Category Archives: Personal

“Australia” the Movie – Kitsch or Epic?

No doubt about it – this reviewer has mixed reactions to Australia, the movie. The characters and plot devices are exaggerated caricatures of all that has been classic in cinematography and depictions of this land. At one level it comes across as a kind of “Gone with the Wind Down Under” – and in the meantimeContinue reading ““Australia” the Movie – Kitsch or Epic?”

Demolition begins – what of the future?

A strange silence has descended on this once thriving street. Once it was busy with cars and delivery trucks as well as pedestrian traffic – neighbours walking dogs, skateboarders, children buying after school snacks, “golden girls” meeting for coffee – now there’s nobody. Even an advocate of silence, like myself, finds the silence is tooContinue reading “Demolition begins – what of the future?”

A community laments, remembers and hopes

Photos courtesy Brian Hills  [click each to enlarge] About 400 people gathered this afternoon to share in a process of community affirmation and support following the loss of the Wembley Downs Shopping Centre by fire seven days ago. A short simple ceremony invited each person to hold a rock and to imagine it absorbing sorrowContinue reading “A community laments, remembers and hopes”

From the ashes the phoenix…

  The community is beginning to rally. There have been very positive expressions to the proposal outlined below and which is being distributed, as I write, throughout the district. Compassion for one another – neighbour for neighbour, customer for trader, trader for customer has been working it’s way through the community. The annual District Fair tomorrow willContinue reading “From the ashes the phoenix…”

Fire aftermath

LAMENT HOPE These two signs hang on the fence surrounding the charred remains of our local shopping centre. One expresses the deep sorrow of the community, the other is a pointer to the community spirit that will carry us  on. Both lament and hope need to find expression and it is my desire that weContinue reading “Fire aftermath”

Local shops destroyed by fire

Our local shops have been very handy to us – just across the road from where we live. More than that, however, they were the hub of the Wembley Downs community. As I write, the street is full of emergency vehicles while the ashes are hosed down. The crowds have dwindled now and the heartbreakingContinue reading “Local shops destroyed by fire”

The Enneagram – my take

I’ve just linked to Dave’s Enneagram Blog. Since the early 1980s I have been fascinated with the enneagram system, used primarily for identifying and exploring personality styles in both secular and Christian spiritual direction circles. There are many instruments out there for identifying temperament behaviour in vocational, management and therapeutic settings, some better known than others. The danger of all such instruments isContinue reading “The Enneagram – my take”