You've got it so good !!

In his song "Pink Houses", John Mellencamp describes a man who has 

"...got an interstate runnin' through his front yard,

You know he thinks he's got it so good".

I heard this song yesterday (actually I might hear it a few times a week as it's in my 'Favourites' playlist on Spotify) and this line just keeps sticking in my head. I even woke up during the night last night and it was playing in my head and I just couldn't figure out why.

So I got up and scribbled down some thoughts that were running through my mind, as I knew I wouldn't get back to sleep unless I addressed it there and then. Yes Readers, that's how I get many of my ideas to write about, and they will keep running through my mind until I do something about them.

The man referred to in the song was probably living in not the most salubrious of conditions, but in his own mind he was doing very well indeed. He was the king of his own castle.

But in the minds and judgements of others he could easily be seen as someone who was definitely down on his luck and living on Struggle St, and in conditions that many of us would do the utmost to avoid. It's all a matter of perception, something that I have repeatedly written about in so many of my posts.

So this got me thinking about the times when I feel I "have got it so good".

Ironically, this all happened in a week where I saw my doctor about some ongoing ailments that I have been getting treatment for over the past two years. Yeah, I hear you, Ho Hum !!

I've been told to keep my arm in a cast and a finger in a splint and to keep wearing them in preparation for some upcoming surgery. Then the same process is to be repeated on the other arm a few weeks later. Let's see how well I follow his instructions. Soon after that is another shoulder op.

No big deal as I'm accustomed to it now, and hoping that these might be the final parts of the 'fix me' jigsaw!! Actually, it's just laughable now as this has been a constant for the past 3 1/2 years. Some are due to age related sports injuries, others were accidents and some just happened without any input from me!!

How ironic that a few days after seeing the surgeon and coming home with my tail between my legs that the current situation in the Middle East erupted. That was the instant perspective pill that snapped me back into reality. Here I was worrying about sore hands, fingers and shoulders, while others on the planet were getting bombed. 

Guilt for sure!!

And what made it worse is the fact that this situation in The Gulf is very personal to me as one of our sons, his wife and our two grandsons moved to Dubai back in January as part of his work. There were so many stories on the news about the situation, but for the first day or two I didn't know exactly how our son and the family were being affected. And while I was worried sick, I just knew that any amount of worrying would achieve nothing as there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Plus I didn't want them to be worrying about me worrying about them.

Eventually I got news that they were fine, and if anything, it was not affecting them much at all save for having to home school their eldest boy who had recently started school. The school had shut down like in Covid, but people were still able to move around the city. Concerned yes, but feeling relatively safe.

Here in Bendigo one could complain that the price of fuel has gone up significantly and is unavailable at some service stations. If that's the worst of it for me at the moment, then I must admit that in comparison to others I'm like the bloke in the song, "I've got it so good".

I don't like it, it's inconvenient, but is it the worst thing ever? 

Before you come running at me with raised pitchforks and accusing me of treating the situation lightly, I'm not. It's very easy to view any negative situation that we are in as the worst thing in the world, but in reality there would be so many others who would willingly swap places if they could.

I think of our son and his family trying to find a way out of a war zone safely and I'm worrying about paying extra for my fuel. That alone slapped me back into reality.

Thankfully they did get out a few days ago to a safer country, but my heart goes out to all of those who haven't been able to get out or may not have the resources to do so.

Added to this is the fact that most of what we hear about is the threat to fuel supplies. I get it, but what about the people who are resigned to the fact that they will have to stay put and sit it out, not knowing if things will escalate or calm down?

People versus fuel.

Once again I'm very conscious that the fuel availability will hurt so many both near and afar, but let's keep in mind that in a war it is mostly innocent people being killed, and having had family too close to it for my liking is why it may appear that I am being flippant about the fuel aspect. I'm not, I just see more serious issues at play.

So Readers, what 'interstates runnin' through your front yards" do you have at the moment?

