Stories
Rose wasn’t cursed with good looks .
Rose is free from any expectation to be abnormally beautiful 24/7, which leaves her undefinable by looks alone – and alone she is. Consequently, Rose rarely receives invitations of the social kind but isn’t bothered by being omitted in this way. In fact, it affords her three good things. One, more time to herself. Two, being left alone to be herself. And three, to live within the containment of her own tangible world. With such a high level of self acceptance, Rose manages to by-pass all standard dress codes and cosmetic alterations of the conforming and horribly restricting kind – and mirrors.
Footnote: In a world of ‘likes’ and ‘followers’, this Rose is independently refreshing. Always good to question who and what determines our worth.
(Wisdoms of Rose and Clunk & Jam, 2019 books. Reposted from 2013).
Rose broke the mould – a truly astounding feat.
Although an underachiever in academic fields, Rose is a star in self development and a high minder of her own identity. She has made outstanding progress in finding for herself a sense of quiet achievement and direction – despite constant interruptions. She is also dedicated to researching sources of content other than incoming gratification – and acknowledgement from adult figures and male dominated establishments.
Rose exhibits no desire to possess parental powers of manipulation, authority or control, or the conservatism that comes with maturity – all of which would spoil the spontaneity she is free to leap into at any unguarded moment. Rose continues valiantly reaching towards newly found desires and pickings ripe for her own taste, mostly of the underground and obscure variety – which appear to mark her path to somewhere different to where others would like her to remain. Long Live Rose.
(Wisdoms of Rose and Clunk & Jam, 2019 books. Reposted from 2013).
Here comes repair .
This little soldier left behind the security of her blanket to step forth into the reasonably unknown realm of repair. As she did, she cast a small wish into the universe that others might follow too…
(Reposted from 2011. Find her in Clunk & Jam book, 2019)
Rose was accustomed to more – but settle for one none-the-less.
Rose finds decision making difficult, so she limits her choices to alleviate herself from the tiresome chore of selection. The fact that this leaves her with very little, is of no great loss to Rose – she has (and is), enough. Long Live Rose.
Footnote: The virtue of being small is not one of popularity, but in a world that’s constantly promoting big, and potentially making us feel more insignificant, we have to champion a little harder for the small stuff. And with consumerism and mass media constantly knocking, our lives can potentially become a merry-go-round of decision making. Even if it’s the conscious decision not to buy into it. This Rose seems aware of the trappings of ‘wanting more’ yet holds firmly onto her single cone. She settles for less and feels so much more for it.
(Wisdoms of Rose and Clunk & Jam, 2019 books. Reposted from 2013).
‘Wisdoms of Rose’ was originally a handmade book, made to give to children and young people through community groups. The handmade books were later also made available through the Fremantle Art Centre. In 2018 she was printed and published as a pocket book. In 2019 she was included in Clunk & Jam book, second edition.
(Handmade book)
Will I Ever Be Enough .
Completely fed up with this notion of ‘enough’, she tipped herself to one side and wondered…..who is the great measurer of ‘enough’ anyway? The holy dispenser of self worth? The one who’ll grant her the fickle and often self defeating wish to be something more. And what does ‘enough’ look like? Feel like? Think like? Or could it simply be a matter of knowing when to, “Say when” – when you’re fed up with overwhelming expectation. Feeling not quite bright enough to work all this out further contributed to her sense of worthlessness and despair, so she put her ‘boots too hard to fill’ away and cried out loud: “Enough is enough!”
From this declaration erupted an abundant supply of pride and joy and the realisation that there were countless number of things to make her enough already – problem was, they were impossible to measure. And so…..in a supreme moment of co-ordination, she gave the troublesome measuring stick a long ride on a firm new shoe – sending it far beyond the world too big. This metaphorical act of giving the stick the flick also served to remove the load of personal expectation from her weary shoulders long enough to feel ‘enough’….and break the habit of wanting to be ‘superfied’.
(Reposted from 2012. Find her in ‘Clunk & Jam’ book.)
