The Evolution of Me

In my previous blog I spoke briefly about the theory of evolution. In the perspective of human evolution of modern lifestyle the term environment means changing your daily habits to something different. For example if you walk out the door every morning and turn left and take the same route to the bus or train or the job that you do everyday your mind and body becomes so used to the routine that you never think about what it is you are doing. You just do it. But what happens if you turn right? All of a sudden your brain starts to function, it has to make decisions about which direction to go, how long each different option will take etc etc etc. Your body becomes alert to the new sounds, feelings and sensations you are experiencing as you make the change. If you turn right it means you are taking yourself outside of your natural environment. The process of adaptation to changing environment means your genes are overlaid with new information that then become a part of your genetic encoding, thus the process of evolution continues. Why this sudden interest in evolution? Let me explain.

Whilst in London we workshopped as a group in Leadership training. It was an interesting program and it got me thinking about what it is that I really want to do. I thought that I had it all sorted out. You know my goals and aspirations, my career path etc etc etc. Turns out I am so far off the road to reaching my goal that I had to really think about how to get back on track. Parts of the solution came about through workshopping with my peers. The other part resolved itself by my determination to change my life. Change is a difficult thing to do. Especially when you step over the threshold into the unknown. Taking that first step is the hardest part because you have no idea what is in the unknown world or how it will turn out. You take a leap of faith. You put trust in the process of change. And let me tell you I was scared. However, the good news is that it is working out beautifully and I am so glad that I stepped over the threshold. On my return home I decided to put some serious effort into changing my job. I put my CV out there with intent. I had not wanted to leave the Museum, however I now have a very large mortgage and I needed to gain some lee-way financially so that I could at least eat something for two weeks and not just one week. Stretching food is also difficult especially seeing as I do not have time to cultivate my own, although I will do that eventually. I fly solo so it is not as though I have a partner to share the load. I do have a fantastic brother who I share the house and mortgage with. However, my pay does not seem to cover much. Inflation is wearing me down. I was losing my happy nature to the bonds of finance and gain. I had to do something positive to make my life a little easier, a little lighter and less burdensome. What I really needed was a new job that paid more and gave me professional development. I needed to create the changes necessary to enhance both my personal and professional life. 

I had already made the decision to leave the Museum mid-year, however I had not put much effort into actually making the change. Once I realised that I had to make more of an effort to make the change I can happily say all is well. I now have a new job that fits my required criteria and it is in Anthropology. I am so happy because it enhances my personal and professional life. I feel relieved and grateful to the powers that be who support my decisions and thank my friends, family and mentors for their ongoing encouragement. Stepping outside my comfort zone frightened me yet I love the challenge of learning something new. I love the unknown because I have no idea what to expect. One thing I do know is that I will learn and grow as a person, both professionally and personally. Therefore I am a product of the process of evolution!

Life is good!

London Dreaming

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I wonder if that is evidence to my fascination with England and my wish to return. I have been home for over a month now and my head, my heart and my soul hungers for London. An amazing city that appears to have filled my heart and soul with something that I cannot do justice too in words. I think if I had stayed in London for one more week I may not have been so willing to come home. It was wonderfully exhilarating and extremely foreign, yet I felt right at home. Now how does that work?

Having said that I was glad to see sunshine once I hit Sydney airport and I did not realise how bright it is over here. In fact the glare at Sydney airport sent me searching for sunglasses in the bowels of an endless pit of a small thing called my handbag. It is really interesting how things get lost in a woman's handbag. Still search I did whilst my eyes began to water from the glare. I didn't miss that at all. 

Since arriving home my head remains in London. I watch every English program I can just so I can see the buildings and the suburbs and listen to all those foreign voices that I loved hearing. Most of all I look for places that I visited. I am feeling an incredible sense of missing London. I want to travel around the UK and see the places I did not get to see. I want to go to Wales and hang out at Petworth House, home of William Turner's works that hang on the walls. I want to study Turners works up close and personal. I want to experience snow. I have never seen snow and I really want to be in England when I get my first touch, taste and feel of snow. I want to feel the cold on my cheeks and rug up in warm clothes. Yes folks I fell in love with London and the surrounding cities that I did visit. There I said it. It almost feels surreal to admit that I fell in love with a city. I never thought that would happen to me, not ever. I thought that nothing could equal my sense of belonging and love for Noongar country.  But there you have it, I fell in love with London, and I have to say it is a strange feeling to have a love affair with a city. 