By this I mean things that others may see as heavy baggage, but in your mind they are things not really worth worrying about as there are much more important things to focus on. I've had people feel a bit sorry for me when they hear about the continuing failure of my body to stay upright or functioning, but it doesn't worry me a bit. I HAVE got it so good as I have great people around me, our boys are healthy and I'm not sick. I get up in the mornings and can put one foot in front of the other (at last!!). There is food in the fridge, clothes in the closet ( a bit outdated I agree!) and money in the bank. I can drive my car to where I want, and the only slight hiccup is that my diesel is dearer and may get a bit harder to get if things get worse.

That's not too much to worry about when I stop and really think about how others are doing.

It also gets me thinking about other times when I have "had it so good"

And this is where I'll just focus on those trivial day to day things that have worked out for me, but leave me feeling like I'm ten feet tall. They will be totally irrelevant and meaningless to you, but when they go well, so do I.

Today for example.

I got up and knew that I had to bottle a barrel of ginger beer that has been bubbling away for the past week. It does become a chore at times, but I approached it with a different mindset, by thinking about how nice they will be when ready in a few weeks. I even changed my usual practice slightly and it was far more efficient, and I actually enjoyed it more than I normally would. Instead of taking around 80-90 mins, I had it pegged in just under an hour. Do you think this set me up for a great day??

This should be pure gold in a few weeks!!

A quick brekky, then out comes the vacuum, mop and bucket. My favourites list on Spotify blaring (sorry neighbours 🫢) and the place is spotless in record time.

So Readers, two chores that are usually a grind but I nailed them really well without a fuss.

I was just starting to rack them up.

As much as I love writing my posts I still feel a sense of tediousness at times as I know that I will have to give the next hour or 2 or 3 to do it right. But once I start time becomes irrelevant. If I could just get started more often!!  Usually I'll see that I have some hours to spare, but I'll go riding or kayaking instead.

As the day is a bit grey here today and rain is threatening ( but probably won't come) it is a perfect writing day, so here I am.

And one thing I can't do is do something without background music, much to the consternation of family, friends and colleagues! I've got YouTube on and after clicking on one song, it is now playing all my favourites. Not needing to skip a song is bliss, and anticipating what will be next is so good. I've just had The Boss blasting out 'Born to Run', and now my current favourite song is on. I stumbled across "Rein Me In" by Sam Fender/Olivia Dean, I think it might get replayed a few times as it just such a banger that has touched a chord with me. The power of great music, I've got it so good!!

Brewing ginger beer, mopping the floors, listening to Spotify, vacuuming the cars, weeding the lawn, YouTube music clips and writing a post. I'll even hop on the bike after this. "Get a life' I hear you saying, but this is what is making me feel good today, so isn't that a life? Tomorrow could be different altogether, so I'll appreciate what is on offer today.

I haven't had the stress of needing to leave a country due to war, and hopefully I never will, so appreciating what I have has made today even more worthwhile. Even the writing of this post has made me appreciate the little things that matter. My little things could be irrelevant to you just as much as yours could possible be to me, but I hope that you can stop and reflect on the things that tell you that you also have "Got it so good".

And finally, I just decided what to cook for dinner tonight. Keeping in mind that I'm focussing on the little things that make me realise I have 'got it so good'.

Sausages in bread. Tomato sauce. That's it and I'm happy.

Yep. I do have it so good.

Until my next post,

Cheers 😁

p.s. And did you notice that I didn't start with an excuse for not writing this post sooner?

 What's Your Thing ?

Hi Readers,

Another lapse between posts, but I suppose I always open with that statement! I need to come up with something better for sure.

As usual I've been bumbling around trying to mesh a few ideas into the one post, and after being housebound for most of the day with constant rain ( and not complaining about it for a second!!) I managed to get quite a few tasks done that I'd been putting off.

My first year of retirement saw me try a number of things that I was wanting to do and although not all of them worked out, it was not for want of trying.

I'm often asked what things I'm doing, and often my reply is "I still haven't found exactly what I want to do yet".

Which brings me to the focus of this post. "What's your thing?"

I was on the phone last week discussing what plans I might have, and after waffling through some potential ideas my sister just said to me "You just haven't found your thing yet".

Sometimes the answer is so obvious we fail to see it, and it was at this moment that I realised that was what was bugging me. I just hadn't found my 'thing' yet.

Let me explain this by way of an example that my family and friends just laugh about, and rightly so. I laugh about it too!!

