I’m a legend in my own lunchbox

… and my lunchbox is getting bigger …

Calling someone a ‘legend in their own lunchbox’ is one of the many funny things you may hear in Australia. In the same vein of another amusing Australians saying,

Do you want a medal, or a chest to pin it on?

it refers to someone skiting about their own achievements … when outside the frame of their personal life – in the bigger picture inclusive of, say, other people – the achievement is not actually very big at all.

This tendency of putting someone else down (in this case, in a humorous way) most likely harks back to the tall poppy syndrome, so prevalent in Australian culture (if not overtly then certainly covertly: it’s less obvious with societal change, however, it’s still around if you look for it – it’s just gone more underground).

I’m taking the mickey out of me, though, so I’ll continue …

This time last year a film crew came to town and was looking for local extras. I forwarded my details and got a couple of days on set. It was great fun and I met a wide group of people from my surrounding area who I’d never met before. Many actors, writers and other renowned people retire to my region so I was surprised to meet so many new and aspiring actors. Okay, I’ve just realised the flaw in my logic: the extras on set were the unknowns who are still to get famous, many being fifty or more years away from retirement age …

During the many breaks between shooting the scenes I was in I daydreamed about where this could all end up. In my mind my sphere of influence was getting bigger and bigger, and I was ending up in Hollywood, Bollywood or Follywood!

The show is now out. Don’t look for my name in the credits: my scenes were either cut or I was so blurry in the background I’m unrecognisable. There goes my legend status … slinking off back into its lunchbox with its decaying apple core and sandwich wraps … ho hum … I’m allowed to dream, right?