‘You’ll have to keep up’ says Neta. ‘I move pretty fast around the kids’. The kids. That’s the first thing that strikes me about the how this piece of community art is being created. Put paintbrushes in the hands of nearly 100 kids and surely there’ll be some little ADHD shit-head who’ll just smear paint … Continue reading The Meeting Place
There is a goddess who overlooks all the arguments I have in my head. Her name is victory. But wait, I don’t get into arguments with people in my head because that’d be, you know – crazy. The guy getting into it with people in the imaginary debating chamber of my mind is Hollywood Kingsley. … Continue reading How I was hurt in a fight
I wonder if those folk who say “maybe you should be more positive” ever realize how close they are to getting punched in the face? As a piece of advice, it ranks right up there with ‘calm down’ as among the most useless words ever spoken. I suspect that unsolicited advice is more aimed at … Continue reading The Community of You
"What’s that transvestite blokes name? From the Rocky Horror? Dr Frank-N-Furter, that’s him. Yeah he was probably the most fun to play. But jeez, in over 30 years of theater I’ve pretty much played them all: Inspector Clouseau was fun, so were the Rowan Atkinson characters. It’s been good, the acting; helps explore different parts … Continue reading Mark
‘I see her in a different light now. A more honest light. Not just one that comes from being her mum. The photos were a wake-up call for me. She isn’t that little girl who used to fall asleep on my lap anymore.’ If evolution was only about individual survival, then variety would be stripped … Continue reading Our Uniqueness, Reflected
She sang all the way home from school on the back of my bike. Across the railway line and up the steep road that had paddocks on one side, and the town on the other. We were a few years away from saying good bye to our innocence. But even so, it was the beginning … Continue reading The Reunion
There were some songs that we couldn’t sing. Songs that the government had banned. We knew if we sang them, that our parents would get in trouble because the authorities would want to know ‘who taught you those songs.’ I remember one day when the soldiers came into the house with their guns. Even when … Continue reading Pedro
Climbing sea cliffs is a lot harder than it looks. As I heard one indoor climbing gym graduate shout-out after being three moves into what looked like a simple climb ‘there’s #@*% nothing to hold on to!’ All those bumps, cracks and seams have been weathered smooth over a few hundred million years and every … Continue reading Sweaty palms and the power of being nicer to each other
Turack was sitting on a bale near the loading bay of the shearing shed eating some home-made rice concoction from a plastic tub and staring out into the cool morning air. ‘How long have you been shearing’ I said. ‘About ten years’ ‘So what’s the secret to it?’ I asked. He smiled and looked out … Continue reading How Stories Matter
‘I haven’t led for a few months’ she said. ‘I want to build back up to it, but I’m not fit enough yet’ It was twenty years ago for me, but I could recall how leading a climb is appreciably more dangerous, especially when you are putting your own protection in. But how that extra … Continue reading The Power of Commitment