Around 18 months ago I bought a caravan, as that was what Jen and I were planning to do in our retirement. I went away in it a few times, then I couldn't use it for quite a few months after leg surgery, so I sold it. Plus it was just a bit big for me.

Fast forward a few months and I got itchy feet again (at least in the parts where there is still some feeling) and I went and bought a much smaller van and brought it home from Melbourne.

I just didn't like the colour scheme but still went ahead and bought it as it was about $6 K less than the one I really wanted. Even when I was driving it home I was having doubts and thought that perhaps I'd rushed into it. Over the next few days I started to realise that the workmanship in it wasn't overly great, and I was doubting how good it actually was. Many things seemed too fragile and I was beginning to think I'd done the wrong thing. After extensive research on the brand, which I should have done beforehand, I found that this company and brand had more than enough bad reviews, and I wanted out.

So next thing you know it's up for sale without ever having been used !!

Once friends heard that I'd bought another van they just laughed at me. Now when they see that I had it up for sale they just laughed even harder.

And all the time it didn't bother me a bit because I could see where they were coming from. 

I think I have nearly reached the conclusion that caravanning might not be 'my thing'.

Perhaps I like the idea of having a caravan, but not so much the realities associated with it. I never liked towing it, and I'm not that keen on caravan parks anyway, so what was I thinking???? Luckily I was able to sell it pretty quickly, even after the price of them dropped even further. 

So what did I do a week or so ago after selling it? I went to the caravan show in Melbourne for a look around, BUT I was definitely not going to buy another one.

Not yet anyway.

Taking the van to the new owner. I won't miss this van, but I still have good memories of the earlier one.

When I retired at the end of 2024 I was convinced that I was done with teaching, as for most of the year I was just wishing that the year would end.

After going overseas for a while, then being laid up with my leg for a few months I was definitely getting cabin fever, which resulted in my short lived second caravan purchase.

I also mentioned to my old school that if they were short of teachers I'd be available for any relief days if they were desperate. I didn't need to do it, I just needed to fill my time as I couldn't get away much as I still couldn't walk properly.

Well, they must have been desperate as I was called in for a number of days leading up to the end of the year.

Rather than feeling totally over teaching as was the case 12 months previously, I was actually excited and looking forward to it. Despite struggling with the new ways of teaching that had since been implemented, I found that I was really enjoying it. It was made easier by the fact that I pretty much knew most of the kids and most of them still remembered me, so they coached me through the new way of teaching that they were doing now.

They were teaching me, but I was getting paid!!

Over the Christmas holidays I ummed and aahed as to whether I'd do CRT work this year, but as I found that I need to be in Bendigo for the next few months due to possible surgeries, I put my hand up again for CRT work if they were short.

Well, I've had quite a few days already and even more coming up and I'm really enjoying it.

Whereas I'd lost my 'zing' quite a lot in my last year of teaching, I've discovered that there is still something left in the tank.

Readers, please don't think I'm going to go back teaching full time, far from it. I've just realised that I still have the teaching itch, that it is still part of my 'thing'. I guess that after 38 years it is hard to give something away so abruptly, so this gradual easing away seems to suit me better.

Ask me again this Friday after I complete this week!!

While I enjoy going in for these occasional days, I do enjoy my days where I am just my retired self. The social connection is what really helps too.

We just loved our travel and went on quite a few overseas trips, saw amazing places and did so many great things together. Travel was definitely our 'thing', something that we were planning to do so much more of in our retirement.

Last year when I was overseas the first week was brilliant as I was seeing our son and his family in NYC. It couldn't have been better.

But the next 4 weeks saw me plodding around Europe on my own, and it just didn't have anything near the same level of fun or excitement as any of our previous trips at all.

I was feeling a bit like Linus from the Charlie Brown cartoons from the 70's, just moping around the place.

I'd spent years yearning for the day when I could travel overseas, here I was doing it and not really enjoying it at all.  What was wrong with me? This was meant to be one of my 'things'!!

After selling my caravan I was thinking "What do I do next?"

I still have the bug to travel, but was in a quandry as too where to go next.

