Week 7 at Swimming WA

This was my most difficult week yet. I knew I wasn't feeling 100% but did not want to let Claire or Swimming WA down.

Claire was awesome! I explained to her what was wrong and she immediately understood..ironically her mum had been hospitalised with the same thing!

There was a positive buzz in the office. WA's two Commonwealth Games swimmers were doing really well. It was great to feel like I was part of it.

I really enjoyed the work, so persevered. I had to firstly research the community newspapers, for articles relevant to swimming. With the Commonwealth Games, there were heaps!

I then had to put together a media release for an event coming up in November. Claire explained she had put together an ad schedule for newspapers like the Sunday Times, about a lunch they were hosting with Eamon Sullivan and Blair Evans. She wanted me to put together a new release to compliment the ads...easy :)

Then I was hit with a bombshell. Claire is leaving Swimming WA to go to a larger, better paying position with a high profile company. I was divided with excitement for her, and sadness because I have really enjoyed working with her. She has taught me sooo much!

The Indian Games

India’s Commonwealth Games organisers are ensuring all possible measures will be taken to improve the safety and comfort of participants and visitors to India for the Commonwealth Games, following yesterday’s tragic bridge collapse.

A footbridge, close to the main stadium in New Delhi, collapsed yesterday injuring 23 workers, 5 of them seriously.

Michael Fennell, Commonwealth Games Federation President, said he was disappointed that this accident occurred and extended his prayers to the injured and their families. He said that the Indian government have assured him there will be closer monitoring of construction sites.

Fennell says the Federation would like to squash rumours that the games would not being going ahead, despite some of the setbacks faced in the remaining two weeks.
“India is a very proud nation and has been looking forward to hosting this international sporting event. With the eyes of the world on New Delhi in two weeks time, the Indian government and Commonwealth Games Federation will work tirelessly to bring athletes, visitors and millions of viewers the colourful spectacle they would be expecting from India’s diverse culture”.

The Indian government has promised that the athlete’s village will be completed and cleaned to a high standard, despite concerns from visiting nations.

Games officials in Delhi are aware they face some hurdles in the lead up to the games, but everything will come together in the end, and the world will be impressed when India takes to the stage.

Already on to week 6 of Work Experience!

We were so busy today, time just flew. Isn't that just how you want it to be?

My first assignment was to put together a press release for the 2010/2011 Water Corporation Open Water Series, to be held from October 2010 to February 2011. I had to research as much material as possible, and utilise what Clare was able to give me.

I had to promote the new Open Water web site and talk about an advanced electronic timing system, they will be using for the first time (straps to the swimmer's ankle or wrist).It was a bit of a challenge, but it is amazing how quickly you can whip media releases out, when you have had a bit of practice.

Clare was really pleased with my effort, and sent it off to all the community newspapers and other potential publications. She told me to look out for some material I can add to my portfolio! :)

I then went about working on the Swimming WA web page. We came across a major hurdle on the web page at one point, and Clare considered getting their IT person in to resolve it. I had a surprising brain wave and nutted out a solution, which greatly impressed Clare. We joked about the unliklihood of ME becoming a web page whizz.

I also showed Clare a job I had applied for. Before you panic Keith, it is PART TIME! :) By a stroke of luck, the advertiser happens to be a friend of Clare's! she said she will put in a good word for me and thinks I would do well in the position, and also believes I would get along very well with the employer. It's working as an 'Events Assistant' and covers a lot of the material we have learnt in the Cert IV and Diploma.


Key Responsibilities

The suitable candidate will be required to manage a busy workload within a demanding environment. Responsibilities will include:
Managing the online registration system;
Taking phone/email enquiries;
Liaising with external providers, sponsors and volunteers;
Liaising with competitors generally, including all correspondence with competitors;
Assist with event co-ordination activities in the lead up to the event;
Undertake additional administrative activities as required.

Key Experience

Strong Microsoft Office suite skills – excel must be a super strength;
Excellent phone manner and communication skills;
Exceptional organisational skills and time management;
Strong initiative and a 'self starter';
Though not essential, prior experience in Events and/or Sports Management will be well regarded.


Anyway, would be good to at least get an interview?

Oprah

Once again, Western Australia is being treated as the poor cousin of the nation. In a time when the Australian government is hungry to gain from taxing our state's miners, it is also coughing up $3 million's worth of tax payer's money, in a major Australian tourism campaign, that will not include Western Australia.

It's a bit cheeky to sit behind the Tourism Australia banner, when only part of Australia is being represented.

Oprah is one of the world's most influential and most watched personalities in the world. Every product she endorses, becomes a winner. Her hugely successful book club is testimony to her international power.

There is no doubt securing a visit to Australia by Oprah has been a major coup by Tourism Australia, but leaving Western Australia out of the loop is disgusting, a thought shared by our state government.

This would have been an amazing opportunity for Western Australia to showcase her natural beauty and unique qualities for a holiday destination.

Being well travelled, has allowed me to further appreciate what we have in Western Australia, compared to other parts of Australia and the rest of the world. There are very few places where you will find the pristine sandy white beaches of Esperance, the diversity of our wildflowers, the wildness of our outback. We have the dolphins at Monkey Mia, the coral at Exmouth, the whalesharks, the amazing scenery at Karajini.

The rest of the world already knows about NSW. They were the front page story during the Sydney Olympics, and would be the city that most Americans are only aware of. But really, other than the Bridge, the Opera House and the Blue Mountains, Sydney has very little to offer, that you couldn't find in the US.

In a time of eco-tourism and sustainability, very few places do it better than Western Australia. We offer diversity, friendliness and quality.

Winfrey and her guests will visit the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne's shopping districts and the Great Barrier Reef in far north Queensland.

Why the hell would a person from the US need to shop in Australia, when you can purchase a pair of genuine Calvin Klein jeans in the US for $10?!?

I think it is time for Western Australia to stand up and be heard. We have matured as a state, over the past few years, and deserve to be treated with more respect, as part of the nation!

Work Experience Week 5

Today flew by and now I am so ready for bed!

I was pretty much left on my own today, as I am now more familiar with the different routines Clare has in place for each month.

I was given more to do on the newsletter, which is released at the end of the month. I had to link back to any relevant stories on the Swimming WA web page. It's already been a busy month!

I was given another new task to do today. I was taught how to search for new items from the Community Newspapers site. I had never come across this before, and was impressed by its efficiency. I also had to link these articles back to the web page.

The newsletter software was frustrating! I was a bit reluctant to admit to Clare that I was struggling, but she put me at ease when she admitted everybody found it had a mind of its own, and would keep doing the opposite to what you wanted it to!

I talked to Clare about our Hero campaign, and she seemed genuinely interested. She suggested I may even be able to source some helpful news items from the Community site.

We also talked about how Swimming WA is a non for profit organisation that relies on funding, volunteers and very clever budgetting. Money is allocated to each project but, as with many groups, there is never really enough for all the things you would like to do.

I finished the day off uploading more and more swim training sets. I am sure I am going to be swimming in my sleep tonight!

Next week I have a few articles to write and upload to the newsletter, and we have more work to do with their website.

Mentoring

When Keith first told us we would be mentoring the Cert IV Public Relations students, I honestly had reservations. I don't know how we would have reacted when we were Cert IV sudents ourselves. Would we have felt intimidated?

The first week was interesting. We were down to only 4 students in the Diploma class. We had no idea how we were going to tackle the situation, as we wandered down to Heather's room, a place where we had spent hours last semester.

I remember us encountering a room full of faces, glaring at us, measuring us up. It was all quite daunting.

We decided to break up in to two groups. I was with Alana in a group of about 8 students, from one half of the classroom.

Our group joined us in the cafetaria, at the table we had shared as a bigger group last semester. It had always felt like 'our table' and now we were sharing it with the novices. Did they have any idea who had sat there before them, their stories, their tears?

