My Life's Musical Journey... My Demise
It was on January 29th 1993 that I learnt of my demise as a lecturer at that business college, reading a newspaper en-route to work, in a bus. Even though it was front page news that this college had gone into provisional liquidation, I found it hard to accept. Worse was the fact that no-one, least of all myself, had any inkling that this was about to happen. Arriving at the campus, the air was one of disgruntlement, with ninety teachers and countless students, speculating over their immediate future.
I decided to resign from the Administrators employ and recover whatever remuneration I was entitled to. I could not come to terms with the fact that an ongoing commitment to my students would be veiled with apprehension about the security of their fees. So I became unemployed, having just that month turned 50 years of age.I returned home, with a small pay packet, and pondered on the future.
This was not the first time that I had been confronted with an impasse. In fact, my life had been full of them. So, equipped with basic survival skills, learnt during a doubtful and transient past, I was more able to cope with the circumstances of that time, than most. Meanwhile, other thoughts were stirring my emotions, and apart from the pain of loneliness, I was not able to identify with them at that time.
With time on my hands and much to reflect on, I went to my keyboard, more for solace than anything, but I couldn't help thinking that maybe this was the last 'play' before considering selling it. All thoughts of disposing of the instrument however were put aside when, remarkably, I discovered that I could compose... and it was at that precise moment that my life took on a whole new meaning.
I did a few odd jobs in an effort to supplement my unemployment benefit, but whatever I received, they took half of it away, so it was all or nothing. But isn't it amazing how one adapts to such a situation, trimming ones budget, and surviving on mince and sausages. But there were times when I didn't have the five cents to make up the postage to send a letter and was ten cents short of the bus fare to Fremantle, so had to set aside a day to walk there and back to hand in my form to Social Security, in order to get paid on time. That kept me fit, however one day I had enough to pay for the 80c bus fare home.
The driver must have had a bad day. It was one of those old buses with a clutch and every time he departed from a bus stop, the chassis left the body behind for a few seconds. The bus was full of elderly people, no doubt also having just collected their pension. It reminded me of that Toyota advertisement where all the faces are contorted with the strength of the wind and power of the four wheel drive. The driver paid no heed to the bell, many a time speeding past stops whilst the passengers pleaded to get off and the waiting people on the street looked wistfully as this wreck of a bus flew by.
Eventually when he did decide to stop, he applied the brakes so hard that the standing passengers got to know each other pretty well. One old chap had been trying to get off at the supermarket to get his tea and was left with no option than to walk the kilometre back to the shop, which was near closing. We all got off with sore necks and some with wet pants. One particular lady was so angry at having to stand, she retorted to a young lad who was occupying a seat… “don’t you get up for a lady”? To which he replied… “I would for a lady”. Quick witted indeed. Eventually, on reaching the safety of my home, I continued back and forth to my keyboard, experimenting with this, that and the other, not really making any progress.
