Brendan Connell and his God
We were good mates I haven’t thought about Brendan Connell for decades. We were mates in primary school, when we both were unequivocal catholics. He was good fun, smart and a better than average sportsperson. We competed fiercely with each other scholastically and in a sporting sense. Occassionally we came …
Where did your dreams go
Where did your dreams go? I’m not talking about last night’s half remembered journey into never land. I’m talking about your real hopes and dreams. The possibilities and endless potential that you saw when you were a child. What happened to them? Can you remember what they were? Do you …
The Deep Purple songs that kept me alive
I’ve just about completed my book tentatively titled Postcards from Hell, Snapshots From a Purpled Mind. It’s no epic and is probably self indulgent but its been cathartic for me. Its a series of snapshots of various parts of my life with references to various Deep Purple songs that seemed …
Little league,loss, longing and lessons in life
South Barwon Little League 1971 It seems such a long time ago. Fifty years next year actually, but my mind often strays back to those golden little league days when all that mattered was an hour or so on a Saturday morning. I was only eight (a baby really) when …
The Black Dog and Blue Skies
When I was younger…so much younger than today I knew I was in deep trouble with the black dog but I didn’t seek help. I battled on, fighting an unwinnable internal war by self medicating and surrounding myself with as much noise as possible. I feared silence and wanted no …
Clearly Quite Absurd
Clearly Quite Absurd is a very quiet piece from the Deep Purple album Rapture of the Deep. Its concept is simple – life would be much simpler if we could clear away all the clutter and subterfuge and just read each other’s minds. There’s some lines in there that hit …
Salvation
Sometimes potential life partners pass each other by with never a backward glance. Time and circumstances don’t create the necessary spark. Other times, the stars align and everything falls into place. If I’d met Brigid three months earlier we may have simply passed each other by as I was still …
Things I never said or did
It’s been almost thirty five years to the day since you left us. Eighteen or so months more since a civil word passed between you and I and the time has come at last for me to embrace and own my grief. I can almost hear you laughing at that …
Three Daughters
The celebrated social commentator, Clive James, once said something to the effect that gazing upon the face of an intelligent beautiful woman was to gaze upon the face of God. It’s a good line but is ultimately a shallow one. It resonates with me nevertheless because, I think he’s at …
Just For the Fun of it
Around the time of the second Iraq War, I started jamming on a Sunday afternoon with a local Ararat musician, Darren Sherwell. It started out as a bit of fun. He was an accomplished player and excellent singer. My fingers were full of rust – but somehow,in those first fumbling …