What does a tin can, a can opener and life experiences make when you put them under a spotlight??? I think a pretty good lesson in life :S

I have been thinking over the last week of this question:

what does a tin can, a can opener and life experiences make when you put them under a spotlight??? I think a pretty good lesson in life.


The question is answered in the last part of the statement. A lesson of life!


A tin can is always sealed. It is known as a non perishable item and with that it reminds me of the idea of keeping things private and on the inside is something that through experience I have come to become quite good at doing. Why would I want to get the can opener and break the seal that keeps everything inside fresh.... It's a simple answer with many complex problems and experiences following it.


As soon as you take the can opener and you break the seal you forever change the condition of the can and what is inside. Over the last fews of my life, I have chosen to open up the can for one reason. To share with others what is inside of me that  makes me; ME.


Not everything inside of the can is great, not everything is perfect but what it is something that is uniquely me.


One of the complexities that comes with this is that it allows people to look at what is there and pass their judgements on my life. It's not that hard to imagine how that feels and what some people may say. At the start of this experiment, I found that it hurt me greatly and I wished that I had never split that can, but as I have grown in my life I have also learnt to accept that criticism, hurt and dissapointment from others is just a by product.


I live a life that I have already recieved grace for my past, I have recieved a hope in the future and I know that when I fail, I can put my faith and trust in something much larger than I.


So what does a can, a can opener and life experiences make under the spotlight? A crack of light in the darkness that is the world and a insight into how and why I live the life I lead.


Just don't tread on it, for I can't take back what I've given.




Peace.

Strike and Eisteddfod: A contrast or a reason?

When I was a young guy I had many great teachers and inspirations. Now that I am older, I am finding that I am striving to be more like those people.

Yesterday I made a decision to lose a day's pay, sit in a room with 300 other teachers and sit there and watch a telecast of the strike action in Melbourne. All the while sitting there wondering about what effectiveness is shown by sitting in a room...

fast forward to today............

I'm standing in front of 12 amazing kids who have given up a day off of school (report writing day) to compete in a competition that is really a cover for giving kids a chance to get some feedback and win some cash.

As I stood in front of them I was once again reminded why I choose to strike.

As in my qoutes on my facebook and twitter walls suggest; I strike for the sake of the present and future education of young people. I take a hit in my pocket for one day for the better educational outcomes in the future. The government have made their stand and I'm making mine... why don't I think the plans that they have laid out will work? Because history, data and performance from the past tells me so.

If you want to give me a bonus for outcomes... give me a bonus everytime I get a kid who struggles to read and write from doing nothing to writing a sentence about the words they have just learnt, give me a bonus when a kid who refuses to work picks up a pen, and give me a bonus when a students learns that there is no difference between pop and classical music, just good and bad.

If you want to let me compare what difference I make to my colleagues... how about I base your pay the same.... because I think your speech writers and suit dry cleaner make you look better so I think that they should be paid according to how good they make you look... but it comes out of your budget.

I'm ok with what I earn because I believe that I put my heart and soul into what I do... My reward trully is seeing kids like the ones I proudly stood in front of today, do their best, take a stand for their learning and reap rewards for what they share a passion for..... Nothing can be worth more than that...

Inspiration may die out, but we must march forward

I have just got back from a 2 day PD for Musical Futures at Lalor North Secondary College! At the airport waiting for my flight the thoughts of what happens when it all dies down from the excitement and we all return to our day to day lives. I think it is important to use this time to truly reflect on what keeps us going when it's not easy to stand up for what we believe is right.

I in my job have to become a voice for the voiceless in the way. I am the spokesman for the arts, the students and most of all my programs. I am an influence on what students learn and what I teach but also how I model myself to the community and staff.

May my thoughts be always one of what is important and how best I can use my skills to inspire others and myself to continue to learn.

A lot of think time

It's been a long time between blogs and now is a good time to catch up on the last month or so.

Work has kept me very busy but I have also dedicated my time to a few things that I feel are important for myself and my walk in life.

Reading books, studying them and then trying to apply them has meant a great deal of time that in the end I feel has helped me recharge the batteries.

Health wise apart from a cold sweeping through the household, all is well with the family as a whole. This is nearly a year after our family faced a hard slog of life changing the perception to reality. If you don't know it is in previous blogs.

I really have thought a lot lately about what my life means to others and to where I believe I want to be.

I have found some great quotes and inspirations over the last couple of months and will post on these within the next weeks, but I encourage you all to look for the things in your life that stop you from being you, look for the things that you dream about, care for the ones that love you regardless of who is around and what is happening at the time. When you find them, cherish them and remember that it is with their help and support, the day will always be good. My closing thought; Even the sun still shines when it is hidden behind the storm clouds!!

Peace

Not Known for sitting back and not saying much :S

So I've been thinking a great deal lately about what people know me for.

It's easy in some ways to be bland and say that people know me for my career as a teacher or my career and passion for Music. I don't think this cuts it though because even though that is what I might do that obvious to people, there may be many things that they don't know about me.

They might know that I'm a Hawks fan, loves building models of boats or planes, have a fascination with The Titanic or a love of flying and heights. They might not know that I am quite a deeply spiritual person and tend to spend most of my time when I'm by myself study theology and how to apply that to my life, listening to God and what plans He has for my life.

I have always said that I don't go out of my way to tell people about my personal life because deep down I believe it, well a personal life for a reason. I have found that for the last year or so, I have been deeply challenged to share about my life more and more and how my life can help or show others a little more about who I am and what makes me tick.

So I've thought about this and realised that I might be known more for my diplomacy than my thoughts on what the world is doing and what people are doing in relation to their possibilities in life.