We exchanged names and experiences, ambitions and expectations. The group was surprisingly sponge-like in their eagerness, which was very encouraging. We were impressed!

We discussed the need to be organised and time conscious, the level of work that was expected, and why it was worthwhile going through to the Diploma.

My group is now down to four. I have young Keiran, who would love to work in the fashion industry. I love his energy, his sense of humour and his youthful ambition. You can just tell he will do well in whatever he decides to do.

Shae is beautiful. She has one of those smiles that lights up a room. She has maturity and sensibility, but I wouldn't confuse that with 'boring'. She seems like a lot of fun, and forever happy - just perfect for working with people!

Hartley is the only other male in the class. When I first met Hartley I was surprised he had chosen Public Relations as his course. He was quieter than the others and, for want of another word, a 'bloke'.

Over the weeks, I have seen more and more of Hartley. He is like an onion - you have to pull back the layers. I have noticed he has become more and more confident and is getting a voice. In that way, he reminds me of Jayde in her early weeks, and look at her now!

Lastly we have Wendy. When I first met Wendy I was like, "Who the hell is this girl and can someone sedate her??" She's like her own little tornado. There's not much to her small frame and stature, but she has the energy of a newly woken puppy!

Underneath all of this energy, is a kind and spirited young lady. She has passion and wants to go far. Over time she will learn how to direct it.

I love my little group. I love their attitude, their passion, their desire to do well. They work well as a team. I am impressed by their commitment to their assignments, how they have formed a 'study group', and how they are eager to gain what they can from the Diploma students.

I feel like they are not wasting my time. I can see where they have applied our ideas and advice. I probably come across as a 'mother' to them, but they treat me with respect and I am excited to see where they continue in their journies.

Week 4 of Work Experience

Today was a little bit different from my other weeks at Swimming WA.

Unlike other weeks, where I have been involved in writing a lot of material for Claire, this week I was asked to assist one of the other staff. Terry works alongside Claire on many projects, but he is employed as a performance and development coach.

Claire helps Terry to run a web site called RecSwim. The site is for swimmers who train themselves. They subscribe to the site to get tips and to download different training sessions, that Terry develops for them.

Uploading all the different sessions can be tedious, but has to be done.

When I was handed the job of manually entering in the data I knew it wasn't going to be exciting, but I was now part of a team. Claire explained it was something she or Terry would do, and my assistance was much appreciated.

Terry has coached all over Australia and the world. He has lived and worked in the US and Canada, and his impressivre history includes swimming for Australia and holding a scholarship at the AIS.

Terry explained how long it takes him to develop a programme for swimmers to access online...he is a 'virtual coach'. The main interest comes from triathletes and senior swimmers, people who want to keep fit, or those that compete in triathlons, masters, country towns etc

I lunched in the board room with the other staff today. I feel like I fit in well and really love the people I have been working with. You know you are part of a team when the others start picking on you :)

I enjoyed listening to their meeting as well. I am not sure how often they hold a staff meeting, but they had one today. They all contributed what they were up to and what plans they have, even when they hoped to next have a staff lunch and drinks!

Claire was apologetic about the lack of 'exciting work' today, but I explained that I was aware that all offices need team players to function well, and understood I had to put in. She was really pleased and said it was a shame I was in only once a week :)

I can't wait to go back!

Ben Cousins Farewell Speech

My final game of AFL football - it really hasn’t sunk in yet, after this amazing sport being such a huge part of my life, for the past 15 years. It has been my passion, my lifeline; it has been a huge part of who I am, despite the ups and downs of my very public life.

Thank you all for joining me here today, especially my loving parents, family and friends. If not for all of you, this day would probably have been very different.

I would like to thank the Richmond Football Club, especially, Terry Wallace. Terry trusted me and gave me the opportunity that no other clubs would – to continue playing AFL football during my much publicised rehabilitation. Terry took me under his wing and allowed me to continue my career. I will always value the trust he had in me, and was pleased I was able to commit to Richmond and not let them down. This is all part of my healing process.

I have also been well supported by other members of the football community like Kevin Sheedy and Gerard Heely. Growing up as a young footballer, these men were my heroes. Today, they are bigger heroes for me. Their encouragement and leadership have assisted me more than anybody will ever know.

It is a shame we could not produce a win today, but I am optimistic that Richmond will move forward in 2011, with our young and up and coming talented new players. They have grown and developed tremendously in the two years I have been with the team.

I would also like to thank The West Coast Eagles Football Club and John Worsfold for being a huge part of my football career. I will always cherish the finals we won and the many wonderful years I had with the club. I know I disappointed the club on numerous occasions, but hope I will also be remembered for my positive contributions.

Constant groin injuries have played a big part in my decision to go. I felt the timing was right, and I could choose my own time to walk away with pride.

So where does Ben Cousins go now?

I know there will still be many bumps in the road during my future. I have a strong network of supportive family and friends who care about my well being. I feel secure knowing they are there by my side, as I seek new and exciting adventures in my future career decisions.

I have been having discussions with different media networks about different career prospects. There is also the potential to work with some of my mates in their business ventures. I am excited by the possibilities, even though I am anxious about a new change in my life.

I know that people are concerned about my drug problems and how leaving football may have an impact on my rehabilitation. I admit I am slightly fearful, but know I have the tools and support I need to have the best chance to maintain my healthy lifestyle.

I realise I can’t change my past and risk being remembered for the wrong reasons. I hope my life and experience enable others suffering from drug addiction and/or depression to seek help, hopefully with the same amount of love and support that has been made available to me.

I hope the next chapter in the Ben Cousins story is a positive one.

Thank you all, once again

Week 3 at Swimming WA

I had a bit of a back-to-back this week. I am now in to my normal Monday routine, after doing a make up day last Friday.

The timing was probably a good thing. The other staff are more familiar with me, and it gave me the opportunity to complete some tasks we started on Friday. I was especially keen to see the newsletter in its finished form.

Clare was running a little bit late this morning, but it gave the chance to meet some of the other staff.

Simon is my boss. He is the Executive Director of Swimming WA. I had been hastily introduced to him my first week. He has a great sense of humour and helped to set me up with a lap top computer, before Clare finally arrived.

Today we had the newsletter to complete. There were more articles to write and upload, and much editing to do. I feel like I am an expert on WYSIWYG now!

Writing the President's message was interesting. Clare explained how we write the message and give it to the president for approval, just like the assessment we did last semester where we wrote a speech for the mayor.

Clare wrote the bulk of it, but had me add bits and edit it. She assured me she would not take offence to any of my editing, and very much appreciated my writing ability and input.

I was given a lot of space to form the newsletter in to what I felt looked good, with very little inteference from Claire. I enjoyed the creative freedom and the confidence I was gaining.

I also had to make a some phone calls to coaches to interview them about the recent junior championships. I felt confident and really enjoyed the task.

Clare once again thanked me and talked about what we will be doing next week. We will start working right away on next month's newsletter and put together some media releases on the Open championships on the weekend.

Loving it!

A special moment in time..

It was a wet and cold day.Winter was on its way and I was 33 weeks in to a pregnancy.

The date was April 23,1998. I was booked in to have a routine ultrasound. Today just felt different when I woke up. I just sensed something big was going to happen.

Nigel dressed, as he does every day, in his suit. He was going to join me at the appointment and then go back to work. I looked at him and said, "I don't think you will be needing that suit today."

In the small ultrasound room, Dr Murphy looked concerned, as he moved the gel and paddle around my tummy. I could see the small heart beating, which aleviated some of my worries, but when he hastily left the room, my own heart began to race.

He returned, soon after, with an older doctor. Dr Ferri was the head of the maternity hospital, so I knew something serious was going on.

Dr Ferri placed his hand on my knee and said, "I'm really sorry, your baby isn't growing as well as we would have hoped, so he has to come early."

