You know you shouldn’t have answered that last phone call.

Run Forrest, run.

You’re cutting it fine, but the wind is at your tail and your elbows help nudge you through the peak hour crowd.

As you turn the corner and look up the track, there’s something quite transformational about the sudden dissapointment of a failed dash.

Your head droops, your shoulders hunch, your breath slows and your frustration increases. You drag yourself over to the cold seat, plan how you can spend your 20 minute waiting time most productively and kick yourself for not running just that little bit faster.

It is then you hit the rare public transport jackpot and over the crest comes your tram – ten minutes late.

Even when you fail, there’s always an opportunity for a second chance.

you bloody ripper!

I like to chat to strangers. You can usually find out strange and interesting things. You can also find out tidbits, pastimes, places you’ve been and people you have in common.

You have a random conversation and exchange a few emails and contacts. After a few weeks, you decide you should have a drink and meet.

The conversation extends into the evening and when you finally say fare thee well, you text each other on the way home to say what a great night and that you’re glad you randomly met.

A simple question can lead to great company, random nights, a shoulder to cry on, big belly laughs and shared passions that keep you talking, scheming and excited.

Live dangerously – people don’t bite and rejection is no big deal.

You may not remember the name of the person you called, but you’ll forever be glad you weren’t afraid to talk to strangers.

you bloody ripper!

If John West starts running out of sardines, he’s more than welcome to head to the 96 St Kilda tram on any peak morning service into the Melbourne CBD.

It’s always encouraging when you find people who believe they can do anything in life, including cramming into a space where only a child could fit.

I also love having my toes squashed with six inch heels, my face brushed with not-so-freshly washed hair, and my all time favourite sensation of having a backpack jammed into my chest because my neighbour sardine has forgotten that it’s not a flat pack.

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to our scenic tour of the 96 tram track route. As you might be noticing, it’s a little crowded on board today. But I’d urge you to take a look around and strike up a conversation with the nearest person of the opposite sex. Who knows? The love of your life could be right in front of you.

So I looked. Unfortunately, there was no love of my life to be found, but I did hear three jokes, burst out in song and Craig David really can get the party started when you pull out the headphones and crank up the volume.

Where did that 10 minutes go?

Ladies and gentleman: it’s your friendly Yarra Trams driver again. We are pulling up to one of Melbourne’s foremost tourist attractions on your left. By visiting this incredible place filled with delicious memories, you are guaranteed to have a moment on the lips and a lifetime on the hips. Look to the left – it’s Krispy Kreme Donuts.

I hopped off the tram and despite having spent 30 minutes as one of John West’s finest, I had a grin on my face. Circumstance doesn’t necessarily mean reality. Attitude can shift perspective.

As I pushed my way to the exit door I managed an appreciative thanks to the driver. Commuting can be bearable. Next time you’re feeling a little antagonism at government cost cutting and crowded public transport, why not try a joke.

What did the sardine call the submarine? A can of people!

you bloody ripper!

Last night I cried myself to sleep. Two days ago, I was writing a ‘you bloody ripper’ about feeling confident in walking around naked now that I’m living by myself after 39 years. Today, I need to contemplate walking the employment agency path, as for the first time in 39 years, I’ve been made redundant.

This morning I woke up bleary eyed and began the grieving process all over again. Sadness. Anger. Emptiness. Tears welled up once more, my lungs were squeezed hard and I felt the weight of rent payments, new car tyres, medical bills and uncertainty, sit upon my shoulders and fasten me down.

Normally one who torpedoes through life with, some would say, an irrational level of optimism, I was faltering. Along with my long held view that ‘cannot’ should be banned from the dictionary, I added outsourcing. Redundancy should be a swear word.

This afternoon, rather than continuing my day curled up in a fetal position and sobbing through the anguished thoughts of the purpose of my 10 month journey, I chose to head down to my local beach and just sit. I didn’t want to think anymore. I was choosing to let it go: the situation was out of my control and I just wanted to spend the time more focused on positive outcomes. This should have meant rewriting my resume and searching for jobs. Instead, I opted for reflection, acknowledgement, acceptance and the future.

Enroute, I passed an advertising sign:

Choice not circumstance determines your success.

As I sat and observed the seagulls, boats, fishermen and kite surfers, I contemplated how choosing courage over fear could support me through this period.

My last 24 hours ran through my head like a show reel.

I saw courage in the supermarket queue where I observed the mother ahead of me deny her child the temptation of checkout lollies.

I respected a friend’s courage to commit  and take action to changing his mindset.

I recalled the courage of a Cambodian farmer who tilled his land, fully aware that the impending rainy season could destroy his crops.

I appreciated courage when I hung up the phone from an inspiring young man who has followed his dream to make a difference.

I’d flipped through photographs reminding me of the physical pain of courage when each night I bandaged blistered feet after walking kilometers of the Great Wall.

The same photo album reminded me that in some of the most impoverished countries of the world, I’ve seen when courage and survival co-exist.

I know I have courage when I reflect on the curve balls my life has thrown and the commitment I have shown to overcome them.

Most of us tend to talk about courage in terms of actions or devastating circumstances. In a tough situation, there is little one can do but survive with all the patience and strength you can dig out from within.

But for me, the real test of courage is more than simply putting up with a bad situation.

The sign of a courageous person is one who has the ability to recognise fear and with the mind and spirit, make a committed choice to continue forward, even if it means first taking a few steps back.

Courage is something that more of us need to develop in our daily lives. We should not have to wait until a point of desperation to dig it out. Courage creates visions, it gives us foresight, it moves us forward, it gives us focus and it develops commitment.

Circumstance need not determine one’s life. The choice of courage is a powerful one.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

I know I can, I know I can, I know I can.

I did it.

you bloody ripper!

I love receiving boxes, especially if they’re wrapped up with big bows and hide a special surprise.

We received a box at work today. Unfortunately the bow was a delivery docket and the surprise was a brand new light fitting.

Instead of putting all the wrapping straight in the bin, there was something quite important that needed to be done first.

Snap, crackle, pop.

you bloody ripper!

Where beauty is involved, it normally creeps through the cracks of every day life.

Working in a building site for the past two months, the cracks have had a way of creeping in every day.

May you be inspired to widen your cracks and let the beauty shine through.

you bloody ripper!