As soon as I thought of a place to go to, a travel warning would come up. I was thinking of going to Turkey but the Govt has issued a travel warning about going here. Then I thought about Greece and Croatia, but thoughts kept flooding my brain that it would be just like last year's overseas trip again. I was picking places just for the sake of picking somewhere.

Our son and his family recently moved to Dubai, so I was definitely going there, even to the point of looking at airfares as recently as last week.

The events of the weekend have definitely put that one on hold, thanks a lot Iran!!!!

As I was leaving London last year it dawned on me that I'd never been to Ireland, and here I was so close to it. It's a place I've always wanted to visit, and why we have missed it on all of our trips is beyond me.

That thought has stayed with me for nearly 12 months, and unlike many places that I think would be nice to visit, Ireland is a place that I actually WANT to visit, especially as our family heritage originates from there. Japan is so popular at the moment, but I won't go there as everyone is going there. Similarly with Vietnam. 

I have nothing against those places, I'm sure they are brilliant, but when I hear that everyone is going to a certain place, that turns me off. Just how my warped mind works!!

Maybe Ireland could be my next 'thing'?

With all this waffle from me about what is your 'thing', it got me thinking about what other things could be my thing. (That's pretty poor grammar isn't it!)

There are a number of things I'm considering, and I guess I won't know if they are for me or not until I try them. For goodness sake, I bought and sold two caravans before coming to a sort of realisation that they weren't possibly my thing.

I can always look, but not touch, like I did at the recent caravan show. That's where I'm at with another thing that I have always been wanting to do for so many years.

And what's that you ask?

I have always loved a particular model Holden car, the EH. It's only a coincidence that it coincides with the year of my birth and I find myself searching a few times a week online for what is available.

Don't ask me why, but I just love everything about them. I know as much about engines etc as I know about molecular biology, so if I bought one it would need to be in really good condition so that I wouldn't have to do anything to it. Another harebrained idea I can imagine you all thinking, but one that I haven't discounted yet. 

YET!!!

I think i'd much prefer cruising around in one of these instead of pulling a caravan.

Since selling the van I am in a much better position to perhaps purchase one, but I am definitely cooling my jets and not rushing in.

At this point I'm convinced that this could be a 'thing', but I've been down that road before!!!

Stay tuned and don't be surprised Readers!!!

And finally, and this is a definite 'thing', I get so much inspiration from some of the music I listen to. Sometimes a song just comes along at the right time and it might just be a line or a chorus that just slaps me in the face and helps me to understand things a bit more, or myself a lot more. Recently I saw online a clip about a Richmond player from the past and the music overlay was a song that immediately caught my attention. I looked it up and found that there was so much in it that I could apply to myself at the moment.

Needless to say it has been on high rotation over the past few days!!!

Well Readers, not much substance to this post, just more of me banging on!

I hope that you have your own 'things' and that you get to explore and experience them.

Like me, you might discover that what you thought was a 'thing' was actually more the opposite! But that's no reason to not pursue them, why die wondering?

And don't be surprised by whatever I might try next 😳

Until my next post,

Cheers 😁

 It's Routine

Hi Readers,

 Another gap between posts while I have been waiting for that next bit of inspiration. If anything, there has been lots of writing time available as the past week has been horrendous here in terms of weather with many days topping 40 degrees plus. A lot of time inside escaping the heat. A bit of relief today with only 24 degrees before another week of 30 degrees plus which isn't that bad after what we had last week.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Being a creature of habit, I always start each day by getting up early and having some form of exercise, depending on the weather, location or motivation. Last week the extreme heat made me choose more carefully what I did at each part of the day, and although there was a little voice telling me that maybe I could have a break, I just found that I couldn't as these habits are so locked in that they are routines that I find incredibly hard to ignore or alter. Even if I decide to perhaps have a break and try to lay in bed a bit longer, I become too impatient and restless and end up getting up and doing something anyway. This really struck me one morning last week when I tried to skip the early workout, but ended up doing it anyway. Normally I'd be finished by a certain time, but as I'd delayed the start I was now finishing it much later than I'd like, and this did stress me a little. 