Below I have listed some things that I think might help people get a feel for who I am.

* I am a Christian first and foremost. That means that I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sin and that he rose again to secure a place in Heaven for me.

* I don't judge you on your beliefs or your actions in life, for I am not the one who judges... This being said I do believe in INTEGRITY and ACCOUNTABILITY. Both are a two way street.

* I am a musician who believes that through God given talent and many many hours of blood sweat and tears, I have been able to achieve what I have and what I will continue to have in this career.

* As a Teacher it is not my Job to tell you what the answers are, but to help you find the answers. This is more than the classroom. This is life my friends and each day the Teacher is also a Student in a lesson that has no correct answers and has a unique lesson to teach every moment of every day.

* I love my family and I will do what I can to make them have the best possibility to make life awesome that I can.

* I have many people I know, many I call friends and a tiny few that I call Brothers and Sisters in my extended family. It is a lesson in Trust and one that I learnt long ago is not bought, but shown in what we say, how we live and a natural connection to life.

* Life is a blessing and people are inspirational if you let them be. We learn from both the good and bad in people.

* Truth is the bit in the middle of what two people say and what our brain processes. I believe the 7 points above this to be truth.

* This is but a fraction of my thoughts so this will not define who I am entirely. If you want that there is only one way to find out. Hang out and observe!

memories are still swirling

It's been a little while since my last blog. A lot has happened and for some of the time, I've found myself caring more about the precious time I have and less about the people that consume my time.

Life was never meant to be easy.... That's what the old saying says. Well Life isn't easy and it's not always fun. It's not always positive and it's not at all uneventful.

Over the last month, I have slaved my life away at work, taken the time to spend time with the people I love dearly, let people go from my life, found wonderful new friends and even looked at life in a new perspective.

One thing that always comes back to me in my thoughts is the amazing journey that I walk. I have been reminded lately that life is not permanent. At some point we all leave this world. I personally  know that one day I'm going to chill in God's Backyard, but I hope that those I have farewelled lately will be there waiting for me.

People can say what they want about me, but I truly believe what I say I believe. It's the choice I make and even when life is not going well, I know that I am carried in those moments.

My mind is swirling because that is where my mind is.... trying to sort out the many compartments of data into something that is clear. It might take a while but I'm thinking.... LOOK OUT!!! I'm on a mission.

what a last few weeks

over the last few weeks I have suddenly found myself (due to some plans being changed with performances) having some time to myself. This concept sadly is a strange one to me. It is something that many of my friends and even family have told me that I should be doing more of as I need to recharge the batteries.

I have found that it isn't a lie when I say that I get bored easily. In fact I tend to get really bored if I'm not on the go. Maybe it is just a quirk in my personality but I find the following things:

1. I love to spend amazing amounts of time by myself in my own head.
2. People who say things to impress others actually don't impress me at all. In fact they irritate me!
3. I constantly have a melody in my mind or at least a musical fragment.
4. I tend to really dwell into the scriptures more when I'm not doing anything but keep on being challenged to do more things to live what I read.
5. I still love to practice my music eventhough I would much rather be playing at gigs and filling up my calendar.

However the biggest thing I've discovered in the last few weeks. Silence and the lack of urgency. Even when I do become busy again, I think I'm going to remember that top gear is not always the gear I need to be in. Sometimes I just have to sit on idle, allow myself to tune into the task and then let it run it's natural course.

much peace!

Don.

sadly, this says it all about my current feelings

maybe it's just about space...... in time!

maybe it's the time that I spend thinking alone, or maybe it's just my observation, but I tend to think that my mind is much more active in the thinking about life quest that it ever has been.

I tend to have more discussions with people now about my life, the choices I have made and what it means to be me....

so I have had a thought:
"life is not measured by achievements or even how people are treated, it is measured by how well you run the race, how well you stay living to your moral judgement and most of all, what leagacy you decide to leave behind to the next generation about what is important and how to live your life to the best you can, even if it means standing alone in the face of popularity." Sometimes it's the only way to stand.....

Happy Birthday to the toughest but most inspirational guy I know.... DAD!

In life, there is always people who inspire you, teach you lessons and most of all demonstrate to you what it means to battle life with all your might. Dad has taught me many lessons throughout my life and as you can see from the pictures, it really has been a crazy but amazing life so far. From humble begginnings to a champion boxer, to a football umpire, husband, father, uncle, grandfather, mr fix it man, painter, artist, musician and most of all advice giver (even when I didn't want it). So lessons learnt are important... living wisely is important to. So what advice did he have for a son.

1. Never ever give up on the important things in life.

2. Always strive to do the best you can in all that you set your mind too.

3. Don't be bullied into doing what others do, but stand by principles.

4. Always know how things go back together if you are going to pull them apart (I learnt the hard way with the mower as a teenager).

5. Treat others with more respect than you plan on getting back.

6. Always believe in yourself and the abilities that God has given you.

7. Smile at the moments in life that are special.

8. Art can soothe the soul.

9. Even in illness, when others count you out; prove to the world that it's not good enough to sit and suffer. You have to fight to be fit, to be healthy and to be strong.

10. Life will end one day, but it's about what you leave behind as a legacy that is in the end the most important.

Dad is not perfect, he is not always right, he is not always strong. Dad however shows me everyday that life without the journey that we walk together would be incomplete and not as special if we didn't take the time out to sit and share a laugh. The years have softened all of our family and especially the males in the househould. Two of us in total (5 females) have had to stick it out sometimes but I know that Dad will power on and try his hardest to make the best of his life!

Happy 71st Birthday Dad! My hero, my inspiration and one of the toughest guys I know in the World!!