I’d only been back from Sydney for a couple of months and was living in a house about 5 minutes from the beach. I’d nicknamed the house the Grotto. (please don’t ask me why) ( ok, I give in, I’ll tell you why )

The kitchen was built onto the house years later and one of the kitchen walls was originally the outside wall of the house. ( so far it’s as clear as mud, right ??? ) Anyhow this wall was covered with gloss paint (green ) and one day I was being stupid and threw a used tea bag ( still steaming ) against the wall. I stood back and admired the work of art I’d created, hanging there steaming on the wall, the tag flapping in the breeze and I decided it was making some artistic statement.

From that day on the number of tea bags on the wall multiplied and after a year or so became a true work of art. Anyhow, back to the yarn !!!

It was Sunday morning, we’d had breakfast and Gene (my 4 year old son) and I walked out into our sunny back yard.   A few of the neighbours chooks were scratchin’ around in our wood shed. The sky was a perfect blue, there was a slight breeze and the temp was already 15.

I thought to myself no worries, another ripper of a day. I could just about hear the waves breaking and said to Gene ” Come on mate, let’s get the togs on and hit the beach”.  Gene was in the Valiant before I’d even locked up the house.

He’d loved playing in the water since he was knee high to a grass hopper. We were standing on the beach about 20 yards from the water when a group of men jogged slowly past along the water’s edge.  I looked away for a few seconds and when I turned back Gene was gone.

I panicked for the next few seconds and then saw him running behind the group of joggers following them down the beach.   I took a short cut up past the group and waited for them to come past with Gene in tow.

I looked at his face and could see he was in another world, he had become a jogger,  smiling from ear to ear, laughing,  imitating their movements.   He was absorbed in the momment,  ”soaring”.

He was “flying “.  Kids have that ability to live life to the full, no compromises and totally uninhibited. That few minutes inspired me to write a piece of music called “Flight for a Child”.

Now it’s 20 years later, Gene is 26 this year and in the U.S. Navy.  I’m sitting at the dinner table with the trouble and strife (Julieanne) and our daughter Jessica ( also known as Messica, Jessica )    Suddenly I blurt out, “We all have wings, some of us don’t know why”   For more effect I follow the statement with some semi demented laughter.

( another one of my talents?) Jules and Jess both look at me and say “you’re crazy, what wings”? I say well, you know, it all makes perfect sense !!!. We’re all born with this amazing power, the ability to live the dream, flap our wings and get up there,” soar”, be what we really want to be.

We’ve always HAD that ability but many of us give it up or somehow let it be taken away from us as we become adults.

The GREAT news is that the ability never really “leaves” us, all we have to do is reclaim it from the depths where it’s been safely locked away, just in case someone laughs at us,thinks we’re off with the fairies, calls us a weirdo or whatever.

To me this all relates to being able to connect into all the positive energy that surrounds us. It’s all out there waiting for us to hook into, make it a part of us and send it on to others and make them feel it too.

Of course I’m talking about all the positive energy, vibrations and all the other good stuff I’ve read about in books like Mach 2 Starring You by Richard Brooke

“Excuse me, Your Life is Waiting” by Lynn Grabhorne (sorry, we can’t lend this one out, but you can borrow the others .

It took me a while to “get it ” but now I Know it all makes sense. I used to have a bad habit of finding something I didn’t like about people I’d just spent some time with and then I’d tell someone else about it.

I didn’t realise I was spreading all these negative vibs all over the place. It didn’t even make sense doing it because I always felt bad after I did it.

You know like a hollow feeling, a downer, a feeling of betrayal, a mongrel. Now I think about something I DO like about them and forget about all that negative bS.

Who needs it, what is it good for, Abosolutely Nothin’. Ok, I reckon it’s good for the Garden ?? I remember back in ’85 I stayed in Waikiki, Hawaii for five days on my way to New York.  I was tickin’ faster than a two bob watch because when I got to N.Y.

I was going to see Gene and was also going to get myself a publishing deal for the music I’d written. Anyhow I was feeling great,the wings were flappin’,and I definitely had the positive vibrations goin out.

On the way to Waikiki, on the airport bus, I noticed this dapper English looking bloke. I hadn’t booked a hotel, I thought I’d just walk into one that looked alright. Next thing the bus stopped in front of a beautiful hotel and the Englishman got off and I followed.

As we walked up to the reception I caught up to him and said, ” Excuse me mate, my name’s John I just lobbed from Sydney, I reckon you would have to be from somewhere pretty close to London” ( I extended my arm to shake hands).

After recovering from the initial shock he smiled, shook hands and said ” Well jolly good, my name is Richard, I’m from Oxfordshire, I’m pleased to meet you, and I thought that you must definitely be an Australian”.

In no time we were yakkin’ like a couple of old boilers at a school fete. We struck up a great friendship, lounging around the pool, going to a different place for breakfast every day, sight seeing,even went on a Disco Cruise.

We had a great time. On the Disco Cruise we met some sheilas from Oklahoma, one of them had this saying when she got thirsty.   She’d say ” I’ll be back in a minute, I wanna suck ‘em up some “.

I said to Richard, ” I dunno mate,sounds like she’s feelin’crook,  she might wanna go to the side of the boat and feed the sharks ???”  Richard and I still send each other Xmas cards and Julieanne, Jessica and I have been invited to stay with Richard and Sue when we go to England for a holiday.

Just goes to show what happens when you’re feelin’good and sending out the ” Good Vibrations”

Kind Regards from John (down under).

Live Life and be Happy,