Why? Not sure, but I was annoyed that I could have finished earlier so that I could have more of the morning to do some things I had planned. It's not as if I had lots to do, it was just that my normal routine got altered and it got me thinking why this happens. 

In previous posts I have often mentioned the motivation or inspiration that has prompted that post, and isn't it amazing how some things just drop into your lap at the right time?

I'd kayaked in the morning last Friday, starting very early in the dark so as to avoid the heat. Later in the day I jumped on my bike in the shed and rolled the legs for a while, and as I felt good and the heat had abated somewhat, I decided to let the legs recover with a bit of a walk. 

In went the earbuds and the search for a good podcast began, and I settled on one that focussed on the Collingwood AFL player, Scott Pendlebury, an 8 part series. This podcast goes in depth as to what it takes to stay at the top as an elite athlete, detailing his training methods and recovery techniques. I found it utterly brilliant, you'll find it on "The Howie Games"

But the thing that really piqued my interest was when he explained how he would be so obsessed about not altering his approach to various things. For example, in his early days he had a great game after eating a certain meal the night before. This was then locked in for the next few years, something he would rarely if ever deviate from. Other things crept in as well, such as wearing a certain pair of jocks for each game, packing his bag a certain way, getting the precise amount of sleep and only eating certain foods on certain days etc.

I can relate to this so much, and even though I was no AFL player, much the opposite, I too did so many of these things as well. For years I wore the same jocks when playing, and trust me when I say they were a bit worn out by the time I stopped playing. My bag would be packed in a certain way and I'd check it numerous times before leaving, even though I knew everything would be in there. While getting ready for the game I'd do certain stretches at different times and always ensure that I'd get dressed in exactly the same way before each game. Even when discussing this with other team mates they would also confess to having their own routines that they just couldn't sway from.

In one of his episodes where Pendlebury addressed this he was made aware by a sports psychologist that this was actually hindering his preparation rather than helping it. 

Yes, he was still playing at an amazing level, but this fixation with routines that really had no bearing on his playing ability was actually taking his mind away from his core purpose as a player and captain of his team. If in some way he could focus less on these routines, he would be freeing his mind up to focus more on his game.

At first he found this so hard to accept, but subtle changes enabled him to start changing things gradually, rather than all at once. 

For instance, once he started to have kids he learnt to focus more on his family rather than himself. Rather than having the risotto that was his staple every Friday night, if the kids were having pasta, then he'd have pasta too. If he tended to watch a certain program the night before a game but the kids were watching something else, he'd join them too. The lucky jocks got the flick, he became less paranoid about ensuring that his bag was packed correctly and began to trust himself more that everything was okay if he did it differently.

Can you relate to any of this?

I'm not suggesting that you have to be an elite athlete, but just think of the many routines that you have that you may not be entirely aware of until something jumps in and forces you to alter them. How do you respond?

If you are like me you might be thinking that the sky is about to fall, when all that has really happened is you are doing something a bit earlier or later than you usually do. Upon reflection, do you also feel stupid for thinking that way?

And are others so aware of the way that you follow routines that they are careful not to do anything to disrupt them? Do they tiptoe on eggshells so as not to disrupt you?

I'll be the first to plead guilty here !!!! Sorry to all those who I have peed off !!!!

So this weekend I decided to deliberately try and NOT stick to some of my routines and boy did I find it hard this morning.

I had the kayak already packed in the car for a paddle this morning, but when I woke up I was feeling pretty fatigued, but rather than push through it I forced myself to just lay in bed and listen to music instead. It was hard, but I made myself think about how I was feeling about not sticking to this routine. I could still go later today or, shock and horror, have a break for today 😲!!

This has been my home away from home for the past few weeks, some mornings I have the entire lake to myself, so it's always hard to pass up the chance for a paddle.

Yes, I was fidgety and trying my hardest to not get up, but as my body was feeling tired after a big week of exercising last week, I made myself have a rest day. Just the staying in bed until 9.00 made me feel like a sloth, as my routine is to be exercised and brekky done by 8.00 at the absolute latest!

But it hasn't been a complete win as all morning it has been on my mind as to when I'll get out and do something later today. Admittedly the daily bike sessions are now having a noticeable effect as when I walk I can now go longer distances, relatively pain free, no real limp and a great recovery. So maybe that routine has to stay!!!

