Interesting week. Wednesday afternoon I drove to Brisbane to pick up my Mum off a bus, on her return from a funeral of yet another Aunty. When you are in your 80's as my Aunty was it is to be expected, but still has huge effect on Mum, just the travelling alone.
My mum has been in Cairns staying with my sister, I have been staying at her little unit on the Sunshine Coast while she is away. So she flew to Brisbane, then by car for long trip out west. Then back to Brisbane by bus around 6 hours and another hour and a half by car to here.
We drive back here to her unit, which is now my office and has been for the past six weeks. She informs me in a motherly voice that she will sleep on the couch and I stay in her bed, where I have been sleeping. I knew it was no use protesting.
After we catch up, have dinner and cup of tea, (well tea for me and stubby for her) I decide to show her a pair of earrings I had handpainted.
I search where I thought they were, but find not only are they not there, but also a packet with a number of important pieces of jewellery. Some not worth a lot of money, but special things like a small silver pair of earrings brought by the love of my life and husband of many years.
After turning the unit upside down, I was convinced I had put them in the garbage bin, so at 10.30pm at night, Mum and I are going thought bags of rubbish from the wheelie bin.
Next morning still not finding them, we are out going through the next bin.
Guess what, I found them - no not in the bin, inside in a place I had put them, because I thought it would be a good safe place.
Mum headed back to Townsville that same morning after her one night visit, she will be asked what she got up to while she was here.
Upside down in the Wheelie Bin, will be her answer.
Isn't that what any Mum's would do for their children. Maybe- but at 84 years of age, I wonder. Out where all their neighbours can see, I doubt it.
Thank you Mum, for always being there for me, even when I get it wrong.
The rest of the week was just as interesting, had three calls, all from special people in my life, who also happen to all be indigenous.
I wondered why I would pick the mobile phone up and always miss the call. Finally realised it was text messages from Bondy, (soul mate from Cherbourg) just saying Hi. Told him when he finally rang, to not text me, as I have decided not to go down the text message path. He is doing okay and trying hard to stay sober.
I won't get time to see him before I leave for Taiwan, but will be going to Cherbourg after I return, as he will be in the documentary and interviewed at the same time as Lew Wyvill QC. This will be an interesting bit of filming, I am really looking forward to. Interesting relationships we three have.
Another person who I want in the documentary is Norma Perrott ( Geoff Guest's partner at Petford) Norma had diabetes and now had to travel two hour some of it over dirt roads, to get to the hospital for her four hour treatment, three times a week. She rang Sunday night, returning a call I had made to Petford. We chatted and laughed and she told me they had a woman up there helping, "she is just like you" which made me know Norma is in good hands and being looked after. Norma and I have a very special bond, in fact I am closer to her then even Geoff, as a women I could recognise Norma's major role in the success of Petford before the Queensland Government stuffed it up.
When we finished she said "Do you want to speak to Grumpy? "
Grumpy being Geoff, has a lot on his plate. Lots of it not good. I am always amazed he is still standing, how he hasn't had a breakdown over the past five years I will never know. No matter what is thrown at him, he brushes over that and we talk about what could and should be done for the kids in trouble. Always his main concern.
Geoff and I have a great respect for each other.
Learning to break in my own horse under his guidance one of my best and fondness memories.
The other phone call was from Colin Jones. Colin and Geoff where both mentioned in the email titled "Don't blame the Minister"
Colin like me has moved down from Cairns, he is now in Brisbane when he is not overseas as a tour guide for Grand Circle Tours, where he takes small groups of Americans around Australia and the Pacific. Not only do they get a wonderful tour, but first hand knowledge of indigenous culture and history. Colin, I am sure will be more involved in what I am doing later on. While he enjoys what he is doing and is paid very well, he like Geoff and myself are more concerned with the welfare and future of children then we are about ourselves or our image.
We have all been upside down in the wheelie bins many times before.
Have a nice day, I will thinking about each of these people, who have added so much to my life.
Kerry Bowden
Global Strategic Alliance for the New Humanity, One Mind One Voice.
A Famility of Humanity
PS: Caitlin say
"Send someone you know my
Huggy hug, beats sending a bomb any day."
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