Birthday

‘Captain Courageous!’ yelled the small group gathered in the outdoor garden. Stacy surged forward into the crowd of her friends from the Starlight Children's Foundation. ‘The party is here!’ responded Stacy, immediately matching the new volume of the night. 

Captains Sparkles and Giggles, Sunshine and Silly were in the pub and living it up like only a group of professional attention seekers can. There was dancing on the tables, telling jokes on the dance floor and impromptu skits broke out in most bathrooms in the building. With enough Starlight Captains in one place a night out quickly ascends into a long running, real life performance piece in which volume and action competing for precedence.  

‘Elle’ girls mixed with Captains, family mixed with friends and Stacy stitched us all together with big smiles and more kisses on the cheek than there were cheeks to kiss. People posed for photos like models, danced like, well maybe models, and definitely drank more than they ate, like, well ok, like a dog might on a hot day. 

It all escalated until Stacy found a long umbrella in a corner and brought it to the dance floor. 

‘Hey, i’m going to do a routine for you.’ she blasted to the room and anyone who was listening. ‘Watch this!’

With the umbrella intermittently swinging around her head and then occupying the centre of Stacy’s broad swinging dance arc she ruled the dance floor. To Stacy there was no difference between people making a little space to watch her dance and people making a little space to avoid being hit by an umbrella. 

The point was people were making a little space, and into that space she poured her joy, enthusiasm and at times pretty fun dance moves. She pulled her friends into the act and the umbrella may have had the best populated dance card in the room. 

When security staff became involved in the interest of public safety, Stacy met them with charm and cheek. ‘Hi guys, its my birthday’. Smiling and swaying. With the umbrella proffered handle first, she had the last word with some wit and grace, ‘wanna dance?’

They didn’t, but Stacy didn’t mind. She partied her finest, calling all to her with love and energy. Stacy knew that her friends were a part of her life force and a great source of energy. She loved sharing her time and her spirit with a collection of fun friends and ‘little munchkins’ and this birthday was no different. 

Now

Wednesday 22nd of January

Canberra was beautiful tonight. I drove home after a dinner with the Neild Browns on the south side of town. The sun was setting and the light was delicate. Hills and trees, light and shadow. A brilliant orange sun and the fresh crisp air of a summer evening here in the capital. 

I thought of Stacy on the drive home. I have been thinking about her most days when I have been writing. It is different though, when i’m writing i’m remembering and attempting to record. Driving in the light tonight I thought about her, about her in the context of me. I’m didn’t feel sad tonight that Stacy wasn’t with me, I didn’t feel sad for me. I did feel the pain of her not being able to experience the beauty of an evening drive, a sunset, a summer night. 

She would have loved a night like tonight like she loved so much of life. I wonder what her experience is like right now. Does she experience? If so then I think it must be beautiful. 

I will be well in my life without Stacy. She was so good for me, her journey was a spectacular one and I was privileged to be there for much of it. She marked me clearly, and i’m changed for the better through that experience. 

It was a brilliant ride home, grace filled and beauty touched. 

Merry Christmas to you too

My mother works at the Mater Hospital where the Starlight Children's Foundation have their Starlight room.

Dad and I picked her up to go and see some carols by the river during the week. We stopped to look at the message in the Starlight room widow that mum had noticed that morning.

Merry Christmas to you too Captain Starlight we all thought. 

Writing, right.

Have I told you? I've been doing some writing.

I'm planning on attempting to record some stories from the past 11 years or so. It has been a mixed experience so far and I get the sense it will be a massive challenge. Painful and jubilant, but also grinding at times.

It feels like a valuable thing to me, and as I was reflecting this week I feel really good about having it as a task to build my time around.

I'm currently working on the beginning of 2009 and I thought I might share this little bit with you. It makes me feel good about our girl Stacy. A little easier to remember and feel her presence with some words that might have come from her.

Boxing class started the next week and Stacy got stuck right in. Stacy would meet Leila and the group in the parklands and training would last for an hour. Running, punching, squats, running, sit ups, punching, holding pads, punching pads, running, etc. 

The first time Stacy came home she looked like she had be rung loose after an hour in a washing machine. Her face and body were stretched and squeezed, hot and dripping. She sat on the couch and went quiet for a while, quiet. 

‘Good session Stace?’ I proffered with a grin.