This got me thinking about what are the things I do that are routines that I just find it hard to deviate from and what things do I do where it doesn't really matter if they change or not. And do they affect others in any way?

I have a few routines on a Saturday that are probably more like habits than routines, and these have changed a bit since I retired. I love listening to a particular radio segment each Saturday and I usually plonk myself in a chair outside for that hour with a book while I listen to it. But yesterday I decided to do something different while I listened to it, and prepared myself earlier in the day for it. I decided to bake!!

Readers, I generally don't bake as I find all the fartarsing about with ingredients so annoying, but yesterday I actually looked through some of the recipes for things I'd been saving and decided to have a crack at them.

Then I started to question myself. Is it still baking if it doesn't involve cooking, as I was making slices?

Anyway, I'd had a solid bike session and was ready to go, so for the next hour I made two things.

1. No Bake Mint Aero Traybake (I'm still perplexed why it is called 'No Bake Traybake')

2. Vanilla Cheesecake Slice

Why did I choose these? They popped up online and looked good so I saved them, plus they looked easy enough for me to make.

It was bit of a mess just doing the cheesecake first!!

But it got done. Didn't look like the picture in the recipe, but it suits me.

Now it was time for the No Bake Aero Traybake

Slowly coming together

And done!! Excuse the laptop as I was closely following the recipe on my screenshots.

One thing that really bugged me was that in the recipe the filling was green, but mine is white. I put in the peppermint essence as instructed, but for the life of me, no green!! It tastes green though!!

I also got adventurous last week and made sausage rolls. I did experiment the week before, and although they tasted nice, they did look a bit industrial.

These ones turned out a bit better, but I really need to pay more attention to the quantity of ingredients as my freezer is chockers with them now. I even made a king size one just to see if it could be done. As for the ingredients, let's just say that a few tins of beans and mixed veges found their way in, so they are sort of a little bit healthy.

I definitely think I'll be visiting our son who lives across town with a few containers of slice later today, otherwise no amount of walking, paddling, cycling or gym will save me from resembling this...

Readers, if you are like me there are probably things you couldn't have cared less about until you did something about them. And that creates new routines for you that you can find it hard to let go of.

For example, in our kitchen there is a large drawer that houses all the plastic containers, tupperware etc. And with that goes the usual problem of the lids never matching any of the containers. You with me? I can see you nodding your heads in agreement.

Well, a few months ago I cracked it when I just couldn't find the right lid when I needed it, so a spur of the moment decision had me spreading out all the containers and all of the lids and matching them up. Then they were stacked back in the drawer in a way so that if you grabbed a container the lid was with it. This had been annoying me for over 3 years, so I did something about it. And I kept to the system.

However, over the past few months I have had lots of visitors, and inevitably they didn't have the same respect for my system as I did, and now it is becoming a bit of 'Container Lotto' when I look for matching pieces. So why do I let something as pithy as this upset me somewhat? After a few years of not great things happening, I now get worried about a few bloody plastic containers!!!!!

This is probably the main reason for this post, in that I have let myself become worried about one or some of my routines being disrupted, when in the big picture of things they are totally non sensical. In some part of my mind they are considered important, when in reality they are pathetic, so I need to see them for what they are.

And what it has made me see is that there are so many other routines I have that are so embedded that I may have a little trouble in beginning to let them go somewhat.

I just suppose everything has to start somewhere.

A similar thing happened in my pantry, I just couldn't find things, and some of the things in there pre-dated all eras of food safety!!!

So now the pantry is organised, and just as I got antsy about the containers getting mixed up again, I hope I won't get the same way with the pantry.

As for the fridge, well anything goes there!!!

As last year was my first year of retirement I sort of had a few plans that took me through most of the year with travel, surgeries and just enjoying not working.

This year is pretty much an open book, I have travel planned but even that has had a big change recently. There looks to be more surgeries (Ho hum🥱) so a lot depends on those and when I'll be able to do things. Plus I've also been booked up for some work which I found I actually enjoyed at the end of last year. I'll just see how it goes for the start of this year and see if I want to continue with it or pull the plug.

