Every cloud has a silver lining

'Adolescence is a period of rapid changes.

Between the ages of 12 and 17, for example, 

a parent ages as much as 20 years.' 

-Unknown

We are on the downhill slide with our Communications subject with the all our websites up and running.  It has been a huge learning curve for me having never even played with uploading information onto a website.  I still don’t have a Facebook site (and don’t tell Claire) never intend on having one.  I’m loving Twitter and the information you can easily find out there in the big wide world.  The other exciting thing happening is the closer we get to finishing this subject the closer I get to my holiday overseas in June.

The only black cloud on my horizon is my baby announcing he was moving out – on Mother’s Day!  Ironic really as my husband’s son moved out at the same age but on Father’s day.  I never thought I would get empty nest syndrome, after all when my husband and I met we had a ready-made family and couldn’t wait for this day, to be alone and to be able to do what I want, when I want.  Strange after so long.

The idea of never having to cook another sausage sizzle is very appealing however just typing this I can smell onions.  What will I do with every night free?  No football, less washing, being able to have a piece of toast for dinner because I can’t be bothered cooking. 

I will miss the hustle and bustle of a houseful of boys some staying a day and others who needed help stayed for months at a time. I’ll miss the screams of ‘What’s for dinner’ echoing down the hall as each entered the house in the afternoons.  The halls will be quiet.  My son can’t understand, “I’ll only be around the corner mum and I’ll still txt you when I’m hungry”, which I think on the wage he is on will be quite often.

 

Times are changing for all of us.  Soon I will be finished my Graduate Certificate, have an empty house but start on my exciting and long planned for travels.   My boys will have grown up and left the nest, I’m proud of them all, but secretly hope they will still need their mum – lots! 

At your age.

“You don't stop laughing when you grow old, 

you grow old when you stop laughing.”

― George Bernard Shaw

Only a few days ago while having a chat with a friend at work those words slipped out of her lips…but you have a great figure for someone at your age!  Ok I know it was a compliment but why ‘at my age’. 

At your age….

you really should know better.

you shouldn’t dress like that.

you shouldn’t eat that.

you shouldn’t drink so much!

Why?   Who makes these rules?  I was told as a child that you can make your own rules when you’re an adult.  They lied, my wonderful parents lied.  There seems to be all these unwritten rules once you hit 40+ about what you should or shouldn’t do...…. at your age!   

At my age, and no I'm not telling you what that is, I have joined the social media world, enjoy all the bad habits I shouldn't have and started travelling the world.

I want to become one of those wonderful old people who love life and enjoy the eccentricities that are allowed and expected shocking my children and making people tut at me, although this seem to happen already.

Game played in heaven - I hope not!

 “Encourage yourself by encouraging others. It’s tough to encourage others without lifting your own spirits up.”

-Kevin Ngo

On the weekend I attended my first ever professional Rugby match and as a diehard Football fan (round ball variety) it wasn't the game that would sway my allegiance.   There is a lot to be said about having cheer squads, drums and trumpets to gee up the crowd, keep you entertained and interested in what is happening.

I understand that this wasn't the best game of Rugby, or so the people we went with said, and ‘my’ team was losing however I didn't understand the lack of enthusiasm for this ‘heavenly’ game from such a big crowd.   Isn't the crowd supposed to be that extra team member cheering, encouraging players to play at their best?  Not only did the on-field team lose on Saturday night but the crowd did too. 

On reflection I thought about the way that we behave at work.  I’m out there beating my drum all the time, encouraging staff to try new ideas and my catch-cry at work is “You can do it” “Give it a go and then let me know”. 
So are you cheering on your co-workers, encouraging your staff to ‘work’ the best they can or do you lack enthusiasm like the crowd last Saturday night.

Game played in Heaven – The only evidence I can find is a small chapel in south west France called Notre-Dame-du-Rugby with its four stained glass windows, one showing Mary and a small boy with a rugby ball in his hands and at their feet, players in a scrum (an artist’s impression).

I’ll stick with my football with the cheer squad, the noise of drums, trumpets and the chanting, it reflects the way I feel about life and work. 

Progress

"I have tidings of great joy: 

Habemus papam!" 

(we have a Pope!).

