It felt like coming home on the Monday, indicating how well Gord and I have adapted to our move to McCracken, less than two months earlier. Driving from Kaniva through to Bordertown, Keith, Coonalpyn, Tailem Bend, Murrary Bridge, Strathalbyn I felt gratitude for my good fortune. I was thankful the trip had been a success with no mishaps. Thankful to have seen many friends and enjoyed their company.
All the way across and back, the landscape was breathtakingly beautiful to me. Mostly dry cropping and sheep country, but some vineyards and irrigated lucerne, and some beef cattle. Agriculture. How lucky are we to have such beauty and open space. Uniquely Australian landscape. The real Australia. Teeming with wildlife and magnificent flora. Surely our greatest asset in a global sense. Let's hope future governments can learn to best preserve it. When we got home and hooked by the media tentacles the focus is on all sorts of arguing, bickering and hype about so many things - road accidents, freeways, sexual misdemeanors in parliament house, gas led recovery, quarantine fiasco, footy, vaccines, budgets, debt, Xi Xi Ping, Harry and Meagan, LGBT rights, illicit drugs, domestic violence etc. It's easy for people to be immune from the roadkill, species extinction and environmental damage. They are overwhelmed with crap. The vocal protest minority is derided as ratbags. So are the poor. The wealthy count their wealth. No wonder many people seek comfort with alcohol, drugs, gambling, and maybe the tattoo craze has some foundation in this brain overload.
Reading my previous post, I realize I didn't name the four players from the 1980 grand final team who have died. Brett Rumsey was killed in a vehicle accident not long after 1980. Keith Rowan also died in a car accident, shortly after he was married I believe, also long ago. Mark Kelly died before our 30 year reunion, liver failure. Andrew George came to the 30 year reunion, he was recovering from bowel cancer treatment and made the trip from WA for the reunion, but died a few months later. Naturally I have fond memories of these blokes and again it reinforces my feeling of gratitude for my good fortune in life. I'm blessed to have been born in Australia, at a point in time that has precluded me from participation in war. I have not been injured, killed or maimed in road accident as many thousands of my generation have. I have dodged serious illness. This by good luck not management.
At age 69 I take no medication (except for the odd painkiller if arthritis flares) or drugs, prescription or otherwise, and am in good health. I was born into good family and married a great lady who has been a wonderful companion. I have met and enjoy/ed many friendships with amazing people. Yes I'm full of gratitude. I'm ready to be the best I can be in future in this last phase.
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