Ridden into the Ground and Loving It - Drew Ginn (Wed 08 May 2007)

Another Favourite Blog Post by Drew Ginn.

A great way of thinking about a maximum effort in any endurance sport.

I have taken up RPM again for my cardio fitness and the great thing with RPM Indoor Bike Sessions is that I get a chance to explore all these feelings in every 45 minute session.

For me it is a great way of training the mind to Win the Workout.

Ridden into the Ground and Loving It - Drew Ginn (Wed 08 May 2007)

It is an extreme sensation to run out of gas on the bike.

It's a wonderfully strange feeling that is painful, magical and exciting.

The energy this morning as we rode ourselves into the ground was very cool.

Each challenge to dig deeper was meet with that fear of failure, of seizing up, of not being able to hang on.

It was think like a sea fog and could not be escaped.

If for one moment we were to back off it would be the end.

The only choice was to roll on and push again into that space of fatigue and sting.

The remarkable thing is each time I go into this place, into this zone I find something special, something new.

A freshness presented itself and as I pushed further.

I found that I couldn’t just stand and fight, punch myself out.

Be smart w[as] a statement I could hear like a whisper from an invisible friend.

Be smart, again it came into my awareness.

We swung round a corner and the pace quickened, the surge is extraordinary and it occurred outside and within.

If for a moment I was to hesitate I knew I would loose connection, so to drive again was the command.

The pleasure is in the relationship the lies within the range and scope of extremes.

The vastness of feelings marks a cycle.

Not just the one we ride but the one that is ever present inside us.

The burning grew and as it did I thought, "how can I maintain this effort?"

Then in one foul and almighty swoop we were away again.

The release was wonderful as I gained new energy to challenge and step.

Every stroke of the pedal was one closer to the end of our ride.

As we encountered a slight rise away from another bend it had become noticeably more difficult.

The build up of accumulated resistance was so filling and even the little climb was laughing at us.

We dug, I dug and before we realised we are over and off again.

The joy was like a chorus of celebration that burst and gradually it turned into new momentum.

The final stretch was into a strengthening wind.

The speed became hard to maintain and as I noticed my position matching the challenge.

Lower and lower I became, grinding away.

The pressure was had developed into a constant strain that would not let up until the end of the straight.

As we crossed an imaginary line we sat up like some proud animal in the wild after a kill.

Gasping for air we an evident sign of the effort require and expended.

The wry smiles told the story and we rolled into our coffee shop and embarked on a different journey.

One of reflection as we each shared our version of the morning’s events.

We were all exhausted, we had ridder ourselves into the ground and we loved it.

Bikes - Levento / Italy (Thu 11 Aug 2005)

On Fear (1 of 2) - Spencer Lum / Ground Glass

Untitled - Split / Croatia (Tue 30 Jul 2013)
Spencer Lum (*) writes On Fear (*):

Fear is a dark and menacing thing. It lurks in the shadows of our minds. Always hard to find, always waiting in the wings, never quite gone, never quite there.

But I’ll take it over security, any day.

Security is worse.

Fear accompanies all great things. It’s there in progress, change, and growth. It’s there when you shed your own skin. It’s there when you let yourself to become more.

You don’t own fear by forgetting it. Security is not fear vanquished. Security is settling for less.

Let fear be your guide. You fear when you care. You fear when you want. Really want.

Fear doesn’t tell you what to run from. Fear tells you what to run to. There is no fear that accompanies the unimportant. It is the most clear and vital indicator that something actually matters. [..]

via Multiple | Ground Glass (*) by Spencer Lum (*).

As always, thanks Spencer (*). You always make it so clear, and again have helped me make a decision (*). So it's time to start building up. Let all the risk taking (*) begin yet again.

Thank You: RPM ..

I started RPM (an interval based stationary bike programme with 7 cherographed training tracks) at Sydney University's Aquatic Centre's RPM Studio on Fri 11 May 2007. I was so "pumped" and I can still remember calling Jenny almost straight after the session to say that it was everything (plus more) that I hoped it would be. Jenny and Jo had told me about their "Spinning Classes" and how much they enjoyed it. I had finally found the same thing - thanks Jenny and Joanne.

