The Antitheocrat

I often use events in my own life to build on in my writing, it a natural thing to do and if we think about it EVERY one of us writes based in the lessons learned in our own lives. Some of us it may be our education or qualifications and some like myself, on our extensive life and employment experiences.

I understand this use of our personal experience in my writing doesn’t automatically give strength to an argument or take anything from it, not in the way my education and qualifications do to related subject matter. Personal experience only adds a level of connectivity or insight in to my personal perspective I hold on any topic being tabled (unless the topic is actually your personal life, memory is a fickle thing and you have to accept sometimes others will have a different view or memories of events in your life). I often get people trying to ignore or avoid argument by pointing out that my reference to personal experience are not relevant. Well yes they are, they just don’t on their own prove my point and knowing this, I NEVER use my own experiences as evidence of ANY point I am making on their own merit.

Okay so I know anecdotes are not sound evidence but if you can’t write about your own experiences in reference to your writing you’re left using second hand experiences or dry boring facts. In this day and age second hand information through media outlets doesn’t mean factual and I’m always left fact checking and cross referencing press releases or look for the peer reviews on scientific paper, I have learned to trust very little from second hand sources and nothing from editors who specialise in  creating “click bait” titles. I can depend more on my experiences and learning and for some reason I have a pretty good memory for that sort of useless information.

The other problem with my life experiences is that many people have never done or seen as much as I have. I don’t so much have  life plan as a way of taking in to account events in my life and working with them and this has driven me from high point to high point (I don’t let low points slow me long, I’ve done suicidal, it’s boring, getting up is more exciting). I often have to remind myself that my on-line conversations can often be held with middle class people who have never moved outside their safety zone, barely moved more than 6 suburbs (the average in Australia was 6 blocks some years back) from their parents home, never experienced poverty, never had to obtain a range of qualifications, never taken the risk of working through a wide range of careers and never obtained a wide range of skills and experiences. Because I have and will do still more, I find sometimes that people don’t believe I may have as much experience as I claim. For that reason I am making this list and explaining why.

I decided to do this list less for you and more for me anyway. Even I get the the time line messed up or forget things and later wish it had come to mind while writing. If at some point you feel mildly interested in who the Antitheocrat is, maybe this will help you to understand my life experiences and give you an idea who I am. Just maybe it will let you understand how open how open I am about my life and how little I am willing to or need to lie about my life. I do have some embarrassing stories like teenage romance stories I am not so willing to share (even I have an embarrassment level but I am honest when I do find myself discussing them).. I simple have nothing to hide with this one short life my life is an insignificant part of all human endeavour and I care very little about who knows it. The memory of me may last 100 years and only if the internet lasts more than 100 years will my voice last but only as on amongst the billions of cat videos.

So, this is me.

Before me, my background.

• Father from Australia and a country boy, raised catholic, born to atheist father and convent raised orphan mother.
• Mother from northern Holland immigrated to Australia at age 9 and a city girl, raised Dutch protestant.
• Both parent culturally religious.
• Parents not allowed to marry in catho church.
• Father received reply-paid envelopes with letter detailing his wages and tithe to be sent in because he was not attending church.
• Father and mother renounced all ties to religion.
• Parents married to dismay of families (Dutch immigrant prodo and Australian catho, terrible stuff). They remain married.

Early Years.

• Born 2 years after parents married in Melbourne Australia.
• No religion at home, was always allowed to explore religion on my own.
• Kindergarten, Primary School uneventful.
• Primary school took Religious Instruction.
• Tried Sunday School. Parents dedication to my exploration meant my prodo mother had to sit through 3 hour catho sermons as part of the deal. Finger paint and big boats full of animals didn’t take.
• Played recorder and piano in primary. Knew I want to play saxophone at age of 5.
• Got into High School with music speciality and started saxophone.

Early years of travel and moving.

• Father built motor home on an old truck (twice).
• Family travelled all of mainland Australia by time I was 15.
• Lived in Sydney at 10 for a few months due to fathers work.
• 4 Months in Europe to visit mothers birth place and tour Europe.
• Turned 12 in Scotland.
• Singapore to list at age 15.
• Family moved to Darwin to live at age 13.

Moving and the effect of moving.