Now that I have declared my love for London openly to the world, I just want to say returning to normal has been a struggle. I spend parts of my day with the sights, smells and sounds of places that I experienced. I can visually see them in my mind and it has just occurred to me that I am extremely observant. In fact so observant that I have imprinted my experience into my genetic coding and overlaid my genes with new information. Having noticed my sense of observation I realised that my experience has added to my evolution as a human being. The basic principal of evolution is to be taken out of our natural environment into a different environment thereby creating adaptation to our changing environment that then overlay our genetic coding with new information. It is this basic principal to the process of evolution that I feel the change. I feel the difference in me as I begin to think globally rather than locally and broaden my response to the local with a global perspective. It is amazing how small the world is once you step outside of your backyard and roam the foreign highways of another culture, familiar yet different. The most incredible difference in my thought process is the realisation that we are all fundamentally the same yet different. I always knew this but when you actually experience it you really begin to understand that phrase, it becomes clear and transparent. Our similarities as human cultures out weigh our differences and if we actually focus on our similarities rather than our differences the world would be a better place. My thinking is roaming foreign lands with foreign thoughts and I am having trouble putting things into perspective as I move out of the localised setting into the global. My adaptation to new information is continuing to be processed.

I have had a taste of what is from my perspective the 'other' and now wish to explore its culture and experience the history of those that lived before us. It is an amazing journey of human resilience and is testament to our ability to adapt to our changing environments and to improve our lifestyles. In fact you could say that I am having an anthropological response to a wonderfully exciting experience that I wish to continue.

Life my friends is here to be lived!

Life is good!

Life and Lines

Its been a bit of a long haul this past 12 months. Life has been a bit difficult. Thats not to say that I haven't enjoyed it, but I was frustrated as my previous blogs had testified to. Over the past three days I have taken some time out. Time out has been a deliberate choice for me as I have been ill since I stepped off the plane when it landed on English soil. Despite my illness I refused to waste one day on being in England therefore pushed my body to function despite my illness, until the last three days when my body said ENOUGH! Yes folks I crashed. I can honestly say it has been the best three days because I have had time to recuperate physically and to think about all the things I want to do in the future and to reflect on the last couple of weeks. My life went from 'intermission' to full speed ahead. Now those of you who know me know that I thrive on full steam ahead, however there are a few things that I would like to reflect upon.

Firstly I have noticed that I walk very slowly. Other people have told me this and I smile as I continue to walk slowly. Walking slowly is not a crime and I am never late for appointments (unless there is a catastrophe that I cannot control) because I start earlier knowing that I walk slowly. In other words I accommodate my inability or unwillingness to walk fast. I like strolling, it gives me time to get my thoughts in order and it means that I am not rushed when I reach my final destination, therefore remain calm. I believe that this is the answer to professional input and coherent thought when attending meetings. To be calm when you arrive. It really does help you keep your thoughts clear and precise.

Secondly I love experiencing life, therefore the lines that generally build up in cities while waiting for trains, buses, tickets etc are inevitable; complaining about it is a complete waste of breath and time. It is something that is uncontrollable because lots of people want to experience the same thing/s you do, that is why there is a line. Therefore enjoy the energy of excitement when queuing for tickets or the adrenalin rush when watching other people running to catch a train (there will be another one if you miss it). I realise people get worked up when they miss trains because it makes them late for whatever they are off too, but really if you want to be on time LEAVE EARLIER! 

Thirdly, other people constantly project their insecurities onto me. This appears to be ongoing and is not new. Now why is that? I ask myself this question a lot and sometimes it does bother me (I am human), generally I ignore it. I do this by brushing away other people's fear/s so that I can stay tuned to my 'love life' philosophy. My 'love life' philosophy is all about the experience, good, bad or ugly. It is  challenging and exciting and sometimes fearful and sad, however the experience is what is important. We experience things some more than others because it is this that we respond to. How we respond is the part that develops our character and influences our interaction with others. Experience of life is incredible and is invaluable if you allow the experience to be received freely. Stop fighting it and just let it happen (yes, I am listening, illness nearly gone).

The three examples above are life's experiences that have occurred for me over the past couple of weeks. It is the experience of life that builds on our genetic learning and overlays information so that we can evolve as human beings. Taking us outside our known environment into the unknown environment is incredibly confronting initially. However, we adapt rather quickly, to the new environment to the point where we become comfortable. Interesting isn't it, after only 14 days I am starting to feel familiarity with my surroundings to the point of being comfortable enough to want to stay in doors and recuperate without the desire to catch the tube to the next exciting place to visit in London.

Having said that I will be heading back to the National Gallery shortly to spend the afternoon wandering the corridors of the great artists as I experience their lives. (I can only stay in bed for so long before boredom kicks in).

Coffee Line

And yes there will be a line. 




Life is good!

