One Ro, Many Roads

Dear Peeps, I had the most awesome night at the AFL a few weeks ago. And it was not just because The Lions won. It was because of the people I met. You all know I love a chat, especially to strangers. Firstly, I started talking to 🏃. 🏃is in his 70s and has run over 100 marathons. I felt good having run one, but he has run over 100. His mental strength must be phenomenal. I loved hearing about specific runs like the Boston Marathon. 🏃told a good tale. He then introduced me to 🦁 and H. 🦁 is his loving partner (not their first marriage, there is hope for me yet) and H is from Paupa New Guinea and it was her first AFL game. H was loving it and she could not have come with better people. 🦁 runs a Facebook page for Lions Fan and you can only post positive comments or she kicks you go 🦵🥊. Love your work 🦁. Because of this she has Lion's players wives on the page as they want to see positive news about their men - no trolls or keyboard warriors. Back to the gift story. A few times...

Dear Peeps, It is the words you dread to hear out of anyones mouth, especially your Mum's. My Mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer just before Christmas. She is fit and healthy and in her early 70s. Another friend, that very same week, was also diagnosed in his late 40s. He is fitter and healthier than anyone I know. Cancer does not discriminate. Young, old, sick and healthy. And it is someone's Mum, Sister, Brother, Dad or child. What broke my heart though was my Mum saying to me - I am sorry, you just did not need another thing right now. Even though she was about to go into the toughest fight of her life, she was worried about me. My Mum has always been my rock and I knew that she needed all her energy to focus on herself. Dad and Mum were inseparable, I wanted to take her to some appointments to give Dad a break, but he would not hear of it. In typical Dad fashion, he arrived almost an hour early to every appointment. Sometimes getting a cancelation phone call because the ch...

 Dear Peeps, It is a very simple question - when did you stop having fun? I mean the type of fun that makes you smile until your face hurts or laugh until you cry🤣 (or maybe pee a little). I realised I stopped having fun quite awhile ago and that is when my mental health issues started. Fun is different for everyone; for me it includes being a little bit cheeky, breaking the rules (I don't really but I think I am :) and just being me. A childlike me. Some fun I have had recently includes: 🎠Riding a bucking mechanical bull 🎽Going in the running races with my students at the school athletics carnival (I did not come first or last) 🛴Riding a scooter around the city These are very simple things but they brought me back to my childhood. The innocent joy of a child is not something you can replace. It is amazing but as we become adults we let this go. We have bills to pay, dishes to wash, kids to look after but what about us? We lose ourselves and we lose our ability to have fun...

Dear Peeps, I have been very lucky so far to have been able to find somewhere to stay each night either housesitting, staying at my best mates, going away on holidays or the random night at my parents when a bed is free. I am currently staring down the barrel of a few nights with nowhere to stay. When I have told people why I can't live in my own home, most people have been very generous and tried to offer some help. The one which brought tears to my eyes was my old house cleaner, who became a friend. K listened to my story and then shared hers with me. She was truly homeless at one stage, sleeping in her car or on the beach, whilst her kids were in foster care. She had been a drug addict and fled a DV situation and left her kids with the authorities whilst she got herself together. She was so open and vulnerable to share this with me. She made me promise I would never sleep in my car or out rough. She now raises her grandkids and still has two of her own grown children living with...

Hi Peeps, This blog is not about COVID or panic buying, it is about that dreaded feeling you get when you reach into the toilet paper dispenser and you come back with nothing! Yip, zilch, nada. This actually happened to me 3 minutes ago. I am in one of the most prestigious hotels in Brisbane (hint it is right on the river and starts with S). I have a work function to attend and thought I will use the restroom before it starts. Thankfully it was just number ones 😉. But whilst I am sitting there thinking what I should I do, I think this should not be happening in a hotel of this standard. Thoughts of a trip to Singapore popped into my head. This would never happen at Raffles or in The Fairmount in Seoul, Korea. Caught, literally, with my pants down, I prayed I have a tissue in my bag. It is a bag I rarely use so I was not hopeful. Bingo!! I scored. I was so happy. I did not have to do the crazy game of dashing to the next cubicle and hope I did not get caught. There was no one else in t...

Hi Peeps, Put your hand up if you have a specific work meeting you dread. 🙌 That is a two hander from me. In my workplace, it is the all staff meeting that is held once a term and runs until 5pm at night. See most teachers usually leave by 3:30pm, so 5pm is late for us. We generally start work around 7am - 7:30am so don't give me the usually BS about teachers only working school hours. (And if you mention the amazing holidays I will put a curse on your first born). All day, a dark cloud hovers over the school, it has been looming for a week and today it arrives. Staff see each other and say are you looking forward to tonight? Knowing you want to stab yourself in the eye with a fork before going to this meeting. Everyone sees -who was brave or stupid - and called in sick. They don't have to come but have to make the time up another time. They have already made the time up 10 x over because remember we only get paid for 5 hours and work a 7-8 hour day. The Boss provides some foo...

Hi Peeps, Expectation is this word. The definition of this word from the Oxford Dictionary of English - Over the last few years, I have been told by a few people (yes, men), that I should have no expectations. I find this very confusing. Why should I not expect certain levels of commitment? Let delve into this further. Reasons for Having Expectations in a Romantic Relationship Clear Communication: Because “I’m fine” rarely means “I’m fine,” so having expectations helps them know when to bring chocolate. Motivation: You expect them to plan date nights, which means you don’t end up spending another weekend sitting st home waiting for a call or text. . Accountability: When they promise to take out the bins, it’s not a vague suggestion—it’s a sacred vow. Trust Building: If they consistently show up on time, you know they’re trustworthy (and not just lost again without Google Maps). Avoiding Mind Reading: Because despite your hopes, they still can’t magically know you need a cup of tea the ...