My favourite Member of Parliament

I am guessing but I don't think you will have heard the name of my favourite Member of Parliament, but then again do you know the name of your own MP - never mind what he or she does as an MP. Anyway I digress, my favourite MP is Sir Ian Bowler.

Why is he my favourite? It is not because of his views on policy or his ideology, as a staunch right wing conservative he doesn't match my centre-left social leanings. The reason he is my favourite is his willingness to be honest and open about shortcomings and hypocricy that other people in public life or indeed in government policy. Intensely loyal he doesn't attempt to curry favour by snipping or harping on about these failings, simply he doesn't ignore them rather he tells them how they are so we can consider these in light of policies to the contrary.

Never one to shy away from the limelight he regularly 'speaks' to the electorate via youtube and I share a few of his videos here. Enjoy...

Growing Pains

Most of the time we live in our own ordered, secure world and don't ever look at it or ourselves very closely. Often it's not until you have an experience or meet someone that you are forced to confront yourself and how you view the world - how you will respond, act, feel, change...

The last few weeks have seen some major changes in my life which have seen different people, events and experience come into my world in a short space of time.

Maybe no-one could easily handle this much change without being affected in some or many ways I know I can't. But I can't keep hiding within myself and I can't run away.

It just leaves me the option of 'growing up'.

I say growing up because I feel so immature at times. Emotionally immature for certain. Ironically I think I can listen to others, be wise and mature, empathetic and even insightful but in the moments I have to deal with myself I am a mess.

How do you learn to handle emotions, when all you have done in life is to avoid, suppress or nullify them? They say being in touch with your emotions is a good thing, maybe like exercise where it is often a case of 'no pain, no gain'. One blessing in all this is some off the people I have spent time with in the midst of the pain and the strange thing is almost all of their first names begins with the letter A!

Well here's hoping that the pain I'm going through produces emotional muscle for the future challenges ahead.

Random Connections

Scientists tell us that all things are interconnected if only at an atomic level. We are re-cycled beings literally made up of the dust of the stars.


A good few years back there was a challenge called Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon a variation of the concept of the six degrees of separation that we are all connected by some physical connection to every other person. In this case all actors are only six steps away from having worked with the prolific Kevin Bacon.

But maybe more magical than that we humans are connected through the the most abstract and unlikely ways. Chance comments made which lead to concrete actions, difficult situations lead to connection and positive memories unearthed.

Over the past few days I have seen a couple of these connections being made/unearthed in the unlikeliest ways in my life:

• The description of a birthday present of a work colleague influences a choice that results in a deep life changing conversation with a close friend.
• The hurt and pain of the refugee crisis reflected on and connected with somehow ends with a time of laughter and joy from the reminiscing of school physics lessons with two lovely school friends.

Of course we must have these weird magical connections all the time but don't see them, if we could seem them all for even a few moments I imagine it being like the Auroa Borealis swirling around us everyday taking wisps of connections between us all.

Enjoy the connections folks.