‘Oh my God!’ 

‘Really? What’s the story at boxing Muncher?’ enquired her strangely pleased husband. 

‘Oh my God Mike, my arms! I don’t think I can hold them up anymore. It was hard to drive home’ she said dramatically. 

Having opened the flood gates her description flowed. ‘then you have to run around the…you just have to keep punching the pad until…and there are so many stairs...the thing is Mike, that you don’t stop until everyone is done.’ She recounted the session and basked in the effort and the obstacle. 

‘It is great to see you so pumped up and also so worn out Stace. Go and have a shower and lets eat’ I prompted. 

‘I am so hungry, I want a bowl as big as my head’ she threw over her shoulder, closely followed by her shirt as she headed down the hall. The shirt landed with a slap. Training had begun. 

Hair cut in Brisbane

It has been coming for a while, a post about being home.

Before I left, and at times during the trip away I experienced a feeling of trepidation about returning to Brisbane and more specifically returning to life outside of fantasy.

Finding a job, driving around the neighbourhood, walking the dogs down familiar paths, cooking dinner - for one, visiting friends, Christmas and birthdays. These regular parts of life hold both a simple enjoyment and in part a haunting parody of those same activities in another time.

Towards the end of my travels as I began to look towards returning from a most satisfying adventure, it was natural to consider what it would be like to be home. The reality has been that life here in Brisbane is much the same as life anywhere, challenge and opportunity.

Generally I've had a really great time since I've been back home. When I say back home I mean broadly Australia and Brisbane but also specifically Victoria St with Mum and Dad. It has been really nice to spend time here with the folks, we had a bit of sharing and mutual mourning to do.

In other areas I've sold a few Barbecues, taught a few lessons at school, thrown a few frisbees, scratched a few words out with the keyboard and spent some time with friends.

The plan from here is to follow the pattern of the last few weeks however to follow it in the nation's capital. I'm going to head down there in the first week of January and attempt to delve into recent history through some writing while I delve into the future with some running, and catching (Frisbees).

I feel very hopeful about the planned events of the new year and I'm confident I will continue to enjoy spending time here at home.


Oh and I got a hair cut, it was good.

One Pair of Shoes

Hello folks, Mike here.

I put some pictures of a shoe together, it's pretty sweet. Don't mind the backgrounds.

Walkabout

Well that is it, I'm flying home tomorrow.
Frisbee - done,
Colombia - done,
Italy - done,
Wedding - done.
Montana, Denver, Florida - done,
New York, Detroit, California - done,
Canyons, canyons, Vegas - done,
Trip - done, almost.

I'm flying to Brisbane and then Canberra tomorrow. Make a few connections, play a little frisbee, make some reconnections then head on home.

I was thinking a day ago, as I was completing a great hike in Bryce Canyon, that walking has been a significant part of this trip. I've walked in some incredible physical places and i've walked in some significant emotional states as well.

I walked in Rome, I walked in solitude and in company.
I walked in Florence, I walked in loneliness and in connection.
I walked in Glacier National park, I walked in jubilation and in distress.
I walked in the ocean, I walked in relief and in freedom.
I walked in New York City, I walked in pain and in optimism.
I walked in Zion National park, I walked in positivity and in hope.
I walked in Bryce Canyon, I walked in reflection and in remembrance.

I walked in these, and other emotional states through these and other physical places. I looked at sights and I felt things. My physical location changed and my emotional experience followed. I haven't been on a walk this trip that didn't involve some kind of emotional shift or journey. Some changing slightly, others dramatically. Forwards and backwards, sometimes combining laps of emotions with laps of a city.

I've had some really positive and joyful emotions out here on this adventure and I've felt some exquisite distress. When I look back I can recall various emotional experiences in a similar way to remembering physical destinations. Just like each stop on this fairly long trip has been different, unique and valuable as a part of the whole, so too i think each changing emotional condition has contributed to my overall current optimistic sensation.  

Walking though the world both internally and externally have been excellent aspects of this large and complicated adventure. Some of my treasured moments have involved me, some thoughts and some distance to cover.

The walkabout is over for now as i'm coming home. I have no doubt though that the journey will continue, and i'm very hopeful that I'll take all those great walks along with me as I go.              

Thanks to Shannon and Maggie for some great walking photos.