Changes...

I think of myself today as what is laughingly called a ‘groovy Grannie,' my two kids are all grown up, and I’m very lucky to have two gorgeous grandchildren.  My grandson thinks I’m very old, but I quickly correct him – after all he is very young!

I was born at the end of the Baby Boomer generation.  Growing up was great, lots of freedoms that kids today don’t have but without some of the amazing opportunities kids today have.  My parents worked hard to give us a happy home life and a good education. 

I used to marvel at all of the amazing changes that occurred during my Mother’s life, and recently I’ve started to reflect on some of the changes that I’ve been witness too.  Every day we watch and listen to the news, and we tend to forget that historians will look back at these events and they will take on whole new meanings. 

I was eleven years old when Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, huddled around the small television in the borders common room at my school, we watched this remarkable feat and then, we just went on with our normal day, we certainly didn’t realise the significance of that moment.  Later came the final Australian withdrawal from Vietnam and the end of the conflict which not only divided Vietnam but Australia.

Later still came the end of the Cold War and the breaking up of the Soviet Block,  the opening up of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany.  Then there was the terrible spectacle of tanks running over protesters in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.  1989 was certainly a year of highs and lows. Today I have travelled to Berlin and Beijing enjoying both trips, but inside me, I was conscious of earlier memories of a time when life, especially for the locals was so much more difficult.

So if I had been writing this to my younger self then I would have harped on about the need to take it all in, history is being made all around us, today more than ever before the world is changing at an amazing rate. Things that today seem commonplace are likely to change and you probably won't see that change coming so enjoy it while you can, life is just a great roller coaster of a ride...enjoy.

Planning a Bucket List

I've never really had the time to think too much about the things that I would put on a Bucket List - just recently I started to ask myself - "what do I want to accomplish before I die or get too old"? It's a really interesting exercise - now that I have the luxury of this hiatus in my normally very busy life I've realised that the preparation of the list is not as easy as you would think!    First thoughts; where would I like to go - what would I like to see? Hmmm, it's pretty easy to put together a list full of places to see and exotic things to do and then I realised that although I'm sure I'll spend more time holidaying now than in the past, I wouldn't be satisfied by living like a gypsy.

So what is really important to me - are there experiences I would like to have, people I'd like to see, performers I'd like to see or hear?  Are there projects I'd like to finish, skills I'd like to acquire?  Google 'Bucket List' and it is amazing what you find.  Some people have short term Bucket Lists - like, Spring Bucket List, but I think a Bucket List is bigger than this, my Bucket List has to be the BIG one!  What will I regret if I don't take the time to do it?

So ... Bucket List - or, 'what is really important to me' - what would I regret not doing on my death bed? If we went to the Doctor tomorrow and got the worse possible news what would we prioritise!  If you phase the question like this then the list gets turned on its head.  First, on the list - spend time with the people you love - spend time doing the things you love and then and only then go out and see some of the wonderful places in the world and experience first-hand some fantastic adventures.

So my Bucket List is very much a work in progress - something else to work on during my Gap Year.

Update

OMGoodness...  it is now over three years since the sale of our business and my move into semi-retirement.  I started this blog to record all the changes - well that was obviously a complete waste of time!  I will have to call this a review rather than a record.  Maybe it is like cleaning, every now and then you have a great big cleanout and from then on it is easier to keep on track and just do a little every now and then.  Well, I think that will be my plan from here on in, maybe I should try for a once of week check up - Social Media all up to date - check.  HAHA - I can hear my husband laughing already.  Maybe I'll just take it slow, try for a more frequent schedule than once a year - yes, that should work.  Let's check back again, here, say June 2017 and see if I managed.

To Blog or not to blog - that was my question, I'm still not sure.  After working in our own business for the last 13 years and managing during that time to take on the various challenges that business and life threw at me, I wondered...would others be interested in my story?  Would I have something to say?