Lovely walk this afternoon with a friend and my dawg. All three had a great afternoon. Today was reflections in the water and here are some of my photos.

Madeleine
Sunday, 18 June 2006

 We met up with the man who had a boxer on a lead, and instead of smiling and saying G’dday as most people do, he focussed on the dog and growled “Bah” at the poor dog.

 A bit further down I met up with a woman and her tiny baby. Chit chat. What sort of dog? A bitzer. They’re the best. How old is your baby? 12 weeks. But he’s not very big yet. Oh, what’s wrong with him? Tongue tied? That sort of conversation.

 We got to the bridge and as it looked like that was as far as she was going, we said our farewells – enjoy your walk. I stood on the bridge to see if there was anything exciting happening underneath and I could see this young lass out of the corner of my eye. She came hesitantly onto the bridge and we stood and talked a bit more. Gotta be careful. Never know who you can meet in this big park with lots of fields around it. Never walk first thing in the morning. She sounded quite anxious. As I walked to the end of the bridge and off, she followed me. Got to the end of the bridge, stopped and looked around as it to notice that the world did not look all that much different on the other side. No less safe. Not really any different. Then she turned back. We again said our farewells and went on our respective directions. I wonder if she has ever crossed that bridge before, or whether that bridge was the limit of her exploration. Maybe, after meeting me, she will find the courage to do it again and to discover that this area is not as dangerous as she thinks it is.

 Encounters are interesting. I will never know if my ideas about this young woman are correct, but that’s what imagination is about. I wonder what her imagination did with our encounter. What she thought of me. Does she even remember the encounter? Did it trigger my imagination more than hers?

 I will never know.

 Madeleine

Saturday, 17 June 2006

 The people taking them in. Some doing it because it was their duty. Some doing it for the children. Some for their own benefit – farm hands, housekeepers. But the children were the victims. Families pulled apart. Children having to grow up. Oldest boys being told they were the man of the family. Eldest girls being given charge of the younger children.

 Here in Australia, the same thing happened. The same tearing apart of children and their families. The same response of the people taking in the children. Some doing it for the children; some for their own gain. This separation, however, was not done for the safety of the children. This was done because someone, in their wisdom, decided that the “white” way of life was more right than the “black” way of life. The Australian mother’s had no choice. They were not sending their children away for their own safety; their children were taken from them. Same pain. Different reasons. Different outcomes.

 As a mother, I cannot imagine the pain of sending my child away for their own safety. As a mother, I cannot imagine the greater pain of having my children taken away from me simply because I am the wrong colour and culture.

Madeleine

Sunday, 21 May 2006

 Interesting statement.

 No one asked me.

 I do question the importance of formal education. I question the need for so much structure for our children. I question the lack of time for children to learn in their own way and at their own time. Why are our educators so stuck on this idea of “formal education”. I believe that children learn more by informal education, than by being stuck in a classroom from age 3 or 4.

 And maybe my idea of formal education is different from other people. Children learn best by watching and doing. We have all seen the 2 year old who mimics the behaviour of parents and other adults in their lives. Why is structure/formal learning so much more important than watching someone fix a car, and practicing on their own.

 I know I learn by doing, reading about it and watching what others do. Each person has their  own way of learning, and by stressing the importance of formal learning, children are not learning about informal learning. I learned how to use a computer informally. I didn’t go to classes. I watched what others did, I copied them, I practiced my skills and learned new skills by trying out new things. If they worked, well and good; if they didn’t, well, back to the drawing board and try something else. Making mistakes is an important part of learning. In “formal” learning situations, making a mistake is seen as the worst thing you can do.

 So many people I meet say they are not intelligent. When I look at them, I see some really intelligent people who are simply not geared for the academic type of learning. So they come out of their childhood feeling they are stupid. They don’t have degrees, they don’t pass exams, they don’t write assignments. But, they have some real smarts in other ways. They have been crushed by their “formal” learning experience.

 Is this what we want for our children? To have their sense of themselves and their intelligence squashed. For them to believe that they are stupid because they are not academically inclined. To believe that making a mistake is wrong, rather than part of learning. To have their creativity crushed because they think outside the square of “formal” learning. It’s certainly not what I want. And obviously, no one is going to ask me.