RPM Studio - Sydney Unit Aquatic Centre (Mon 30 Nov 2009)
I had been toying with the idea of doing some Group Fitness at the Sydney Uni Gym. My membership at the time allowed me to use the Gym equipment only. The previous weekend I had successfully trialled for the Australian Senior Open's Dragon Boat team to participate at the 2007 IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships. I was looking for something new and thought I needed to try something different, to compliment the running I was doing for my cardio.

I was a little nervous about the joining the Group Fitness Programmes and in my normal way, I put it off until I read a blog post by Drew Ginn titled:

• Ridden into the ground and loving it

I had been following Drew's Blog for a few months. I had really connected to his writing style (particularly the grammatical and spelling errors :-) and found all his articles to be very motivating. Being a Rower, his articles could easily be translated and related to my world of dragon boating [in actual fact, I have felt that I have almost lived a parrallel life, though not quite at the same level :-) ]

Vincent and Geoff - RPM Sydney Uni Aquatic Centre (Fri 27 Nov 2009)

Heart Rate - First RPM Class - Fri 11 May 2007 (Vincent)

The Ridden into the ground and loving it post was a motivating story, but it was the following quotes that really caught my eye:

[..] The remarkable thing is each time I go into this place, into this zone I find something special, something new. [..]

[..] The pleasure is in the relationship the lies within the range and scope of extremes. The vastness of feelings marks a cycle. Not just the one we ride but the one that is ever present inside us. [..]

These were the feelings I wanted to explore more. Maybe RPM could accelerate what I had already learnt in the boat.

RPM has turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made regarding my development. It has been everything I hoped it would be, plus more.

What have I found in RPM? I have found many things: discipline, the cherography for each track requires a mental discipline. A sense of timing and feeling: the music and tracks require a feeling for the beat and rythym - much like the feeling you need to find when paddling. The interval based workout requires a measured approach to your effort. On top of all of this you become very fit.

Ali and Geoff - RPM Sydney Uni Aquatic Centre (Mon 30 Nov 2009)

When I first started I would hide in the middle of the class and try not to be noticed as I do with most things. As my confidence and understanding grew, I bought a pair of bike shoes with clips (the 2007 Tour de France really motivated me there). With the new shoes, I had to move upto the front row where the bikes with toe clips were. It was a great move. It helped me with my dragon boating (even more), where I had just started to stroke (i.e. sit in the front seat). I started to develop a sense of feeling the energy, and timing behind and around me - it is very similiar to stroking a boat.

Loulou and Geoff - RPM Sydney Uni Aquatic Centre (Tue 01 Dec 2009)

One of the bests parts of RPM for me has been the people. Vincent is the head instructor at the Gym and has worked (and still teaches instructors across Australia) for Les Mills (an Auckland based company) who run and develop the RPM Programme worldwide. James has been an instructor for years and is probably one of the best instructors in Australia - he brings his mountain bike experiences to the class. I have seen both Ali (she started the same time as me) and Loulou go from participants to intructors who run amazing classes and bring their own personalites to each session. Vincent has taught them well, it has been a delight for me to watch their progress and development. As I said, this has been one of the best parts of RPM for me and they have inspired me in my own endeavours.

James and Geoff - RPM Sydney Uni Aquatic Centre (Wed 02 Dec 2009)

These people have contributed significantly to make me the person and athlete I am and I can't thank them enough. Just recently I personally thanked each person and gave them a copy of Jenny's Gold Medal story with a big thank you for their part in my development. Also took the chance to get a photo.

Thank you Vincent, Ali, Loulou and James and all the RPM team at Sydney University Aquatic Centre.

Geoff

Ground Zero Bible - 9/11 Artifact - Joel Meyerowitz (Wed 11 May 2016)

[Lucky enough to have stumbled across this today ..]

Joel Meyerowitz was given a "found" bible by a fireman while he photographed Ground Zero in the months following the 9/11. He marveled that the Bible was preserved intact to a lump of steel, and even more, that it was turned to a particular passage from Matthew 5 (KJV) which says:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (vs. 38-39).

Joel notes ..

"Of all the pages in the Bible that it would be open to, that was remarkable,"

A remarkable communicator, spoken, written and photographed. Thanks Joel, a timely message.