Poetry

Ancient Rome

I went to see the world

It took me back in time

A glimpse of somewhere else

At the edge of my mind

I opened up the door

My world disappeared

As the cold smooth stones

That lay upon the floor

Saturated my senses

Pulsating in the air

Images of the past

Floated through the corridors

Alive, young and free
Laughing eternally

Searching for youth

Amongst the mineral springs

Of these ancient Roman baths

By: Barbara Matters

12 November, 2011

Ramblings

Ancient Rome, how beautiful is this. I love it when the week just goes the way you want and everything turns into wonderful. I have spent the most inspiring week roaming the hallways of old buildings to peer into the past and let my imagination take me to a world that differs from my own. 

Imagination is a gift of sight taking us outside our own existence so that we may experience if only for a moment in time the lives of those who came before us. That is the gift that museums offer you. And if you take your time and peer into the displays you will glimpse something so special it touches your soul.

Ancient Rome is the most amazing city and the people were strong, powerful and full of life. My journey back in time occurred at the Ashmolean museum in Oxford. I walked into the building because I had a couple of hours to kill before I had to catch a train and it was the most interesting thing I have ever experienced. The walls and cabinets were full of artefacts of ancient Rome. Sculptures of Olympus towered in one room and busts of ancient Romans, men and women littered the hallways throughout the building. The cabinets were full of pottery and the utensils that made up the daily lives of another world. The displays sparked my imagination. And beautiful it was.

To add to this I then spent this afternoon at University College London roaming a couple of museums. One caught my interest straight away because it housed egyptian artefacts. It was the most surreal afternoon and the artefacts were magical. The etchings on the stone were hieroglyphs and some were coloured. Other tablets were unfinished which made for interesting viewing because you could see how they were made. And let me tell you the egyptians drew the outline of the hieroglyphs before they carved. Yes folks they used the basic art method of sketching before painting or in this case carving. It was extremely interesting and I will have to return because the battery on my camera had died and I couldn't take photos. 

On that note it is now late and I need to retire because tomorrow I am off being a tourist. My friend and I are taking a day tour to Stonehenge, the Georgian Baths and Windsor Castle. Fun is afoot.

Life is good!

Rugby League

Check this out. Yes folks I, the person who is totally not into watching sport and very rarely takes any notice of who is playing what was dragged off to my first NRL International match and you guessed it my introduction to rugby league was at Wembley Stadium in England. Incredible it was Australia versus England. Me at a rugby game, who would have guessed. Good news is it is always a pleasure to experience new things. Helps you grow as a person. And I have to say it was fun. In fact I had the best afternoon. My friends who are mad keen rugby fans (damn Queenslanders and one Koori woman) where excited and in fine form on the day. Marilyn was so excited to be watching an International game at Wembley Stadium that she was infectious. Interesting how that happens. I got caught up in the excitement that my friends were expressing and loudly I might add, that I just couldn't help myself. I too got excited. Rugby is an interesting game and the electricity in the stadium was amazing. It was good to watch and an experience that I am glad to have had. I can honestly say I actually like rugby.

The day turned cold as the night set in which seems to be a consistent pattern here in London. The mist set over the open air stadium. This did not detract from the experience of the game and  the liveliness of the crowd. We managed to score row 3 therefore had ground level views. Amazing. The entire afternoon was incredible.

Sharon attracted all the males who were Australia fans, probably because she was waving an Aussie flag regularly throughout the game and you guessed it Australia was in front the entire game. England was quiet in the last half and the fans had to be roused by the commentator to make some noise. It was a sad day for England because basically they got flogged. Great day for Australia and the little group of Aussies around the stadium roared like lions and sang out of tune as they do, on the final siren and as usual nobody knew the correct words to Advance Australia Fair. Way too funny. Not a good song I think for our National Anthem and maybe we should have a referendum so that we can change it to something more appropriate, catchier and a song that every sports fan can remember after downing a couple of ales at the game. Interestingly everyone knew the words to God Save The Queen. Now that says a lot because it infers that we are still living under the Crown and we know the words to God Save The Queen, England's National Anthem. Think about that!

Definitely an experience. A memory made of fun, laughter and excitement that I will cherish and I thank my friends for introducing me to Rugby League, and the best part of the day, Australia won.

'God Save the Queen'.

Life is good!

Special

I realise that ice skating is probably common in the UK, however to a warm West Australian it is totally new to me. Yesterday I visited the Natural History Museum. It was amazing and I found the evolution of man interesting. However, the thing that caught my eye was the ice skating rink outside the museum. I could not believe what I was seeing. Ice skating outdoors. That definitely doesn't happen where I come from and there are only a couple of indoor skating rinks in Perth. Its a rare thing to see people ice skating let alone out doors and having the time of their lives. I did think about having a go but to be honest, it looked a bit dodgy and I reckon I would have ended up on my butt within 5 seconds of being on the rink. Therefore I watched from the fence as people skated. It looked like fun. 

