"Unstoppable New Year's resolution."

                                                         

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         Unstoppable New Year's resolution

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       Are you tired of ...

                    ... seeing your New Year's resolutions lasting on average a 100m run?

                                If your answer is “yes”, follow this story ...

 

 

It was 1993 and the roller blade craze was at its peak bringing back roller skating memories from my younger years.

Every spring I would watch my friends taking off with ease and expanding their skills, just like a tree, by adding more branches year after year.

As for me, I was like a bulb starting right from the beginning
every single year.


 

However, with the arrival of my 30^th birthday I decided to have some fun and challenge my Sisyphus (Greek mythology) roller skating destiny by choosing a different type of stone.

With a brave face I ventured to “toys r us” to fulfil my secret mission.

While scanning a large selection of roller blades I was approached by a young sales assistant wanting to know if she could be of any help.

After providing me with some valuable information she asked ...
 

“Who are you buying it for?”



 

Oh no, how am I going to get out of this one?! ...
and the only way out was to tell her the truth.

Before too long I had blades on my feet,
helmet on my head together with the rest of the padding
that she very much insisted on.

“I would never risk roller blading without any protection.” ... were her words.
 

Well, if a 19 year old tells you this I thought ...
I better listen.

 

 

An hour later I was ready to challenge myself in the park at the end of my street.

I probably looked ridiculous on my first attempt, but at least I did not fall.

After a few sessions I started to feel a bit more comfortable and decided to test my abilities beyond the flat pathway within the park.

My self imposed challenge was to return home on roller blades which meant crossing a three cars wide road and negotiating an uneven footpath.




 

After a successful street crossing I began my downward ride along the pathway and to my surprise a barely visible slope accelerated my rolling above the speed level or so it felt to me.

Not knowing how to slow down or stop I started to panic. Then seconds later I spotted my saviour ... a large concrete ball decorating a gate post.

Now, see if you can picture this ...

• Speeding like a racing car I get ready to grab the ball.
  
  
• I grab the ball and ... (and what?!) ... I become mortified as I feel the ball sliding off the post. Oh no!, a heavy concrete ball is coming with me for a ride.
  Don't they say ... “Do not judge a book by its cover.”
  
  
• To prevent a greater disaster I immediately take hold of the post below successfully ending my unexpected nightmare. Phew!
  
  
• Relieved not to see anyone around I carefully reposition the ball and quickly disappear. 

 

                                                                The end.

What end ... ?!

Yes, the roller blading may have ended, but the New Year's resolution born out of this adventure has not stopped rolling and it doesn't look like it will.

For the past 20 years, I have been exposing myself to new experiences with a preference given to those taking me out of my comfort zones and ... I am no longer a bulb variety! Well, at least in one sense ...

With every passing year I am getting more and more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable!

You may think what you want, but to me this is a progress.

                                        Unstoppable New Year's resolution ...

             Be quick, grab it and let it roll with you for the rest of your life!

 

                                                  And what's on tomorrow?

              My upcoming 50^th birthday challenge!!! A one hour flying lesson on Jabiru J-160.

My advice ...

 

      Please stay at home as there are no concrete balls in the sky to stop me!

Illustrations by Jane Corrigan

"A heart warming moment in the least expected place."



 

 

 

For most of us a public toilet is a place where we go to do our “private business”, and personally I like it to be an “in and out” experience.

Thanks to technological advances nothing stays the same and simplicity seems to be a thing of the past, so a visit to a public toilet can be at times interesting, challenging or surprising.

I am sure (or at least I hope) that I am not the only one who at their first encounter with a flush that knew when you were done, felt a bit spooked out.

Over the past years I had a privilege to see many of us (including myself) impersonating Mr. Bean, when after pulling and pressing the obvious we still cannot get our hands on the soap or rather the soap on our hands. Getting a tap running can be even more challenging and fun, especially if we were successful with getting some soap first.

In situations like this, we are often left at the mercy of another visitor who hopefully kept pace with technological inventions.

My last personal challenge was with a very strange looking hand dryer at the Milson's Point train station, that felt a bit too aggressive for my likening. I am happy to say that we are now friends.

I wonder if the “no where to be seen” instructions for use have also undergone a technical face lift and are now available for download on a smart phone.

I have also noticed a rising number of people expanding on the original “private business” activities associated with this public amenity by mistaking a toilet cubicle for an old fashion telephone booth. One can not help, but feel sorry for the recipient of this no longer private conversation enriched by a symphony of unique sounds hovering in the background.

I wouldn't be surprised if by now, some of you have started to question the title of my story.

“What about this heart warming moment? Surely, she can't be serious about having one in a place like this.”- I hear you think.

         Well, serious or not serious here it comes ...

About 10 years ago, I had a rare opportunity to be the only occupant of a public toilet within a shopping centre. The silence of the place felt unusually noticeable before being interrupted by a mother with her little boy, who sounded about 3 years old.

As he entered a cubicle, the palpable silence returned once again to serve as a background for something unexpected and very special.

 

       

         “Mummy ...”

         “Yes?”

         “I love you.”

         “I love you too.”

 

I was just about to flush, but on hearing this I decided to honour this beautiful and innocent declaration of love by allowing the silent background to linger a touch longer.

I have to admit that a part of me was waiting for one more line, something like ...

“Mummy, can you buy me a ...”

But no, there were no strings attached to this declaration.

His feelings had genuinely arisen from the depth of his heart and their purity was emphasised by a touch of seriousness in his otherwise soft sounding voice.

I was so lucky for this moment to be blessed by the lack of an automatic flush, phone conversationalist or any other visitor that would have prevented me from witnessing something as special as this.

My advise ...

Be always on standby to enjoy the unexpected wherever you might be.


(photos: "Two hearts with candy" by Neil Mey, "Boy with red cap" by Judy Ben Joud)