I don't think I truly appreciated the urgency of the situation when I responded with, "Ok, when will that be?"

I really wasn't prepared when he said, "It's going to happen today...".

I was shocked, Nigel was shocked...a million things go through your head. I was worried about having an early baby with problems, about how I didn't even have my pj's packed or my other necessities, and would Nigel be able to find them?? who should I call? what do I do? I'm not ready for this!!

I was taken to a ward and was prepared for an induction. I had read about these and had vaguely seen something on a video, but never imagined it was something I would be about to experience. I had no idea how it would feel or what was going to happen, remaining terrified for the health of my much wanted unborn baby.

I paediatrician visited me to help ease my fears. He explained the baby was healthy, but had stopped growing because my placenta was not functioning. He said the baby would thrive much better "on the outside". He assured me the baby was in great hands, and that an ambulance was on standby, if we needed to get more specialist care than our hospital could provide.

It was now late in the afternoon. I had been given some sort of gel pessary to help bring on the birth, but was not making any progress. Family members and friends popped in from time to time, while Nigel and I waited patiently.

When the rain stopped, we took a walk around the park, just outside of my room. It was a lovely room that opened on to a patio and cottage gardens.

Nigel and I took the time to walk around the park and talk about names and what was happening...it was all very surreal. We had waited six years to become parents, and were now just hours away from it happening.

Amazingly, at around midnight, I fell asleep! the nurses were in awe, as by now I was having some serious contractions. Every now and again, someone would wake me to check on my progress, but the baby was not budging.

By 11am, there was still no baby, so the decision was made to give me an emergency c-section. I was pretty tired by now, and the baby's heart rate was dipping. He was still too high up in my uterus to even contemplate a natural delivery.

Of course I never wanted a c-section. I had always envisaged a water birth or some other 'natural' form of birthing, but sometimes you have to sacrifice your ideals for the safest outcome.

At 11.30am, my miracle entered the world. I had a baby boy!! we had no idea what we were going to have, even after the multitude of ultrasounds we had had.

I cried as I looked at his little squashed face and saw visions of footballs and cars, not really believing I was finally a mum.

For months, we had argued over calling him 'Sean'. Nigel detested the name, but said I could have whatever name I wanted.

As I shed a tear in the operating theatre, I remember one of the nurses asking me if the baby had a name. I don't know where the words came from, but I came out with ,"Thomas Michael".

Nigel laughed and said, "I don't know where that name came from, but I'm sticking with it!"

He weighed all of 4lb 5 and you could hold him in one hand. His birth announcement card read "A little bit early, a little bit small, but perfect in every way!"

Week 2 of Work Experience and Loving It!

I had my second day at Swimming WA today and loved it!

Once again, I woke to hear about road disasters! this time the trains weren't all running and were having a huge impact on traffic. There was no way I was going to be late for work experience!

I arrived a good half an hour early, which was a relief, and also gave me time to grab a bite to eat, settle with an early morning coffee, and once again embrace my surroundings.

I was greeted by a familiar face in the car park. It was nice to be smiled at and remembered. It's been over a week since my first day, as Clare was away in Melbourne for the weekend and i couldn't do my usual Monday, so was nice that I'd left an impact on somebody. Sadly, I don't remember HIS name! I know I will get better at remembering names in the weeks to come.

Most of the stuff were running late this morning, exchanging tales of how painful it was waiting for non-arriving trains or being stuck on the freeway. It was nice to be included.

This week I was given an office to share with another lady, Meg. I already knew who she was, as her son is one of WA's most promising swimmers. It was such an honor to be sharing space with the mother of such a talented athlete. What was even more impressive, was she knew who Tom was!

Meg handles all the memberships, keeps records of results, times and personal bests. She works from 8.30am to 5.30pm on week days, and most weekends as well! She was incredibly busy, but would take the time to offer me some friendly conversation throughout the day. She explained her background was working as a PA for different politicians, until she started a cottage garden nursery business. Meg seemed to be the walking encyclopedia of WA swimming.

Clare was cheerful when she saw me. I sensed she had already thought up some challenging tasks for me, and she had.

The Junior State Championships were held last weekend. I was given the results, a frighteningly small amount of information, and I was to come up with a press release about the weekend's events.

This is where I was thankful for my experience in swimming. I firstly planned out what information I did have, researched how Swimming WA normally presents its results, found out what I could about the junior swimmers, and put together a substantial piece of copy, that I was pleased with.

It was very rewarding to get this email response from Clare:

Exactly what I am after!!! Thanks so much!

I will save it and we can add to it on Monday once we get the other info.

I will come in and see you about article number two!

The next task was similar. I had to write an article on all the WA swimmers who represented Australia at the Pan Pacs Swimming in California. I loved how Clare trusted my familiarity with the athletes, and only gave me their first names. "Make sure you find out what medals Blair won, and don't forget to talk about Matt!".

In no time I had my next article penned.

Another encouraging email from Clare:

Let me know how you go adding this into the article you wrote this morning...you can amend Simon’s comments if you need it to fit. Let me know if you need any assistance.

Sorry to bombard you..but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think you could handle it! You are a big help to me today!

Cheers

Clare

I was then given a media release that was put together by a local swim club. It was poorly written, and my job was to edit it and make it suitable to publish in the Swimming WA newsletter. Any published material will look like it is generated by Swimming WA, so its professional style is essential.

Initially, Clare was going to get me to learn how to use their newsletter software on Monday, but I was on a roll.

I had a crash course on the use of a programme called WYSIWYG editor. Clare explained it was an application she had learnt at uni and she had introduced it to Swimming WA. They utilise it for their newsletters and webpage.

I love using it. It was very user-friendly and similar to what we use to blog with.

I uploaded the articles I had written, with great ease, and even some photos! Clare was impressed to come in and find out I had worked things out for myself, with very little supervision.

Clare really has been wonderful. She has been patient and encouraging. I love her passion and enthusiasm for what she does, and she has been inspiring me.

I go back on Monday, to put my timetable back to normal. We have to meet a few deadlines with the newsletter, have material to review, more and more to learn!

Life long learning...

What is learning? I believe it is something we do everyday, even if we are not aware of it.

Many think 'learning' is restricted to the classroom environment, but I disagree. The classroom is just one effective tool and is not the only way we absorb and digest knowledge.

I have always been a hands on learner. I learn more by experience than from out of a book, though I do love to read and have done so for many years, whether it be the latest Tim Winton, the daily newspaper or New Idea.

I have a passion for cooking and am known for my epicurial creations, but my ideas do not come from cook books. Most of my ideas have been grabbed from walking through fresh food markets, talking to people, cooking shows on tv, eating at restaurants, experimenting and just being enthusiastic enough to persevere and improve, wanting to impress whoever I am cooking for.

I also love to travel and have been lucky enough to have ventured around many parts of the world. I truly believe travelling is THE most powerful way to learn, as long as you don't restrict yourself to package tours or the Contiki style "let's get drunk and see a new country every day" experience.

My best experiences have come from spontaneous visits to out of the way places, staying with residents of different countries and opening my mind to new foods, new experiences and talking. Language has never been a problem for me...I love the challenge of making myself understood. I'd talk to a brick wall if it answered back, so enjoy nothing more than meeting new people in far away places.

Now I see myself in a traditional classroom, with the goal to not only learn more about an industry I am interested in, but also to learn about myself and to extend my abilities. This has also been a personal challenge for me to 'finish something', which has been an issue I have battled over the years.

The course has been engaging and inspiring. I believe the speed and 'realness' of what we are doing has kept me motivated, interested and hungry to learn. I feel I have developed new skills and have been empowered to embrace more traditional study, unlike before.

I know that, when I have finished my Diploma of Public Relations, there will be a sense of satisfaction, pride and achievement. I wont be surprised if I am compelled to continue studdying, now that my confidence in myself has improved.

