For a brief moment today I was transported back to Tamworth (NSW), and in particular the Country Music Festival. The launch of the Golden Guitars for 2019 was held today at my workplace in Sydney. Attending, I was reminded of being one of the judges, and making my way through a crate-load of compact discs. I was reminded of the many years I travelled to Tamworth to conduct outside broadcasts for ABC Radio. I was also reminded of the warm days and nights in Tamworth during the festival. Though it’s about fifteen years since I last attended, I’d love to return at some point. Attending today brought back some very fond memories.
Catching up with old Tamworth mates, Andrea Ho and Felicity Urquhart.Official photograph of the artists at today’s launch in Sydney.From the archives, an outside broadcast from the steps of ABC Radio in Tamworth in 2003.In the studio of ABC Radio in Tamworth, with John Williamson, Pixie Jenkins and Warren H. Williams
My friend Damien and his wife were on Gili Air when the recent earthquake occcured. Damien spoke on ABC Radio Hobart about the experiences they encountered.
Stockholm i natt
I came home from work today feeling pretty shitty. In fact, as soon as I got here, I went straight to bed for a bit of a lie down.
That it was a stressful day actually makes little sense. Sure, there were the early morning phone calls (far too early). Sure, everyone was a little bit “full moon” if you know what I mean. But I honestly don’t know why I felt so tired and grumpy when I walked in the door. And then I was reminded of Stockholm.
I didn’t get all sentimental. I didn’t start looking at photographs. But I did remember something which happened to me there which I hope will continue to be an inspiration in life. I remembered how I managed to get myself out of that awful cycle of negativity that affects so many of us so often. You take time out, you try to turn the mind set around, and then you move on.
I first recognised this one day in Stockholm when I was having a particularly shitty day. I’d gotten lost several times. No one seemed able to understand me. And I think the weather was pretty awful too.
So I got back to my room and started writing a blog post about my day.
Half way through the post I recognised how awful and negative I was being. At that point I said to myself “stop this”. So I left the hostel and went out again with a view to making sure the day ended on a more positive note. I don’t remember exactly what I did, but I had loads of fun and realised the power of taking a moment out of my life and saying “I’m not gonna waste my life with anger and negativity”.
Unfortunately I failed to do that today. I never really had the chance (nor the inclination) to do something about it, although I recognised the position I’d found myself in.
It wasn’t until I was on the way home that I thought about turning things around. I could have gone for a walk. I could have done something a little more interesting. But as it was, I just had a little lie down for a while. And now I’m up and about and I feel a lot better.
I’m not really sure if watching “The Howard Years” on ABC1 is gonna make me feel much better, but I can always listen to some Swedish pop and look at those photographs of my recent travel. And more lastingly, hopefully, I can always remember it’s possible to turn things around by just taking a moment or two to reflect and look for something better.
This was the second time I’ve seen a production by the West Australian Opera, the first being a production of “Cinderella” a few months back. If these two productions are an indication, the West Australian Opera is a well-kept secret, at least to those from “The Eastern States”.
This production was, however, very different to that of “Cinderella”. “Faust”, based on the book by Goethe, tells the story of a character who, realising his life is passing him by, makes a deal with the devil. After falling in desperately in love with Marguerite, killing another character, and upon realising the relationship with Marguerite can never be, because of her faith, Faust recognises the error of his ways in signing such a pact with the devil. Both end up in a psychiatric institution, but only Marguerite is saved. I thought it was “very Catholic!”.
This production of “Faust” (sung in French) was excellent. It was well paced and directed and very well sung. About three hours long, it never dragged and, if anything, I found the second half even more engaging. (Must be the Catholic in me!!) The set design was also great. The only weakness was perhaps the odd occasion when an “Australian” French accent showed through in the dialogue.
Although star billing for the show was given to Dennis O’Neill, most of the audience, including myself, gave greater applause to ther performances of Bruce Martin as “Mephistopheles” and Elisa Wilson as “Marguerite”. Wilson, in particular, was spectacular, displaying both strong emotions and intelligence in her performance. As a Perth girl, I’m sure the locals were also pleased to see her perform so well.