On Failure - Some Notes on Photographic Intent - Ground Glass / Spencer Lum (01 Mar 2012)

Mont-Royal Red - Mont-Royal / Montreal (Thu 18 Aug 2011)
Ground Glass / Spencer Lum (*) writes (*):

Failure is the sound of a thousand wasted efforts screaming in unison. [..]

So the goal [..] should be to use those things that inspire us as a framework for exploration, so we can learn the process behind them.

Shots aren’t preordained.

They are happy accidents, lead by intention, and founded on a combination of preparation and discovery.

In other words, photography isn’t seeing the big picture.

It’s knowing how to stumble from one adjustment to the next, eliminating choices along the way, while focusing on others, until we find that one thing that says just what we want. [..]

Success is the sound of a single action made of a thousand efforts.

On Fear (2 of 2) - Spencer Lum / Ground Glass

Joanne and Geoff - Szeged / Hungary (Mon 29 Jul 2013)
Spencer Lum (*) writes On Fear (*):

When you live in the first person, you’ll experience fear and hesitation and that feeling in the pit of your stomach that you will not measure up. But for that, you will rip through the barriers that separate you from your future self. The one who exists on the other side, who has done what you wanted, knows what you wanted, and experienced what you wanted.

You will recover your dreams, you will recover yourself, you’ll take the hits, but as Sinatra said, you’ll know you did it your way.

So if you look at your own work, and you’re afraid to show it. If you look at your own self, and you’ve kept it walled off, don’t hold it back, don’t keep it safe. Don’t let it wither without seeing the light of day. Let it into the wild, and see what takes place. Your life is waiting.

Because the question is not whether fear is too high a price to pay. The question is whether fear is too much to give up.

via Multiple | Ground Glass (*) by Spencer Lum (*).

On Understanding - Spencer Lum / Ground Glass (Wed 20 Jun 2012)

Basement Party - Erskineville Railway Station / Erskineville (Wed 30 May 2012)
Spencer Lum (*) at Ground Glass (*) writes:

In the end, it doesn’t matter if not a single soul in the universe understands why you do things the way you do. Even yourself.

I think I understand.

City of Blinding Lights - U2 - Live - Brooklyn Bridge - 22 Nov 2004 (youtube)

City of Blinding Lights / U2 - Empire - Fulton Ferry State Park / Brooklyn Bridge / New York (22 Nov 2004 - youtube)

Travel. Do not get stuck in one place. [..]
Whatever you do, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Ken Burns (2004 Yale Commencement Speech)


Bono's preamble to the song in this video gives some idea to the meaning of the song to him. It was about:

a time in our lives when we did not know how powerful it was not to know.

This is a song about innocence and naïvete.

For me, the song reminds me of my first winter dragon boat campaign - the 2005 World Dragon Boat Championships in Berlin. Heard this song a lot while at the gym back then.

Have already walked the Brooklyn Bridge way back in 1988. Will do it again later in the year.


City of Blinding Lights Lyrics

The more you see, the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now

Neon heart day-glow eyes
A city lit by fireflies
They're advertising in the skies
For people like us

And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Don't look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs purple irises
The camera can't see

I've seen you walk unafraid
I've seen you in the clothes you made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?

And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Time...time...time...time...time
Won't leave me as I am
But time won't take the boy out of this man

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

The more you know the less you feel
Some pray for others steal
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel... luckily

5th Ave: A Special Hunting Ground for Street Photographers

Part of a conversation between Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz (*, *) about the latter's memories of his own early days as a street photographer in New York in the 1960s and his association with Robert Frank (*), Garry Winogrand (*), Diane Arbus (*), Lee Friedlander (*), and others.

Colin Westerbeck: Did Fifth always seem such a special hunting ground for you street photographers?
 
Joel Meyerowitz: Oh yeah. Because Fifth Avenue was the most exciting, and it had the most light.

I think Madison was too dark, Park was too wide, Third still had the El in the early sixties, or they were beginning to tear it down anyway, Third was creepy. Sixth Avenue didn't have much on it.
 
We certainly made some circuits around there, but really Fifth Avenue had the pulse of lie, the most vigor, the most beautiful women, the heaviest business action. The mix was best on Fifth.
 