Now it looks cold and to be honest the temperature has dropped somewhat and I am starting to feel a little chilly. Interestingly I am still outside enjoying the brisk breeze that blows over my face and makes my cheeks feel like they are experiencing a bit of ice but I have to say my grin is as wide as my face allows and I love the feel of the cold. Its been a long time since I have felt cold. To add to the experience of the drop in natures thermostat, we took a trip to the country  and spent the afternoon by an open fire with good food, good company and lots of wine. It was wonderfully civilised and totally different to the back yard bar-b-que however, wonderfully English and yes folks it was bloody cold....lol

We walked around the garden of this fabulous yard that the house was situated on, however the temperature dropped again and I had to retreat in doors due to my bones really feeling a bit chilly....lol

I love the weather here and it is so good to feel cold. I hope it snows before I go home. That would be just the best way to end a wonderful experience in a foreign country where I am the foreigner and loving every minute of it.

Heres to England, it's people and fabulously cold weather. Love it.

Life is good!

The Tourist

Well its official I have become a tourist. Never thought that I would do that but I am loving every minute of it. London is amazing. As you all know my passion is art and yesterday in between actually doing some work I ventured into the National Gallery in London. It is a beautiful building sitting at the head of Trafalgar Square and looks down between the gates to Buckingham Palace. It is a truly magical space. My excitement about having a quick look around the gallery grew because I knew that there was a 17th & 18th Century Exhibition and my favourite painter of all time William Turner's work was hanging in the gallery. Oh my god I got to view the original works of Turner. And they did not disappoint. They are as majestic and as incredibly beautiful as they are in all of the books that I have seen of his work. There were only five works in the gallery each an inspiration of its own making. My favourite one hanging in the gallery, is 'Ulyses' because the light source in the painting is unbelievable. The works were all oils and painted with such finesse that I want to go back and sit in front of them for hours. I have part of my day free today so I will do that this afternoon.

Turner is the artist who created the expression of light and introduced such beautiful colour into his scenery. I have spent many many hours trying to grasp the light of Turners works. I continue to experiment and one day I will paint like Turner with an expression of light that will bring my works to life. Turner's paintings bounce off the canvas and into your imagination so that you experience the story that unfolds within the canvas and takes you to a place that is magical. I am so inspired and I cannot wait to begin painting. In the mean time I shall sit in front of Turner, whenever I get the opportunity whilst I am in London and let myself experience the life of a world that is past. 


Magic does exist and if you let yourself be free of the shackles of your existence, you can if only for a moment, experience the magic that is around you.


Life is good!

London Calling

In my last blog I explained what intermission meant to me. Well I am pleased to say intermission is finally over. Boredom has been replaced by excitement, fun and laughter and enough energy to turn my life from staid to chaotic in a moment of seconds. Yes be careful what you wish for folks because you do get what you ask for. I am happy to say intermission is over and life has begun and I am loving it. I want to spend the time I have left (no I'm not ill, just getting older by the minute) enjoying every moment and experiencing new things. The journey has begun.

Let me explain. I applied for the British Council Accelerate Indigenous Australian Creative Leadership Program and I was offered a placement. Accelerate is a program developed by the British Council in partnership with the Australia Council and supported by the states. Indigenous Australians who get into the program are identified as being future leaders in their chosen field of career or study and are offered an opportunity to fly to the UK to develop professional skills, meet other successful people working in the same sector or industry or field of study and to build working relationships. And it is so wonderfully amazing. We have had the opportunity to attend two works shops in Australia both of which had a profound effect on me and I have to say I am now directing my career into pathways that open windows of opportunity and allow me to grow in the way that I wish to move rather than being locked into the 'comfort zone'. I don't like the comfort zone, it is boring.  If you stay in the 'comfort zone' you don't get a chance to challenge yourself or to step over the threshold into the unknown. And the good thing about stepping over the threshold into the unknown is that you face new challenges that make you grow. Challenges are a bit frightening, however, they are also fun because you get to try new things and by trying new things you develop new skills. As you know I love learning and I am passionate about education. Education is the answer to freedom (Paulo Freire, Sociologist). Education is not just about text book learning, it is about experiencing new things, new places, new people. It is about immersing yourself in someone else's culture other than your own and learning from the experience.

My new experience is that for the first time I have stepped outside of Australia. Yes folks I am in London on the 3rd Stage of the Accelerate program and it is wonderful. We arrived yesterday. I have travelled with 5 other talented Aboriginal people from around Australia and the Director of British Council Australia, Nick Marchand. The journey itself was an experience. 22 hours in a plane is a bit much but here we are. In London. Arrived yesterday. And it is amazingly dark. I realise I haven't been here long but so far I love London. You know you get a feel for a place as soon as you hit the city and generally you can tell whether you are going to like it or not. Even though the sun only shines for a short time during the day, 

London is magical.

