As Life Goes On

Time passes really quickly and I wonder what is it I really want out of this life of mine, I have two beautiful children one fantastic husband and of course we cannot forget the dog.

I have dreams of finishing our house, becoming successful in my job, traveling the world, seeing my children grow through teenage hood and into respectable caring and loving adults and spending quality time with my wonderful friends.

But I have now reached forty and have realised my life is already half gone, If I look realistically when I reach my eighties I could have all my faculties and be fit and healthy but then maybe not. So how much time do I really have and how am I going to fit all that I want to do into what seems like such a short period of time.

Now I know you are thinking I am reiterating what many generations have thought and felt before but how do you plan for the next forty years. I am open for suggestions.

This situation I have found myself in has also made me start to think what have I achieved in the first forty years of my life.

I was born in 6 weeks prematurely in the Sandringham Hospital Melbourne and lived in Cheltnanham before we moved to Boronia when I was approximately 2-3, I believe I reached all the milestones and achievements that any child was meant to meet at this time in in my life, nothing has ever come up in those family conversation to tell me otherwise anyway.

When I was about four we moved to Mt Gambier, where we lived in a caravan for eighteen months and at Nelson for a short period of time before we moved to Yahl and lived on a horse stud, our house was an old shearers quarters that I shared with my sister,The room was big enough to fit three average caravans in it (always thought that was a great bit of trivia to tell people when I was a kid).

I went to Yahl primary school and at this stage I cant remember much achievement in my short life except riding the three kilometers to school, along the dirt roads in the rain, hail and sun shine.

We then moved to Mt Schank where we lived in a little cottage made of the local stone, We had a volcano in our back yard and twenty acres which held our menagerie of animals.

This is also the time I started at O.B. Flat Primary School ( see other post memories from

a time gone by), I believe I achieved the notoriety of being a tom boy, was recognised as a potential long distance runner except I kept going the wrong way and would come second or third or worse, I also achieved my first goal in footy( lunch time footy) and played centre and wing attack in netball ( I could actually run then). I managed to get a first ribbon in the 100 metres running race at our school sports day.

Big achievements really did not come my way until we moved back to Melbourne.

I was sixteen. getting settled into a big city school was an achievements within itself. But I then managed to impress someone and was nominated for School Captain and yes I got it.

Not that I feel I achieved much there except the odd talk at assembly and representing the school on the odd occasion.

Nineteen eighty seven saw me leave school after completing year twelve and go on to qualify as a hairdresser, something I actually never wished to do but certainly have never regretted.

Once I had qualified I went on to run my own business for about ten years.

I met my husband when I was twenty and bought a house with him four years later, After two year of living together we got married had our two lovely children.

1999 was a big year for me I had Leshea in the August and turned thirty in the October, can I count that I stayed up until LeSheas 4'o'clock feed as an achievement in my life? I believe I will as I don't do that so easy anymore.

Whilst our children were young I worked casually when needed in whatever line of work I could get at the time( Not any thing untoward might I add)there was factory work where I pulled lollie pop stick to make sure they stayed in, delivered spare parts,went into more retail, starting off at the registers, then into special orders, in store trainer which has moved me onto where I am today as a workplace and industry co coordinator and coordinating a campus in Pakenham AHHHH!

So I suppose all through this working period I finally worked my self to where I am today and more in the line of work I wanted to be in, teaching, I did fancy the idea of becoming a Drama teacher but as I did not do so well in year twelve Uni was out of the question.

I am certainly glad that I have done all I have done as I have had exposure to many different experiences which is keeping me in good stead for my job role now. you never really realise the impact people and the environment you are currently working in has on your further endeavours or how we handle situations that you are faced with.

I would be remiss in saying that my jobs have been the only achievements in my life due to the fact that being involved in the The Country Fire Authority as a volunteer Fire Fighter for the past twenty five years. Has been the longest achievement so far, (other than survival).

I experienced so many challenges within the years that once conquered have been the greatest achievements I could note. And they are not necessarily going out and fighting fires, because unlike others I may have been in the C.F.A for a while I have not had the opportunity to go on many strike teams as others have done. This is certainly by no means that I have not had the desire to go with my fellow fire fighters and do what we train to do, I have found there has been other influences that have made that a difficult task to complete.

I have had many vast and interesting times over the twenty five year period and have found that all have contributed in shaping me to be the person I am today.

I have held positions of Secretary of the Dandenong Ranges Group, President of The Belgrave Fire Brigade for 8years and have been awarded Firefighter of the year, and a few others that recognised the contribution I made in other areas of the brigades I have been in.

I have completed The Chairman's Challenge which involved Abseiling down Little River Gorge, Hiking,White water Rafting,and caving, All done under the supervision of Outward Bound and C.F.A leaders.

After completing this course,it was an interesting exercise to see what people had managed to achieve, some of the group learnt that it was more important to help others than be first, other learnt tolerance and how to be a little more humble, other how important their families were to them.

Where as I learnt I have a great sense of Independence ( which I think I already knew but it really hits you in the face when you are dealing will difficulties and challenges)

I have had the opportunity to go on a couple of strike teams which in itself was a great achievement not only to go but to leave your family and hope they are alright for the days you are away is quite nerve racking especially when you are the main person who runs the day to day running of the house hold. Nothing to worry about really my husband did fantastically. And I was able to come home to everything intacked except maybe my emotions, amazing what adrenaline and the lack of sleep will do.

I would say my latest a greatest achievement of late was completing the Oxfam, this is a walk or run which you have to complete 100kms in 48hrs, I did complete this in 36 hrs and 14 mins along with my team mates, might I add I thought at times I was not going to get there, but the thought of not getting there scared me me more than anything else, failing does not sit well with me and I can be my worst critic.

So over all I feel I have made some fairly significant achievements in my life but the question still stands how do I fit the rest in.

Maybe I am not necessarily meant to know I have not really planned all the achievements I have laid down before you, so may be life will deal me what it knows I can deal with. But if I find the answer in the mean time I will let you know.