Humanity Platform

It is almost time for another state election and this year I have been put in a position where I have realised how important government support can be to a person's life. Obviously there is not unlimited funding but it is important to focus our vote on the party that spends money supporting the community and not the party that cuts funding so much it creates a petrified money tree. I think this poem will illustrate why government support and funding is crucial.  Petrified Money Tree I think of a petrified forest and it's darkness and it reminds me how quickly lack of money can create a mess.  Instead of an entire forest though I am responsible for one petrified money tree because of a year of weakening ability.  Usually it is my words and music that feed my family's money tree and make it grow but when my disability stops me the tree's growth does slow. Such a tree should not be as skinny as a sapling or vine. It is amazing how quickly fortunes can ...

As another Mental Health Week comes to a close it is important  to remember that not all illnesses have physical symptoms. My cerebral palsy is easily identified b y my wheelchair but when I'm out and about no one can identify the psychological struggle I've had to fight over the last twelve months just to get out of bed. So now I share the following poem in the hope it will teach some people that they do not struggle alone and that your mental health is more important than just a week.  Hard Time Have you ever been sentenced to hard time Before you've even committed a crime?  Have you been sent to prison Where the only bars are your own psychological scars? How many times have you tried to dig through the mental cell wall But just when you're about to break through You don't even have the energy left to crawl.  Have you ever spent a year or more Locked in a small room staring at the ceiling? And you're only cellmate is an anxious an...

Over the last few days I have had circumstances come up in my professional life and my health which has given me time to meditate and adjust my focus. I have once again been able to reflect on the fact that my disability can play the role of humbling me which is a good thing because I know to achieve at the high level that I want to achieve I need a lot of people's help so I cannot afford to let an unrealistic ego get in the way. During this time of reflection I have had the honour of being part of another acting project while simultaneously having to deal with minor health issues. This contrast in situations has made me realise that you must go through some adversity before you achieve success. As an example I was recently anxious about some medical things and to keep myself calm I repeated the mantra: is there anything wrong in this moment? No. Then you're okay.  And you know what? I was okay. This experience highlighted to me just how powerful the practice of staying...

This post is a direct response to Pauline Hanson's uneducated comments during the parliamentary debate on the passage of the government's Gonski education reform bill.  My five year old nephew would be aware that everyone has the right to go to school even people with disabilities. Ms Hanson's comments demonstrated that she is not a true leader, she is only interested in speaking up for what divides the community instead of what improves the community.  Many of my friends with disabilities and I are living proof of what people with disabilities can achieve if we are given equal access to education.  What Pauline does not seem to realise is that she is right about one thing; people with disabilities would create an extra burden if integration was stopped and we went back to the Stone Age.  I was able to achieve a full mainstream education and along the way received many awards, this education allowed me to go on to a career as a professional writer, actor, smal...

People with disabilities in 2017 still have to advocate strongly to be allowed to participate fully in the community.  I recently was invited to a community inclusion forum which I was unable to attend but this is what I would have said.  All my life I have desperately wanted to be taken seriously. I have wanted to be considered a leader, not just in the disability community but in the world as a whole.  People might see my disability as a detriment and it might be a cliche, I ask people to focus on my ability not my disability. I am street performer, poet, public speaker, political activist, professional actor, and most importantly a husband. All these socially valued roles and more are how I try and give back to the community.  The fact that when it come to people with a disability we still have the necessity for social inclusion forums inspired me to write the following poem: Community Centre I sit looking up, getting a sore neck while everyone ...

I sometimes wonder why the world cannot see we need to come together before the clock strikes midnight. Readers of my blog might think that I care about too much to make a difference about anything, one day I will blog about the environment, the next time I blog about human rights or politics but to me everything I raise on this blog is connected to one thing; we all have to act before the world turns into a pumpkin. The early Christians sold their possessions and lived together in communities sharing everything, I believe it's time for each one of us to see the whole world as our community. There are still people out there who do not believe climate change is real; to them I say what is the harm of treating the environment better, living more simply and sustainably, hoax or not. The world is ours; fighting each other accomplishes nothing except bringing us closer and closer to midnight. I have made it my mission to learn everything about the different world religions, they al...

This Lenten season has been the most unique and thought provoking of my faith life so far. I have spent the last forty days deep in prayer and meditation and yet still been confronted with images and conversations of war. I follow many podcasts and in one day of my playlists I go from listening to a Catholic podcast followed by a news podcast talking of Syria and Egypt. This has caused me to reflect on the fact that we need Jesus' new commandment of love more than ever. Just when I have made this commitment I go on to YouTube and see on my playlist a documentary on the Franciscan begging monks followed immediately by Robert Greene's videos on power, persuasion, and war. My own life this month has been a paradox of frustration and peace. I have been in a deep depression for the last three weeks except for the peaceful moments during church and this Holy Week has brought my mojo back. So my final thought for this Lent is we should follow the example of St Brigid who took t...