I  mean, you got it all, from high fashion to messengers.
 
It just was everything. pushcarts, pretzel vendors, and limousines.
 
It had the contradictions of life in a big city, and that kind of counterpoint was the stuff of commentary.
 
That's what you could mock, that's what you could wait for, because it was more exciting to see those combinations there.

An extract from Still Going from Bystander: A History of Street Photography (*) by Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz.
 
I really like the Lunch Series (*) by Gus Powell (*) and In Color (*) by Richard Bram (*).

I can definitely relate to what is said here. Would have influenced me a lot if I had read this before I went to New York recently. Meyerowitz's photos all just have that something extra when you look at them closely. Inspiring work for sure,

Red and Yellow (1 of 2) - 5th Avenue - New York (Mon 15 Aug 2011)
Red and Yellow (2 of 2) - 5th Avenue - New York (Mon 15 Aug 2011)
My Mom Totally Rocks - Green - 5th Ave - New York (Sat 13 Aug 2011)
Intersection - 5th Ave - New York (Sat 13 Aug 2011)

Great Southern Land - Icehouse - Australia Day Live Concert / Canberra (Tue 25 Jan 2005)

Great Southern Land - Icehouse - Australia Day Live 2005 / Canberra (Tue 25 Jan 2005)
City on a rainy day, down in the harbor
Watching as the gray clouds shadow the bay

Great Southern Land - Icehouse


A pretty random post, but it has put a smile on my face and was fun to put together.

Heard this song on the radio on the way to training yesterday evening. It's a song you will often hear on the radio on a stormy afternoon or evening.

The storm clouds were looming as we got closer to Bank Street and it had started to lightly rain. The wind came up and the air became colder, and in combination with the songs haunting lyrics, driving beat of the bass and drums, and the memories it evoked, it made me tingle and I was covered in goose bumps.

The music and lyrics seem to capture the feelings and mental images that I carry with me, to be and feel Australian.

Australian Parliament House - Canberra - eight years ago today (Sun 17 Mar 2002)
I guess that's all reasonably vague, but feelings for me are difficult to describe - much in the same way Dennis Denuto demonstrates so passionately, yet unconvincingly, in the classic Australian Movie The Castle:

It's the vibe of the thing, your Honour.

The vibe or the gist are terms I use a lot to cover for my inability to express my feelings or what I am thinking :-) Dennis is my hero. Here he is at his definitive best:

The Castle - in the Federal and High Courts (youtube)
Some random memories. The song goes back to 1982, which would have been my last year of full-time uni. I did see The Flowers (Iva Davies predecessor to Icehouse) at the University Union in the 2nd Term of 1980 and then a few weeks later back in Wagga Wagga for the University Holidays. Was excited to have some friends, from my school days in Wagga Wagga, to be the local supporting act. For some reason I asked Jenny whether we could have the song played at our Wedding Reception. She liked it and it was played during the night and as a filler as we said our farewells at the end of the evening. It was put on repeat as I we took a lot longer than we had planned.

Great Southern Land Lyrics

Standing at the limit of an endless ocean
Stranded like a runaway, lost at sea
City on a rainy day, down in the harbor
Watching as the gray clouds shadow the bay

Looking everywhere 'cause I had to find you
This is not the way that I remember it here
Anyone will tell you, it's a prisoner island
Hidden in the summer for a million years

Great southern land
Burned you black

So you look into the land and it will tell you a story
Story 'bout a journey ended long ago
If you listen to the motion of the wind in the mountains
Maybe you can hear them talking like I do
"They're gonna betray you, they're gonna forget you
Are you gonna let them take you over that way"

Great southern land, great southern land
You walk alone like a primitive man
And they make it work with sticks and bones
See their hungry eyes, it's a hungry home

I hear the sound of the stranger's voices
I see their hungry eyes, their hungry eyes
Great southern land, great southern land
They burned you black, black against the ground

Standing at the limit of an endless ocean
Stranded like a runaway, lost at sea
City on a rainy day, down in the harbor
Watching as the gray clouds shadow the bay

Looking everywhere 'cause I had to find you
This is not the way that I remember it here
Anyone will tell you, it's a prisoner island
Hidden in the summer for a million years

Great southern land, in the sleeping sun
You walk alone with the ghost of time
They then burned you black, black against the ground
And they make it work with rocks and sand

I hear the sound of the stranger's voices
I see their hungry eyes, their hungry eyes
Great southern land, great southern land
You walk alone, like a primitive man

You walk alone with the ghost of time
And they burned you black
Yeah, they burned you black
Great southern land
Great southern land
Great southern land
Great southern land

You might be able to guess why I picked this particular youtube clip of Great Southern Land. Two weeks to Nationals. Canberra here we come .. really looking forward to the racing with my team mates and catching up with all our friends from right across Australia.

