Birthday Thankyous (Blanket and Otherwise)

Posted on Facebook, 4/11/15 (NSW Australian time,that is- don't let the 'official'? date here in Bloggerland fool you...)

Would like to say more and thank y'all individually, but alas! I must sensibly direct my efforts (and about 3pm is my self-imposed deadline for all this sort of thing).

But I do remember the time Patrick Swayze hung around after a premiere to autograph for all the hundreds of adoring fans who had been waiting hours for him to do so, so I figure with some time up my sleeve it's the least I can do. Mind you, I seriously doubt that I will ever come close to a shadow of Mr Swayze's debonair suaveness (and I know I'd look downright awful if I tried to emulate his clever performance in 'To Wong Foo...') but I do appreciate being near to y'all from time to time. And they do say that you’ve really got to give a little if you want some good vibes to be coming back your way, so here goes:

To those on my mother's side: cheers, love y'all a fair bit (and the day you call me anything other than 'Timothy', dear Aunty, will be the day I reach for a thermometer and wonder how you are feeling!) To those on my step-father's side: our familys' have had some ups and downs over the years, but I like the place we at right now. And the practical concern you have for your chickens, oh step-sister, is really something!

To my musical colleagues, thanks also guys! Nice to have some similarly minded chums I know I’ll be able to bounce concepts off from time to time. To my friends and mates: haven’t seen some of you for a while, but the feeling that so many times we just seem to pick up right where we left off always see me smile in a quiet, re-assured happiness.

And if there’s anybody who feels they may have been missed, I have this ‘blanket’ thankyou remaining: I hereby declare anybody who happened to make mention of my birthday on my Facebook page or Otherwise to be automatically eligible for a smile and a genuinely offered conversation. Bear in mind, of course, that you do so at your own risk, and the quality of any jokes offered is typically possibly quite ordinary. But they usually keep me amused, so I end up thinking, “what the hell!” and go ahead anyway.

And that’s all I will say about that.

Sam de Brito: Philosopher and Advocate

I learnt the most awful news on Tuesday:  author and columnist Sam de Brito was found dead on the morning of the 12^th of September! This came a shock, and from what I can gather from the cybersphere, I am not alone in this feeling of sadness.

I first met Sam back in 2009. That was as I was studying for my Diploma in Communications; we met one day at a gathering at Collaroy Beach with the Disabled Surfers’ Assiociation. When he heard that I was looking to do some work experience, he kindly arranged for me to spend a week with the ABC radio station ‘Life Matters’.

To discuss this and my ambitions further we met and had lunch one day near Chinatown. Specifics elude me now, but I do remember an easygoing and genuinely interested chap.

In the years after I frequently read his column, often revisited chapters of his book ‘Building A Better Bloke’ and occasionally wrote to him expressing my thanks for his shrewd observations. I agree: he was a rebel, of sorts, indeed a cheeky “sonofabitch” and definitely the kind of fellow the younger me would have steered clear of. But I liked him, and I know our interactions helped me as I shaped my masculine identity.

Sam, I grieve with your family. You were always decent and treated me as an equal. I will miss the astute way you saw things and your very realistic take on life. Rest in peace, my brother.

Plan B...

Published in 'Newslink', Headstart ABI Service; June 2015

After the closure of the Salvation Army Welfare Centre, I returned to a disability employment provider once more. With both they and Centrelink, I signed an Employment Pathway Plan (EPP) and a Participation Plan. Observations made by others and research led me to seriously consider training to be an Assistant in Nursing (AIN).

Aged Care seemed the most sensible of options, and sussing things out showed a few possibilities. The best one seemed to be the Cert III at Glendale TAFE. This opportunity which showed real promise once the support given to disabled students was explained.

Then the bombshell was dropped: under the Smart + Skilled guidelines, I would remain ineligible for government assistance. Why? Because my previously attained qualification (Diploma vs Cert III) superseded it! In my case, the course would actually cost $6,000…far beyond my means!

So what now? Well, I have another few cards up my sleeve- we are checking those out. Frustrating, yes, and at seeming at times to come at the cost of my independence, but it has not always been that bad. For one thing, having my mother by my side has always helped, as both she and the parties involved have come at the problem from an angle I simply couldn’t consider.

Sometimes the hoops disabled people must jump are likened to being a “minefield”. Let’s be honest, though- there’s no way I could navigate them half as well on my own! Often too, I reflect on what the composer Gustav Mahler is remembered for saying: “my time will come.” What matters most now is that for the first time since school ended, the path seems much clearer: music, writing and employment in aged care. More details will follow, but that will just have to wait…