Dispensable

It’s good to be back. I will admit that I could have spent some more time on holiday, resting and relaxing, but it’s the day to day stuff of life that makes holidays so special when they come along; and I love my job so that helps.

I spent the past week on Rottnest Island with extended family.

The weather was perfect and being with family is always a good thing.

I swam, I read, I cycled, drank good coffee and enjoyed good company.

Today looks a little different. I’m back at work, on air at Sonshine FM.

The interesting thing I find about holidays is that they prove just how dispensable I am at work. Don’t get me wrong, I think that’s a good thing.

When I get wrapped up in my work I can start to think that I’m absolutely necessary for the smooth running of wherever it is that I’m employed. Wisdom comes with age and as I get older I realise more and more that I have a part to play but that the world won’t fall apart if I’m not at work. Holidays help to remind me of that and reinforce the fact that the world doesn’t really depend on me. It’ll keep turning with or without me. I’m completely dispensable.

Announcer Peter Rowe did a wonderful job with my morning radio programme and the world didn’t fall apart over the past fortnight.

Does that mean that I don’t matter or that my efforts are for nothing? Absolutely not, but it does remind me of where my striving and attention is of most use. Who would miss me the most if I was no longer around? My radio audience? No. My workmates? No. My friends? No. They might all miss me to one degree or another but it’s really my family who would miss me the most if I wasn’t around.

That’s a great indicator as to where I should be putting my efforts and energies in life.

How about you? Have you discovered that you’re dispensable, yet at the same time valued and needed by those who love you?



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Life is slow …

… but internet speeds at Rottnest are slower.

To be fair, it’s really the Optus wireless broadband that’s slow here. Everything takes forever to load so I won’t be updating this blog until I can get faster internet access.

We’ve been at Rotto for a few days so far.

I’ve read Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson and large chunks of the impressively large book Shantaram. I’ll tell you more about them later.

Next month is officially winter but the weather has been amazing. I’ve been in shorts and t-shirt the whole time, apart from when I’ve been swimming in the crystal clear water of the sandy white beaches.

I love relaxing at Rottnest so I’d better just publish this post so that I can get back to reading, swimming, laying about, spending time with family and all those other things that make Rotto the best place to be.



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Just a Thought

Swine flu has sent the world into a panic. Governments all over the globe are trying to work out what can be done to stop the problem growing. (And rightly so.)

My understanding is that this has the potential to kill thousands of people. So far the most effected area for the virus is Mexico where over 300 people have been confirmed to have swine flu with over a dozen confirmed deaths.

All this has happened over a number of days and something obviously needs to be done to stop the spread of this disease but I’m scratching my head a little.

Today alone, over 25 000 children died of hunger or preventable disease. Every day this happens. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year. 25 000 children a day.

Why have we been so quick to act to stop swine flu yet we refuse to stop poverty and hunger, even though it is within our means and our control to do so? Could it be that those 25 000 children, even though they’re just like the children we tuck into bed each night, are far, far away and yet swine flu has the potential to touch us and those we love?

Surely not. We couldn’t be that selfish could we?

Just a thought.



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