Lake Burley Griffin Sunset - Black - Canberra (02 Aug 2002 *)

knowing how powerful it is not to know - Bono / Brooklyn (22 Nov 2004)

Thomas, Grant, Betty, Lynn and Grace - Manahattan bound - I don't know who was more excited - Grace or me (and I was not even going along) - Departure Gate / Sydney International Airport (Sun 19 Dec 2010)
Recently posted a video clip of a U2 Performance of the City of Blinding Light at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in Empire - Fulton Ferry State Park.

In the preamble to the performance, Bono becomes quite nostalgic.

In my previous post back on Sat 16 Apr 2011, I included a snippet of his little talk which I have thought about a lot recently.

This is what Bono said in full:

Look at this. That is wild. What a sight. Wow look at that. [Bono pointing to the Brooklyn Bridge]

Sometimes you forget why it was that you wanted to be in a band. So going into this we reminded ourselves of why we wanted to be in a band.

We listened to the albums that excited us when we wanted to be in a band [..] the music and what it felt like to arrive here in the United States. To come over the [Brooklyn] Bridge into Manhattan. Snow was on the ground. It was:

"an amazing magical time in our lives when we did not know how powerful it was not to know".

This is a song about innocence, naivety and it is called "City of Blinding Lights".

The chorus is set in New York City looking at Brooklyn.

I feel that these words are quite profound and the feelings he is trying to describe are universal and generic. They can be applied to not only rock and roll superstars, but mere mortals like myself who progress through life little steps at a time.

I have always recognised the importance of acknowledging your past and to reflect on your past (though it might be painful at times) - it is something I have spent a bit of time on lately. It will help you understand who you have been, who you are now and where you are heading.

Here is the video again ..

City of Blinding Lights / U2 - Empire - Fulton Ferry State Park / Brooklyn Bridge / Brooklyn Bridge / New York (22 Nov 2004 - youtube)
Bono's words make me think of some similar words that have captured my imagination, these words coming from Ken Burns (e) a little bit earlier in that year of 2004 at his 2004 Yale Commencement Speech:

As you pursue your goals in life, that is to say your future, pursue your past. Let it be your guide. Insist on having a past and then you will have a future. [..]

Insist on heroes. And be one. [..]

Travel. Do not get stuck in one place. [..]
Whatever you do, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Ken Burns - 2004 Commencement Yale Class Day Speech (as pdf)

I drift back a little back into my past - 1990. Jenny and I had been going out for about six months and she encouraged and inspired me to achieve one of my Dream's - to run the New York City Marathon ..

Geoff - New York City Marathon - Nov 1990 - Brooklyn (picasa)
I look into my eyes above and I see an innocence, naivety, wonder and hope that Bono talks about above through his own experiences as musician. It all seemed to be in front of us back then and it was.

Jenny and I (and of course Joanne) had an amazing life together and though Jenny is not a part of our physical lives anymore, I would like to think that Jo and I have continued to live an amazing, wonderful and fulfilling life in Jenny's absence. It is my hope that I still have a touch of the same innocence and naivety, that I can see above, as I move forward in my life.

Street Band - 1990 New York City Marathon - Sun 04 Nov 1990
This post is dedicated to my niece Grace and nephew Thomas. To travel and spend time in Manhattan as you did for Christmas 2010 will be a formative experience for you. Use the experience to help guide you as you progress through your life.

