About Time! (the final entry....for now)

NB: This is my final blog in this series. So today it is a little longer. Thank you for following. I hope it has brought you some joy, laughter and pride in who you are (particularly when you compare yourself to me).

All things are affected by the passage of time, including us as a being. But in particular, this blog. Consider the following. I have mentioned while writing this blog, the various incidents where I was ‘taught a lesson’ (rightly or wrongly) by my mother, father, priest, teacher, brother, sister, even the odd uncle or aunt (actual uncles or aunts even) but especially, by some very special friends. You know who you are and that you are especially valued. No one person makes all their own decisions. No man is an island (that is a famous quote… but a really good metaphor. It’s a famous line from the poem by the English poet John Donne in "Meditation XVII," Oh, and its also a book title by a monk, a film title and a cantata… but mainly refers to the poem) and (before there is a scream from the female quarter) the ‘man’ refers to ‘humankind’ it’s just it was written in a time when that was a given… didn’t need to be politically correct. Humankind learns from interaction and social communication. Even those of us who don’t necessarily enjoy social interaction need the odd communication. While there are many craving attention from ‘everyone’, there are just as many who wish to be ‘left alone’ with a minimal amount of contact. We can be happy with that. But as we grow we learn, by listening, watching and communicating.  There are some who listen well, others who watch well (in fact my name Gregory means “He who is always watching”; sort of explains my attraction to what I used to do and in some ways what I do now), and there are still others who communicate well (I don’t but I keep trying (many people who are good at listening probably wish I wouldn’t).

As discussed there are many differences between people. How we grew up affects how we become adults. Some take longer than others. Becoming an adult doesn’t mean you stop being a child (and there are probably many wives who would agree with that comment). I mean by that, that you do not stop appreciating the value of life. The wonderful adventure that is life. Be curious about what you see. Be interested in what you hear. Learn as much as you can. Engage in ideas and create joy. This may be the only chance you get  (depending on if you hold any religious beliefs). Time is obviously precious and an incredible gift. Some of us will be able to maximise our time on this earth and others will have but a brief moment. That is why we must value it. And, in that lesson from my teacher Mr Walsh, ‘Respect’.

Respect yourself and you will respect others. Respect others and you will respect their ideas, their culture, their beliefs, Their lives. How could it possibly be any easier than that. Respect others and you respect their property and they in turn can respect you. This is surely all humankind needs to do. This will open the communication between those of us who value this life. There are those too busy to listen. Too busy to watch. Too busy to feel anything. They are the poorer, regardless of any ‘wealth’ they possess. But offer respect to all you meet. It can spread to everyone. Of every race, religion and yes, colour. For that is still a major issue today. We are of this earth. We can and need to respect it. We need to respect whom we share this earth with. By respecting each other, we are free to give help when needed, to accept help when needed and to teach each other how to help. First comes respect. All else will follow.

Thank you for joining me on this experience. Should any of you wish for a complete copy of the blog as a single document (I have saved it all in order), then please email me ( Gregory.Dwyer@bigpond.com) and I can send it to you. I have learnt a lot by this experience, by looking back at my history (as I remembered it) and for now I finish ‘The Dead Zoo Collection’ and look forward to my next project.

Yours faithfully

Gregory F.L. Dwyer

(And for the film fans out there)

                                    The End.

About Conclusions

I must admit that this blog has been of enormous benefit to me personally and also frightening, I am sure to some of you. While names have been changed where necessary (no, not really, I’m only saying that), I have received much support from many readers in many parts of the world. Alaska, Russia, Japan, USA, various European countries, South American countries and even a few in Africa to mention. A truly global feeling, in which many of you have recognised some of the events as being similar to their own, or, exactly the same. Which suggests we are not that different. Just in different locations. I am sure many readers have wondered what goes on in my head, but, because of your support, I have enjoyed reviewing some strange and excellent experiences and, at the same time, developed some good practices.  I am sure those of you relying on translation programmes however, must have come up with some very unusual phrases, in my use of the English language. I was sent this by someone in Brazil trying to understand a phrase, ‘I was hung out to dry’ (which means I was left to take the blame by others) but via the translation programme, it became in Spanish, ‘Hacia fueracolgaron para secarme’ which in English if you translated it directly back you get ‘Towards outside they hung me to dry to me’. So not only was what I was sometimes saying confusing, it could be even more confusing in foreign languages (when using translation programmes). me