Part of my inspiration has come from my friend Linda. Linda works and studies at the University of Rochester, in the US.

I first 'met' Linda on an international parenting web site. I always enjoyed reading her posts and we formed a bond through having similar views.

I eventually met Linda a few years ago. I visited her and her family in December 2008. There had been massive snow storms, and we were pretty much locked in for days, as the main roads in her area were closed. We learnt all about 'lake driven snow' and how to shovel drive ways.

Most importantly, I learnt you were never too old to continue to achieve.

Linda is always studying. She has degrees on top of degrees, and she STILL studies to better herself. Linda works with the sign language/deaf students at the Rochester University. He dream is to make a difference.

I got to visit Linda again, late last year. This time we got to enjoy the gorgeous remains of the Summer in Rochester.

Linda is now studying ways in which education can be improved. This is her passion. She has managed to juggle her studies with working full time for the deaf, raising 2 children on her own (one with special needs), an ugly divorce case, the recent death of her father, and losing her family home to the banks.

We chat frequently online, and I am so inspired by how Linda has proven there are no excuses to finding time to study and learn, or to do whatever in life you find important.

I know that Linda will make a difference!

Feeling of Accomplishment

This topic was initially a little bit difficult, until my mind wandered back to when I was 21.

My first serious boyfriend was a viking. I met him in a Perth hotel and was intrigued when he told me he was from Denmark. I guess I shared my mother's love for people from exotic places. She always claimed that was why she married my father, who was an immigrant from the Seychelles Islands.

Our romance was a difficult one. Peter had a one year working visa, and it was miserable when it expired and he was forced to return to his home town of Aalborg.

It was the early 90's and Paul Keating was in power. Australia was enduring 'the recession we had to have'. There was an economic down turn all over the world, including Scandanavia.

Peter was struggling to find work back in Denmark. The internet did not exist, and our love survived over a series of regular traditional written letters and the very expensive rare phone call. Peter and I both loved writing, so our exchanges were often more than 10 pages long. He dreamed about returning to see me in Australia, but the odds were against it.

I hadn't taken any vacation time for years. I really enjoyed my job in tourism promotions, so holidays weren't really dominating my mind. I was missing my viking, and burying myself in my work was a good way to keep me sane.

In 1991 I decided to take the plunge and visit Peter in Denmark. I had accumulated several months worth of holiday leave, had saved fruitfully, and had an understanding boss that agreed to let me spend 6 months in Denmark.

I hadn't physically seen Peter for about 18 months. It was initially weird, and I was thrown in to a family that spoke no English. It is amazing how you can quickly adapt and make yourself understood, when you have to! I have great admiration for Princess Mary and her new adopted country.

Peter's family were warm and generous. His mother spent hours teaching me how to speak Danish, taking me to the local supermarket and encouraging me to learn the Danish words from kartofflers to bof med loi. I became quite apt at reading and understanding the spoken language, but was seldom courageous to mould my tongue in my mouth to speak to anybody, for fear of being mocked.

In the period I was there, I was fed and well looked after. I was taken on trips all over Denmark, and have memories of a Hans Christian Andersen countryside, dotted with thatched cottages and fields of yellow - pictures I will never forget.

I felt indebted to Peter and his family. They wouldn't accept any money from me, despite their modest incomes. Peter's dad was a local bus driver and his mum had previously been a small goods maker. She was an outstanding cook, and laid tables of food you would see at a Miss Mauds smorgasbord!

When I returned to Perth, heartbroken, I had to leave this wonderful family behind, I felt like I wanted to do something special for them.

I had received an English written tour book from the Danish Tourism Commission, when I was furst researching on things to see and do in Denmark. I was browsing through it one day, reminiscing about my recent holiday, when I saw a competition advertised on the back page.

The competition required entrants to write about their holiday experience in Denmark, and to nominate an individual for their contribution to Danish tourism.

I took up the challenge and wrote about my adventures with the Danish family from Aalborg. I then nominated them as passionate ambassadors for Denmark. I sent off my essay and gave it little thought...

Then one day I received a very excited phone call. Peter and his family won the competion and received a cheque for over $1,000!! My essay was published in the Danish tourism guide and Peter had won the competition as Denmark's ambassador for tourism.

I was proud and felt a great sense of satisfaction. I felt like I had somehow paid back a small amount to this family who had done so much for me.

The Danish community in Perth treated me like royalty. They invited me to one of their functions to announce the win, and published my award winning essay in their newsletter.

The feeling of accomplishment came from knowing that I had used my passion to bring joy to somebody else.

My first day at Swimming WA

Monday was the big day! I had tossed and turned all night, worried I would be late for my first day, worried I wouldn't know what to do. Hadn't I gotten over these fears? It felt like starting high school all over again.

I woke to the news that a stabbing had occured in Northbridge, and went in to a small panic about potential traffic delays, but there was little I could do to avoid it.

I was relieved to find my journey in to North Perth was without drama, and I was fashionably early for my first day at Swimming WA.

As I nervously climbed the stairs to the administration office, I was greeted by the friendly face of Clare. I had spoken to her a few times on the phone, exchanged a couple of emails, and felt confident we would get along once we met. I was not disappointed.

I was introduced to a number of new faces. It all happened so quickly, I wasn't able to remember who was who and who did what, but am sure I will become more aquainted as the weeks roll on. Everybody seemed cheerful, well mannered and BUSY.

I was shown an office and computer that would be mine for the day. Most executives crave an office the size of mine. It was old and worn, but had a mystery about it - it had been the home of swimming in WA for many years. The usual occupant was away on holidays.

The walls were filled with information and contacts on swimming, events, upcoming duties and activities. Many of the names were familiar from my involvement with our local swim club, over the years.

Clare presented me with The West Australian, while she sorted out some duties for me. I sat there and took in the noises and voices around me. Some of the staff were talking about the footy results over the weekend. I ached to join in their conversation, but I was the new girl and sheltered in the safety of my luxury sized office.

I had arrived at 9.45am and it was now 10am. Clare explained what she wanted me to do for the day. I was being thrown straight in to the deep end, and I was going to have my writing skills challenged.

Clare explained that Swimming WA were in the process of revamping their web page. This sent a shudder though me, knowing that web technology was not my strength. Today, I would be doing 'copy' for their new and improved site.

I was given an email of instructions and some material that had been researched by a previous work experience student, who had left to take up a paying full time position. I was to use this material and any other research, online or in their library resources, to pen a welcoming page for the new site.

I sat there for what felt like hours, glancing at the paper work, looking at the blank screen, feeling like a small child presented with a large meal, not knowing where to start or finish. I played with the papers like the child, with the large meal, would twirl boiled cabbage on a fork.

But I read. I read more and more. My fear turned in to hunger, and from within came a passion I really felt I had lost years ago.

Suddenly, the words just came. I felt confident as the words flowed, and I was excited by what I was producing.

I emailed my finished work and waited for Clare's reaction. She was pleased and said, "This is perfect..just what we were looking for!"

I was still feeling out of sorts, but felt a sense of achievement to have survived my first duty.

Time for lunch.

Clare suggested the Beatty Park cafe. She instructed me to tell the staff I was working at Swimming WA, which would result in a substantial discount.

I made my way past the day time swimmers in the outdoor pools, reflecting on the history and former champions that would have spent many hours there. I then took a seat at the cafe.

I felt a little bit lonely. I don't like to lunch alone. I listened in on parents discussing their kid's swimming lessons, muffled by the splashing sounds of young children in the paddle pool.

The cafe food was surprisingly good. There was a healthy aspect to it, which was something I have always felt was important at recreation centres. I hate it when kids are participating in something active and healthy, then fed a bucket of chips.

The afternoon was a little bit more interesting. Clare had spent the morning working on the Summer Almanac (a substantial booklet that outlines the calendar of swimming events for the season). She had more time now to show me how she was putting it together, then explained how we would have to proof read the printer's first copy, before they would go to final print for the swim clubs.