We had a few hours to kill before checking into our rooms so we meandered around the block to find somewhere to eat breakfast. We found this fabulous cafe called Elliotts that is across the road from the Burough Markets and the food was to die for. All fresh and organic. Best breakfast I have had in a long time, or maybe it was just because we had been chewing on airline fare for a few hours. Either way it was an experience and new and fun and exciting. 

London is truly, magical. I mean there is a lane way called Charles Dickens Lane, how exciting is that. This place is full of history and it is magic. 

Today I am going exploring, off to rediscover history, shall let you know how it turns out. 

Life is good!

New Beginnings

Hi there fellow bloggers. Intermission is definitely over and I am truly excited. I have finished my exams and submitted my final essay. Phew that was exhausting. I then had the honour of speaking at an Indigenous Social Justice Workshop, Commonwealth Peoples Forum, CHOGM. Interesting that was and I think it went very well. Received lots of supportive comments and not one boo, thats always a good sign especially when talking to your peers, yee ha!

In my earlier blog I declared that intermission was driving me crazy, well my life turned into crazy....lol Lesson learnt be careful what you wish for.

Recently I applied for the British Council Accelerate Creative Indigenous Australian Leadership Program that is run in partnership with the Council for the Arts, Australia. And it is the most inspiring and exciting program I have ever been involved in.

Two things have happened since I was accepted into Accelerate. Firstly, it will be my inaugural trip out of Australia. Frightening though it is, it is also very exciting. Secondly, the leadership component of the program in which I have participated in two workshops prior to my arrival here in Sydney (yes I am blogging from my hotel room), has changed my perspective on my life and my career. In fact it was so inspirational that I have shared Heros Journey with some of my closest, nearest and dearest who had voiced their concerns about the way in which their own lives were travelling, and hope that they will accept the challenge that comes with changing your life. I personally find the challenge exciting. I love the feeling of being outside my comfort zone because it means that I have to dig deep and conquer my fear in order to move forward. Challenging yourself also builds new skills and once achieved it is so rewarding.

Another interesting thing that has occurred for me during the last 10 days of chaos is the reflection of an academic paper that I was reminded of whilst researching my speech for CHOGM. It was written by Paulo Freire, Brazilian Sociologist who wrote 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed'. And just between you and me it could only be a white man that comes us with a word like pedagogy. For those of you (my children in particular) who don't like to use a dictionary pedagogy is another word for teaching. Freire taught illiterate adults in Brazil how to read and write. Out of his teaching he was rewarded with a brilliant book that is used in sociology and probably a number of other disciplines. However the point I am trying to make is something that Freire said that has stuck in my mind since I began University. What he said is that 'education is the answer to freedom'. Freire's theory is based on the premise that oppressed peoples participate in seeking their own liberation. I love that and it brings me to another interesting comment that I recently found on the British Council's Accelerate public statement which was made by the Director of the British Council, Australia, Nick Marchand. Nick's comment is this: 

'accelerate's main aim is to create an environment for talented future indigenous leaders to gain the skills and international networks they need to drive their own careers, and in doing create a pathway to success for others to follow'.

As you can see Nick and Freire are thinking along the same lines and in my case their theories to freedom and success is accurate for I have changed my life, freed myself from the shackles of being a black fella in a colonised country and made choices that have been informed and appropriate for the direction I wish to move my career.

Now the interesting thing about changing your life in this way is that other Noongar people, not all but some, have made comments to me about being a 'real' Noongar and that now that I am an academic I am moving away from being a Noongar. In response to this I just want to say I am a Noongar first and foremost and I will never forget where I came from, however lets be realistic, we are colonized and if you think that you aren't assimilated just remember when you reach for your mobile phone and jump in your flash car, you are assimilated, so get over it and move on. Kim Collard said something enlightening at the CHOGM workshop. Kim said as he was mowing his lawn it occurred to him that he had been assimilated....made me laugh I have to say. Kim is right. And it is time we accepted it. 

Culture and heritage in todays world has changed, fact of life. We can never take it back to where it was and I personally don't want to live in the bush, this is my choice, so respect my right to choose. I also want to say that its not a bad thing. In fact I am learning more and more about my culture and heritage every single day. I am learning to speak language (not that well yet but getting there) and I love listening to the Elders and hearing what they have to say. However, it is important not to dwell in the past but to acknowledge the past and move into the future. Life is different, no doubt about that and not just for Aboriginal people but for all people. And I personally want to participate in life.

The other interesting thing that is resonating off the walls of my over active mind is that you really do have to travel outside your country to experience education. And that is exactly what I am going to do. On that note I want to take this opportunity to say to all of my Noongar friends and family who have encouraged me and got excited with me, I thank you for you support and your love, to my wadjela mates who have encouraged me and supported me and to Jane who reads all of my really important academic papers like my draft essays etc, you are invaluable and I love you heaps. To my children who have given me the space to study and put up with my stress levels at times when I may have been calmer had I not been under so much pressure, I thank you and love you heaps.

