I have always been a keen sports person having played competition soccer, basketball, athletics, rugby union and squash. These days I am confined to cheering, some would say bellowing, from the sidelines (lounge chair mostly). I won the 100 yards schoolboys’ final, a preliminary event, to the Stawell Gift. I have been fortunate to travel overseas, including visiting a game park in Zimbabwe where I was found up a tree and Irian Jaya with Regions Beyond. Played a bugle in a Boys Brigade band. Became a Christian when I was 12 -still as vivid a memory today.
Student assignments/projects (as always) I think I stopped reading outside of work from the day I got married or maybe it was after Elise was born. However my reading has always tended to be for a purpose rather then relaxation.
Aside from weekend and holiday work in my teens (door to door selling; Aust Post; jackarooing etc). My first full time job was as a trainee with NSW Agriculture in a stock camp of 12 people (aboriginal and white stockman) ' in the NT. The cattle station was 2,000 sq. miles with 12,000 cows. It was a challenging year in work, relationships and faith. Sleeping under the stars, stock work nearly 7 days a week, steer riding and flag racing at rodeos, reading my bible by torch light and being the cook for the last 6 weeks of the year-I still have the cook book.
Web sites are nearly all work related. However for escape I visit Alberta, Canada weather site and the Edmonton Oilers (ice hockey team) home page.
A doctor or veterinarian
The situation was my final year school dance/dinner. I was not taking anyone, however as we were the first year 12 through our school the teachers pressured me to ask someone. I asked a year 10 girl and she wore a mini skirt (all other girls had long dresses). She was so embarrassed she broke out in hives and didn't attend school for a few days or a week.
What comes to mind is more the qualities of people in all walks of life who are not moved from their faith in spite of their life's experiences. They remain committed, striving and capable of incredible forgiveness- they inspire me.
To be able to have all my family, relatives and friends with me.