We then went through the Swimming WA web site and looked at ways we could change material, transfer material and prepare for the new look site. Clare's goal is to teach me how to upload and edit, on my return.

I spent the rest of the day editing material to be used for the site. This included a large list of names and profiles for their honours page. It was amazing reading through the achievements of WA's former swimmers.

At 4pm my head was spinning and I was delighted when Clare suggested it was time to go home.

I feel I have been given a wonderful opportunity. Clare is intelligent, passionate and full of encouragement. She is finishing her own studies, so has a good grasp of what is important to learn in the PR industry. I was impressed by how, despite her own busy programme, she made time to come and teach me a few things and was conscious of the need to challenge me.

I also love that I am putting some useful time in to helping a sport I am involved in. I use their website and resources constantly, so am enjoying having a powerful contribution.

I was in bed pretty early that night!

Organ Donation

I have selected some family members and a friend to interview about the sensitive topic of organ donors. Some of my responses have been surprising and unexpected, especially from 12 year old Tom.

Tom (12) was asked the following questions:

DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN ORGAN DONOR IS?

When you die, you give your organs to other people who need them?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE AN ORGAN DONOR?

Yes, because I wont need them anymore and other people would eg.they might need a new heart

ARE THERE ANY ORGANS YOU WOULD NOT LIKE TO BE USED?

(The initial response was a cheeky smirk, then I explained they don't use THAT organ)

They can have everything

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF A SMOKER GOT YOUR ORGANS?

I would be disappointed as I don't agree with smoking and I work hard to keep my body healthy

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE TAUGHT IN CLASSROOMS ABOUT BEING AN ORGAN DONOR?

Yes, so other kids can learn about it and how you can save a life if you lose yours

The next person interviewed was my husband Nigel. He is 41 and has juvenile diabetes, so other than his own health issues making him believe he is not a good candidate for organ donations, he may need some of his own one day.

ARE YOU AN ORGAN DONOR?

No

WHY NOT?


Up until now, I have never really given it much thought or talked to anybody about it.

ARE THERE ANY ORGANS YOU WOULD NOT LIKE DONATED?

Not sure there are any they could use

WOULD YOU CARE IF A SMOKER OR HEAVY DRINKER GOT YOUR ORGANS?

I wouldn't like a smoker or someone who has abused their bodies to get them

IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO TOM (OUR SON) WOULD YOU WANT HIS ORGANS DONATED?

I may be too distraught to make a decision like that, but would possibly discuss my feelings with my wife. I would hate to see his eyes missin when viewing his casket. I don't really want to think about the possibility of this happpening.

Lastly, I spoke to my friend Daniel. He is a 37 yr old single father, well educated and open minded.

These were his responses to the following questions

ARE YOU AN ORGAN DONOR?

yes

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BE AN ORGAN DONOR?

I believe there is not much point in taking my organs to the grave when someone else could use them.

ARE THERE ANY ORGANS YOU WOULD NOT WANT USED?

I am ok with all of them

WOULD YOU CARE IF A SMOKER, DRUG ADDICT OR HEAVY DRINKER GOT YOUR ORGANS?

It would be a shame, but it may even give them a much needed wake up call if they get a second chance

HOW HAVE YOU REGISTERED?

I carry a card in my wallet

DO FAMILY AND FRIENDS KNOW OF YOUR WISHES?

yes, my kids, parents and some of my friends know

IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN, WOULD YOU CONSIDER DONATING THEIR ORGANS?

It would be a very difficult decision but I think I would.

It's on again!

Waking up with a head cold is never a great way to begin anything, but hey, it was the first day back from the holidays so surely the first week was going to be..slack?

WRONG!!

What a pace Keith set for us, right from the start. There was only a short time for hello's and catch ups, and investigating the new faces that have joined us for the Diploma, before Keith threw us in to our first project.

It's exciting and I am loving it!! I feel like we are doing something real, something important and something we believe in. The passion has overtaken the head cold, the aches and pains, and I don't want to miss a thing.

I love the personalities and dynamics of our new group. There is already a feeling of team spirit and I am optimistic this is going to be an exciting and challenging journey.

Sitting in the boardroom yesterday, opposite Jayde and Jemma, I realised how much we had all achieved in the Cert IV and marvelled at the maturity and wisdom that has grown in the younger members of the class.

I look forward to learning from the newer members and know they will enrich us with what they have brought to the table.

Week 1 is already over and it's on again!

Didn't Think I'd Make It...

Wow, hard to believe we have almost completed the Cert IV Public Relations course. At one point, about 6 weeks ago, it felt like we were never going to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but now it's appeared so quickly!

I really didn't know what to expect with the course. I knew I wanted to study 'something' before I enrolled at Central, but didn't really know just what? I asked friends and family to help me decide, and finally decided that Public Relations best suited my past experience, skills, personality and direction.

I hated the first day! I was the oldest person doing the course, and was surrounded by "generation Y". I was given an assessment sheet of what was expected, and it all just seemed overwhelming. By lunch time, on the first Monday, I was ready to walk.

With encouragement and support from friends and family, I continued on.

I've never been good at finishing things I start. Sometimes it is just too easy to "walk". I felt like this, at several points during the course, but there was always someone to help pick me up and to encourage me to continue on.

So, how has it been? Rewarding! I have been pushed and pulled, motivated, unmotivated, happy and sad.

I have picked up an abundance of new skills, confidence, self belief and new friends.

When I look back at the very first newsletter I did in MS Publisher and what I was able to produce this week, I look back with pride and a sense of achievement...it has been very satisfying!

Standing alongside Nicole, D'Arne, Nikki Lee, Jodie and Nicola, presenting our display stand, was an amazing sensation of accomplishment for all our hard work and preparation.

Public Relations is an outstanding course for a number of reasons. You develop skills that can be useful in a variety of industries. You are exposed and educated in advertising, marketing, writing and even administration. Your confidence is challenged, time management improves and you feel like you are part of something important.

Someone to watch over them..

An 8 year old Queensland boy was rushed to hospital in March this year, suffering serious injuries, after fleeing a bully from his school. His mother claimed he had been repeatedly harassed and his school did nothing to stop the abuse.

Blair Retallick lay fighting for his life in a Townsville hospital, as authorities, his parents and the school discussed who was to blame.

Blair’s mother claimed he had been the victim of bullying for some time. He had been kicked, spat on, punched, and verbally abused.

Despite Patricia Retallick claiming she had made many complaints to the school, nothing was done. Blair was left with a fractured skull, a bruised brain and lacerated liver.

Parents send their children to school with the best intentions. They want to feel confident about their child’s well being,care, and safety. These factors are just as important as their child’s education.

Blair’s story is becoming more and more common in Australian schools. Incidents that were unique to countries like the USA are now happening more frequently. There was recently a shooting death in another Australian school, which also shocked the nation.

There has been continuing debate as to why school children are becoming increasingly violent. But, while we sit here and blame the media and computer games, bullying continues and our children are not being protected.

Installing video cameras in schools won’t prevent all bullying cases, but it may contribute to a much needed decline. Cameras in schools would help to deter offenders or bring them to justice.

In so many cases, victims are too fearful to report their attacks, for fear of increasing the anger of their attacker. Parents are left helpless with lack of solid evidence when reporting incidents. Too often it becomes a case of ‘he said/she said’ and matters are not properly dealt with.

Cameras may initially be seen as a breach of privacy, but they have become commonplace in our lives now. They are protecting people working in banks, merchandise in stores and vehicles in car parks. Surely the safety of our children is now more important?

http://www.news.com.au/national/blair-retallick-8-hit-by-car-in-townsville-while-fleeing-bully/story-e6frfkvr-122583633142

In the swing of things..