“There’s nothing like a few hours at MONA to clear your brain…” I said to an older woman I shared the lift with a few hours ago. In contrast to her view there was “so much to think about”, my view is that a visit to MONA helps you “not think”. You come in, forget about the world, and immerse yourself in a world of creativity. Even though I’ve visited MONA a few times before, it still overwhelms me: the beauty; the thoughtfulness of the works; the passion.
Visiting today, I really loved this work, featuring topical words projected on an artificial waterfall.
Like “White Rabbit” in Sydney, MONA is a “gift” from a wealthy individual, that easily outranks many of the public galleries in Australia. It’s understandable, since the public galleries are hopelessly underfunded in comparison with what the multi-millionaire/billionaire owners of these two private galleries are able to offer.
Unlike the public galleries who face scrutiny for every purchase they make (undoubtedly, it’s part of the legacy of the controversy of the early 70s purchase of Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles) these gallery owners can pretty much purchase whatever their credit cards will afford. And it pays off. For me at least, since I prefer “edgier” work.
Here’s some of my favourite works from spending a few hours at MONA earlier today.
As a post-script, I should add this is not a slight on public galleries.
This week is Wounds Awareness Week! As an ambassador for Wounds Australia and a member of their consumer advisory group, this cause is incredibly close to my heart.
It’s easy to dismiss a cut or a scrape, but what happens when a wound doesn’t heal? This is a reality for so many Australians, and the consequences of an untreated wound can be severe.
Here are a few of the risks we need to be aware of:
Infection and Sepsis: An unhealed wound is an open invitation for bacteria. What starts as a simple issue can spiral into a serious infection.
Amputation: For those with underlying health issues, an untreated wound can progress to the point where a limb may need to be amputated.
Pain and Isolation: Chronic wounds don’t just affect our bodies; they can cause constant pain, limit our ability to move, and lead to feelings of isolation and depression.
Check out Wounds Australia, and please take care of your skin. This is a blog post from last year, which remains relevant.
Wounds Australia Champion
Last year, I had a lower limb amputation because of a wound that refused to heal. This has fundamentally changed my life, and now, being vigilant about the health of the skin on both my residual limb and my other leg is a constant priority.
I was honoured to have my experience featured by ABC News, and now Wounds Australia has shared my story to help raise awareness about the critical nature of wound care. You can read their profile, which I’ve posted below.
A small cut with big consequences for one Sydney man Monday, 12 August 2024
When James O’Brien felt unwell on his return home from an overseas holiday, he assumed he’d caught a virus, perhaps COVID. In fact, a small cut on his foot had become infected, and sepsis – an extreme and life-threatening reaction to infection – was rapidly setting in. Concerned friends and emergency service workers rescued the semi-conscious Sydney man from his home and rushed him to hospital, where his lower right leg was amputated below the knee. What followed was almost four months in hospital, during which James was also diagnosed with diabetes, a leading cause of amputations in Australia – around 4400 a year. James has made a truly remarkable journey back to mobility, learning to navigate life in his old apartment according to his new needs and returning to part-time work as an audio content planner with the ABC. A year on from his amputation, James says he is grateful for Australia’s excellent health care system and feels “lucky to be alive”, while acknowledging that his wound care journey isn’t over. During a recent routine appointment, a physiotherapist found a blister on his left foot that James could not feel because of numbness related to his diabetes. As James’ story demonstrates, the smallest wounds can sometimes have serious consequences – but the good news is, even many chronic (long-lasting) wounds can be healed with the right treatment. With routine podiatry visits, James is being supported to stop acute wounds like a small foot blister from becoming chronic. Thanks to Wound Champion James O’Brien for sharing his story. Read more on the ABC. Find out more about diabetes and wounds and diabetic foot care in our factsheets section.
PS. Since this article was first published, I’ve joined the Wounds Australia Community Advisory Group.
