published online in 2016 with rights reserved by the Author.

“if you always do what you have done, you will always be what you have been”
Trevor, my Audio Teacher at WAAPA, he wanted us to always try to produce new material and push the sound-scape

“time teaches us the difference between want and need”
I had asked a man for directions when visiting Dubai during one of my deployments to the Middle East. He showed me a short cut through the city and mumbled this as we went up the escalator; it has many, many meanings…

“if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
This is a great pearl from a long time family friend named Evan. I used to hang out with him as a kid, but reconnected during my first lap through University. He was a great tennis player, brilliant musician and very well connected to a diverse social group. One of his mates owned a restaurant and would often give me a proper meal; something I rarely got in those times.  This comment was said in response to my very poor progress in the social life of college life but it has earned a spot on this page as it holds well for business and workplace politics.

“you think so, or you know so?’
I was working in a bar in Singapore after graduating High School, this very drunk customer wanted travel tips and responded as above to everything we said. But actually it is very important to understand if you are stating what you know to be fact, or what might be close to the truth.

“will this matter tomorrow”
A colleague of mine named Jac used to pose this question to herself before embarking on any deep discussion that might raise conflict with her spouse. I try to use it also in my relationship conversation to remind me to pick my battles carefully. She also used to say that if you have at least one drunken person in a conversation, all you have is a bunch of idiots talking….

“yes, of course you can, but do you need to”
This was said by a guy we call ‘Big Tom’ who we met in a road side café on the Hume. The statement has many uses, but what we are saying is generally about machines, just cause it can do something (like speed or pressure) do we need to do it, what risk does it pose to us and what damage does it do to the machine. Unless someone has the Engineers curse, or an empathy for machines and systems, they will NEVER understand this concept.

“crap sex is like crap coffee…. why bother”
After my divorce was settled, I joined the adult dating scene. I hung out with this girl for a while. She may have been right, but I was busting for some cake with the coffee…

“when you are lost, stop and have a cuppa”
Said by Dudley Finter. He was my home room teacher and was the sponsor for our year 12 travel trip. His really only bit of advice was just that, don’t plan too much. But when you get somewhere, pause and watch the people, it will teach you heaps more than you expected. Also good not to stand with a map in the middle of town, just paints you as a target for pick pockets.

“courage”
This was my Fathers very last word to me. He was very sick and had been in hospital a long time after his stroke. After reading a book called “Final Gifts” I decided to just tell him that we were all OK and would be fine if he needed to move on, I was very sad watching him suffer and even more annoyed at people who had unrealistic views of him getting out of the ward to go back to hi small unit and limited social life. He always supported my wishes to travel to where I needed to be, and I owed him that same support. He passed away that night Remembrance Day; The stubborn bugger would never be forgotten.

Please hug your Loved Ones every day that you can.

That’s all from me for now, take care and I hope to chat soon

February 2016