by Pat Ritter
I type my name into Google 3,780,000 results which also shock me ranging from information about my website, books to just about everything about me. Imagine this information can be found by anyone in the world.
Is it good this amount of information floating through cyberspace for anyone to view? In my case there is nothing to hide so therefore I don’t mind if Jimmy who lives in Canada on the other side of the world wants information about me and what I’ve done.
This week I’m attending WriteFest, a writer’s conference where I will be attending writing workshops. Shannon Curtis, an Australian author, is conducting two workshops I will be attending.
To find more about Shannon Curtis I typed her name into Google, presto up came all the information I needed. Shannon is an author from Sydney and under contract to write a book on the television show ‘The Bold And The Beautiful’ watched by over 26 million daily viewers. I can’t wait until Saturday to listen to story.
I wonder what they’ll think of next.
Word count:352
Whatever It Is: I Don't Like It
Discipline on children today has flown out of the window. I know what you're thinking, 'it didn't happen in our day'. In our day, if you remember, we thought discipline was part of life dealt out by our parents, grandparents, teachers or everyone else who wanted to put their beak into the discussion. Unfortunately, and I say unfortunately, because honestly I don't know how children of today will survive the rigours of society without discipline.
I am a grandparent. I'll harken back to my childhood when discipline was a way of life. Remember the razor strap hanging from a nail on the back door. I felt the leather around the back of my legs more times for misdemeanours I didn't think I deserved. These were the lessons of the day.
Cruel as it may sound, we learned discipline. Do as you're told and don't speak back. These were the rules. If an adult person told you to do something, you did it without questioning their authority or 'why'. You did it! Those were the times. Those times didn't kill us only wished we could've been dead thinking back to the punishment handed out. In the long term I think these actions made us much stronger than we thought we could be.
My mind shudders with disbelief when my grandchildren ask for anything and are instantly given what they want immediately. Not a question of cost, required to work for the present, or respect for what they have. Not on your life. Today's children, in my opinion, are spoilt beyond belief. There is nothing I can do only feed them lollies or biscuits when they visit me. I tend to spoil them myself but I return them to their parents.
Would you believe my grandson is two years old and owns his own tablet. At two years old the only tablet I knew was one which went down your throat when you were sick. This tablet is an electronic device with games and other programmes to keep the child entertained. In our day we were told to 'get outside and play'. Not today. Either the children are watching children shows on television, playing with their tablets or doing nothing.
It gets worse. I have a teenage grandson who doesn't have the ability to communicate only via his mobile telephone. When we have an opportunity to actually speak to one another, he grunts, and types something on his phone. It's frustrating, I can tell you. They have no idea of communication whatsoever only through their electronic devices.
My grandmother, a warm and wonderful human being dished out her discipline in a cunning and devious manner. If we were not doing as she asked, she pointed a finger at one of us, usually myself, and coaxed us to her side. When we were within reach she'd grab one of our hands and hold it tight. We dared not move. With her other hand she smacked our fingers until they turned red. Then let our hand go with the words, 'never do that again – understand'. We knew the meaning of discipline and never did it again, whatever it was.
Today parenting have turned the other way. How can a child of today be disciplined? I see mothers speaking with their children, 'whatever it is: I don't like it. Go to the naughty corner.' When I first heard about this 'naughty corner' my insides almost split with laughter. What about a good smack on the bottom, I wanted to tell them. Naughty corner indeed.
I wish we had the naughty corner when I was a boy instead of feeling the leather strap on the back of my legs. Seriously, do you think the naughty corner is the answer to discipline? Does the child learn what they did was wrong? Or do they know after ten minutes they can return and do the same thing again and know they won't get into trouble for what they did?
I'm sorry, but I am a hard task master. If a child did the crime, they should do the time. How are they to become good upstanding citizens of our society if they have no respect or discipline? Today they have too much time on their hands and like my grandparents always told me, 'idle hands make mischief'.
