by Pat Ritter
service. When I discovered my behaviour was a ‘people pleaser’ I needed to change. Over a twelve month period I worked harder than I’d ever worked on anything in my life to change this behaviour. I did it!
Now when I hear my father’s famous last words, ‘you’re an idiot’, I ignore the comment and get on with my life knowing I’m not an idiot and they were his famous last words, not mine!
Word count: 502
Heavy Duty
In 1978, Mr Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister of Australia visited our region. My role at the time a member of the Criminal Investigation Branch at Dalby, a country town three hours travel west from Brisbane.
How our lives dovetailed together became heavy duty to the most powerful person in Australia at the time. With other detectives I became one of the Prime Minister’s personal guards, wherever he went, so did a team of four armed guards which included yours truly.
Mr Fraser visited another country town near Toowoomba to open an exhibition. His personal bodyguards consisted of selected members of the Australian Federal Police never left his side. We, on the other hand kept a distance with eyes searching for any assassins.
Superintendent Byers, our boss, supervised all police during Mr Fraser’s visit. We met the Prime Minister’s plane on arrival at Oakey Airbase and escorted his motor cavalcade through the back roads to arrive at a small hamlet outside of Toowoomba.
Once the Prime Minister left his vehicle, he joined the local chairman and committee members; our role, to mingle amongst the crowd, keeping a lookout for any suspicious actions to be taken against the Prime Minister.
Amongst the gathering I estimated about two thousand people. At one time it became almost impossible to see the location of the Prime Minister when so many joined him to celebrate this occasion.
I remember standing among the gathering when Superintendent Byers came up beside me and asked, ‘where’s the Prime Minister?’ At the time I didn’t have a clue, however I saw a cluster of people gathered near the hall, ‘over there Superintendent’ and I pointed toward the gathering.
‘You’d better get closer because if someone shoots him you’re to jump in front to take the bullet.’ My mind went blank with thoughts jumping in front of the Prime Minister of Australia to take a bullet for him. I thought, not bloody likely, they can replace a Prime Minister but they can’t replace me.
I answered the Superintendent ‘yes sir’ and immediately lost myself in the crowd.
On our return to Oakey Airbase, Superintendent Byers led the procession in a marked police vehicle followed by the Prime Minister’s vehicle. We followed in an unmarked police vehicle close behind the Prime Minister’s vehicle.
Suddenly up ahead a vehicle left the road and stopped on the gravel shoulder. The vehicle carrying the Prime Minister stopped behind this vehicle. Mr Fraser alighted from his vehicle and walked to where the driver stopped on the side of the road.
Mr Fraser apologised for the incident, shook the driver’s hand and called out to the driver of the Superintendent’s vehicle which happened to be Superintendent Byers, ‘slow down, we don’t need to kill anyone.’ I smiled and thought karma. This was heavy duty indeed.
Word count:473
I Don't Know How Much Awful It Can Get
Last week my computer decided after a couple of years friendship with me to depart with a crash taking some of my work. At first I became alarmed. Now it was gone and I don't know how much awful it can get.
For many years my adviser tells me what type of computer I should have and this time was no different. Under normal times she'd build one to my design. Unfortunately this time her words, 'buy a new one' ricocheted through my brainwaves. My mouth opened with thoughts of I can't do this!
I needed a computer for without one, honestly, what I would do all day. I write and write and write, I'm not into gardening or house cleaning, all I do is write. You may say my life is dull compared to many other retired people but I love what I do and without a computer I'm lost.
Daily my task of posting information on facebook and other websites to market my books. If I let my customers down I'd be letting myself down. My decision to purchase a new computer became a no-brainer. Now a decision to purchase the correct one.
Where do I purchase this computer? I hate visiting those computer stores when a pimply teenager shows you disrespect because of your age. He didn't grow up in a world of no computers, only a wind-up alarm clock the closest comparison. We had no knowledge of what a computer looked like little wondering once we understood them, we totally depended on them to live.
