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Hi guys! How long has it been now, a few days? A couple of weeks, maybe? Possibly more by the time you read this.
To me, it feels like just a few short sleeps ago since The City of Light (Paris) wrapped up the 33rd Olympiad.
And truth be told, I miss it. I miss it all!
So now, as that famous Olympic Torch commences its four-year pilgrimage across hilly lands, dotty isles & vast blue oceans toward sunny California, I’m strangely inspired. Interestingly, there exists a duality to this inspiration. The first (and therefore quite obvious) is the astonishing feats I was entreated to. Breathtaking!
The second, less perceptible focus of inspiration came from the radius of respect each athlete emanated for his/her fellow competitors. It was like a halo!
How pleasing it was to witness 206 nations unite in peace & comradeship as their respective athletes showcased miraculous achievements on the world stage. Humanity’s greatest, inspiring us to be more.
Transfixed in awe, I gazed on as many thousands of super elite athletes from five continents & all corners of the globe converged on one city. With fire in their souls, they came ready to battle.
Yes, to battle! But not as foes, or as enemies. And not even as political adversaries of differing race, colour or creed. Heck no!
Instead, I laid eyes on majesty, totally enthralled by the giant enclave of humanity’s finest as they challenged (and often smashed!!) world records. Again & again. Those mental & physical limits that billions upon billions of worldwide spectators believed to be impossible. Unreachable. Unachievable.
This they did. And more! And all while under the patronage of those remarkable five coloured rings. Rings that to this very day chime for: Respect, Excellence, Achievement, Love, and Unity.
REAL-U
Not such an ill-fitting acronym for an event that celebrates not only respectfulness via achievement but also banishes prejudice and intolerance.
Hi guys! How long has it been now, a few days? A couple of weeks, maybe? Possibly more by the time you read this.
To me, it feels like just a few short sleeps ago since The City of Light (Paris) wrapped up the 33rd Olympiad.
And truth be told, I miss it. I miss it all!
So now, as that famous Olympic Torch commences its four-year pilgrimage across hilly lands, dotty isles & vast blue oceans toward sunny California, I’m strangely inspired. Interestingly, there exists a duality to this inspiration. The first (and therefore quite obvious) is the astonishing feats I was entreated to. Breathtaking!
The second, less perceptible focus of inspiration came from the radius of respect each athlete emanated for his/her fellow competitors. It was like a halo!
How pleasing it was to witness 206 nations unite in peace & comradeship as their respective athletes showcased miraculous achievements on the world stage. Humanity’s greatest, inspiring us to be more.
Transfixed in awe, I gazed on as many thousands of super elite athletes from five continents & all corners of the globe converged on one city. With fire in their souls, they came ready to battle.
Yes, to battle! But not as foes, or as enemies. And not even as political adversaries of differing race, colour or creed. Heck no!
Instead, I laid eyes on majesty, totally enthralled by the giant enclave of humanity’s finest as they challenged (and often smashed!!) world records. Again & again. Those mental & physical limits that billions upon billions of worldwide spectators believed to be impossible. Unreachable. Unachievable.
This they did. And more! And all while under the patronage of those remarkable five coloured rings. Rings that to this very day chime for: Respect, Excellence, Achievement, Love, and Unity.
REAL-U
Not such an ill-fitting acronym for an event that celebrates not only respectfulness via achievement but also banishes prejudice and intolerance.
Not surprisingly, I began to wonder about ‘us’. The collective us. The us in jail. The us that society has chosen to forget about, at least at some level. So with more than a heaped teaspoon of hope, I began to ponder on those proverbial, ‘what if’s’.
What if we decided to also choose respectfulness over prejudice & intolerance? Seems doable right? I mean, in this jail-house cauldron of edgy & misunderstood souls, wouldn’t our days run more smoothly if we practised tolerance & respect of others?
Doing so would mean we could concentrate on what really matters; and that is: doing our OWN time, and not somebody else’s. By respecting each other & steering well clear of bullshit prison politics, we might be in the favourable position to focus on building a better version of ourselves. You know, a version of ‘me’ that family and friends can be proud of.
Not dissimilar to how we were proud of our returned Olympians!
It is important to impart upon others that in turn we wish to receive: respect.
Under the caring eyes of our Creator, I feel that being respectful is a great way to start a new life.
Peace to you all, my brothers.
Joey
Not surprisingly, I began to wonder about ‘us’. The collective us. The us in jail. The us that society has chosen to forget about, at least at some level. So with more than a heaped teaspoon of hope, I began to ponder on those proverbial, ‘what if’s’.
What if we decided to also choose respectfulness over prejudice & intolerance? Seems doable right? I mean, in this jail-house cauldron of edgy & misunderstood souls, wouldn’t our days run more smoothly if we practised tolerance & respect of others?
Doing so would mean we could concentrate on what really matters; and that is: doing our OWN time, and not somebody else’s. By respecting each other & steering well clear of bullshit prison politics, we might be in the favourable position to focus on building a better version of ourselves. You know, a version of ‘me’ that family and friends can be proud of.
Not dissimilar to how we were proud of our returned Olympians!
It is important to impart upon others that in turn we wish to receive: respect.
Under the caring eyes of our Creator, I feel that being respectful is a great way to start a new life.
Peace to you all, my brothers.
Joey
Even behind bars, there are ways to soften the edges. Ways not just to pass the time, but to leave prison carrying something more than the baggage you came in with.
The other old men and I never thought our lives would come to this. But here we gather again, like withered autumn leaves, awaiting the 7 am call for muster. Occasionally we stare at the large blank television screen which has been positioned high up in a corner of our small common room. What are we looking for?
I spat my first fireball on the shore of Warwick's Leslie Dam over half a century ago. That freaky moment was the flashpoint for a short but spectacular career as a professional fire breather. It gave me money and notoriety, but it very nearly killed me.
Victoria has just announced a raft of changes to youth justice. It will uplift a number of children’s offences to face adult prison terms, and will also introduce a new ‘Violence Reduction Unit’ to coordinate crime prevention policies across government.
Help keep the momentum going. All donations will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.
All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. If you would like to pay directly into our bank account to avoid the processing fee, please contact donate@abouttime.org.au. ABN 67 667 331 106.
Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.
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