'Failure'

'Failure' ... Neville Gibb

17/4/2023

What can we say about failure?

Is it the opposite of success. At the end of our lives are failures and successes equalled out. Do they have any meaning in the experience of life. Do we ever have as many successes as failures. Do failures always spoil successes.

Is failure an end in itself. Are our lives made up of a series of failures strung together into something that is called life. Is success ever interspersed within these failures.

Are we reliant on others to be awarded successes. Do others always judge our failures.

Do successes even make a difference in our lives. Is success the big picture item in life or does it always end up the small item at the bottom left hand corner of the big picture.

Failure is a difficult word. Failure is a concept that follows us through our lives and we never really come to terms with it. We are always failing. We always put more emphasis on failure than success. A dyeing person always recounts their failures. Do we ever get solace from our successes or failures. Most people must die feeling they have failed.

Even if we consider the most successful people, can they ever claim to be successful. Can the most successful politicians ever claim to have succeeded in their endeavours.

Winston Churchill for instance. He had many more years of failure in his life than years of success. Perhaps, like some notable people, living much longer than he deserved to could be called success.

Just how many people really succeed in this world. Think of how many people in the world can claim to have success. Paul McCartney for instance. Even he has had his failures. But perhaps his failures contributed to his success.

Failure is a constant in most lives. If you succeed at some enterprises but fail at most desires does this mean you have succeeded or failed. Can failure ever over ride success.

Can we claim that success comes in small packages. In time can we claim that these small increments add up to success and outnumber the failures.

Just what is the definition of failure and success.

Is success the admission that you might have done something worthy of self recognition?

Is failure the admission you have done something that is not worthy of any self self recognition?

Neville Gibb
April 2023

0 Comments

'Failure'

20/3/2023

0 Comments

I’m writing this as a failure of my parents, due to the circumstances at the time, to not see that I received an education…. because, I would never say I was a failure. However, I could say my education very much was.

I attended a small school in the country along with my siblings. The one teacher school taught prep to grade six. For some reason, my father decided I was to stay on at this school to do Grade 7 and Grade 8 as I was needed to milk cows while my brothers carted hay. Out of a family of three boys and three girls, I was the only girl who would go to the dairy and milk cows.

Who was I to argue with my father?

As you can imagine, the teacher then had to give, or try to give, me harder work than was possible from a small state school. I don’t remember my schoolwork from that time, but I’m sure it wasn’t as hard as what was taught at high school, or the convent.

On completion of those two years spent at the state school I was sent on to complete my education at the convent in town, fifteen miles away. I was placed in class to repeat Grade 8, or Form Two as it was known.

What a shock to discover subjects that I had never heard of. Just some that I recall – Geometry, Algebra, Latin and French. How was I to deal with these dreadful subjects after missing the first year of them? By the end of the year, after a dreadful fail, I was placed up to Form Three to be humiliated yet again, with more of the same dreadful subjects. At the end of the year I was glad to walk out the gates, and not look back.

I would never say I was a failure, but I strongly believe my education was. I went on to hold down many jobs over many years in the work force. I was the bookkeeper in one of my first jobs, a job I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve worked in supermarkets on checkouts. I’ve worked in a nursing home in the kitchen, laundry and as a cleaner.

And… I married and raised four children.

I believe, had I been given the education I should have been given, I may have been a nurse.

My other passion was hairdressing. I have been known to cut hair when someone needs their hair cut. My niece wanted to give me job in her business, as she thought that I was a hairdresser.

I’m also very proud to have taught myself to play a keyboard, to have a group which helps me to entertain the lovely residents in nursing homes around Benalla.

So, I’ve turned my failed education into the will to achieve. To develop myself. To be self-determining. To put behind me those awful years I call my horrible school years and just get on with life.

I’m left wondering, however, what I could have achieved had I had a better education.

Trish Rogash,
March 2023

0 Comments

'Failure' - Carmyl Winkler

5/3/2023

0 Comments

I mentioned this title to my son, who wisely commented, “Well it all depends where you set the bar.’

By most people’s bar, my athletic career would be a complete failure – in the seconds for the school hockey team, playing in D Grade in the church tennis team, last by a third of the pool in the year 9 swimming sports.

But I once won a race at the Sunday School picnic. I was about 18 and we were running on the sand at Torquay and somehow I managed to beat Joycie Ford, well-known as the best runner in the race. My athletic husband-to-be couldn’t have been prouder!

But if the bar was low in that field of endeavour, it was right up there in the academic arena – second wasn’t good enough. I did once get PL, pass at a lower standard, in Year 9 Art but any other subject was grist to the mill.

I was fortunate enough to live in the era of Commonwealth Scholarships. They weren’t too hard to get and the associated living allowance was dependant on your family income so I did well in this regard.

However university was in Melbourne and we lived in Geelong so money had to be stretched to cover living expenses. I enrolled at University Women’s College and sat for a College Scholarship and was successful. With both scholarships I had just enough to live on. Students working at paid jobs during the term was not even considered in that era as learning was a full time task, especially for science students who had 3 hours of practical work each week for each subject as well as lectures.

First year science – and a pretty raw recruit. Notes were taken during lectures and, in Physics, a weekly problem sheet was handed out. The first one was headed with a Bible quotation:

‘But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves’

I diligently did the problems but didn’t think to further check over or rewrite each lecture.

A Science degree required two terms learning Science French or Science German. I decided to do this in my first year and, while no oral work was required but simply the ability to translate scientific articles from these languages into English, my love of languages inveigled me into spending too much time on this subject.

By exam time I had a large amount of material to revise and ,yes, my results were an utter disappointment – one third class honour and three passes. I lost my college scholarship and felt utterly miserable.

I spent the three month Christmas holidays as a pseudo-nurse at the Geelong Hospital. I saved every penny and made it financially to the end of my second year when my results were good enough to have my scholarship restored. By the end of my third year I was offered a position as Physics tutor at the college.

Sometimes we have to fail first time round to learn about what life asks of us.

Carmyl Winkler
March 2023

0 Comments

Our Stories

'Failure'

‘Failure’ ‘Write about a failure you’ve experienced – from the commonplace to the catastrophic – in 500 words’.

Some Resources:‘Failure’ topic – Although this is not a ‘skills course’, here are some handouts about how this ‘500 words’ topic might be approached:

Tips for Writing Your Story in 500 Words’ (ABC Open)

How to Plan Your Story in 500 Words – sample topic ‘Failure’ (ABC Open)

At the other extreme - a very personal Failure story https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/abc-open-500-words3b-failure/5125288

'Failure' ... Neville Gibb

'Failure'

'Failure' - Carmyl Winkler

'Failure'

Archives

Categories