So off to the computer shop and pray I'd be able to purchase one of my choice. Luck became my angel sitting on my shoulder when I entered the store. Lines of computers sat like sentinels waiting to be purchased. Pick me, pick me!
When I'm about to purchase anything I admit to taking the first one which is shown to me. This time a kind lady, much older than a pimply teenager asked if she could help. My thoughts relaxed to explain to this wonderful shop attendant I wanted to purchase a computer.
As if by magic a computer, a screen the size of a huge television took my eye, 'I'll take that one,' I told her and pointed to the one on the display table.
'Great choice,' she said, 'got the latest 8.1 windows without all of the bells and whistles.'
'Thank you', I replied, 'I only want a simple machine to type'.
After paying for the computer | was as pleased as punch. Now to learn the latest technology.
My friend installed the software which I'd been accustomed with and away I went to again rise above myself with a brand spanking new computer. This was likened to selling my old Toyota and purchasing a brand new one.
Eventually this latest technology has filtered into my slow brain and I must admit to become acquainted with this latest technology. Now I realise technology is not all so damaging to my mind, only the leap of faith to encompass this.
Word count: 523
I Haven’t Had So Much Fun Since……
This may sound strange but the only time I do have fun is when I’m writing. Strange as it may seem, my mind is completely focused on the topic I’m about to write.
For instance before I commenced writing this topic I thought about the term ‘so much fun’. Thoughts erupted in my mind like fireworks sparkling crackers of thought through the maze of storytelling.
Endorphins spring into action giving me a calmness of happiness of what I’m about to write is fun, like taking a ‘happy’ pill which settled the mind. Thoughts scattered to form words and next my fingers are typing words generated from the creative side of my brain.
This is my type of fun, imagination to discover I can be anyone I wish, be anywhere I want to be, act a hero or villain. This happens in my mind and with these stories developed in my mind urges me onto telling a story.
We were always taught at school a story has a beginning, middle and end. It may sound easy when the teacher pushed this formula down our throats to settle in our minds, yes sounds easy to speak the words, another to actually write the words to make a story.
My time at school I remember writing ‘compositions’ when this formula adhered to the rules of writing. Next were ‘essays’ followed by ‘assignments’, all having a similar meaning to ‘compositions’?
Progression over the years of writing led us to become ‘storytellers’, write an interesting story for your audience to say ‘Wow’ or ‘Ah’ or ‘Don’t want to read any more of this crap’. On top of my desk I have a saying which I repeat over and over in my mind: ‘How Can I Make The Reader Devour The Words I Write’? This saying is my writer’s totem.
Storytelling has spread its wings from ‘composition’ to ‘telling a story’. Just like the storyteller who sat under the bunyip tree telling a story to his gathering of children, seeing their eyes light up like a Christmas tree, listen to their silence to hear how the story end. The heart of storytelling, to capture your audience’s attention and keep their attention until the end.
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nbsp; We all love to hear or read a great story and I love to tell one, or write one for my readers to enjoy. There is no better feeling than to have a reader provide feedback from reading one of my books to say they enjoyed the story. I know then, I have completed my dream of connecting with my reader and I can tell you its fun.
Word count:446
I Left A Note On The Mirror
Mistakes are easily made, I thought after I left a note on the mirror. How would a puff of wind blow through the window to cast the note where it couldn't be found. A simple exercise gone wrong.
Away I ventured on one of my mystery trips, no where in particular, only an overnight bag filled with sufficient clothes for a couple of days. My mind free of family, friends and anything else to clutter my mind. I needed to escape to regain my sense of self. Not many can escape to wherever when they want to, except me.
After my wife passed away, I admit to being lost in grief. Honestly, I had no idea where to turn or who to turn to. My life was my wife and I for thirty-one years, doing everything together. Now, my life wasn't anything like it used to be. From time to time I needed to escape to find myself to learn what it was like to live alone.
Each second weekend my son visited to stay with me. Whilst everything seemed fine I appreciated his support, I needed to escape to question my own existence. Before he arrived on Saturday morning I decided to escape