When I pondered this month’s topic, 'Bucket List', I learned all sorts of things about myself. And the first was, basically, I’ve never had a bucket list.
The nearest thing to such a concept was one Sunday afternoon when Don and I sat out on a sunny verandah and decided we’d like to go to Northern Queensland, Central Australia and Western Australia sometime. In the following three years we accomplished all three and thoroughly enjoyed each one.
Other than that, I can only think that, for me, I lived the life that came along. Sometimes opportunities landed in your lap, other times you saw the need for something to be done. Certainly we travelled abroad three or four times and this entailed planning ahead but I couldn’t say we had thought about it for years and eventually made it happen.
I was very deliberate in the selection of my first paid work but after a very happy and productive four years there, life took me to other amazingly satisfying places. I never again worked a 9 – 5 job.
Two years in Indonesia and found some teaching work. After that, I moved every few years with a school teacher husband, I lived in whatever house was available and I met the locals.
In Merbein, I learned how to be a mother. The Brownie pack in Cobram had a waiting list of three years and our daughter was already eight, so I became a Brownie leader.
Tallangatta – a children’s music group and Hello group for Thursday coffee. Then a Youth Worker position was advertised. With absolutely no qualifications I went for the job and scored an interview. On reflection, I decided I wasn’t the right candidate but they offered me the job and asked me to do three months trial. I stayed six years.
Looking to put the fence at the top of the cliff rather than the ambulance at the bottom, I did a Tafe parenting course and spent many happy times travelling around leading parenting groups.
In the meantime, we went for family holidays mostly taking the cheapest option of a beach holiday and taking a tent over the mountains to Pambula.
Language teaching came into primary schools and here was another gift opportunity. Again, no teaching qualifications but allowed to teach as long as the classroom teacher was present – suited me fine. Twenty five years over eight or nine schools for six-week courses or weekly lessons through the year.
And now, here is Benalla with new opportunities on the doorstep.
Have I decided what I want to do while I am still able? Of course not! I’ll do what I have always done and wait to see what comes along. I don’t seem to have needed a bucket list.
A favourite quote from George Bernard Shaw;
‘Life is no brief candle to me. It’s a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.’
Carmyl Winkler
The nearest thing to such a concept was one Sunday afternoon when Don and I sat out on a sunny verandah and decided we’d like to go to Northern Queensland, Central Australia and Western Australia sometime. In the following three years we accomplished all three and thoroughly enjoyed each one.
Other than that, I can only think that, for me, I lived the life that came along. Sometimes opportunities landed in your lap, other times you saw the need for something to be done. Certainly we travelled abroad three or four times and this entailed planning ahead but I couldn’t say we had thought about it for years and eventually made it happen.
I was very deliberate in the selection of my first paid work but after a very happy and productive four years there, life took me to other amazingly satisfying places. I never again worked a 9 – 5 job.
Two years in Indonesia and found some teaching work. After that, I moved every few years with a school teacher husband, I lived in whatever house was available and I met the locals.
In Merbein, I learned how to be a mother. The Brownie pack in Cobram had a waiting list of three years and our daughter was already eight, so I became a Brownie leader.
Tallangatta – a children’s music group and Hello group for Thursday coffee. Then a Youth Worker position was advertised. With absolutely no qualifications I went for the job and scored an interview. On reflection, I decided I wasn’t the right candidate but they offered me the job and asked me to do three months trial. I stayed six years.
Looking to put the fence at the top of the cliff rather than the ambulance at the bottom, I did a Tafe parenting course and spent many happy times travelling around leading parenting groups.
In the meantime, we went for family holidays mostly taking the cheapest option of a beach holiday and taking a tent over the mountains to Pambula.
Language teaching came into primary schools and here was another gift opportunity. Again, no teaching qualifications but allowed to teach as long as the classroom teacher was present – suited me fine. Twenty five years over eight or nine schools for six-week courses or weekly lessons through the year.
And now, here is Benalla with new opportunities on the doorstep.
Have I decided what I want to do while I am still able? Of course not! I’ll do what I have always done and wait to see what comes along. I don’t seem to have needed a bucket list.
A favourite quote from George Bernard Shaw;
‘Life is no brief candle to me. It’s a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.’
Carmyl Winkler
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