 Madeleine

Sunday, 4 June 2006

 The problem is not the mind. The mind is fine. It’s the body. It is slowing down. The joints are getting stiffer. I can’t bend as easily as I used to. But hey I’m looking forward to getting my own gopher. You know those three wheeled motorised vehicles that a lot of Australian oldies are using. Susan used to have one and they are such fun!! I can just imagine me, with my ipod blaring, a fox tail swinging in the breeze (or something else a bit more Australian and politically correct), going shopping, shooting the breeze with the other oldies in their gopher at the shops, going to the pub, taking my dawg for a walk. You can imagine the sight. All these wrinklies shooting the breeze, maybe even a tinny in their hands. I can just see the laws changing. Old people who drive gophers have to wear crash helmets!! Or maybe, breathalysers for gopher drivers!!

 I plan on growing old disgracefully.

 I enjoy working, and am looking forward to retiring. I love my job but there’s not enough time to do all the other things I want to do with my life. I want to learn to ride a motorbike. That’s the plan for my 60^th birthday. I am planning on having my 90^th birthday on top of the Eiffel Tower. Don’t know why. But that just sounds like a great idea!! Course the problem could be getting all those ancient people up on top of the Eiffel Tower. But, again, could be good for a laugh.

 I plan on growing old disgracefully.

 I would have much more time for my writing, you never know, I might even have a book in there somewhere.  I could spend my days blogging. Now that would be a laugh. So many things I want to do. How can people become depressed with the thought of getting old. My children have left home. I’ve got no one to bother about. I can come and go as I please. I can eat when I want to. I can go out when I want to. Don’t have a lot of money, but, hey, lots of things are free or cheap.

 I plan on growing old disgracefully.

 Think about my miniatures. I could sell them on Ebay. Now there’s a change that will probably come in. Ebay income is declarable. Have to declare it on your income tax. Cause all us oldies, who love computers just might make some cash and have some spare $$ to spend. Now Centrelink wouldn’t like that. Probably will be a way around it. Wait and see.

 I plan on growing old disgracefully.

 I can write silly pieces of work like this one. I will let my imagination run riot. Just like I am tonight. I might even get an internet boyfriend and have cybersex at 80. Ooooooohhhhh!! Now that’s a scary thought.

 I plan on growing old disgracefully.

 If I can be this silly at 59, imagine what I could do at 89. Laughter is something no amount of ageing can take away. The body may stiffen and slow down. Even the old brain can slow down, forget things. But hey, a laugh is a laugh and I can’t ever imagine losing my sense of humour. If I ever lose that I will stop growing old disgracefully and find a way to die disgracefully.

 Madeleine

Sunday, 11 September 2005

 Comments

This is fun. You write some silly stuff and the next thing you know your friends are being just as silly.

Here's Ken's comments:

I love your writing style and the way you have fun expressing yourself that way. I thought your piece on getting old was funny, especially the way you kept affirming the "I am growing old disgracefully" bit. It's so You!

 If I joined you in the buggy gang, (will you have 'colours' like the bikies wear on their leather jackets?) I might have to get one with an esky in it and maybe hot the motor up a bit. That's a male thing I think, just to feel as though I might have a big one for my ego's sake.

 We could go on runs down to the Galleria and run over a few teenagers feet and take over the coffee shop laughing and getting cappuccino froth all over our faces. Other people might leave cause of our disgusting burping and farting in the alfresco area. I hope so! Maybe we could get on the news by starting a blackmarket distribution of Viagra, Ginko Bloba and arthritic medication so those other oldies in need get what they want. The possibilities are funny and endless for growing old disgracefully.
Have a good day

 Kenno
Thanks Ken.
Thursday 15 September 2005

Adding to this a number of months later. I am much closer to my 60^th birthday now than when I first wrote this. I am doing a Photoshop course and loving it. Next term I want to do a digital photography course. Damn. So many things still to learn.

 I’m not sure I’m going to do the motorcycle thing when I turn 60. The closer I get, the more nervous I get about it. That’s the nice thing about dreams. You can change them at any time you want.

 My mind is still so incredibly active. The world is still an exciting place to be. I simply cannot understand how some people see their world coming to an end simply because they are getting on in years, chronologically. Live still holds so much more to live for, so many things to learn, places to visit, friends to meet.

 Whatever may change over the next 30 years, one thing will probably stay the same.

 I plan on growing old disgracefully.

 
 Madeleine

Monday, 29 May 2006