July 28, 2010 - Hats off to madness
“I’m frightened Alice, have I gone mad?” “I’m afraid so”, says Alice. “You’re entirely bonkers but I’ll tell you a secret – all the best people are.”
(Tim Winton’s film version of Alice in Wonderland.)
Stories
June 24, 2010 - A Week Away
A Week Away .
Sit in awe and wonder of a woman who wears her possible fate in a way that marks a question on the mirrors of us all. For nothing is ever more beautiful that pure courage and truth shared in the absence of fear. While she may feel there is now little she can give – she has never been so full. And despite energy low and time much shorter than most, she commits to home made juices, savouring every dip of spoon – offering a recipe for us all.
Her touch is void of hurry, lingering long and toasty warm. And the serenity of her space sits you firmly in your seat and somewhere goes your list of ‘things to do’. The treat is the mischievous sparkle that skips across tiring eyes to reveal a woman who’s swapped ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ to invite little girls to play. And we do. Following her shuffling slippers on legs we joke are now so fashionably thin and a bottom all but gone. She steps into her garden world, full of birds she points high in gums. Willy Wagtails snapping insects in her wake.
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June 9, 2010 - Old celebrity replacing the new
Will Everyone Please Stand .
You might stand up on the bus for old folk – but do you seek the amazing stories they tell? This sweetie is famous for being …… 110 years old! She’s the 58th oldest person on the planet! What keeps her going? She writes a monthly article for the nursing home newsletter by hand (despite her patchy education) … counts each 24 hours as a blessing … has an appreciation for the small marvels such as a pair of automatic doors that swing open to let her through … takes a day at a time … her memory of the arrival of cars is “The horses were terrified. They drove up the road like giant grasshoppers.” Want to know the secret to living to a ripe old age? According to a study by researcher Robyn Richards, personality traits like low neuroticism, anger and hostility; low impulsivity; high conscientiousness; and low depression could hold the key.
Found her in the Weekend Australian Magazine May 1-2.2010
May 21, 2010 - Army of Ink Indian Brave
Maybe I’m destined to be a flightless bird .
Footnote: Indian Brave represents the acceptance of what we can and can’t do – and the liberation that comes from admitting defeat (although some would have us believe it’s failure).
Beyond a message of acceptance, Indian Brave is also about the Super Hero within the girl. Just like BOys, girls aspire to having Super Hero powers too – in their dreams. It’s important to note this because the Army of Ink troops can be very hard to live up to. So I keep the inks close as my constant source of strength, my Super Heroes that come to my rescue time and time again – whilst reminding myself that I have skin not feathers – and I don’t have to always be so brave and strong and capable.