But, as mentioned, towards a conclusion. In the last year of writing this blog I have been drawing on my many childhood experiences and some incidents from my youth, from some years ago. Many years ago. In fact, I am now in my fiftieth year (and living my fifty-first, since we celebrate our birthday after the year is completed. Strange that we don’t start as zero do we? But with the blog ending and my random birthday date approaching. I say random, in that my birth certificates (yes, I said certificates. I have two. Officially), don’t match, and neither does the actual calendar date I was born (mentioned in blog 5^th September 2012). But that is another chain of events. And as I get older and I have reviewed many experiences and lessons learnt in my youth, during this last year, and I have especially realised how many ways I have learnt the various lessons on life. I have had some thrilling experiences (which I haven’t necessarily included in this blog) but, importantly, I have had some unusual ones, they have added together to bring me to this moment. I know have in my mind (yes, a scary place) values and concepts which I try to apply to my living style. They are not rigid rules (even though many think I am black and white in my choices) They are not like the list of 42 lessons from the 90 year old woman (yes, I have received that email many times. Some good lessons in them though). But they are important to me, and more importantly, how I treat others. Why I value my close friends and perhaps, why they see some value in me. So tomorrow, the final of this blog, I will summarise what lessons this past year (and the past fifty) have resulted in.

(Concluding tomorrow)

About Blogging

There are not only big gaps in what knowledge is passed on, but solutions to some problems as well. Problems which, had previously been solved when occurring, are now having solutions being ‘re-invented’ as no one of that young work force remaining (see yesterday’s blog), knew about it previously. Simply because those who did know, had all been dismissed. Time teaches many things. Among them, knowledge, quality, skills. You do not develop full knowledge overnight, or simply because you are young. Time requires effort, to achieve. In today’s world such effort seems to be disappearing rapidly. Even this effort has been interesting for me. The old saying of the longest journey beginning with a single step applies. The journey is not even close to being finished, but I am on my way. Because of a little bit of effort.

I decided a year ago, I needed to get back into the practice of writing again. I had previously (and constantly) made excuses as to why I couldn’t. I was simply letting myself down. So, I began with something that meant I was ‘locked in’. Using a method, which possessed a certain demand. A method, which insisted I produce something every 24 hours, and post it, before the server ticked over it’s internal 24 hour clock. Then I promised myself, I would write it for a year. Three hundred and sixty-five entries. One per day. The interesting thing, when I started, I had not checked on the actual location of the server. After my first few entries, I was able to establish…. it wasn’t in Australia. And quickly discovered, it was somewhere on the West coast of the United States. That left me out in my entries by one day. So I delayed for a 24 hour period. Which meant, once I got ‘in sync’ with the dates, I was ready to begin my run. I had to ensure I posted before 4pm each day. So, generally I posted it around 6:15am, allowing for the likelihood of an average work day (however, there is nothing average about my day), and usually, after walking the dog, which I do as early as possible (around 5:30am which is usually the one time of the day I am not ‘called out’ as a rule), and, prior to going for my daily 1.5km swim, which I have to have finished by 7:30am (if on a day shift).

This meant regardless of what time I finished work, which could be anytime into the late evening or even the following early, early morning, I had to write the blog entries before bed. Adding to this time schedule, there was the odd trip away where technology and access to international internet systems proved a little challenging on occasion, not to mention datelines and time zones affecting when it had to be done by (or where my bed may be). But now, after 362 continuous daily entries, these will be the final few blog entries (at least for a while). Those of you following my blog, I thank you. Warmly. It has been an interesting journey and I believe, is only the launching point. But as this draws to a close, there should be some conclusion?

(Continued tomorrow)

About Experience

I guess, while I have nothing against people making a living, where a living can be made (even if the living is made because people are dying), what I struggle with is profiteering. I have never been a fan of people making money at someone else’s expense. I have never sold something for more than I paid for it, particularly if I had had good use from it. You remember I mentioned I don’t own a house. I would struggle with the idea of ‘marking up’ something I had used, just because other people are. I understand that people want to upgrade, but that means they want more for where they are. Not because where they are has necessarily got any better than when they bought it. It’s just they need more money to upgrade. I couldn’t. So, I would be hopeless as a landowner. While I may criticise what people do to get money from others, sometimes there are those who just push the ‘edge of the envelope’ a little too much. I remember when the world famous ‘attention seeking’ David BeckhamBeckham makes so much money, that it probably didn’t seem strange to him. Sadly though, and this is the point, it was dreadful haircut. If I had cut his hair (I probably would have done just as good a job, or better, as I would have had pride in my work) I personally would have been embarrassed by the quality if it had been me. It was dreadful. Overcharged for poor quality. That same issue I raised. Quality is falling off, but people are accepting it. (yes, admittedly, he could kick a ball really well) got a hair cut that cost two thousand pounds (about four and a half thousand dollars at the time). But for him, two thousand pounds was possibly on par with me paying eighteen dollars for a haircut (which I stopped doing as I bought a trimmer for twenty six dollars) David