This is perhaps a little bit cheeky, but who couldn't laugh at this weekend's story on page 22, in the West Australian, 'Swinger jailed for running sex parties'?

53 year old Chinese university professor Ma Yaohai has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years for helping to organise like minded "swingers" for group sex parties.

21 members of Ma's sex club were convicted of "group licentiousness" - the first time anyone in China has been prosecuted under the 1977 law.

The court case prompted a lot of interest in China, with many Chinese siding with Ma and objecting to an overreaching "nanny state".

Ma had his own 'spin' on the situation, before his sentence. Ma said he had no regrets. "Why should I feel regretful for this?," he said. "It's totally their fault for bringing my privacy in bed into the public. I didn't know about the crime before".

Humour aside, the article makes one question how much control governments should have over what consenting adults do in the bedroom.

The article claims that an online survey, conducted by Sohu.com showed that 60 per cent of roughly 20,000 respondents thought the verdict was unreasonable because the swingers were all consenting adults.

Who are we kidding? this is China! 20,000 Chinese people doing an online survey is hardly a measure of the nation's feelings towards something that would probably be considered controversial in the western world. I'd question the validity of the claim that "many Chinese are siding with Ma", with only 0.02% of the population participating in the survey!

Cert IV Public Relations could be for you

The Cert IV Public Relations course at Perth Central is one worth looking at for school leavers and mature age students in 2011.

If you have an interest in people, have excellent writing skills, creativity, desire to work in some of the most interesting and challenging environments in the world, have an outgoing personality and would like an exciting career, this could be the course for you.

The diversity of the course allows you to have a wide scope of personal development and employment opportunities, unlike others offered in the Business Management Faculty.
You will experience exposure to improved and powerful writing skills, advertising, marketing, desk top publishing, public speaking, developing displays, as well as gaining and mastering time management and deadline s.

There are opportunities to become involved in real industry activities, meet representatives from the industry, and to learn from experienced professionals.
The Cert IV Public Relations course can also be used as a stepping stone to further tertiary education. Now aligned with other institutions like Curtin and Edith Cowan, students are able to use their certificate as a pathway in to courses like journalism and other media based courses.

Successful completion of the Cert IV course also enables students to continue on in to next semester to the Public Relations Diploma Course.

The course is dynamic and fast moving. Students are continually challenged and guided to reach their highest potential, assisting them to be ‘industry ready’ and able to compete with others wanting to be employed in public relations or associated areas. Students are given a realistic idea of the industry’s expectations, and are assisted in gaining the skills they will need to thrive.

Most students, that have successfully completely the course, have gone on to working in the public relations industry, events areas, the media and other administration based jobs, or have successfully achieved entrance in to their desired university or other tertiary institution courses.

My beautiful mum...

Mothers Day is still a little bit raw and painful for me. This is only my second Mothers Day without mum and I am still getting used to it.

I was there when she took her last breath - we all were. I remember feeling guilty for all the things I never said or did for her. I felt disappointed that I couldn't stop the pain she suffered, and the loss of dignity she went through in her final years. I was also happy that she was finally at peace,and her loss makes me want to believe there is a Heaven.

I have been reflecting on her life and my love for her this week, trying to work out what I will leave for her at the cemetery on Sunday.

My mum was beautiful. She was probably the most unselfish person I ever knew. I try to be a lot like her, but she was far kinder and full of an almost child like innocense.

Mum loved us. There was never any doubt. She had very little money, but she was always great at making things. She could pretty much sew anything! she loved to bake, she loved to garden, and she really loved her sport!

Mum was a champion long distance runner and hurdler. She represented Western Australia in athletics and softball. She loved East Fremantle and The Fremantle Dockers.

We were forever making trips to the convent near our house, as we were growing up in Palmyra. There were lemons, eggs and home grown vegetables to take up to the nuns, or flowers for the church. If mum could help anybody, other than herself, she did.

Until the day she died, mum was deeply religious. She had two religions actually…God and football! most people would argue she loved both equally. She had an amazing, yet dry, sense of humour, that helped her to endure some pretty tough times.

Most of all, mum loved Tom. I know he carries a lot of her spirit with him and I see her every day in his eyes.

Mum was pretty sick and frail when this picture was taken. She had survived a massive heart attack and several strokes. There was much damage to her brain, and sadly she suffered dementia. Her personality was no longer the mum we knew, but during her moments of lucidity, she always made us smile.

Mum LOVED to run, so it was sad she could barely walk in her final years. I hope she is running in Heaven.

May God Bless you and keep you safe mum xxxxx

I think I can, I know I can: Motivation

Motivation is energy. It can come from within, or can be from the inspiration of others.

It comes in different forms and can be positive or negative. When a person commits a crime, one might ask him/her,"What motivated you to do that?” When a football team wins a game you might hear, "They were motivated to make the finals."

Self motivation is the best form of motivation. It is passionate, real, satisfying and gets the best results. It has the highest energy. It is an energy you 'own'.

Motivating others is difficult. I have observed different coaches over the years, through sports my brothers and son have played. Some choose to 'fire up' players/athletes by being very critical and almost abusive, while others give more positive structure and reassurance. I believe both of these can work, depending on the individual and the way they respond.

I couldn't help but wonder what Mark Harvey would have said to the Dockers at half time yesterday. They were losing to the Eagles and it wasn't looking good. I was slightly confident they would make a comeback, but there was a lot of work to do.

He may have told them they were doing ok but needed to stick on their players, get the hard ball, kick more direct, run hard etc

OR

He might have taken a different approach. He may have told them they were playing poorly, would be humiliated if they lost to a team that wasn't doing well, needed to get back their local pride and wouldn't look like a credible finals side if they were to lose.

Whatever Mark Harvey told them it worked. The team did come out after half time and put more points on the board. Not only did they kick enough goals to hit the lead, they were able to prevent the Eagles from scoring. Confidence kicked in, and the Dockers won by a substantial margin.

The Dockers are doing well this year because they have a new belief in themselves. With this comes pride, determination and passion. I really believe there is a combination of self motivation and the support of their coach's motivation that has seen a fairytale start to the season for them.

A lecturer is in much the same position as a coach. He/she can only enhance motivation that is within his/her students. They can't produce the work for the student, and their techniques are useless if the individual is not prepared to cooperate.

Personally, a positive style of motivation works best with me. If I can see the light at the end of a tunnel, then I have more determination to get there. If I see consequence and misery, then I feel less energetic.

Assignments and work are like an over filled dinner plate put in front of a child. You don't know where to start and you feel overwhelmed with expectation. Energy levels are low; motivation is low, and giving in before you even begin becomes an attractive option.

Sometimes we want choice taken away from us and for others to help us to decide. We may already have the confidence or ability, but have put up walls that don’t allow us to move forward. A coach or lecturer can help us to bring these down. They can help us go from, “I think I can” to, “I know I can”.

There was a book my parents read to me when I was young called The Little Red Engine that Could by Wally Piper. I read this same Little Golden Book to Tom when he was young. This is taken from the book:


A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill "I can't; that is too much a pull for me," said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. In desperation, the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."

As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could."

The story is famous because it teaches children the value of optimism and hard work.
Sometimes motivation comes from the inspiration of others. We see how they have succeeded through their hard work, and we are inspired to do so ourselves.

One person who inspires me is my son. He was born early and we were told he would be slow to walk; his motor skills would take a long time to catch up to others. His early years did not look bright.

He was born with an amazing determination that he still has to day.

The child that wasn’t supposed to walk until he was 2 ran past us in the living room at 9 months! He went on to excel at everything he did. He has a sense of adventure and is always determined to do his best at whatever he tries. At 18 months he was roller-skating, by 4 he was riding bikes and skateboarding, by 6 he was surfing, by 7 he was a State swimmer with an impressive collection of medals and trophies.

