functions or funerals. It’s not often she takes the bull by the horns and attacks me with her uncontrolled outbursts but when she does – I now have a self defence mechanism to warn her off.
‘Get off your high horse’ has become a weapon I use when she attacks me with these outbursts and it seems to keep her in check until the next time she decides to ‘give it to me’.
Word count: 422
It Is Impossible
If you’re not in it – you can’t win it. It was Wednesday when I decided to take a punt on winning one million dollars in lotto.
My thoughts were only winning first prize; the money was already in the bank. I could see it deposited. What were my chances of winning one million dollars in the Wednesday night draw of lotto? To win first prize, the odds are approximately, eight point four million to one for six numbers to fall in-line. These were series odds.
A couple of advantages were on my side; the draw was for Queensland players only. This reduced the odds; also up to four winners were guaranteed a first prize of one million dollars each. Anything over four winners would share first prize. I was excited. Would this be my turn at winning one million dollars?
Another advantage was: Victoria, a member of this group, gave me two good luck charms which I have in my office. After taking the lotto on-line, I printed the winning coupon, you’ve got to be positive, I thought; folded it into three to place beside these lucky charms hoping Victoria’s luck would help the selected numbers fall exactly onto the games played on the coupon.
Pam, another member of the group, helped me decide on what night to play lotto. Her thoughts were it was better to play on a Wednesday night when you were guaranteed a first price of one million dollars. Also her thoughts were the odds much better because it was only played for Queensland players.
I’m writing this story before the draw. My mind is racing in anticipation of winning one million dollars. I’ve even decided how to share the prize with my loved ones. I would be left with sufficient money for my own devises.
Expecting to win this large amount of money by thinking the numbers would fall in the right order, may look to you to be impossible. Someone has to win and that someone should be me. Each week someone wins.
The games are on and tonight when the numbers tumble out my whole faith and self belief is how they fall. Hopefully the numbers I have on the coupon fall from the tumbler on a select game on the winning coupon stuck next to the two lucky charms.
Otherwise it is impossible to win the one million dollars. As the slogan says, ‘wouldn’t it be wonderful’.
Word count: 411
Looming Beyond
Have you ever visited Birdsville, a town with a population of only sixty citizens which include a policeman, hotelier, bush nurse and others who love to live in outback Australia?
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Birdsville twice. My first visit was when I installed the first computer at the police station. My boss and I had travelled to outback police stations to install the latest computer technology which at the time via satellite communication in the late 1980’s.
Earlier in the day we installed a computer at Windorah police station and left to journey toward Birdsville, some distance away and wanted to arrive before dark. Whilst at Windorah the fly population increased. The menacing little creatures appeared to take over the town like a swarm of bees.
After a couple of hours travelling through this harsh outback country, looming beyond us we saw rising hills and open country. This part of Australia is breathtaking because of the expanse bushland which to the human eye goes on forever. We decided to stop and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the outback.
We stood on top of a hill viewing as far as the eye could see. My boss said, ‘what happened to the flies – there’s no flies.’
‘They haven’t caught up with us yet boss – they have only small wings.’ I suggested with a slight grin on my face.
‘What’d mean – they haven’t caught up with us yet.’ He replied.
‘You know how many there were back in Windorah. Well, we’ve been travelling too fast, for them to catch up. They only have small wings’. I reiterated.
‘You’re kidding me – they wouldn’t fly this far west. Would they?’ He replied and looked directly at me, ‘you’re having a go at me again – they don’t fly that far.’
‘They do boss – we’d better get going before they catch up with us. You don’t want to be swishing flies again do you? Doing the Australian wave like you did back in Windorah.’
My boss looked at me with a strange frown on his face deciding whether I was telling him the truth or not. In the looming beyond I saw a whirl of dust stirring up like a tidal wave knowing it was closing in on us.
‘We’d better get going before that whirly-wind hits us otherwise we’ll join the flies back in Windorah.’ I told him.
Word count: 400
When You Wake Up In The Morning In A Strange Place
Where am I? The words exploded through my mind. Opening my eyes I looked at the ceiling of a room I didn’t recognize. A beautiful woman lay beside me, her eyes sparking blue; looked directly into mine.
‘Who are you – where am I?’ I muttered shifting the bed clothing to cover my body. I was fully clothed wearing the same clothes I wore the previous night.
‘You don’t remember,’ her voice sweet as a bird singing replied.
‘No.’ I muttered. ‘I can’t remember anything.’ My thoughts tried to piece together the previous twelve hours – they couldn’t.
I remembered leaving work in the afternoon, driving home, showered and dressed for a night out. Normally, on a Friday night after work my place of entertainment was the local pub where I’d catch up with my mates; ah, that’s it – they set me up with this woman. How could I ever thank them?
‘You’re awake.’ A sweet voice echoed in my ear.
‘Trying to – where am I and who are you?’
‘I’m Jill – we met last night at the pub.’ I couldn’t remember.
‘Did I behave myself?’ I asked, not understanding how I was dressed in the same clothes I’d worn the night before.
‘Ah – yes, you behaved. Even if I wanted to get up to any hanky panky – you were too drunk to do anything.’ She blurted out.
‘I’m sorry – I’ve never been able to handle my drink.’ What was I saying to this gorgeous living creature? ‘Remind me – how did we meet and I ended up lying beside you in this bed?’
‘We danced last night at the pub and you were falling over and couldn’t stand up. You were drunk.’
‘How did I get here in this bed?’
‘It’s my bed. I helped you walk to my place. You flopped onto the bed and I covered you over. I needed to sleep somewhere so I crawled in beside you.’
‘Did I try anything not gentlemanly?’
‘No – you were far too drunk for any hanky panky.’
‘Where does it leave you and me then?’
‘You’ve woken up in a strange place – that’s all.’
Word count: 366
Talking To Strangers
Being a retired police officer; one of the many roles, was to instil into a child’s mind the danger of talking to strangers. Unfortunately there are predators out there in our society who prey on children.
I remember a time when I was Officer-in-Charge of Juvenile Aid Bureau at Petrie in Brisbane. Regularly our patrols took us to parks to detect these types of people.
In the early eighties a Superintendent from Victorian Police travelled to Queensland to speak with thousands of children at schools about ‘stranger danger’.
She’d created a successful programme; it expanded nation wide. When explained, it was quite simple.
She spoke of a child’s feelings. If a stranger approached the child, if the child felt an ache in their stomach, this indicated the child felt something was not right and could be in danger.
Each child was required to know a person they could immediately c
ontact if they felt this pain. She explained the closest person the child would contact was either one of their parents, followed by a school teacher; a policeman or another person they trusted.
A child’s palm of their hand was displayed on the board for the child to write the name of each person. Starting with the index finger; this person should be their mother; next finger should be their father and so forth until the child knew who to contact when this feeling of danger was felt by them in their stomach.
If they couldn’t find the first person, they should continue to find the next person on their list until they found someone they could trust to tell about the stranger.
It sounded too simple to be effective; however, each pupil at each school in my region was taught this method of ‘stranger danger’. Posters and brochures were displayed and provided to each pupil displaying telephone numbers; and contacts of trusted people.
Among the many programmes delivered at schools for pupils to be aware of ‘stranger danger’; until the disappearance of Daniel Morecombe, I now think the message is being delivered in a way of true grit displayed by Daniel’s parents who travel to each school in Queensland to spread their word on child safety.
I commend their resilience and courage to protect each child in the State by delivering their message of hope and safety so no other parent would go through what they have experienced.
Word count: 404
If Music Is The Food Of Love – Play On
Life as a teenager was enjoyable. Saturday nights with my friends we attended a dance at Sandgate Town