It’s time we stopped. I doubt we will. The rush to attain, to possess, has reached a disease of endemic proportion. People don’t want to wait for anything and all of this adds to the stresses people face daily. Many parents say to me they bought this or that, because their child wanted it. Think about the word. ‘Wanted’. Not, ‘needed’. I have previously touched on this several times. We have literally spoilt our current generation. We have given them, without them earning. We have taught them the price of things, but not the value. Mass production has lowered quality. Skills, have also been severely lowered as the knowledge, which takes time to learn, has been ignored or even more sadly, discarded. There was an old saying of the ‘blind leading the blind’. I have recently seen this, as senior, very experienced people, were dismissed from the workforce due to ‘budget cuts’. They take with them a wealth of knowledge, which has not been learnt by the young work force that remains. The new people are now being taught by the only ‘slightly’ more senior members, who do not possess a half of the knowledge that the dismissed people had. The quality of what they do falls. Remember knowledge is acquired over time. But, if we do not make time for that?

(Continued tomorrow)

About Funerals

But regardless of how people choose to live financially (most living on credit more than earnings), with more and more living towards the ‘poverty line’ (often through their own poor choices), it is greed shown by people that appears to have increased dramatically and contributed to the demise of quality and in many cases, happiness. Time is not valued anymore. It is calculated. An example: In the last five years there has been an enormous jump in the promotion of funeral insurance (yes, a set market. We are all going to die.) But what bothers me is the prohibitive rise in the cost of burying someone. Do we honestly need a three thousand dollar coffin to be put into the ground? Or easier, cremated? You are dead (Seriously, it won’t be your problem), but the marketing is all centred on not wanting to leave your loved ones with debts. Debts? Surely it can’t be that expensive? Fact:Everyone is going to die. Now according to capitalist concepts, wasn’t mass production meant to reduce costs? At least that was what I was taught. So, if everyone is going to die, then shouldn’t dying be one of the cheapest things that is out there?

Although if that were true, then disposable nappies, which everyone seems to be using in Australia today (once again laziness rather than efficiency. Cloth was good enough for me, good enough for my son, it just meant having to work a bit). They should also be very cheap, but they’re not? Of course, there’s money to be made, because everybody wants them! Market supply and demand.  However, can anyone tell me what really costs at a burial? Or better yet, a cremation. I mean break it down. The body is dead. It gets collected. Gets a wash and a clean up. Put into a nice suit/dress which is provided by the family, not even provided by the undertakers and then put in a wooden box in a church/hall before being put into a high temperature furnace. So apart from hiring the big taxi to move you, which could cost around 800 dollars for the day (ever hire a stretch limo?) the hall hire costs are around 300 dollars  maximum. Ask anyone who’s hired a hall for a party (and you know you will be getting the bond back, funerals don’t tend to have marauding drunken yobs breaking furniture). Then maybe the electricity/gas cost for the furnace, well, my last power bill for three months was three hundred and fifty dollars, so lets put that down as the extreme. Undertakers, times two, for the initial collection at around fifty dollars an hour. We’ll round this out to four hundred dollars of actual work. I can’t see why it should cost more than around two thousand at the most. Let’s face it. You’re going to be burned up. Unless you own a burial plot now, you won’t be able to afford the rates or land value later. So you’ll be put into a box and burnt to ash. But the undertaker will probably try and sell you a ‘hand-carved African mahogany urn’ for your ashes at around $1,400. (Probably made in some small Philippines jungle community from felled rain forest timber, for thirty Philippine pesos or about 70cents Australian)

(Continued tomorrow)

About Patience

Patience is a virtue. My mother constantly told us. I wonder which nun had drummed that into her in her youth. Patience appears virtually non-existent today. Time and patience appear to have gone off down opposing paths. It’s a sad story. I recall a time when they were like new found friends. Walking hand in hand. Enjoying each other’s company. Creating new ideas, developing concepts and projects. Together. Slowly, Over time and with patience. Delighting in the time taken to make something of quality. To produce a work of art, or a genuine product that had a real lifetime of use, not an item which would survive (barely) to the moment, the very second after the warranty expires. Patience and Time wandering through my youth. Communicating with each other on equal terms. Then, somewhere along the way, probably towards the end of the twentieth century, something happened that pulled them apart. Greed was one affecting factor. Greed drove a wedge between them. They were forced down those opposing paths. Quality which had become a friend was abandoned. Time was sent off spiralling down a slippery slope. Patience was crushed. You can see it all around you today.

