Dream a little dream ..

I love a good landmark.

Not that I drive with any measure of uncertainty but I do like to know precisely where I am going and I do like to  absolutely be in the right lane – or the left -  should it so happen.
I like to plan!

 

 

 

I am not particularly fond of GPS either. 
I’m not really sure why. I’m just not.

Admittedly, I am not that quick with left or right - that is without taking my hands off the wheel!

I used to look at my beautiful locket ring.
But I lost it.
About the time I lost my way. Prior to that I always thought I knew what was right.

I started thinking about landmarks while driving along the Beach Road to the pool of the morning.
There’s a lovely old sandstone building with a bell tower and a flag at Albert Park.
I don’t know what the building is but I do know it’s my landmark.

It’s my without taking your hands off the wheel you must absolutely turn left here right now!
And I can see it from miles away.

It stands tall.

I researched the word landmark. There is an abundance of different meanings.

But the one I loved the most was this.

Originally, a 'landmark' literally meant a geographic feature used by explorers and others to find their way back.

There are times when we all need to find our way back.

And it’s easy to feel a little directionless.

In the last few months I have been battling through a book. Recommended to me.

The battle hasn’t been not relishing the story.

The challenge has been to not let my mind wander as to why I am reading this book in the first place.

In the first few pages there is a line where one of the main characters as a young boy ponders what he will do throughout his life.

And his thoughts are 'whatever is right’.

It jumped out at me immediately.

Because it is amazing how invariably what is right can change so quickly from what was right then to what is right now.

For you.

My favourite song of the minute is Carry On by Fun!

Cause we are we are shining stars
We are invincible we are who we are
On our darkest day when we're miles away
So we'll come we will find our way home.

This week all around Australia Year 12’s are completing their final weeks of schooling. Countless numbers of Valedictory and Farewell speeches are being written and read. I know this because in between gazing out of my office window I have been editing and proof reading several of them.

 

As a small aside - gazing out of my window there stands another lovely landmark.

It is a magnificent oil palm, reminiscent of the hundreds that can be seen from the air on approach to Honolulu International Airport.
But here there is only one.
And as no other office has the perspective that I do, I kind of sentimentally think of it as my own!
I have even gone so far as to stick a hula girl decal on my window to create a 3D effect!

I know .. the Principessa thinks I’m tragic too .. but I prefer the word imaginative!

In fact I am going to take a photo of it right now so you can see! Imaginative? I'm sure you'll agree!

But - finding my way back..

I think if it were up to me to write and deliver a valedictory speech it would be very short and sweet.

It would go something like this ..

It is perfectly fine to be a dreamer.
To hold a dream in your heart.
But it is equally important to have a landmark.

So that if you lose your way you will always know that there is something still there - to guide you back.
Something or someone to help you find your way back.

But. There may well be times when you will need to hold your head high, stand tall – and be your very own landmark.

To do whatever is right.

With what is left.

For you.

And bring yourself home.

Only one week until the Melbourne Cup!
And for the past 2 years I have studied hard and backed the winner.
Even posted it on Facebook to share the love!

And while my heart still says Dunaden, I am thinking that Mount Athos is starting to look like a very good landmark.

And who could possibly resist the Lights of Heaven!

"May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground - Carry on!"

When you're weary, feeling small ..

Last week I was following a hearse across the Westgate Bridge.

If ever I needed a sign well this had to be it!

There have been several times of late when I have honestly believed that the Westgate Bridge could be the end of me. Thank God for the suicide barriers that took so long to put up we all nearly threw ourselves over the edge anyway.

The traffic was a major nightmare that morning.
Tunnels closed and gridlocks city wide.
Actually it’s a major nightmare every morning and the afternoons are even worse!  
The bridge was killing me.

But now I am looking at this situation from a whole different perspective.
I think the bridge could actually be the saving of me!

You see just lately I have been feeling a little lethargic. And a tiny bit acerbic, not so enthusiastic and lacking in the aerobic. And longing for the nostalgic while trying to stay realistic. The mornings are too hectic but I am absolutely emphatic that I am not being overdramatic!!

And then it came to me.

If I was 'up and at em’ earlier I could zoom across that bridge sooner rather than later and hit the pool farther rather than nearer.
And so I did. I joined MSAC – platinum member, why start small?

My first morning I was in a little bit of a quandary. Sheepishly I must admit I was very nervous actually.
Most of these early morning swimmers are the real deal. Most of them!

I needed to look back a rather long way to remember when I was the real deal!

The lanes in the pool are signposted - slow, medium and fast.

I didn’t really consider myself slow but the people in the medium lane looked pretty pacey to me.

 

 

So with a little trepidation I slid down into the slow lane. Only to end up following a breaststroker. A very slow breaststroker. Kind of reminded me of a spider swimming sideways. This was not a good start to reducing my stress levels.

So I swapped lanes.

Medium. Now I’ve always wanted stop traffic but not in such an overt manner ..

Back to the bridge...it had actually taken me until half way across the bridge to realise it was a hearse. Initially it had dawned on me that I was following a very long car.
With a curtain ..
I noticed the driver playing with her hair. Fluffing it up and flicking it around the place. Now I know it was a long crawl across the river and distraction was required - but even I who have the greatest love for all things hair considered this a little inappropriate!

Not that there was a body in there but still ..

Last weekend I had my locks chopped off.

In hindsight last week was a really big week.

It wasn’t the realisation that I will never be a mermaid because I still harbour great hope for the future!
It was just that I couldn’t show up to school everyday looking like I had just been washed up.
As SJP once said – we don’t just wake up looking this gorgeous!  
Well okay then I’m not in the mood to argue with you ..
But I needed adequate time to look a little respectable ..

The first morning I hit the pool I was a little baffled because I couldn’t see a clock. Anywhere. It’s been a long time since I have swum in an outdoor 50 metre pool. I had well and truly lost track of time and distance.

To any swimmer there is nothing like swimming to take yourself away.
Or take yourself back.

I could see the training clock but not the time clock.
It all seemed rather odd.
Until I spotted it behind me - from water level hidden from view by the diving block.

It seems that sometimes you really do need to look back to see how far you’ve come.

And I really needed to get out of the pool quickly and I really needed to get going!

Since I have commenced ‘training’  I feel I have improved slightly already. This morning as I was swimming in the opposite direction with perfect view of the time clock it dawned on me that while it is good that you can look behind to see how far you've come - it is equally important and wonderful to also look ahead to see how far you have left to go.

And hopefully there's a little time for curls!

This week I think I have found my stride.

And my lane.
I am not in the Tomorrowland lane.
And I am not in the Fantasyland lane.
I guess I am in Lover’s Lane.
Because I really love starting each day this way.
It’s fantastic.

Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by.

Your time has come to shine,

All your dreams are on their way.