Now that's a Snowball - Grace and Thomas (my niece and nephew) - Central Park / Manhattan (Mon 27 Dec 2010)

On Gifts and Photography - Jorg Colberg (Fri 28 Feb 2014)

Street Portrait - Harris Street / Ultimo (Mon 24 Feb 2014)
Jorg Colberg (*) writes On Photography (*):

There are gifts (*) everywhere, and you “just” need to be able to spot them, accept (*) them, work with them.

via Review: Emile Hyperion Dubuisson’s Far (*) by Jorg Colberg (*).

End of the first week in our new Office. A new stomping ground for my Street Portraits (*). The area is vibrant and I know it well from my time at UTS doing my Postgraduate Degree in Data Processing (what an old fashion term). Love it here already and I could not help but snap this photo of a building site worker out on his lunch hour with a nice balloon in tow.

An aside and thanks: Jorg Colberg (*) is my favourite writer on photography. He is able to abstract the essence of an experience, a book or whatever; and write so clearly and succinctly about it. He always gives you something to think about and I eagerly await his next post. Thanks Jorg.

On Remembering the Value of Hard - Spencer Lum / Ground Glass (Fri 18 May 2012)

Stencil - Boy with Game Console - Mitchell Road / Alexandria (Sun 15 Apr 2012)
Spencer Lum (*) writes (*) ..

we’re so used to wanting everything easy, we forget the real value of hard [trying]. We’re so used to caring about the result, we forget the value of the process. Feeling good is more valuable than being good.

From Learning to learn (*) by Spencer Lum (*)

Running - Evermore (Wed 03 Jun 2009)

Running - Evermore / YouTube (*) (Wed 03 Jun 2009)
I have this song from iTunes and listen to it a lot and finally found the above on YouTube.

I had heard it on the radio when it was released and liked it as an RPM song also.

I watched this with Jenny the night of the big game. I had a little injury and missed the Aus training for Prague that night. Joanne was not there as she was at the training session in the rain and cold. I sat on the lounge while Jenny stretched out and I massaged her feet and toes - something she loved.

At that moment in time we did not know that Jenny had a 4cm brain tumour - that news would come one week later. Another week later she would have the brain tumour removed (*). A week after that her heart would fail (*) to be revived for a painful week in ICU where Jenny would leave us (*), suffering a massive pulmonary embolism.

Maybe the lyrics would become a precursor to the journey that is bereavement, grief and knowing that there is a future. This blog shows this all:

I don't know
I really don't know
If this castle in the sand
Is strong enough to stand

Cause I know
How it feels
All the pain
Is so real
Cause you sink
And you drown
Till your feet hit the ground
Running, running, running, running

I always remember this when I hear this song. It is now nice to have the video from the Games pre game entertainment to remember those moments of innocence before the events that would change our lives forever.

On Letting Go - Spencer Lum / Ground Glass (Wed 30 May 2012)

Joanne - Haute-Pyrenees (Tue 22 Sep 2009)
Spencer Lum (*) writes (*) ..

Be willing to give up yesterday. Let go of [..] Stay out of your comfort zone. Make room for tomorrow’s you. Opportunity is limitless, but time is preciously limited. Don’t rest on laurels and past achievement. Let every day be its own. Because if it is all about journey, there really is no point of arrival, and there is no place to be. There is just getting up and giving it a go.

From Forget the Destination. Love the Journey. (*) by Spencer Lum (*).

A Team is a Powerful Thing - Darren Lehmann / The Australian (Wed 26 Jun 2013)

Senior A Mixed 500m Final - Racice / Prague (Sat 29 Aug 2013)
Darren Lehmann (*) writes (*):

Sure, you are playing a professional sport and you want to be a success. But life is more important than any game or any sport. I'm really big on getting closer as a Bulls group - we are almost like a family - and we want to look after each other outside the game, not just within the game. I've told the players they can't leave the ground for at least an hour after play. We talk about a whole heap of things - it might be cricket but it might be something else. There were some players who used to leave within five minutes. It works well; we all just enjoy each other's company and that is probably the best thing we have got going.

via Headmaster of mateship (*) by Will Swanton (*).

As my Nephew, Thomas (*), told me when he was all of the age of three,

A Team is a Powerful Thing

Always make me laugh when I think of that. The wisdom of a three year old.

I have been involved in team sports all my life, so being and working together (*) is an important. It is something that everyone needs to recognise and work towards. Darren's approach of spending time together after play is one way, though I am sure there are more ways. It depends on the team (*).