• Took up saxophone at a top music high school in Melbourne.
• Moving to Darwin meant music was not as available but at one school teachers giving me freedom to use the music rooms and instrument store room. Discovered I could learn any instrument in 2 weeks to a level high enough to play basics in a band.
• Played Tenor and Soprano Saxophone, Trumpet and Trombone in 7 bands covering Classical, Military (including the marching), Pub Rock, Show Tunes and Jazz before moving away from Darwin.
• Following music programs eventually took me to 4 high schools.
• Was in top maths class in Melbourne having worked up to it. Moved to Darwin was placed in bottom with 2+2=5’ers based on primary school report cards.
• Reached year 10 having missed algebra, taught myself algebra from a maths book given to me by my teacher for the purpose during year 11.
• Needed catch up year for science and maths to enter Physics. Did year 11 at lower level and repeated to take Physics.
• Ended 2 years of Year 11 with 12 passes from a total of 14 subjects. Math I & II, Chemistry, Biology, English Literature, Modern European History, and a load of other subjects. Got bored with Economics after topping the class most of the year and got a C- in Physics with a teacher who took everything below C as a fail and reported it as an E on the report card.
• Senior St John Ambulance cadet for 5 years. Served as Ambulance support at events, was on the first aid competition team, was drill Sargent for the competition drill (marching) squad and was first aid trainer for junior cadets.
• Was well versed in sex and alcohol consumption from 15.
• Participated in illegal drag racing with mates from age 16.
• Physics grade not as hoped for at the end of year 11 so dropped out unable to see university in future at my wanted levels (Electronic Engineering or Architecture)  and didn’t like school life enough to consider continuing a best option..
• Of 2 Apprenticeship offers took the trade of Industrial Instrument Fitter over Chef as engineering is still part of my ideal world even if I do in fact enjoy cooking.

Life at 15. An important year..

• Father died 2 times on way to hospital after being run down on his motorcycle on way home from work. We arrived at hospital one hour before ambulance because they couldn’t work out how to pick him up of the road with his fractured pelvis.
• Dad spent 3 months critical care in hospital (up to 14 drops of morphine a minute), told he would never walk again. Intensive care for an additional period.
• During hospital family shifted from lower middle class to poor. Father was shift worker at level 3 in public service with an income based on shift allowances. Compensation paid only 75% of base without shift allowances.
• Brother and self ate Vegemite sandwiches in nurses smoko room to make up for limited meals at home and school. Family friends supplied evening meals 2 – 3 times a week to allow us to be at hospital 7 days a week and to assist our difficult financial position.
• Father had 3 insurance options. “Options” because government legislation only allowed one claim even if you had paid 3. The choice was made based on medical cover not family income.
• Mother got to know other people with insurance issues and started a victims group. Most notable was her fight to change death benefits. At the time women were worth $6,000 in event of death regardless of earning or position in family and a man $42,000 regardless. My mother fought this in the media and in government offices and eventually the government took an opportunity to save face by paying out the member of mums group (also a party member of theirs) effected by this with back payment to the new level of $46,000 for both genders.
• Mum also went back to work after 15 years as a housewife.

Early working life.

• Retrenched from apprenticeship after first year.
• Educational part of our training was in Western Australia, convinced N.T. government they owed me the training if they couldn’t find me employment (as was their roll in the agreement) so they paid for trip to Perth and back with accommodation for a month.
• Did training, cashed in return tickets. Combined and with cash from sale of car and airfare travelled to Adelaide and Melbourne seeking work.
• Arrived in Melbourne with $20 and no plan or income. Stayed in broken down bungalow in a family friends yard.
• Found apprenticeship as Instrument maker and repaired and finished trade time as an Instrument Technician (Electrical Engineering or Architecture).

Melbourne years.

• Serious drinking habits formed in Darwin did not work in cooler climates. Began experimentation with drugs at 18.
• Shared accommodation for years with students and drug addicts where often I was the only person with employment.
• Social groups included sex workers, Melbourne’s homosexual community and the most often present and mostly stoned but enjoyable company of the bums I lived with.
• Penned as one of the 7 Prophets the holy scriptures of “FUBARism” the worship of the Great Earthworm FUBAR, Recycle and Giver of Life.
• A string of girlfriends moved in and out of my life with only one being serious and possibly lasting.
• Agreed to run parents farm in Queensland and resigned from the perfect job.
• Last minute changes, parents were not moving from farm and long term girl friend decided not to come with for fear of the big move.
• Learned no to rely on other people along with “fuck it, I am not going to hold your hand everywhere, if you want to do something get off your own arse”. Lessons I think everyone should learn.Married?

• Unable to live with my parents well the farm was never going to work well.
• Dry from drugs (mostly by choice).
• Met future wife at a nightclub on a chance meeting.
• Moved to Brisbane and moved in with her.
• Started our first business in Industrial control.
• Took business management course.
• Business lasted the usual one year of new businesses.
• Moved out of the city to care-take rural properties.
• Worked fruit picking.
• Worked in meatworks where trained as a packer, retain trimmer, slicer and boner.
• Undertook Associate diploma in agriculture but dropped it when I realised after 1.5 years the cost was not worth learning things I already knew with deeper understanding from previous learning, running a business and a farm.
• Got married after 3 years together.
• Son born 9 months on.

Shifting about.

• Moved up and down NSW and Qld chasing work and opportunities.
• Wife finally got full time work in her trade.
•  I took up the parenting job full time.
• Bored and for extra income I took up shitty night jobs and finally started my own business.
• Funded dance studio.
•  Started touring the business through Qld, N.T. and W.A.
• Son started school. Start of active atheism. Wife wrote letters that resulted in school prayer and school creeds (which mentioned god) removed from all Queensland state schools.
• I did not win the battle to have R.I taken out of the class room before we moved to NSW.

Today.

• Married my second partner.
• Funded online sale side of business.
• Second son born a year ago.
• Started building a mobile office and accommodation in a bus to get the business back on the road.