One could argue he is naturally gifted, but ‘naturally gifted’ doesn’t get you out of bed at 4.30am at least 4 times a week. Naturally gifted doesn’t make you choose between missing out on watching tv and playing computer games, or going to training.

The amazing thing is I can’t swim. I can swim enough to save myself, but cannot do a lap of a pool. Tom has been doing 5km+ swims since the age of 7! I can’t criticise his swimming because it is not something I can even imagine doing myself. I am merely the taxi driver.

He is able to create goals and plan how he is going to achieve them. This is something I was never strong at. He is able to rise above disappointment.
You could say he is just responding to the motivation of his coach, but those who know him know his motivation comes from within.

We were once at the State Long Course Championships. Tom had qualified for everything, but his pet event was the 50 metre butterfly. He was 9 years old and he was a medal chance.

When the swimmers lined up for the event, lane 4 was missing. The coach and others looked around confused. There was no Tom! He had gone to the wrong marshalling area and had missed the event.

The coach was greeted by a heart broken swimmer. We all felt his disappointment. He had trained hard all season for this event – it only happened once a year! The coach suggested he go home as there was no way he would be able to function for any other events that day.

What happened next surprised us. Tom went down to the ‘cool off’ pool. We let him go on his own, to ‘get it out of his system’. He was away longer than expected.

The boy’s 9 and Under Backstroke event came up, and there was Tom on the blocks! His coach was amazed. He said it was the last thing he expected.

Tom not only surpassed his personal best time, he blitzed the pool and won the heat, making him rank in the top 5 in the state!

That’s the way he is.

He motivates me by encouraging me and showing interest in what I do. He loves to come in to see where I am with my assignments, critics my presentations, and loves to tell his friends that his mum is at “Uni”. He enjoys being involved and hearing about “what mum did at school today”. I am motivated because I know that giving in, not doing my assignments on time, not doing my best etc are not setting him a good example, and his disappointment in me would also be quite hurtful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Engine_That_Could

Lest We Forget....

The man on the left is my grandfather…Joseph Thomas Butler. He fathered 11 children, rode a Harley Davidson, served in Gallipolli and sadly died before I was born. My son is named after him, because he was born so close to ANZAC Day.

I know he still watches over me
Lest we forget….

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow

,Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep,though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian artillery officer and military doctor

What happened to our lives?

That was the question my husband asked me this morning....

Last night we had a flashback to our youth at the Tears for Fears and Spandau Ballet concerts. It was an amazing show, but also reminded us that 25 years of our lives had passed.

I was 19 when I first saw them. I was a loyal fan whose wall was covered in their posters. I had all their vinyls, even the limited edition coloured ones. I knew all the words to all their songs. They were my youth.

The once cute band members were now mature aged men. Some had stacked on weight and others had gone bald or grey. Their once young faces showed the wear and tear of 'growing up', getting married, having families - just like their audience!

This was especially highlighed when Spandau Ballet played their old hit Round and Round and included a video of the band when they were younger. It was difficult not to feel your own youth in their video footage and have your own memories flash through your mind - it was a very poignant moment in the concert, where it was difficult to hold back tears.

At the end of the song Spandau Ballet's lead singer, Tony Hadley, finished with the words, "Our lives and your lives"

I think we weren't the only 40 years olds that woke up this mornng and asked the question, "What happened to our lives?"

Nigel seemed a bit sad when he said, "Where did those years go?"

I pondered the question for a while before I answered. I agreed I had felt a knot in my heart and had suddenly realised how 'old' we were now, but my response was a happy one.

"Look at where we are. We have been together for 20 years, surviving marriage together where many haven't.

We have an amazing son. He is healthy, happy, bright and so talented. We couldn't ask for a better gift in our lives. He reflects our love for each other and rocks our world.

We live comfortably and we are about to move in to a home we have spent years designing; a pile of bricks and mutual compromise, patience, trust and the sharing of ideas and opinions.

We have travelled the world together, from the glamour and excitement of New York, London, Berlin, Scandanavia and Alaska to poverty ridden cities in Mexico and Asia.

We either have successful careers, or are working towards them. We have amazing friends and family members, despite losing more and more over the years, like my beautiful mum."

If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change the past 25 years of our lives. What happened to our lives? we 'lived' them!"

Organ Donor Awareness Campaign

Organ donation has become pretty prominent in the media recently with the death of liver transplant recipient, Claire Murray.

Despite the controversial circumstances surrounding Claire, organ donation has once again been brought to our attention.

My ideas/strategies towards the college students would be mostly emotionally triggered. My late mum had a favourite quote, “What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve”
The need for organ donation is easily ignored when it doesn’t have an impact on our personal lives. We go from day to day hoping it isn’t something we or our close family and friends will ever require.

Here are 5 strategies I would consider using:

1. Getting a group of donor recipients to come to the college to talk about how receiving a transplant has saved and changed their lives. I would use this opportunity to have donor forms given out, with extras for friends and family. Word of mouth is powerful advertising, and if u touch the student you will touch the lives of those important to them.

2. When I was in Berlin I visited the Jewish History Museum. One part of the exhibition that stood out was a collection of small metal coin-like heads. These represented the number of Jews that were killed in the holocaust. It was simple, but had a huge impact. I would use something similar to either represent the number of people in need of a transplant, or those still waiting. I would use something like cardboard or cloth hearts or faces.

3. Utilising the college website banner, reminding students to sign up and link them to somewhere this can be done online. I would consider having a young child or perhaps a parent with children, as the ‘face’ of the campaign and have them on the banner.

4. A display stand with information, brochures and a donation tin. I would sell cloth hearts, similar to those given to my son when his friend Sofia was murdered. We still keep that heart as a reminder of her precious life.

5. A tree set up in the entrance of the college. This would be a ‘tree of life’. When each student shows evidence of being signed up as an organ donor, he/she places a heart on the tree, or something else symbolic.


Even though the campaign is aimed at all organs for transplants, I would use the ‘heart’ as the main symbol to capture the emotional side of the quest, as well as remind people of one of the organs they would be donating.

picture from http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l244/DDA_04/Berlin/jewish_museum3.jpg

The journey...

In recent years I have lacked motivation. Maybe motherhood has put me in to a comfort zone or given me a new label. Whatever I take on, I take on with passion. When I became a mum, I wanted to become the best mum possible, but I think that came at the expense of my own identity, personal goals and dreams.

I am learning that “being the best mum possible” doesn’t mean I have to completely sacrifice my life. With support, I now have the opportunity to grow and nurture my personal ambitions and dreams. In fact, I am now setting a positive example for my son, and he loves it!

Returning to study, after more than 20 years, has been a struggle. You would have to be pretty egotistical to assume it was going to be easy. The fear of this has held me back, but I feel like I am thriving with the challenge and am embracing it.

I am at a point in my life where money isn’t the driving factor. I am lucky enough to have a very successful career driven husband. I have spent years stepping back to allow him to develop his business, and can’t deny I have benefitted from it materialistically, but it hasn’t allowed me to grow as a person. Helping him out at the office has not been very challenging or rewarding, and was leaving me feeling stifled.

I am able to confidently say these things without offending him, because he has also recognised my frustrations. With his encouragement, and the support of great friends, I have been able to begin my journey.

I love to read and write, and have done so for as long as I can remember. Even as a busy mother I would find time to pen long letters to friends and family. They have been my outlet and audience. They have also been the ones that have encouraged me to do something with these skills.

I find I cope quite well with the writing element of the Cert IV course. When given a blog topic I actually get excited. I love the opportunity to express my ideas.

When it comes to creativity, I admit I stress. I was never very good at art when I was at school, but perhaps that was something I consciously decided and purposely dismissed. What is art anyway? Does it really need to be a perfect image?

I like to think we all have a creative side that can be unlocked. We just need to pull down the walls and try to get back in touch with that side of our minds. I am struggling, but accept this is an area I will see great improvement in, if I keep trying. There are some pretty inspirational artists in our course, so hopefully some of their abilities will rub off on to me.

