A tribute for Rob Hirst.

Last week I wrote a quick blog post when I heard that Rob Hirst Midnight Oils drummer and songwriter had lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.  It was a post I wrote to express my shock and grief.   I knew Rob had been batting cancer and for months now everytime I heard Midnight Oil on the radio or television i was preparing myself for the announcement. Still didn’t make it any easier to hear though.

In the months leading up to his passing Rob had donated his drum kit to a charity auction. The reserve price was set at $10,000 Australian dollars.  It sold for $90,000 Australian dollars such was the esteem Rob was held in.  I was thinking about that fact as his death was announced.

This week I have spent a lot of time listening to Midnight Oil and following on YouTube etc clips of Rob’s life and talents. Sure I’m sad at his passing but also extremely happy and proud that such a fine, charming and talented man lived.  Today is Australia Day here in Australia.  It is a significant but controversial day for us modern intelligent people who call Australia home and we have an Australia Day Honours List to celebrate the contributions of some particularly wonderful people who are from here. Rob has been honoured with this award posthumously and I couldn’t think of a more worthy recipient because of his impact on Australian music, culture,  social justice welfare and politics.

RIP Rob Hirst it is an honour to be a fan of you. Condolences 🙏🏽 to your wife, daughters and fellow members of Midnight Oil

My conversations with Barbara.

I am blessed with having a lot of good friends 🧡 who share my journey and one of rhe things I am most appreciative of and am grateful 🙏🏽 for is the conversations I have with Barbara.

Barbara has been in my life since my early 30s. We met studying 📖 welfare studies together ❤️ and she has impacted my life in so many  ways.  She saw my love grow for a fellow student,  who became the great love of my life. She has nursed me through more than one broken heart. She is one of my greatest supporters and advocates.  She tells me that I am highly intelligent and supports my writing ✍️ . She encourages me to speak out and write about my life experiences.  She has helped when i have experienced stigma of my mental health issues and been my greatest cheerleader of my advocacy work and my creativity expressing such.  I’ve just spoken to her and I feel uplifted. This is significant because Barbara was letting me know that I don’t always have to be positive in what I write ✍️,  but to always be real in what I creatively express. This is great feedback to receive and it shows me that I am on the right track 👣 when I choose to write.  I am feeling understood and heard. Could there be any greater gift 🎁 than that.?

Werribee Park Open Range Zoo

Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

The attraction that i still haven’t got around to visit is Werribee Park Open Range Zoo. I have been to Melbourne Zoo at Parkville many times in my life.  The last time I visited the Zoo in Parkville was to attend a Zoo Twighlights concert with Neil and Liam Finn.

I have always intended to go to Werribee Park and for a while my niece Lana was a,volunteer at Werribee Park.   It is meant to be an amazing place and it is definitely on my bucket list to go there.

This gif could not be more appropriate for today.  I had been feeling a little flat over the past 48 hours and the words uplifted me and it was like this message come from above.  I want to share this message with my readers in the hope that it will strike a cord and empower you. May God bless you and keep you 🙏🏽.

Patience is a virtue

There is a saying that ” patience is a,virtue possess it if you can. Seldom in a woman,  never in a man.’

I think I am becoming the very essence the very spirit of that saying.  I have been waiting what feels like an eternity to hear if I will be moving into The Haven i wait in earnest and I know my loved one’s are praying 🙏🏽 for me.  At times it feels like I am back living in  monotonous holding pattern, the likes of which I haven’t experienced since Susanna was placed in palliative care all those years ago leading up to her passing on.  I juggle a lot of balls in the air very carefully,  with the mental health ball being the priority that I don’t drop it. Writing ✍️ this post about it is very freeing and I am feeling alot lifting off my shoulders.  Perhaps that is the key for me,  self expression in the form of writing is my salvation , my saviour. I can feel the holding pattern becoming easier to deal with. The glass is always half full.