New Course of Action

Published in 'Newslink', Headstart ABI Service; September, 2016

Okay, so the job I wrote of back in March fell through. Long story short, I’m no longer working there as the correct support structures were not put in place. Though disheartening at first, in the months since I have found new focus and regained my zing.

At the end of August I began working at a Kombucha plant in town nearby. Dating back many, many hundreds of years, the drink Kombucha is said to be full of healthy bacteria which is of great benefit to the digestive system. There a despatch assistant, I help organise and put together the boxes for the online orders, as well as maintaining the drinks store-room.

I have also been attending the North Arm Cove writers’ monthly meetings. They’re a good bunch, all productive writers who make good use of the well set-out local community hall over there. That was a real pick-me-up, and has provided a welcome link with like-minded contemporaries who are always ready to share tips and advice.

As well as that, since last year I have been involved with the Artist Run Initiative Newcastle (ARIN) run by the Octapod. They will hold their inaugural exhibition in November this year with the theme being, ‘Not My Place’. This recognises the many individual barriers we all face…barriers which in turn help each of us define our place in this world. There are a total of 16 artists who will feature in this exhibition, including painters, graphic designers, poets, and musicians. A diverse bunch, it promises to be an interesting show.

North Arm Cove Writers

Club Newsletter, Wyong Toastmasters; September, 2016

Since May I’ve been involved with the North Arm Cove Writers, who have been together since 1997.  

The group meets at the same time each month. After the meeting’s opening where general business concerns are looked at, people are invited to share. In May, for example, one lady said how she’d seen on QI that “there are 923 exceptions to the rule I-before-E”, which prompted another chap to explain that it was “more a convention than an actual rule.” 

Then comes the bout of ‘slam writing’, where we simply write whatever we wish for two minutes then share that round the table. You’d be surprised what some people can do in just two minutes. This is followed by that month’s lesson which will vary in topic- already since May, we have looked at writing mysteries, comedy writing, rhyming poetry and children’s writing. Exercise from the previous month is shared, and the quality is always admirable.

They’re a good bunch, with some interesting characters. There’s a (very funny!) bush poet, brilliant at Clarence Town the other week, who can churn out poems like you wouldn’t believe. The NACW secretary is simultaneously the secretary for the Fellowship of Australian Writers and writes the North Arm Cove News, bringing a wealth of skills to the fore. And another chap is an artist who has also published a couple of fantasy novels as well. Networking is encouraged too, with a successful BBQ with visitors from Port Stephens held in July that is set to be reciprocated in November.

NACW is a long-running and industrious group of fellow-minded individuals who encourage each other to keep striving towards their goals. About to enter its third decade of operation, it shows no sign of winding down. I hope to be a member for some time yet.

The proper channels? Trust me- it's worth it

Published in 'Newslink', Headstart ABI Service; March, 2016

IT'S BEEN 10 years coming, but I finally have a job! After last year studying Aged Care, in February I started working with RSL Lifecare over at Hawks Nest. Can’t rest on my laurels, though, as Centrelink requires me to regularly check in on set dates.

To make the most of my pension, Centrelink needs to know the correct information- who my employer was, the number of hours worked and the total amount earned for that two week period. With this information and done via an individual online account, the system can then be updated every fortnight.

To help users out, employment worksheets can be found and downloaded from online at humanservices.gov.au. Having these and payslips close at hand allows you to easily keep track of your working life and quickly refer back to the needed details. When the time comes, then, all that has to be done is to log on to your Centrelink account and report your earnings!

For years it’s been frustrating, as talking to anybody there has typically required either waiting until a summons is issued, sitting for hours on the phone or visiting an office nearby (which isn’t always as easy as you’d think). But now with an online account, hopefully all those measures will be a thing of the past. Let’s just hope I can keep my eye on the ball…

We Are Richer For His Legacy

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

ON THE 22^nd of October, several hundred people met at Paddington Uniting Church for the funeral of Sam de Brito. As an author, columnist and amongst many other things supporter of the Disabled Surfers’ Association, he’ll be sorely missed.

Waiting for the ceremony to begin, it was impossible not to overhear snippets of conversation. “He was a rattish rogue,” said one friend; “possibly the most infuriating person I knew,” said another. Sam loved to goad, see, and was not afraid of a good verbal stoush. The minister of the Wayside Chapel recalled how one evening Sam rang saying, “so what’s Luther’s problem?”

In his eulogy, Sam’s brother-in-law spoke of how he was called once just before a news conference. “What’s up, Sammy?” he’d asked. “Nuthin’,” came the reply. “Just called to say I love’ya, mate- you love me too, right?” “Of course I do, Sammy!” “Well, how do I know if you never say so?” “Okay Sammy- I love ya’ too, mate.”

As the ceremony ended, the reverend told us he’d once been dragged along to a game of baseball. “Never understood the thrill of whacking a ball about with just a matchstick,” he said, “but that night a player hit the ball right out of the park and he got a standing ovation.” It was like he had covered all the spectators with glory, he explained, and in the way he had lived with his genuine quest to understand life, Sam did much the same for us.

So that’s exactly what we did on this day. As we all stood there seeing off the hearse on Oxford Street, suddenly clapping, whistles, cheers and even a cry of “yeah, Sammy!” erupted, lingering in the air as the vehicle receded. You may have abruptly left us, Sam- but your memory will not.  

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…