Word count: 730
When These Old Clothes Were New
A woollen checked coat hung in the clothes cupboard. I placed my hand on the sleeve. Instant memories flooded back to when I first purchased this particular coat with another similar, but a different colour.
Forty-two years ago I walked along Adelaide Street, Brisbane, westerly winds blew cold, I need a coat, went through my mind. Sighting an army disposal store I entered to browse. A check, brown with squares, begged me to purchase it.
When I tried it on, it fitted comfortable and felt warm. Beside this coat a red check coat similar to mine, a little smaller. I purchased both coats, one for me and the other for my wife-to-be. This coat became my daily wearing to bid off the westerly winds and cold weather.
At the time my job a police officer in the western town, Cunnamulla, where the cold winds from the west almost shivered your bones. I wore my coat everywhere as did my wife-to-be wore hers. We weren’t a pigeon pair because of the different colours but our coats kept us warm.
At night when I worked night duty I wore my coat instead of the heavy coat supplied by the department. One evening I arrested a drink driver whilst wearing this coat. When he appeared in court many months later to defend his charge, his solicitor asked if I owned a checked coat and was I wearing it the night I arrested his client.
My answer, ‘yes, I own such a coat, no sir, I only wear my uniform when I’m working, never civilian clothing.’ He accepted the answer and I overheard him throwing abuse at his client.
Nine months later the person I’d arrested for drink driving came to me and asked for return of his driver’s license which I did. He questioned me if I was wearing the checked coat the night I arrested him and this time I told him he must’ve been mistaken. He smiled and left satisfied to receive his license.
Next transfer being Stanthorpe which is one of the coldest towns in Queensland, I wore this coat everywhere almost sleeping in it, except for work when I wore the proper uniform. I never wanted to be caught out again.
After transferring from Stanthorpe being the last time I wore a uniform to become a detective wearing plain clothes. My coat came in handy particularly late at night investigating fatal road accidents because a few years later we were transferred to Dalby on the western Darling Downs.
This coat went everywhere with me, it became almost symbolic as the grey dustcoat wore by television detective Colombo.
Word count:447
You Should See The Other Guy
A movie ‘Someone Up There Likes Me’ staring Paul Newman, had a profound affect on my life. Paul Newman played Rocky Graziano, a rebel who went to prison as a juvenile. In prison a guard taught him boxing. Through his life Rocky failed to be disciplined, either by his father or authorities. His father, a drunk and former fighter failed at everything he did.
On his return to civilisation after his term of imprisonment, he failed to gain employment and almost decided to return to his old way of life until he joined the Army. He couldn’t take the discipline and went AWOL (Away Without Leave). On the run his former prison guard encouraged him to turn over a new leaf and joined the ranks of boxing.
This meant self discipline of training daily in the gym. Rocky became a folk hero to his to
wn and before long won fight after fight to eventually reach the position of fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship.
The scene before Rocky climbed into the ring to fight for the title, he came home to visit his mother and father. His mother loved him and always looked forward to Rocky visiting. On the other hand his father hated him for gaining respect in boxing and doing what he couldn’t.
Rocky said goodbye to his mother with a kiss on the cheek, he walked past his father to say goodbye when his father grunted, ‘Win! Do something I couldn’t do.’
After the fight was over and Rocky claimed the greatest championship of all by winning, his face swollen beyond belief, his daughter didn’t recognize him after he arrived home.
‘You should see the other guy.’ He slurred to his daughter with a smile.
Near the end of the film Rocky with his wife and daughter drove in the back of a limousine waving to the crowd which gathered to show their appreciation to the champion he became. Rocky leaned over to his wife and said, ‘Someone Up There Likes Me’ pointing to the sky.
Word count:351
You’re Put On The Spot
Nothing like being unprepared, nerves exploded when the teacher spoke my name to explain my reason for laughing. Shock filtered through my body, blankness filled my mind, and
