Much Ado About Nothing

“It’s all good”, I hear it all the time! So much so that it’s enough to drive me to distraction! Even Blind Freddy would agree with me on this one!

So why all the fuss over such an insignificant but popular catch phrase?

Well, it’s quite obvious as it’s said even when things are going down the gurgler. Similar phrases are just as confusing when they’re spiced with a twist. “It’s just another day in Paradise” is another one used when all around is turning to poo!

Unexpected tone of voice and gloomy facial expressions are a sure sign of what really lies behind these catch phrases with a lingering question mark separating the conversationalists.

This can either put an end to social intercourse then and there or tempt the confused listener to burst its bubble to get to the heart of the matter.

We can’t always tell what’s on the mind of others when they blurt these phrases out because the English language is so damn confusing.

No wonder we find it hard to carry on a conversation in the fear of hearing something we don’t want to hear or not knowing what the other half is trying to convey, blank looks and wide open eyes are all that’s left at the end of a one sided conversation.

Aussie colloquialisms especially, mystify and bamboozle the better English speaking people that have come here from overseas. English may be the dominant language here, but if you’re a newbie to this country, you better get your head around the Australian language real quick otherwise you will not be a happy little vegemite.

Whether it’s a case of deliberate deception, self-deception or just plan sarcasm it leaves most people with very little doubt that there is more to these catch phrases than meets the eye.

To be continued…

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Living Will

Making a living will has been in the back of my mind for sometime now, especially when seeing others anguish over the decision whether to continue life support by way of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the hope that their family member will recover or to allow “Not for Resuscitation” (NFR) measures after being informed that any attempt to prolong life would be either futile or not justified taking into account the patient’s prognosis.

This decision is made even harder when the family member concerned has left no instructions as to what is to happen in such an event.

For the record I have decided to make a living will that frees my family from having to make that decision. I hope this advanced care directive will be respected when the time comes.

Simply put, my “living will”, will have documented that if a senior doctor considers resuscitation on me useless, no attempt should be made.

Why make this decision now? Good question. There are a number of factors involved in making this decision.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel getting closer:

Yes, even though 50 something is the new 30, I realise my use-by date is rapidly getting closer. Touch wood, as I’m still in good health and being sound of mind, I know it’s best to make this decision now while I’m still able to.

My first hand experiences with life and death measures within and outside a hospital:

Knowing what I know, I don’t want to have to experience first hand what I’ve seen others go through when faced with death or living a life with absolutely no quality of life.

The only other thing I deem prudent in regards to this decision is that palliative care measures such as pain relief and basic patient care are to be carried out in order to free me from any discomfort.

I believe the right to live or die decision should totally lie in my hands:

And so it should be! As to live entombed within a lifeless body is one of my greatest fears.


Please take note that my views here are not advocating pro-euthanasia, as this is simply not the case. It is just my simple wish to die with dignity, unencumbered by someone else’s well intentioned decision making and to be remembered for what we were and not what we have become at the hands of others.

To be continued...

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Mother’s Day Delight

At births, deaths and marriages, oh! and Christmas too! is when you’ll most probably find this family all together as one. So as not to break with tradition and one day before Mother’s Day, we gathered for the marriage of the last child within the McCartney Clan to get married, as the whispered words, “About bloody time” echoed off the walls to my mother’s delight.

Kindred souls that met through friendship and then weathered tragedy, finally tied the knot on a glorious day bathed in sunshine and the Gong’s fresh ocean breezes. The roar of the sea and the calming sounds of nearby fishing boats as they bobbed up and down filtering through to the ceremony, as if in some form of bipartisan recognition that the great event that was about to unfold before them was orchestrated from heaven.

With the introduction of the new Mr and Mrs from Downunder, came the thunderous applause from the excited crowd that had come from far and wide to witness and take in something truly wonderful and special. Mind you, no one was more excited than my mother, who had looked forward to this day for many moons.

Known as “Margot” amongst her painting buddies, being 75 young is not a hindrance when it comes to enjoying moments with her four sons, one daughter, their better halves, a shipload of Facebook loving grandchildren and impressing her phooning friends by standing on one leg at the drop of a hat.

A keen painter and a lover of life, no obstacle is too high for her to hurdle and is always quick with a laugh and a smile. Even though I know that mum is getting on in years, mum will remain forever young in my eyes. Thank you for bringing me into this world with all the love and attention that anyone could give, and, even though we are separated by distance you are always on my mind.

In case I haven’t told you lately, I love you and will continue to do so for eternity. The same goes for my better half, the mother of three boisterous adult sons and the wife of a very, very grateful man.

Again, I hope you had a fantastic Mother’s Day and God willing you will have many, many more to come! To the bride and my new sister-in-law welcome to the family. Wishing you and my little brother all the very best and a long and happy life together. God knows, you deserve it!

To all the other mothers out there, I hope your Mother’s Day was as grand as ours; as to be in the company of the one who brought us into this world, is truly a blessing and a sight to behold.

To be continued…

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Time for Change

With the threat to our family and friends from terrorism, dependency on fossil fuels, pandemic diseases and the decline of the global economy, the ever growing costs of eternal vigilance are sapping our resources in terms of human life, natural resources and national wealth. As it’s time for change, where to from here?

It is frightening to think that the two world wars, Vietnam war, continuing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and the last great depression have failed to bring about everlasting peace and peace of mind, to a people tired of blood shed, terrible loss of life and for many a home that they can call their our own.

Has greed played its part in the global conflicts and economic spiralling downward trends that have seen governments pour millions and for some trillions in an attempt to stop the rot that is plaguing this world?

As millions die of hunger and disease, countless millions elsewhere anally analyse the stock market in the hope of staying on top during rough economic times. With millions losing their jobs, the high-ranking officials who once depended on them add millions to their coffers by way of unjustified bonuses and salary increases.

Our priorities seem a little mixed as our world is consumed by hate, lack of global affirmative action and whose occupants seem hell bent on destroying each other and the world we live in.

Fuelled by millenniums of cultural bigotry and ignorance, violent religious fanaticism, distrust, the endless exploitation of the world’s resources and living by the motto “an eye for an eye”, perhaps one day in our children’s children’s lifetime, the place we all call home, may no longer be able to support us and explode under duress.


My only fear is that by the time we realise this is about to happen and we actually start to make a real change it will be too little and too late.

Knocking heads together like prized fighters in a no holds barred confines of the bloody global arena that we live in today will certainly be our downfall.

I ask you, what will it take to turn this all around? Divine intervention perhaps, a timeline that will see this planet evaporate within the year, another world war with yet again no clear winners or losers or a pandemic event that will cut down on the number of warring factions?

Like naughty children sent to their bedrooms, we will all be sent to God only knows where, if we don’t all come together and do something NOW!

I ask you again, what will it take to turn this all around?

To be continued…

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