I have really enjoyed the sharing of skills in our class. I love helping others, and have revelled at the opportunity to do so. I will continue to help other where I can. I also feel confident enough to approach fellow students when I need assistance. The team work has been very rewarding.
My self esteem has been greatly improved. I remember feeling overwhelmed on my first day, being thrown in to a pit of young people, but I have survived and even formed some wonderful friendships.

I already believe in myself more, and others have noticed. I feel like I am part of something important and exciting. I look ahead and ponder about where I may end up, instead of just living aimlessly from day to day.

Keith has been an amazing mentor for me. I feel like he believes in us and his passion is contagious. I know that Keith is what makes me get up in the mornings, especially on Tuesdays! I am a shocking morning person, yet I now willingly bounce out of bed (most days).
I often wonder where I would be now if I had have come across more Keiths in my life, but maybe I wasn’t quite ready before.

I do intend to finish the course. Completing the course will leave me with a feeling of accomplishing something, which is very important to me. I need to ‘own’ this for myself. Any job prospects that come from completing the course will be the icing on the cake!

As with motherhood and other roles in my life, I hope to take this journey on with passion.

picture from http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0906/S00092.htm

Follow the leader....

Keith has asked us to blog about leaders and teamwork this week...thanks Keith! :)

Last year, I took on the role of assistant coach of my son's school water polo team. I'm surprised I still have any hair left!!!

We had a terrible team. We were outclassed during every game. The boys were disappointed with the results each week, and couldn't understand what they were doing wrong.

There were many factors, other than their inexperienced assistant coach. The main issue was their greed for goals. So focussed on goal scoring, these boys failed to play like a 'team' and did all they could to get goals for their own glory. They lost sight of other players around them that they could utilise to score for the team.

Possession continued to change hands, balls missed the nets, the goalies had to do little to stop our boys from scoring. Their mindset was, "The boy who scores the most goals is the hero".

One day I pulled them aside. I asked them the question, "Who is one of the best players in the AFL?" Most of them agreed it was Carlton midfielder, Chris Judd. I then went on to discuss with them what Judd was famous for. I explained it wasn't for the number of goals he had achieved for his team, but his passion and ability to read the game, get the hard ball and to distribute it to his team mates.

This analogy can be used in most aspects of life where you have leaders and team players.

Judd is a natural leader. He doesn't do this by being the loudest or showiest. He does this by setting an example, having the respect of others, showing how things should be done by his actions, being positive and trusting others around him to be included in the task at hand. There is no way he can win a game on his own, despite his amazing ability.

A team player respects their leader, but doesn't expect the leader or his other team players to take on all the work. He works together with his/her leader and other members to best achieve the desired outcome. This might mean stepping back so others may have a voice, or seeing a situation where they need to put in a little bit extra themselves. The idea is to 'share the ball around' or to 'share the workload around'.

The water polo team continued to struggle, but actually began to win a game or two, once they realised they all had the same objective. There were some awesome passages of play where the ball was shared, and over time these boys will get the hang of it.

picture from http://www.ntnews.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2009/06/03/Chris-Judd.jpg

Welcome to Country...

I admit I have had to do a little bit of research on this. I had heard and seen different references and arguments in the media, but hadn’t really given the topic much of my attention.

Basically, I understand that Welcome to Country stems from a Dream Time tradition; acknowledging Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders as the traditional owners of Australia, encompassing the land or sea in which a meeting, event or ceremony is about to take place. There are many rules and laws to abide to, making sure that no traditonal owner is offended. An elder or other person of significance must be involved, with a great deal of boxes to be ticked off to get the procees right. It basically has us admit that the indigenous people have sole ownership of land and sea. We (as non-Aboriginals) are mere visitors, seeking permission to use their resources.

I first encountered Welcome to Country at my son’s school end of year concert and awards ceremony. I was a little bit confused when an Aboriginal woman addressed the stage and opened the evening with a welcoming speech and blessing. It seemed odd to see a non clergy member open and bless a Catholic function.

My initial reaction was the school was trying to embrace some culture, introduce the students and parents to a bit of tolerance, and to make the evening more interesting.

To be honest, the process did drag on. People were looking around at each other with faces of, “What is this all about??”

My opinion is a little bit mixed. I don’t have a major problem with its use, and think it is a colourful tradition to have, in moderation. Using it at every event will surely lead to overkill and possible resentment.

But why are we doing it? Is it guilt? I think the “sorry” message has been played to death and does it really mean anything to today’s generation of young Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals? There will always be some Aborginals that will never forgive 'the white man', and Australian born citizens that feel, "We have been here for 4 or so generations, our rights to Australia are equal."

One could argue this is just a token gesture with very little substance, and just today’s latest ‘thing to do’.

I also think the ceremony continues to highlight that we are different and not yet assimilated. I’d love to see a move towards us all being one people, instead of emphasizing our differences.

My hairdresser is proud to talk about his Aboriginal heritage. I never consider him to be different to me. He cuts my hair, we share a joke, discuss our views of the world. He goes to clubs, watches football, enjoys fishing and eats the same food as me. Dan has just asked his Italian heritage girlfriend to marry him. I like to think young Aboriginals like Dan are our future.

Having a special smoke ceremony or a traditional didgeridoo playing can be an amazing way to open a formal meeting, alongside the national anthem and flag raising. It can even give us an opportunity to display some culture, especially in a country that is too young to have an abundance of history (eg. at an international conference). If Welcome to Country’s sole purpose is to be politically correct and to emphasise the ‘sorry” message, then it fails to interest me. Australian society will quickly bore of it, and it will lose its impact.

pic from http://www.reconciliationsa.org.au/learn%20welcometocountry.html

Speed Dating in Cert IV

As creatures of habit, we seem to seek out comfort zones in our every day lives, even in the protective environment of the classroom. We have a habit of looking around for familiar faces, securing our study or work area for the day.

If you watch students enter the room, you see them almost instinctively sit next to someone they have bonded with who offers no threat.

Imagine taking a risk and sitting next to someone you know very little about? you would be amazed at the abundance of knowledge and insight you can gain from someone new, especially someone you are unlikely to associate with in your 'regular' world.

Choice was taken away from me today, as a result of computer malfunction. I was already comfortable next to my 'study buddies' and was in for a settled regular day. My screen began to flicker and spurt, signifying yet another computer deciding to die on me, a phenomenon that has created much amusement in the classroom.

Much to my dismay, the only available functioning computer was at the back of the room. Even back in my high school days it was never a favoured spot. I really like to be in the thick of things and feel like I am missing out, if sitting away from all the action.

We have been together for 6 weeks as a group. Cert IV is a fairly small and intimate class. Most of us meet frequently for lunch breaks and coffee, but there was one student I really did not know at all. This student also happened to be the youngest in the class, in contrast to me being ...*cough*...the oldest in the class.

We exchanged a couple of polite greetings and discussed what we were expected to carry out today. We compared ideas on a Word 2.0 task that has been presented to us.

What an amazing wealth of creative ideas came out of this new personality. I had heard she was 'good at art', but as I shared some of my ideas for my assignment, I was impressed by her enthusiasm, imagination, and her unselfish willingness to help me expand what I was working on. "Perhaps you could do it like this? maybe have this? change it like that?"

We exchanged ideas on a future blog, helped each other research, enjoyed each other's experience and opinions. I was able to assist her with my spelling and editing skills, which were appreciated from her perspective.

Sometimes you need to get out of your chair and speed date the room. You should never make assumptions or label a person, and begin to appreciate that we all have special gifts to offer. If you stay in that comfort zone, you may never really grab what exists so close to you.

There's a vast range of ages and backgrounds in Cert IV, different dreams, experience, personalities and talents: it's up to us to find the treasures.