A night in the life of a tent peg - Day 4

My head hurts.

Me and my friends are really sick of being used for absolutely anything the silly SUFM leaders need to tie down.

I ask you, do you really need 8 pegs for a tarp, another 2 to tie down the puppet stage, several more to hold down the curtain, and many many more to stop that annoying banner flying away? Lets be rational, that’s a lot of pegs, and those SUFMers are rather handy with the bane of our existence (the mallet).

I suppose we do kind of reap the benefits though, we get front row seats for all the programs, morning and night. Take last night for example. We were having a nice rest through the afternoon after a stressful (but still great) morning, when we were rudely awakened to set up for the night program. I got the best seat last night, I was pegged into the middle of the front of the blue tarp! I didn’t miss a single piece of the action. Poor old P-19 though, he ended up still in the peg bag, he didn’t get used at all. Even though he claims he actually wanted the extra rest, we all know he hates missing any part of the program.

Well anyway, first (after a bit of duck duck goose - I got stood on) there was this really silly song about a knife and a fork and a spoon and a spatula (no mention of the higher order of metallic utensils- sniff!). Then Nanny-cool and Matty-not-cool (looking very silly with a tie and high pants) came on and Matty-not-cool tried to be cool ect. Then we heard from Noami and Dave, about how God always listens to us, even to our thoughts, which is good for me and my buddies- no mouths and all. Then we had some more songs, but I didn’t understand one. The main theme was “no matter how you sneeze, God loves you the same” but I never really got the idea of sneezing, what is wrong with the stuff inside you? Why does it need to be expelled? Maybe when I grow up into a pole I might understand… Anyway, then we had Matilda and Ollie the puppets (P-4 was in prime position for that) and Ollie went fishing when he wasn’t supposed too, and he was so hungry he ate worms, but then he went back and his mum welcomed him home! Can you imagine eating worms? I can’t… well, I can’t imagine eating anything but dirt, but that’s not the point (mmm dirt… we had some nice clay last night, really high class stuff). After another few silly songs the best part of the night came! It was time for BATMAN AND ROBIN!!! Woot! I got a bit teary when Robin left Batman (well, I would if I could have) but I was cheering (in my mind) along with everyone else when he went back. They are such a pair… And then there was the Joker… hes funny…especially when Robin was trying to catch him but he kept getting away (I got stood on a few more times). And then, just as I was getting settled in, and chatting up some of the local minerals, it was time to pack up, and the SUFMers were pulling us out of the ground and packing everything up.

I love being part of a team. Although to you all us pegs might look the same, really we are all different, and have varying strengths and weaknesses. I am amazed at the bunch of pegs we have this year, and the way that we all work together to do whatever needs doing. If the banner needs to be secured, someone is there. If the tents are falling over through the hard wind, all us pegs pull our weight, and the whole tent stays up. It’s a bit like what I heard the SUFMers talking about earlier yesterday, with the one body and many parts, and we all help and hold in different ways towards the same goal.

Well, today is rest day for us pegs, a chance to shine ourselves up for tomorrow, and get all our fibres where they should be. I hope we come back strong tomorrow for another fantastic program.

Yours truly, P-15