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 😁