So here I go, into the new frontier. Frightening but so much fun!

Life is good.

Intermission

Hi there fellow bloggers. Its been a while. Just had quick look at my last blog and it appears I forgot to explain what intermission is. Therefore I shall do my best to remedy the situation.


I have spent the past couple of years changing my life. However, along the way the journey began to stagnate. I think that there are times when this stagnation is a deliberate act of divine intervention to force one to take a breath and reflect on where one is heading and how to get there. Now I realise that this time is necessary for the well being and balance for a well adjusted person. However, I am not so sure that I am well adjusted yet. What I am sure of is that the period of reflection was taking way too long for my liking and it began to wear on my patience. Not that I have a lot of patience and anyone who knows me will happily attest to that.


During this period of waiting, I began to think about all the things I want to do and how I want to get there. I travelled the highways of my mind and came up with zip. I mean honestly how was I to move forward when I felt like I was sitting in intermission. Intermission for those of you who are too young to remember is when, in the old days of drive-in theatre and cinema was new, was the part in the movie where it stopped so that the projectionist, (the man that puts the reels on the machine) could change the reel so that the next part of the movie or new movie could begin. So while the change of the reel was happening you had intermission. During intermission you sat in your car and snogged your boyfriend if you had one or you just sat there, waiting. Waiting for the movie to begin.


During my period of transformation I felt as though I had reached intermission. The part in the movie where you sit and wait. What was I waiting for, why was it taking so long and how could I move things along? I asked myself these questions daily and I pondered ways in which I could get things moving, but it didn't matter what I did, nothing happened. Everything stayed the same.


I thought about Einstein's theory of insanity '...if you keep doing things the same way and expect change...' thats insanity. I kept thinking about this and I whole heartedly agree that I needed to do things differently. I needed to manage my life differently. Big question, how?


I thought about how? And once again came up with zip. I was in intermission. The powers of the universe had halted my life and put my brain into neutral. I couldn't think clearly, everything was blurring and I was spending a lot of time being reflective. The higher powers of the universe had forced me to wait while they changed the reel on the movie. I thought about this a lot and wondered how the next part of this movie was going to play out. I got interested in my own life as I waited.


I waited because as I said earlier, no matter what I did I could not seem to get things moving. It was torture, waiting. It drove me insane. In my insanity I began the uni semester and work became hectic and I had no time to think about 'waiting'. In fact I forgot that I was in intermission. The days were long and a bit boring but I was busy. Suddenly out of the blue I had a fabulous experience that reignited my enthusiasm and kick started my life again.


Totally inspirational experience it was and now I am on my way. Thank you to those who made me wait and now for my next big adventure. Can't wait to see how this unfolds. The journey begins.


Life is good!

Intermission

Intermission is going to drive me crazy! I swear it needs to get a move on. Sigh! Okay I need to relax and get my head together but the problem is I cannot seem to relax unless I am reading something interesting or doing something interesting. So today I got back in the Kayak, despite the cold chilly wet weather and went for a paddle on the Swan. And beautiful it was.


There wasn't a power boat in sight, so you have to love that, no jet ski's at all, because all those water polluters don't like being on the river when it's cold, big bonus, however there were a lot of kayakers paddling away up and down the Swan. I was amazed at how many there were. You could almost call it traffic. Interestingly I ignored all of them and cruised my way down the river between Shelly Bridge and Mt Henry Bridge. It was a bit of a paddle and the dog got tired and went to sleep on my leg. However I caught some beautiful images.

Seeing such beauty so early in the morning in the middle of the city is refreshing and gets my day going. I have to say cold though it was it was very enjoyable. It took roughly three hours there and back, admittedly we did a couple of pitt stops for the dog to stretch his legs, but all up invigorating.

Great way to start your day.

Life is good.

NAIDOC WEEK

Aboriginal Flag

This Sunday is the beginning of NAIDOC week and I am excited. The first week in July is my favourite time of the year. The week begins on Sunday with the launch of NAIDOC and then events take place during the week all over the city. Aboriginal people are happy, smiling and proud. Yes we are proud to be who we are. NAIDOC gives us the opportunity to showcase the best of Aboriginal culture and heritage. NAIDOC is the one time of the year when Aboriginal Australians become visible.

There are a couple of things during NAIDOC week that get me excited. The first one is the flags that are flying along Riverside Drive and on the Causeway. Today I drove to work and the flags are up. I took one look at those flags and I couldn't stop smiling. I feel proud to be Noongar. 

The second thing is the events that are occurring during the week a couple of which I will be participating in with fellow Noongars. I love being actively involved in NAIDOC events and enjoying the company of my friends and family at these events. It is exciting and fun. Everyone is in good spirits and there is an air of ownership and pride around the city that makes me glow.

