That one time, back then, when I called off my wedding 6 weeks before the big day.

Now before you assume I’ve used some sort of trickery with my headline to get you to read this post, let me assure you that I did once call my wedding off 6 weeks before the date. For real. As an engaged grown up. To a real man. Yes, it is all THAT.

By far and away the most common comment I get from people when they hear this story is

“Oh you were very brave to do that”.

My reply is always the same.

Actually, I don’t think so. Brave is turning up on your wedding day and actually getting married to the person that you know is the wrong guy.

Now before you go and assume that maybe I just had pre-wedding jitters

Just because the head beats you one day, doesn’t mean that it’s over every day: The secret to keeping your New Year’s resolutions.

Number 1 on the resolution list this year!

I figured that as it is New Year’s Eve that I should write the obligatory post about resolutions. Which makes it sounds like I hate resolutions and I so don’t!! They are awesome and I think I have cranked out 8 for 2014 so far. Boy am I motivated this year (compared to last year when I could come up with only one – flossing my teeth daily – and then proceeded to never do it).

So yes, resolutions.

But then

The brain in love is a brain on drugs. But it must be the right drugs.

I don’t think this is new information for us all; that falling in love is pretty much the same for the brain as getting high on cocaine. Pretty cool though right?

There, but for the grace of God, go I.

Having escaped an accident that could have easily resulted in my death not once, but twice, in my life, I’ve always felt a bit of an affinity for this saying.

These events were but two small moments in my life and I honestly don’t pay them too much mind these days. The second event gets more of a showing than the first but it alone was almost 23 years ago now. That’s quite a ways in the past.

But both of them were serious and both of them were car accidents. 

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

It’s award time again! Hooray! I actually got this one a few weeks ago but I’ve been a bit naughty and not posted it yet. I’m a little behind on awards posts. Sorry to those awarding them as it makes me seem ungrateful but I totally am not!

I am stoked when I receive any award but I must admit to being super chuffed about this one. I mean, who doesn’t want to be thought of as inspiring ??? What a  marvelous compliment. Incidentally did anyone else know that marvelous contains only one L? I did not until the spell checker told me just now. I’m a pretty good speller too. Once in grade 4 I got 100% in a spelling bee so clearly I know my shit when it comes to spelling. So yeah, I can spell and didn’t know about marvelous and the L.

Anyway I’m getting off topic here. I’m tired.

So my award came from the lovely FoolishSageWisdom whose blog I absolutely adore (in bold to emphaise the depths of my adoration folks).

Meditation Rocks. And if you think you can’t do it then this one’s for you*.

Pic: The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy

I have been meaning to write this post for aaaaages. Ever since I actually did a meditation course in mid May (yes that’s right, almost 2 months ago) but as I didn’t start it at the moment of inspiration I’ve been struggling to get back to it ever since. I think the issue was that I didn’t know how to approach it. I really hate when I go to some of those pages about meditation and everything is written in self help speak that sounds downright poxy and makes me cringe inside. It’s a shame really as it means I miss the message but it is what it is. Anyway, no judgy judgy here. That shit obviously “speaks” to some people so it has it’s place and I have mine.

I have never really been a meditation person. I couldn’t do it

When things don’t go to plan

If you had told me it would have completely pissed down with rain this morning while I was out on my walk then I probably wouldn’t have gone. I especially wouldn’t have been keen if you had told me that Master S would have a massive tanty about having the rain cover over the pram and kick and scream to get it off and get completely saturated. A soaking wet 21 month old who already has a bit of a cough simply was not in my plan. But plan or not this was exactly our morning.  Me and my kid soaking wet in the rain (with friends – they were wet too but had more compliant children who stayed dry).

But guess what else wasn’t in my plan?

The unconditional love of a parent

In this talk, Love, no matter what,  Andrew Solomon looks at the unconditional love of a parent; particularly in situations where the child is different in some way to what is considered to be the norm. His research is absolutely fascinating and examines the topic as it applies to autism, dwarfism, homosexuality, downs syndrome and even the extreme of your child as a murderer and that’s just for starters. It also highlights the crossroads that we are at now with our potential to eliminate

This is what all the fuss is about…

Have you ever wondered what the big deal is about gay marriage? Why it is so desperately important to some people?  I have always been agreeable to gay marriage but more from the “well if that’s what will make them happy”corner.  I haven’t wondered what the fuss is about, I can see how it would be important to some people, but it really didn’t bother me either way. Ask me to vote for it and I’ll say yes but I’m not about to go on a protest march.  Clearly my life hasn’t been severely impacted by the decision NOT to legalise it.

Well the good folks at Mamamia have once again done a stellar job of bring a serious issue to everyone’s attention and now I am enraged. I have moved from an agreeable bystander to one that would happily go on a protest march. And now I’m bringing it to your attention and hopefully you will bring it to someone else’s attention.  You can look at the Mamamia entry here or just watch the video I insert below. I can ensure you that it is worth the 10 mins of your time.

This man is so brave and courageous to share this story. This is why same sex marriage is important. Even those of you who don’t agree with it for ideological reasons should be able to separate that from this discussion and deal with the facts presented here and agree, this guy had rights. All people in same sex relationships have rights. Who are we to strip these people of the respect and dignity afforded the rest of society in this sort of situation? 

Today’s little message…

Put a smile on somebody else’s dial!