Missing in April – MIA

Missing: gone, scidadled, disappeared, vamoushed,  farewell and adios whole dimensions of my being.

All the pillars hold the jetty upright.  Pillars of my wellness like breathing, eating, moving and feeling are the foundations that keep me functional.  When I stress one aspect or ignore another it makes me wonky, lopsided and basically off.  Time to retreat and review life.

 Child Missing

Has anyone seen my inner child the one that would laugh raucously, jump in puddles, dance to songs in the shops?  I miss her.  She was so liberating, completely unhinged, carefree and spontaneous.  Sadly grown up responsibilities at work and relationships have factored out fun with her.

Watching my nieces and nephews on their holidays  I remember Wayne Hackett’s saying “It’s never to late to have a happy childhood”.

Bird Walk

My favourite childhood memories are of living on a wheat / sheep farm exploring natures playground.  The freedom and grace of birds fascinated me.  Except chickens, I feared would peck me for taking their eggs – it became a sprint event to gather these. Building tree houses was my nesting and feathers were treasures.  Today photography lets me use my birds eye view to capture angles in the present moment.

4 bars of battery reception

Off the grid with no reception, no phone, no internet, no social media to negotiate was a joy of my childhood. I am about to revisit this digital detox while on camp.  Traveling without a phone on me, not able to flick on my laptop to check in to email or social media.  Social experiment to truly connect without interruption.

Fishing for comments

“Like” the comment that I throw the lure for when posting. Has it become a self esteem feed that I will mourn?  Can comparisons be culled in missing out?  I remember my good friend warning me of the addictive quality of social media likening it to selling cocaine to a baby when I finally registered for it.  The drive to connect to a life forms is the core to being visible on social media.  Do we take it too far when we cannot dine without responding to a phone tone?

MIA

So here I go MIA Missing in April.

Where will this social experiment take me?

Will I remember how we connected as children ?

 

Angst

“I want you to go back to reflect on your teen self and ask what would have helped you?” the Teen Camp Coordinators challenge.

AAAHHHH NOOOO!  don’t make me go there!

Grateful I survived those eenie years as not all of my peers did

Here it is Teen angst revisited so I can glean gems to help me mentor .

Continue Reading

Sanctuary

Sanctuary a space created to provide repose, to rest the soul and guard against external interference. Following are images of my home, mia casa, my sanctuary and spaces that nurture my soul.  This blog is a photographic celebration of the spaces we manifest to let us find refuge and recover our energy after our daily toil.

Bed

Oh haven of slumber keeper of dreams where my weary bones find solace and mind stillness.

 

Continue Reading

With 1 Voice

Climbing, climbing, climbing to reach my goals can be lonely and daunting.  My voice gets tight and quivery when fatigue hits.  Recently I took time out to sing with a friend in a Gospel singing workshop.  Joy! one voice combined with many to bring back harmony on so many levels.

Continue Reading

Terra nullis

Land of no none?

no one

The First ones

Living by  lore

 

no one   chained and shackled

convict of conditions / crime

 

no one speaking in their tongue

old land behind  – new one here

 

no one    young and resilient

child of a morrows dreams

 

no one “the sheila – the better half”

women of the ages

 

no one ?    Are these no one?

 

No one – with an identity

ancient,  borrowed, bold

To be ONE

 

Shared threads found in these “no ones”

Love, Faith, Hope

Threads come together in a tapestry of tales

of spirit, of survival, of …

Some ones

 

Terra Nullis

Land of no one

In Latin mapmakers stamped our island

no one?

not one?

Terra Australis

Land of someone’s

Land of ones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet 2016

Sweet 2016  shiny new and 365 days to live, love and labour with new opportunities.   Turning 16 there were significant milestones  to accomplish with goals stretching beyond puberty blues. 

16 minimum age of learners permit

 I learnt to drive on the dry salt lake in Dad’s ute with his  patient instruction. We survived!  Dad did loose a bit of hair that summer.  Learning to drive is not restricted to that period  though confidence may blind us.  The Boot call was devised by a family who lost kin to a car accident created by a driver txting while driving.  I have found a mobile phone out of reach and sight stops me from habitually responding.  Sadly the lesson of not to drink alcohol then drive takes too many lives – please consider others.

Learning is a life long quest  as our passions and curiosity drive us to seek answers and create new knowledge.  At 16 I learnt that failing your drivers licence is not the end  –  you will get there with persistence. This lesson has been repeated numerous times. What does not permit me to learn is my fears and procrastination.

 

16 minimum age to obtain a passport for 10 years

Ahh travel this did not occur when I turned 16 but at 25 years of age.  The navy blue booklet with its gold insignia filled with stamps is a revered ticket to accessing the world as afforded.  Travel opened my eyes to how fortunate and privileged I am in Australia.  Absorbing unique cultures and lifestyles beyond my island opened me to think beyond what I knew and how blessed I am.  With privilege comes opportunities that can be shared for example volunteering overseas using your skills or supporting refugees in their transition to Australia.

16 minimum age to get married with parental consent

My parents would gladly consent to my marriage, no matter what the dowry.  I continue to socialise to meet the man willing – without danger money to share my adventures.  The idealism and innocence of sweet 16 is a little jaded but youthful optimism remains.  In some countries young women are married off at much younger ages to much older men this changes their health, education and livelihood.  Australia’s laws prevent child brides but kidnapping to another country does occur.

16 minimum age to donate blood

At 16 we have the capacity to live for today not thinking of ours or anyone else’s tomorrows.  Now it is possible to give someone another day through donating blood.  16 is the age of transition, transformation a bridge from the  protected shelter of childhood to leap into adulthood responsibilities.

Life is Sweet beyond 16

Our dreams of how we wish to live were developing at 16 years.  Like fine wines / cheeses we mature with age, guarding our attitudes to prevent ourselves from becoming rancid or sour.  Positive  conversations with our elders at 16  on our anticipated future guided us to this point. In 2016 seek those positive people to support you. Moran and Tschannen – Moran (2010) describe the 5 D Cycle that help us evolve beyond our 16 year old self as:

1. Define – what needs to be learned,
2. Discover – examples of desired outcome past and present
3. Dream – What might be —,
4. Design – manifesting the dream,
5. Destiny – innovate ways to achieve higher levels of performance and satisfaction.

As you define your new year remember your achievements, to dream and design your sweet 2016 destiny.

Reference

Moran and Tschannen – Moran (2010) Coaching Psychology, Wellcoaches U.S.A.