Susan Lily New Music


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Saturday 25 February 2012

Steve Irwin


Thinking about the birdman rally brought up Steve Irwin.  I think I will always be sad we lost him when we did.  Regardless of opinion he was passionate about something.  I admire passionate people, perhaps because I am one too.  He possessed a natural gift for animals that you cannot learn from a textbook.  He had an affinity with nature that many of us have never had or have lost.

I will admit to being a convert.  The first time I saw him on our screens was when he was peed on by a female orang-utan in Sumatra (I think).  I thought he was farcical to begin with yet was drawn in by his sheer enthusiasm.  The more I learnt about what he had achieved and hoped for, the more I wanted him to succeed.

I was physically ill when I heard about his accident.  No other celebrity has ever affected me as much as Steve did.  As an outback girl I felt we had lost a powerful advocate for commonsense and logic when it comes to living and protecting this beautiful country of ours.  He made learning about our native animals, in particular crocodiles, important and interesting.  He was also a larrikin Aussie bloke and we loved him for it.

He would have celebrated his 50th birthday on 22nd February, and I hope one day that date will be in the hearts and minds of every Australian.

Oh to be a Birdman




It’s nearly that time of year again!  If you live in Melbourne you may be keenly anticipating the Birdman Rally that is held on our Labour Day weekend in March.  I have a particular fondness for the ridiculous and it tickles the funny bone to see grown men fling themselves off the end of a pier.  Some of them spend months calculating and designing the “winning craft”.  I imagine textbooks, a shed full of tools and many late night phone calls between aforementioned parties so that their design will win the cash and the love of the audiences who flock there every year.

Alternately there will the last minute entries who steal the show.  Like the German tourist who years ago purchased a khaki outfit, blond wig, inflatable crocodile on the day and leapt into victory.  Such a simple and hardly thought of concept, yet it worked.

I’ll probably be there again this year and like all other years it’s the place where you hope to see spectacular tumbles and bizarre costumes.  I know I won’t be disappointed.

RIP Steve Irwin

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Sensitivity


I’ve always been a sensitive soul.  It’s great when you are in the midst of creativity and a bit difficult when dealing with mainstream society.  I manage ok and once even came up with a quip to those who asked “why are you so sensitive?”    “Why are you so insensitive?”  I replied.
I’ve oft wondered about those who appear to brush off the crud that comes their way like it was nothing.  Once upon a time I had felt it would be better to be like that than carry the burden of being acutely emotionally tuned in. 
I had a friend years ago when I lived in Townsville.  She would give the world “the bird” anytime it tried to bring her down.  To all around her she was fearless and unbreakable.  We travelled together for a time then she continued on to Adelaide to live.  A few months later she called to say she was happy and settled with a new boyfriend.  Yeah, she’d found her dream life and dream guy.
Not long after that call we received another one and this time it was her boyfriend who rang.  My fearless and carefree friend who had behaved like she had the thickest of skins had taken her own life.  What made things worse was there had been no signs, no notes, no expressions of emotional torment at all.  There was no logical reason for her to not want to live.
After the shock wore off I suddenly realised how ok it was to be sensitive and expressive.  Sure, I wasn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea but I was good enough for me.  To this day I treasure the lesson my friend taught me.  I hope wherever she is that she is happier now and that she knows she is remembered.

Friday 10 February 2012

The Fragility of Childhood


There’s a little part in everyone that represents the fragility of childhood.  Mine is running at me right now telling me it’s hard to believe that I have come this far.  Yet I have come a long way since the days when I was picked on at school for wearing spectacles and being too quiet (yeah, I’ll bet that part will be hard to swallow but it’s true).  Tomorrow night I will attend something that I’ve never been to before and it’s a little hard to believe that one of the reasons I’m invited is because people chose me to be a finalist for an award.  Am I happy about that?  Yeah, it’s brilliant!!!  Yet the little shy girl with glasses is sitting here at the moment tugging at my sleeves. She's reminding me of the many times I danced around my bedroom wishing that I was a popstar.  The many years I spent either not singing or singing off key in public in case I hit a bum note and somebody laughed at me.   She’s hopeful that I will be more liked than she was and that I will have lots of fun.  She wishes me well and says that just being a finalist is better than being bullied at school.  She’s so right.

I’m going to have a lot of fun tomorrow night for both of us.  I just know it :)

Thursday 9 February 2012

Gut Instinct Vs Honesty


I do wish that “gut instinct” was the focus of my childhood education rather than “being honest”.  The latter has given me many headaches over the years.  I’ve learned the hard way on many occasions that honesty is not always conducive to a happy relationship.  If I’d listened to my gut instinct a bit more I would also still have my gorgeous little Brumby ute.  I kept willing the guys at the petrol station in the big truck to look my way and sadly I did not follow my feelings and ended up in a collision that cost me my vehicle.  In the workplace I have become shunned by bosses because I speak my mind and frankly it’s just not smart to be honest sometimes.

As far as I can see gut instinct will allow a person a far wiser path in life.  For instance, if there is something tricky you want to broach with a friend or a loved one it’s not always in their best interests for you to be brutally honest.  I guess the upshot is for us all to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes occasionally and not only think about how we would feel but also assess if it was going to have a positive or negative effect on the relationship.  Will it do the other person any good to know the absolute truth?  Sometimes it doesn’t.  White lies are paramount in the adult world for business deals, CV’s and countless many other situations whether we like them or not.

Perhaps the next time someone has brought something to the table for assessment, and your honest answer might hurt them, take a breath.  Try and find a pleasant way or something positive to say about the topic so the person does not take offence.  If you can do that and work around the honest truth you will not left looking like the party pooper who stole their lunch money.

I’m still learning and marvelling at how brilliant and real my gut instinct is.  The times I’ve tuned in and “felt” about something or someone have been proven correct time and again.  So I’m sticking to listening to what’s going on inside so I get just that little bit more joy into my life.