But the highlight of NAIDOC week for me is the Ball. The NAIDOC Ball is the social event of the year for Aboriginal Australians and everyone who is anyone will be at the Ball. This years Ball is looking promising for me because I actually brought myself a beautiful dress. Usually when I go to the Ball I beg borrow or steal a dress because I am too scroogey to buy one. This year I did not think about the cost and actually let go of my control issues about finance and brought myself a fabulous dress. I can't wait to wear it. Unfortunately I do not have a date but I reckon the dress might just do it for me....lol  The Ball is always held at the end of the week as a celebration of all of the hard work that we do during the week to share with you our culture and heritage. 

Now where to find a pair of fabulous shoes for dancing? 


On that note please take the time to attend events in your town or city this year and support NAIDOC. Wadjelas are welcome!

Life is good.

Torres Strait Islander Flag

Footprints

The images above are Kangaroo tracks. Im not sure if you can see it in the top picture but you can definitely see them in the bottom picture. I took these shots when i was out walking. The top one was on the Bibbulmun Track and the second photo was taken when I was on 'country' in Quairading. I took these photos to give you an idea of where the patterns on Aboriginal artwork comes from. If you look at the shapes of the footprints left behind you can see the straight line and the little point on the end of the print. It is a very interesting process and gives one the understanding of the imagery painted in Indigenous artworks. 

Animals and human beings leave behind the footprints of our physical bodies. One of my favourite footprints is when you sit in the sand with your legs crossed and then get up. The shape of your bottom and legs gives you the 'U' shape that is used in Aboriginal art. This means 'people or person sitting'. 

Indigenous art can be elusive to people who are not observant of the footprints left by nature. If you really want to have an understanding of Indigenous artworks just look around you. The designs are all there waiting for you to uncover.

Nature is the most efficient designer of contemporary art designs and colour combinations all you have to do is open your eyes and see.

Enjoy!!!

Life is good.

I am having an interesting couple of weeks. Lots of things have gone wrong and I cannot seem to control any of it. I did try. However, it has just occurred to me that maybe I am not supposed to control any of it and just let it be. Having come to this conclusion has made me a little anxious because when you are not in control of the events that are unfolding in your life you tend to experience a feeling of being worthless or incapable. Now I know this sounds extreme but what I mean is that I do not have the ability to change the events that are occurring because these events are I think divine intervention. 

Something is happening and I am not sure what exactly it is. What I do know is that I can physically feel a change occurring. I am not sure where it is going or how it will turn out but what I do know is that there is a definite push to point me in the right direction so to speak. Lately I have been wanting change in my life and up until now I waited patiently for something to happen. Having the patience of a Tasmanian Devil I decided that I needed to give the transition a little push. So I made up my mind to actively participate in changing my life because lately I felt that I have been in intermission. You know that space in time when you just sit and wait for the next part of the movie to begin. That's where I have been, intermission. And I waited for the movie to begin, but to be honest it was really boring waiting. So I began to get active and begin the movie. 

Interestingly things are looking up and there is an energy in the air that I cannot explain, but what I do know is that if you want things to change in your life then you need to begin the process. Now how you begin the process depends on what you want and who you are. However to create significant change and move in a different direction you must do things differently. Einstein says that 'insanity is when you do the same thing over and over again and then expect different results'. Luckily for me I am not insane and never do anything in the same way, therefore based on Einstein's theory I can guarantee different results.

This concept has led me to approach how to create changes in my life and I am only finding out after two weeks of trying to control the uncontrollable that what I really need to do is let go. Yes folks, that's right, let go of control. Interestingly this concept has only just dawned on me in the past 24 hours. The thought came out of nowhere during intermission. Amazing how when you let go ideas move into the forefront of your brain and begin flashing like neon signs highlighted in colour so that you pay attention to your own thoughts and trust yourself to engage with those thoughts in a capable way.

I am a control freak and today I decided not to control anything and guess what it's all happening. Things are running smoothly and I am feeling totally confident that things will move in the right direction for me at this time.

I guess thats the point of letting go of control, putting your faith in the universe to provide the things that you need for the now. 

Interestingly all is well, a little slow but running smoothly. So maybe it's not really the change that is occurring that bothers me but the rate of the pace that change is occurring at. Slow is definitely not my thing...lol 

Intermission has made me philosophical so in the words of Einstein 'learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning!'

So on it goes!

Life is good.

The Sun Comes Up

Its been an inspiring weekend. Took a walk this morning along the Bibbulmun Track with my little dog who did not want to go home despite his tiredness. This photo means he is happy however it does not show how tired he was. Love me dog but damned if I was going to carry him uphill and home. We rested on the this fantastic hill that overlooked the gully.

