daily hustle, reminding us of the unpredictability of nature. In these quieter moments, however, Kernot's true essence was brightly illuminated, not by electricity, but by the warmth and unity of its community.
The week certainly wasn't all doom and gloom. Shout out to the DBMSC for the drop-in on Saturday; their roar was almost as loud as the storm's but nowhere near the damage! We can't wait to welcome you back on your next run.
And to our regular trio, the Wing it Brothers, who brought the good feels with their medley of 60s toe-tapping classics, paired with the harmonically rich, intoxicating 12-string guitar, you never fail to delight the Sunday crowd.
Back to the storm. With its fierce winds, bolts of lightning and sudden onset, the storm disrupted our lives in more ways than one. Power lines bowed under nature's force, leaving us without electricity, a reminder of our modern dependencies. Yet, a different kind of power surged through Kernot in these power-less moments. It wasn't just our "genies" but the resilient community spirit.
As digital connections flickered out, leaving our team without the internet and our casual distractions, we gravitated towards life's more straightforward, more human aspects. In our downtime, some of the team played games of 'eye spy', laughter-filled rounds of slaps, and communal efforts to clean up debris. It was a return to basics, where the joy of togetherness outshone the need for electronic entertainment. Neighbours checked in on each other, and the sound of chainsaws clearing fallen branches became a symphony of recovery. It wasn’t about the magnitude of the destruction but about the magnitude of our collective spirit.
In the days following the storm, the Kernot Store, with its genie humming in the background, carried on, offering wood-fired pizzas that became more than just a meal option for many of us. With our usual routines disrupted, the ability to grab a pizza meant we could enjoy a slice of normalcy amidst the chaos. In their straightforward and unassuming way, our pizzas helped keep the community spirit alive, reminding us that some things, like the joy of a good pizza, remain constant, even when the world around us seems to shift.
And just when we thought the power god Zeus had laughed enough, our genie packed it in on Saturday night with a room full of guests and more on the way. Then, just like that, the lights flickered on as the mains power kicked in, and the hum of the Kernot Store continued.
The journey of cleanup and restoration continues, and there are still some in the community without power. To our friends at The Gurdies Winery, we know how disastrous the damage was to the vineyard and wish you a speedy recovery. The resilient spirit of the Bass Coast and Kernot lives on within us, a force not driven by electricity but fuelled by our shared determination and the strength of our community heart.