So Readers, this waffle has been very relaxing to write as it has made me take stock of the things that I feel MUST be done as opposed to the things that CAN be done. and how I choose to respond to them. I have deliberately made the decision with a few things to do them differently, at another time or not at all and to be more aware of how I will respond to them. In most cases I feel that I have to stick to my routines (eg especially exercise) as it is more for the mind than the body. If I don't do certain things I get uptight or anxious, but I recognise just like Scott Pendlebury did that this causes just more angst. That eventual liberation of not letting these things seem so important is something I'll continue to look forward to.

I hope that you can identify some of those ants of yours that feel like elephants and that you too can begin to let go a little.

Until my next post,

Cheers 😁

 It's Okay To Be You

Hi Readers,

Another few weeks in between posts, but now I just decide to write when I want to write rather than when I feel I should write because I haven't done it for a while.

This one was prompted by a few things. Firstly, I have to be at home this morning as the air conditioner on the roof shat itself two weeks ago and today it is getting repaired. Hence I need to be here.

Secondly, I was listening to a podcast yesterday where the iconic Australian singer MarK Seymour was being interviewed. Well worth a listen on "The Howie Games" for anyone who may be interested!!

Anyway, when prodded about why he writes songs and where the inspiration comes from for his songs, he explained that often he just gets an idea that sits in his mind and it might be ages before he acts upon it. Sometimes there will be something that prompts him to revisit it, or gives him greater incentive as to how he could use it. I feel the same way with lots of the things I write about, but rather than leave them floating in the cavernous space between my ears I tend to scribble hem down on post-it notes which inevitably are all over the house and throughout the car. And then they get lost🤬

So this year I am being more organised and have an A4 pad on the kitchen bench where I regularly scribble down random thoughts to write about or just ditch the next day as while they might have seemed good at the time, a day later I'm thinking "What the ...??!!"

The post-it notes are still available at short notice, but I'm now collating everything into one place.

In my recent posts I mentioned how I am reading a book by the recently retired AFL player Travis Boak, one of the best books I have read. As I got to about 2/3 in I started to notice more and more little snippets that could be used as writing prompts, things that really struck a chord with me. When I find these I just fold the corner of the page so that I can find them later on. As you can see, the last few chapters have really given me some fodder!

As there is not much of the book left to read you can be sure that my radar is alerted to looking out for any other little gems that might just catch my attention, or trigger another writing prompt. Once I find that I am getting a lot of inspiration from a source I am so much more aware of looking out for further ideas.

Just as Mark Seymour gets an idea then feels the need to write about it, so does Travis Boak. He comes across a sentence or a thought then feels compelled to text one of his close friends to share his thoughts about it. I too have similar experiences where I'll text a close friend and share some insights about what I may have just read, and then maybe a few days later write an expanded post about it, just as I'm doing now.

But what struck me about both of them is that they both acknowledge that although so many others may read the same thing that piqued their interest, how they interpret it it can be vastly different. There is no one way, or "correct" way to understand something, it is totally up to each individual. 

Which is why this post is titled "Its okay to be you"

Unfortunately though there can be times when conflict can occur between people purely because of the fact they disagree with how they respond to something. 

Before you write me off completely, I am only referring to situations that aren't inflammatory, socially unacceptable or controversial. That's a different story.

For example...

I used this image at a conference once as my way of explaining my approach of encouraging the children to think openly and contribute different ideas. I was taken to task by someone in the group who argued that it was our job as teachers to give the children the same information and get them to develop the same understandings so that everyone was on the same page. They were entitled to their opinion just as much as I was entitled to mine. There was no animosity shared between us, just two conflicting viewpoints that were shared respectfully.

Just as I mentioned two other people who write things down to better explain themselves, I too feel that helps me to understand things more, something that I have alluded to in numerous posts.

People who know me will just think I'm delving into my passion for my beloved Richmond Football Club with this next way of explaining this. Just indulge me please!!

In the years 2017-2020 Richmond won 3 Premierships and were red hot for those 4 years, bringing untold joy to so many followers. It still gives me tingles when I remember those years!!!