Senior Mixed 500m Final Post Race Discussion - Prague (Sat 29 Aug 2009) (*)

If this is it (Solo Acoutsic) - Newton Faulkner / YouTube (June 2009)

"If this is it" (*) by Newton Faulkner (*) [YouTube (*)]
Live at Cheltenham Town Hall - solo acoustic gig June 2009.

If this is it: Lyrics

No one move,
No one speak,
Please don't say that it's just me, it's not just me.
And even though I wont forget,
Just don't want this to end just yet, not just yet.

And if I had one chance to freeze time
And stand still and soak in everything,
I'd choose right now.
And if I had one night where sunshine could break through and show you everything,
I'd choose right now,

If this is it, all we have,
I know I've done all I can,
If this is it.
And we can't stop, and start again
We can't fast forward to the end
This is it.

And if I had one chance to freeze time
And stand still and soak in everything,
I'd choose right now.
And if I had one night where sunshine could break through and show you everything,
I'd choose right now,

I can take the slings and stones and fire,
Because I know you’ll make it all worth while,
Every time I fold, dissolve, I’m lying on the ground,
You drag me up again, and again,

Before the fears that I once had start coming back... again.
Oh please come back again... again,
Oh please come back again,
Oh please come back again.

And I'm so scared I might forget,
Just don't want this to end just yet,
Not just yet.

But if I had one chance to freeze time
And stand still and soak in everything,
I'd choose right now.
And if I had one night with sunshine to break through and show you everything,
I'd choose right now,
Before the fears that I once had start coming back... again.

Jenny - St George Private Hospital [11:48am (*) / Tue 23 Jun 2009 (*)]

The things that make us the most human and the most powerful - SpencerLum / Ground Glass

Jenny and Joanne / Glen Coe - Alexandria (Sat 23 May 2015)

Spencer Lum on Vision, Dreams, Hopes and Purpose::

the moment we give up our vision in favor of the common and the accepted is the moment we lose touch with our dreams, hopes, and even our purpose. The things that make us the most human and the most powerful.

via What I learned from living my desperate life by Spencer Lum.

Shake it Out - Florence + The Machine / Saturday Night Live (Sat 19 Nov 2011)

Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out (Live on SNL)

I have always loved live performance. The display of skill and passion, along with the rawness being the appeal. And this is the best from the last 7 years here at eljeiffel.

"Oh The Drama" in the Lyrics. And an amazing Performance . Wow!! You can see it in her. That she is loving what she is doing and thst she is sharing her gift to move us.

To the lyrics, I would add my own Optimistic and Naive view of Life and the World ..

you can't keep a good dog down [..]

a candle burns brightest before it goes out [..]

Such a nice song and performance to finish on here at eiffel. As they say:

a star burns brightest before it dies

And this is how it has felt this last year, particularly the last few months.

And so it is onto the last few posts, where my work will be done here.

Shake it Out - Florence + The Machine (Lyrics)

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play

And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around

All of his questions, such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues drawn
But it's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

And I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
'Cause I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone
It's always darkest before the dawn

Oh whoa, oh whoa...

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I'm ready to suffering and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat
'Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me, yeah

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

And out of the the darkeness a new bright light will glow ..

Shake it Out - Florence + The Machine - Saturday Night Live (Sat 19 Nov 2011)

On Hope and Faith - Tanya Villanueva Tepper (Fri 23 May 2014)

Jenny - Lake Geneva / Geneva (Sat 20 Aug 2005)

Tanya Villanueva Tepper on Hope and Faith:

while life will go against our expectations and sometimes devastate us, time, change, hope and faith can carry us through to a life that is beautiful again. [..]

True contentment is felt when we recognize all of the many moments of grace and providence which lead us to come full circle and fulfill our intention. We are at peace because we're given meaning to our experience, no matter how painful the journey was in getting there.

via Rebirth at Ground Zero: Lessons in Life, Reverence and Resilience for a New Generation by Tanya Villanueva Tepper.

Tanya is right. It can be like this if you chose it to be. It all comes down to your outlook on Life. Your Intention.

Inspired by Rachel's visit to the 9/11 Memorial. Thanks Rachel.