One good thing about time passing us by is that you can look back to where you were and where you are now and what the hell has happened? At the time of my fathers’ passing, a life cut too short I was naïve, innocent young 40-year-old woman. My father left no instructions behind regarding his large business nor his three wives. Clarification, a Finnish widow, a French x wife, and an Australian x wife. All blonde, blue eyed and very much alive.
I wasn’t waving creative wands of industry around the place at the time, I was a nursing in the hospitals, life was good. Once money, power and greed had set in. A large mountain of dredge, confusion and mayhem transpired. The people that I thought were part of my integral close-knit team, the type of people that “had your back” joined forces and left me alone by the side of the road. My father had passed away and the lid he was holding firmly onto blew off and a bunch of crazy people popped up and then the professionals arrived.
Bad behaviour from everybody was pumping like a football game played on a muddy afternoon adrenalin, speed and who was quickest and smartest would win a prize. I had an epiphany when looking at myself brushing my teeth in the morning, I needed to run and fast. However, by my own nature, I don’t let go easily, subsequently I hung on and tried to make lemonade out of lemons resulting in no cool aid.
Then, what followed was change. I had to awaken and change my own self. My husband, John had nagged me for a decade about lending a hand at writing. I picked myself up and drowned my miseries and woes into writing. Fast forwarding to 2020 a nuggetty indigenous man approached me after an open mike performing slam poetry at a pub in The Blue Mountains. Elder, Uncle Georgie Kookaburra mentored me and he gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, to produce a radio show on his Koori Country Connection, Koori Radio 97.3FM. What an outstanding experience……. Uncle liked the idea of encouraging his community to pen poetry. I said, Uncle what would you like me to produce for the radio slot. “You, just be you”. At this stage in life, your boss/promoter saying just be you. All the way through life, your parents, teachers, friends, employers, partners and spouse want to change you. People don’t want you to be you, they want to mould you and change you to suit them. I’m very pleased to have experienced movement at the station with poetry. It led me to broadcasting on radio, Annalisa Express Show. My poetry led me to being a poet laureate for a large global sales company which was a wonderful experience. Poems were gathering momentum and a joy to be had.
Comedy on stage is a ridiculous thing, but had to have a go. My husband, after my first gig I asked him what he thought of the show. He said, “you just weren’t funny”. The thing is with this comment I didn’t know if he was being truthful or not, but I thought ah “what have I got to lose and kept going with the comedy”. Comedy on stage is quite a gut full, a full-on experience, like riding a wave or being dumped. There is no protection, it is just you and the microphone, it’s a wild gig. t’s a complex mix, but it’s fun to have a try. I said to my husband, “darling, stop you are giving me too much material”. Just like my family, “oh the endless supply of material”.
Recordings in studio for poetry with tags of piano. From poetry again, I have written a rap song. Another poem has been turned into lyrics for a song and when it is available on Spotify I would love you to have a listen.
My persistent husband again encouraged me to try painting. My mother is an outstanding artist, Annabelle McCall, watercolour painter. I thought you can’t have another painter in the family, can you? But where does limited thinking get you, so I had a go? The local art class had 6 people, all nurses or ex nurses. The first painting I did in acrylic. I brought it home and tossed it behind the couch. As time went on, I painted scenes from different countries. It’s relaxing and a fun pastime. We are having the first art exhibition next month of paintings.