May 8. Mates day.
It’s a bit of a throwaway line, but it sticks.
We’re more connected than we’ve ever been; messages, group chats, missed calls, but somehow the actual catch up keeps slipping. “We should grab a beer” turns into months. The intent is there, it's front of mind, everyone is understanding, just those best intentions drift by.
There’s no shortage of awareness when it comes to mental health. We’ve got days, campaigns, reminders. They all mean well and do great work in what they are targeted at.
This isn’t that, I've seen and heard some casual talk around the concept of May 8th being a good idea, its not something new, even the Hon John Howard floated an idea around formally recognising mateship back in the 2000's.
There’s something simple about May 8 that feels like it doesn’t need explaining. May 8th, may8 = Mate. Not as a slogan, its just what it is, a very Australian thing.
No structure to it. No right way to do it.
Send a message if that’s all you’ve got time for.
Make a call on the way home.
Catch up for a coffee, a beer, a walk, a game.
Sit around a BBQ.
Or just check in properly for once.
It doesn’t need to be a big gesture. In reality, it rarely is, most of the time, it’s just about closing the gap between “we should” and actually doing it.
You hear it here and there already, people mentioning it, half joking, half serious. May 8. Mate. It’s the kind of thing that doesn’t need a campaign behind it to make sense. A good friend of mine started a catch up group, we use an app (of course) its been a fantastic idea and is something I value and look forward to. Not everyone can catch up all the time, doesn't always work, that's part of busy life.
As I wrote above. there was talk years ago about formalising something around mateship. It never really landed.
Maybe that’s the point. The moment something gets formal, it changes how people engage with it.
This doesn’t need ownership.
It’s not a movement, it’s not a program, it’s just a reminder that probably didn’t need to be said in the first place.
May 8.
Message a mate. Or better yet, catch up.