How has this affected us? For example, we are told by many in today’s modern world that due to the cost of wages, we cannot afford to make most products in Australia today. The time taken to make something makes the cost exorbitant. Hang on. Don’t we have this completely wrong? They claim we take too long to do something. That is not the problem. The problem is greed. Plain and simple. People today want EVERYTHING. They all want it NOW. INSTANTLY. They do not want to wait for something. They do not want to earn it. They do not want to spend time to acquire it. They do not want to pay the price they should pay to get it. That’s why we don’t make things in Australia. They have to have the ‘best’ and ‘latest’ now. Unfortunately this has changed the meaning of ‘the best’. In fact, because of demand, quality has almost vanished. The markets are flooded with cheap imitations of original items, that may once have been a quality item.

Demand. Even the word sounds aggressive. There was a era (even in my youth, not so long ago) when people developed their skills, over time. They slowly worked at getting better at what they did, made, produced or created. Now it seems they want it done immediately. They do not buy that single chair for their house, which was how I started when flatting. As I could afford it (there being a big part of the difference) I added to my flat. Today, people borrow ‘on credit’ so they do not have to wait. They want it Instantly. Instant food, instant materials, even, instant buildings. There is now a prefabrication system in Japan, where a person can walk into a showroom on Monday, and walk into their completed house on Friday. Two stories, eight rooms. Basically it is four or eight pods of cement joined together, and the interiors finished as per your selection on Monday. All you have to do is have a slab of cement and the water and electricity connections ready to be attached. Frightening concept when you think about it. But you get it NOW. You don’t have to wait. You don’t need to worry about patience. Or time. Until the repayments.

(Continued tomorrow)

About Persona

Time is simply a scale. Time won’t tell, but the passage of time will allow us to. We are the ones who will tell what we have done with it. We are the ones who will judge (or be judged). We are the ones who will need to account, to ourselves at the very least, to our family at the worst. Don’t worry about what the rest of the world thinks of us, you can’t do much about that. We will have to account for what we do, what we have done and how it has affected others. I’m not talking the final judgement day or anything, but the accounting we do when we look back over our time. Whether we are held to account, or hold ourselves to account. Time and history will provide a scale for us to understand how we used our time. Effectively, compassionately, for some, violently. But how do we see ourselves, regardless of how others see us. Can we look back over our time with pride? Or with shame? Are there personal ‘successes’, and how do we look at our ‘failures’? Are we satisfied we did the best we could with what we had, or, did we try harder for what we didn’t. Many people comment that coming second is never as good as winning. I think, if you were in the race, you achieved.

There have been many, many stories, books, films, and television series which have explored human history. Often it has centred around one iconic figure. Famous, or infamous. But it has looked at the influence of that person on those around them. Seldom do such programmes look at the ‘actual’ person. We are instead shown the perceived ‘persona’ often interpreted many years later. We can’t ever understand what the actual person thought or what desires drove them to behave as they did. We cannot get inside the head of someone who is no longer alive. We can read their writings and perhaps glean a certain understanding. But even then, today it is individual researchers, not major media who can present a truer picture of any individual, rather than the perceived image of that individual. But all of this occurs over time.

I know speaking personally, I do not yet use my time as effectively as I should.

People always laugh at how I don’t appear to sleep much. I do, it just seems that whenever people talk to me I am awake (not as strange as it sounds). To always see me awake… they must have been awake too. Logically. I am awake at odd hours and for long (sometimes very long) periods of time (sometimes because of the job, sometimes not) but I would still sleep for about six hours a day. Usually. Sometimes. They also say that I work too much (a lot of it unpaid, one of the problems with loving your job). That could be true, but the essence of that is, I am always trying to learn something else. Yet, I honestly believe I probably waste half my time. I am still learning to use it better, but it isn’t easy.

(Continued tomorrow)