Ripples and Reflections II

A Much Younger Version Of Myself Reading This Book Would Be Astounded. How Could I Have Written These Reflections? For Quiet Reflection Was Not The Stuff Of My Childhood. In A Large Extended Dutch/Australian Family With Endless Uncles Aunts And Cousins Being Heard Was A Challenge. They Were Lovely But Loud And Everyone Had An Opinion. This Was A Fun Family To Grow Up In And I Have No Doubt I Was As Loud And Opinionated As Everyone Else. So How Did I Become A Quietly Reflective Person From Such Boisterous Beginnings? Using The Well-Worn Analogy Of Life As A Journey Through Time And Space I Found Myself In An Amazing Time And Space. I Was Thirty-Four When I Took Up A Position As A Teacher At A Catholic High School Called Chevalier College. I Was No Model Catholic I But Felt My Values Could Align Comfortably With Those Of The College. But Let'S Face It: Faith Was Always Going To Be A Problem For Me. I Could Have Ended Up A Round Peg In A Square Hole But The Generous Staff Accepted My Recalcitrance With Grace And Inclusiveness. Having Long Been An Armchair Philosopher I Found Myself In This Wonderful Reflective Environment And Began To Ruminate About Life The Universe And All That. I Appreciated The Rituals And Symbols Of Catholic Faith But The Repetitive Supernatural Nature Of The Language Seemed To Me To Be The Very Thing That Excluded And Alienated Many Students. I Wanted To Drag Spiritual Wisdom Out Of The Cloisters And Let It Inhabit Everyday Life. To Do This I Started To Write Reflections About Everyday Things Domestic Life Relationships Family. Much To My Surprise Rather Than Being Shunned My Humble Ponderings Were Warmly Received. So Began My Career As A Cherished Philosophical Windbag.