Beautiful

And the view was breathtaking. This shot does not do it justice because it looks down a drop into the gully below. As I stood enjoying the scenery, I could hear the birds singing. A couple came up to me with their dog and out of my mouth came the words 'I wish I was here when the sun came up'. No hello, no nothing, just 'I wish I was here when the sun came up'.

Amazing, I was dumbstruck with the beauty of the place and I was in a bit of a daze because the sun was warm and the animals were singing and it was just bliss. The man looked at me and then he looked at what I was looking at. And as I watched him he walked to the edge and looked around and I saw that he saw what I was seeing. He nodded his head and mumbled and then he turned looked at me and said, 'yes'. 

Today I introduced somebody to my world and he got it. He understood. I didn't have to explain it to him, he understood. We chatted about the dogs and then I left the couple there with their dog and Duncan and I headed home. 

On the way back I took a different route and Duncan was not liking it. I had him on a leash as we got closer to civilisation and he actually stopped, turned and looked down a dirt track, then he looked at me and I swear he didn't move. The dog had decided he wanted to go home his own way. So off we went down another dirt track with a very happy pooch running along in front of me.

Poor old Dunc was exhausted by the time we arrived home after 2 hours of bush walking, but he managed to get there and back without me having to pick him up and he has slept in his chair all day. 

Wore him out I did. But I know he loved it as much as I did.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, there was a chill in the air and today I showed a stranger my world, and I didn't have to explain it, he got it.

Life is good!!!

This my friends is the sign of a woman who has definitely been doing way too much lately... Yes you guessed it, I have been madly reading and studying for my end of semester assignments etc etc etc. The good news is I finally have them all done and I needed some R & R time, so the beast put these beautiful sunnies on me whilst I was curled up in my arm chair. Have to say you can actually see through them, that made me laugh. 

To elaborate on my need to relax its been a fabulous semester of intense learning, one in which I have enjoyed immensely. Yes there is something wrong with me, I like academia. However, working and studying finally took its toll and I became physically ill. Good news is that I am home resting and enjoying a couple of days watching the tube and chilling out with the beast who has a cold and is unwell herself. Interestingly I reckon my illness is probably not from my intense semester, but more from the germs the beast carries in the door after being at school all day with her mates. I reckon the high school environment is a petri-dish that resembles the floor of the beasts bedroom. Things are growing in there and you have absolutely no idea when they are going to be released and attack your immune system. I actually had to go to the doctor for some drugs which is unusual for me because generally I work through whatever is wrong with me. 

Not this time. I finally had to admit that I was ill. I have worked and worked until I felt exhausted and here I am in the armchair. Serves my self right you reckon? Absolutely. You see people like me never know when to give it up and just relax. I am the person who always needs to be busy doing something. I cannot seem to sit on the couch unless my body packs it in and forces me to rest. 

So today, I relax and tomorrow I am going to do something new. I am going to read a book for enjoyment. Now that will be fun.

Life is good!

Ephemeral Works of Art

I have been meaning to put this photo up since 'Belongum' shared his son's picasso artwork. This 'Belongum' is my 13 year old daughters handiwork. The beast decided she was sick so spent the day in bed while I went to work. Her Uncle was also home from work and taking a nap. The beast was a tad bored, hence the artwork. Later in the morning she retreated back to bed. Her Uncle rising after she had gone to rest her weary head, wandered into the kitchen to get some breakfast. After the shock, bemusement and laughter wore off he decided he couldn't eat the eggs and sent me this pic via his phone.

The moral of this story 'Belongum' is that the true artist continues to draw, paint or create whenever the opportunity arises, and it is ongoing. This is not the first piece of artwork by the beast. She has many many more ephemeral works that have not survived the test of time, but the memories live on. 

Not to mention me washing walls etc etc etc to remove her handiwork on departure of the building.

Here's to the artist, may they grow in number for without them life would be boring!

Life is good.

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Today I was given a beautiful copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Khayyam is a 12th century poet from Persia, among other things. Actually he was a scholar who wrote the odd piece of poetry, however I think his quatrains are snippets of philosophical thought. 

The timing is perfect and it makes me realise how lucky I am to have divine guidance, not to mention some very special people who love me and know me well. The past couple of weeks have been an emotional roller coaster and I was beginning to ask the question 'what's the point?' Then out of nowhere comes this fantastically beautiful book of quatrains that is the perfect response to my emotional inability to focus lately. 

Incredible the powers of the universe. When you least expect it you are shown the way. The book is full of the philosophy of life but there is one quatrain in particular that I would like to share with you. It is a tribute to my Uncle.

With them the seed of wisdom

did I sow,

And with my own hand labour'd

it to grow:

And this was all the harvest

that I reaped,

I came like water; and like

wind I go.

How beautiful is that and I have to say it is exactly what I had been searching for to honour my uncle's life.

I am truly blessed.

Life is good.