Their success was due to so many factors, but one player in particular elevated himself to such high standards that even the most anti-Richmond person would begrudgingly acknowledge his prowess in that time.

I'm talking about Dustin Martin, a player who started journalling after each game, training session, and then at the start and end of each day. While most players might have been struggling to fill a page let alone a complete notebook, Martin was filling his notebooks up at a rapid rate to the point where it even surprised the people who were working with the club at the time and who had initiated the journalling approach. It might not have floated the boats of everyone, but it was a definite hit for Martin, and his form throughout those years speaks for itself. And when people hear about how much journalling he was doing there is often the response "I'd never expect that from him"

Another athlete who openly shares her passion for journalling is Australian High Jumper, Nicola Olyslagers.   

She journals after each jump to assess her performance and improve her technique. She writes in a notebook, rating herself on various aspects of her jump, including run-up, take-off, and execution. This practice helps her focus on her technical aspects and personal reflections, allowing her to analyse her jumps and identify areas for improvement. Olyslagers also incorporates motivational quotes and personal notes, which serve as reminders and 

support during competitions. 

I remember watching her in a competition last year and she was jumping off for the gold medal. Straight after a jump she went straight to her journal and scribbled down some thoughts before lining up to jump again. But what struck me was the look on her face. It wasn't pained or worried, it was calm and she was smiling, despite the fact that she was in a red hot contest with her opponent.

It must have helped as she won the World Indoor High Jump in 2024 👏

Readers, please don't think that I'm suggesting that as soon as you finish hanging out the washing today that you go and sit down in your kaftan, burn some incense and write about how the experience made you feel!! Far from it.

All I'm suggesting is that from time to time we give time to just think about how we are travelling with things in life. It might even be about how you hang out your washing, go for it, or it might be about the way that you treat a certain person for example.

You don't have to get out the crayons and paper, sometimes just a short reflection or thought about it suffices. A few seconds is all it takes.

For example, yesterday a driver sped up and cut me off just to get in front of me, a net gain of about 5m. My first reaction was "What a dick" and I sensed it made me uptight. Straight away I tried to see it for what it was, and I was in a better frame of mind. I didn't need to write about it, but as you can now see, I just did! 

It's these little things that have us striving to change our imperfections. Often they are things that are seen through the eyes of others and might not be obvious to us until they are pointed out, or we somehow discover them to our own embarrassment and angst.

I know that has happened to me many times!!!

Other times they are things that we notice ourselves that others don't, just as I experienced in the car yesterday when I got uptight about someone moving too close to me in their car.

After reading through some recent notes and books and listening to various podcasts it has become clear to me that one of the biggest problems that we face is that we can struggle with identity. Each of the people that I read about had a high profile, but as time wore on they began to realise that they weren't portraying their real self. They were affected by the job they had, their profile, how much money they had, the car they drove, who they associated with or endorsed and that was what was defining them. That was their proof of success and they felt that if they achieved these things, then they were successful and loved.

But each one eventually began to realise as their careers waned towards the end that they needed to flip their thinking. They realised that they needed to be valued first and foremost, and whatever they achieved after that was not what defined them. Many had felt that if they excelled at what they did they would be seen as a better person, when in fact what they were after was to be seen as good person first and to let their deeds be judged separately.

How often do we hear high profile being described as "they are actually good people", as if it is unheard of to be high profile and be good in the same breath?

It seems to be a favourite sport in Australia to bring people down, the "tall poppy syndrome". I'll admit that I do it just as much as anyone else.

After listening to a few podcasts about well known people who we see on tv a fair bit, the interviewer was gushing in their praise of the person saying "On tv they come across as the nicest person you'd ever meet, and the same applies in real life", as if their tv/public persona is all an act. The opposite can also apply. There is a certain tv personality in Australia who comes across as mean and divisive, but everything else I've read or heard about him is that is just for tv, and that away from the cameras you would not meet a more genuine and caring person. 

Readers, a bit of a wandering fluff today, but all prompted by some things I have come across lately that have prompted my thinking about "Who is the real you?", and that "It is okay to be you!!"

So, Be You!!!

Anyway, back to my incense and kaftan.

Until my next post,

Kumbyaa.....I mean Cheers😁