Working in a Catholic Boys College the election of Pope Francis I was big news for us today.  A new leader.  I am happy to report that I found out by Twitter.  Only 2 weeks ago I would have had to turn on the TV to find out, but my habits have changed already. 

We were discussing the merits of Twitter at lunch time and one colleague said she loved it because she could throw random thoughts out there and sit back and see what happened.  Interesting how people viewed the use of Twitter differently.   Some use it to keep up with the news, and this seems to be what I have been using it for, however with some friends now joining me in this 'voyage of discovery' we have a new tool for communication.

What progress!  

'Hot' in 2013

”Linkedin is for people you know.

 Facebook is for people you used to know.

 Twitter is for people you want to know.”

 – Anon

Learning about social media has encouraged me to look at the trends for 2013.  So what do the experts predict is ‘hot’ this year?

Image power - Pinterest and Instagram, figures showed in 2012 that image-based posts are popular with the average web user.  This will only gain momentum in 2013. 

Vine time - Vine (video) has been the most talked about new social platform of the year (so far). Like Twitter, Vine has a limit (6 second) on the form of content its shares.

Twitter - Twitter’s evolution will concentrate on live events and customer service.  Brands realise that unless their Twitter presence is real-time they won’t be relevant.

Facebook - Facebook will continue to develop new ways to make money from its captive audience.

There has already been an increase of the ‘social event’ within the physical event.  Facebook is continually evolving recently introducing the timeline.   Even I had heard of Instagram and Pinterest with the amount of hype and publicity they generated through the media and with every teenager on the planet.

The overhaul of the way people communicate and use social media in my office is long overdue but I’m sure some will cling to their emails in the way some of us have clung to the memo.   How many of us still type up a memo then email to everyone?! 

However, it is only March and a prediction is just an educated guess, does anyone remember MySpace and how great that was supposed to be and then there was Facebook….. 

Keep moving

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep

your balance you must keep moving.

~ Albert Einstein

I have been training for our June holiday in Holland this year on a Bike and Barge trip where you cycle approximately 50km per day visiting walled cities, castles, museums and art galleries.  I know what you are thinking, how does training and holiday get used in the same sentence!    Apart from the sore legs and sunburnt faces it has led us to discover the bike paths of Brisbane and we have loved being a tourist in our own city.   Our own weekend Staycation.

We have clocked up the kilometers on the bikes, ridden through lovely areas with creeks and riverbeds teeming with enough wildlife that would keep any Birdwatcher happy.  Some tracks have suffered from the recent floods with bridges being washed away and some debris has been left, however most are in great condition with clear signage and are an easy ride for the whole family.

I encourage you to get out and about, to wander the streets of your own city, visit the parks and attractions, and enjoy the restaurants with your local sights and sounds every weekend.   Visit the places you would if you had visitors.

Keep moving, progress personally and in your career, strive for excellence, have new experiences.  Charles M Shultz says that “Life is like a ten speed bicycle.  Most of us have gears we never use”. So let’s take it up a gear and enjoy life at every opportunity and keep moving!

Accepting challenges......

The key to life is accepting challenges.  

Once someone stops doing this,

he’s dead.

-Bette Davis

Over the last week I have tried many new social media and web tools that I didn't think I needed.  Time will prove whether that is true or not.    

Change to the way we do things it always challenging, frightening and even time consuming.  When I told my 18 year old son that I have learned to use twitter in 24 hours he snorted at me and wanted to know why I took so long.  Ah youth – no I don’t miss it.

Until now I got by with Google searches and email, now I have a gmail account, twitter, delicious and found out all about RSS feeds and feel that I am bombarded with information. I can understand how someone gets addicted, but my mind started spinning from too much information!! 

On Friday social media came into itself for me, there was a situation in the Queen Street Mall and I could send the Principal updates of the situation without disrupting his meeting, along with answering parents questions when they phoned the college worried about their boys.

So I am embracing this new challenge in my life – this social media thingy, something I have resisted until now.  Yes it has been time-consuming, and it still is, I’ll eventually get my trainer wheels off and be able to zoom around it and it will eventually be second nature.  Until then, I will remember that the only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping-stones is the way you use them.