Raised in Newcastle, NSW, Australia by my elderly grandparents I had a strict, loving but weird home life. As a young boy I had the best of both worlds; the freedom of riding my bike to the beach most every weekend and the convenience of walking to a major shopping center for supplies. Newcastle was then a large country town and most people were helpful and friendly.
I went through 3 different schools and generally enjoyed learning, but hated most of the other crap that went along with compulsory education. (Still do actually) I remember riding my pushbike for days at a time and longing to travel, to get around and experience all this great country had on offer. Maybe because Newcastle was also a major transport hub via it's port and rail infrastructure.
But it wasn't to be. Coal & steel had given this town another side, a very industrialised mentality. The BHP sat proudly on Kooragang Island in the Hunter River delta. Trains, trucks, ships, pollution, miners, labourers, shift workers, engineers, sailors, coal, pollution, drugery, repetition, unions, strikes, pollution - well you get the point. No wonder many of my friends and I longed for the openness of the sea and tranquility of the bush. I guess one of the benefits to living in such an industrialised city was the fact that the early opener was across the street from the late closer and on the long stagger home no more than four blocks would pass without another watering hole mystically appearing. Hard work and alcohol, what more could a young man want? (Sleep actually)
Of course the real damage so noticeable to my friends and I was the way that industry had ripped the father figures and male role models out of our families and society in general. Working class we were, no denying that. But I didn't know any better and I was proud to be a Novocastrian!
Anyway my turn to work, so off to the big smoke to get a trade. The winner is Sydney. Bah. Big smoke, big egos, big pollution, Big Deal? I wanted more from life, even back then. But I stuck at it and almost finished my trade. Yep almost. Off to the little big smoke - Brisbane. Finished my trade as an automotive mechanic and then the first of many recessions turned up. One very nasty one engineered by some bloke called Paul Keating, remember the recession we had to have? No work for me.
Fast forward through a number of wandering, wasted though generally funny and random years and I end up marrying this wonderful woman. You can see how wonderful she is now, even after 22 years of marriage to me, over at her blog elefantz.com. No words can express the how much I cherish her.
Kids have come and gone. I've changed careers. Some memories I have made, some I want to forget and some I honestly can't remember. But what really sticks in my throat is the way industry, capitalism, consumerism, call it what you want, has ripped away my time and destroyed relationships in my life.
I really am tired of working for the man and this is where this blog comes in. I want to control my own income and own my own time, that's all. Sure some people want to be rich, some want to be famous, some even want to be politicians (go figure). But most of us have trade our lives away at the Blue Sky Mine. Well when it's all said and done, we are not only monetarily constrained, but time constrained as well. To be truly wealthy I need to regain control of my finances and time.
So off I go, to tread my own path to financial independence. Always remembering; "What you get by achieving your goals is not nearly as important as what you become by achieving them", Zig Ziglar. Life's a journey so why not share it all here in rich multimedia formats and maybe even some crayon sketches?
This is just one man's view of the 21st centuries capitalist, democratic, self obsessed culture. I am positive my world can be a better place. And it's all to true that change must start within, so away I go. Creating true wealth by investing in people! Taking the emphasis off policies, guidelines, systems and procedures and putting the emphasis back onto people, where it belongs! Whether that's providing a hand up, developing mechanisms for accountability with young people, helping people to construct positive views of themselves or walking alongside you. That is my freedom right there!
ren0vator
ren0vator<at>yahoo.com.au
+61 455 450 187
PS. I hope you like automotive metaphors.
I went through 3 different schools and generally enjoyed learning, but hated most of the other crap that went along with compulsory education. (Still do actually) I remember riding my pushbike for days at a time and longing to travel, to get around and experience all this great country had on offer. Maybe because Newcastle was also a major transport hub via it's port and rail infrastructure.
But it wasn't to be. Coal & steel had given this town another side, a very industrialised mentality. The BHP sat proudly on Kooragang Island in the Hunter River delta. Trains, trucks, ships, pollution, miners, labourers, shift workers, engineers, sailors, coal, pollution, drugery, repetition, unions, strikes, pollution - well you get the point. No wonder many of my friends and I longed for the openness of the sea and tranquility of the bush. I guess one of the benefits to living in such an industrialised city was the fact that the early opener was across the street from the late closer and on the long stagger home no more than four blocks would pass without another watering hole mystically appearing. Hard work and alcohol, what more could a young man want? (Sleep actually)
Of course the real damage so noticeable to my friends and I was the way that industry had ripped the father figures and male role models out of our families and society in general. Working class we were, no denying that. But I didn't know any better and I was proud to be a Novocastrian!
Anyway my turn to work, so off to the big smoke to get a trade. The winner is Sydney. Bah. Big smoke, big egos, big pollution, Big Deal? I wanted more from life, even back then. But I stuck at it and almost finished my trade. Yep almost. Off to the little big smoke - Brisbane. Finished my trade as an automotive mechanic and then the first of many recessions turned up. One very nasty one engineered by some bloke called Paul Keating, remember the recession we had to have? No work for me.
Fast forward through a number of wandering, wasted though generally funny and random years and I end up marrying this wonderful woman. You can see how wonderful she is now, even after 22 years of marriage to me, over at her blog elefantz.com. No words can express the how much I cherish her.
Kids have come and gone. I've changed careers. Some memories I have made, some I want to forget and some I honestly can't remember. But what really sticks in my throat is the way industry, capitalism, consumerism, call it what you want, has ripped away my time and destroyed relationships in my life.
I really am tired of working for the man and this is where this blog comes in. I want to control my own income and own my own time, that's all. Sure some people want to be rich, some want to be famous, some even want to be politicians (go figure). But most of us have trade our lives away at the Blue Sky Mine. Well when it's all said and done, we are not only monetarily constrained, but time constrained as well. To be truly wealthy I need to regain control of my finances and time.
So off I go, to tread my own path to financial independence. Always remembering; "What you get by achieving your goals is not nearly as important as what you become by achieving them", Zig Ziglar. Life's a journey so why not share it all here in rich multimedia formats and maybe even some crayon sketches?
This is just one man's view of the 21st centuries capitalist, democratic, self obsessed culture. I am positive my world can be a better place. And it's all to true that change must start within, so away I go. Creating true wealth by investing in people! Taking the emphasis off policies, guidelines, systems and procedures and putting the emphasis back onto people, where it belongs! Whether that's providing a hand up, developing mechanisms for accountability with young people, helping people to construct positive views of themselves or walking alongside you. That is my freedom right there!
Let's Drive
ren0vator
ren0vator<at>yahoo.com.au
+61 455 450 187
PS. I hope you like automotive metaphors.
Enjoying your blog after visiting your lovely wife's page. You are on a great journey and sounds like you are having a good time. So many don't find their way in this world. Glad you have and enjoy the journey.
ReplyDeleteSo Jenny is YOUR wife... (o-: Judy and I enjoyed making the connection with her as well. Love the heart you both exhibit. Inspired by the both of you! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and taking the time to read the ramblings of this mad man :)
ReplyDeleteEvery blessing for your new journey in life. I've been following Jenny for years and have been blessed to see you both developing into the people you want to be and taking control of your lives.
ReplyDeleteChange is difficulty, personal change even more so, Thank you Jenny for your encouraging words.
ReplyDelete