The New Year or just another day?

I am currently house sitting.  Still travelling it seems, not unpacked from my world trip as I still have not found home.

I am in a lovely old Brunswick house with a large backyard. Few countries in the world you will find this. I have 3 chickens to look after who are becoming pretty friendly. They let me pat them and they run after me, it is almost like a cartoon. I have loved this space alone as I have been able to sleep alot after my world trip. I am still coughing but I feel it will go eventually. Just rest rest rest and yes more rest.

I have been contemplating going on to welfare as I don’ t have that much money. In my trip overseas I saw many countries without welfare, families became the source of support or the street. I am reflecting on living off what I have and see what life sends. What I am testing is my addiction to money (we all have it, we call it security) and want to step off my fear and see what life delivers. It is not that hard to do as most of my world trip was stepping out and seeing what happens. So I am getting used to trusting life. So I’ve made the decision to do that. I did speak to a friend yesterday who is heading overseas for 3 weeks. We thought maybe I could work in her job. I like the idea of that because I’ve been out of the system and want to look again with fresh eyes the reality for people in day to day office life. I worked in 400 companies myself, but you do get used to it and begin to think it is normal. Only when you step out of the commercial reality does the real life show you more. This reality I am in is more about being than doing. It is not the feeling of guilt that I must work (protestant work ethic) or that I am responsible when I work. My reality is that my first responsibility is honesty to myself. That means working on my thoughts and testing them. To live in full responsibility is to take ownership of your thoughts. Not project them onto to others, but if negative, to deal with that. My work or joy really, is peace. So that is where I am focussing now. The rest is fear asserting itself as survival. My philosophy is there is nothing to fear, fear is false evidence appearing real. So that is what I am testing.

Anyway New Years Eve came up, I almost didn’t realise it was here. I thought about going out but I am not that well. Although my feeling was to go to St Kilda. This is by the ocean, yes I do love the ocean. I wore a really nice rainbow dress and looked colourful. I smiled at myself I am a clown, we like to be bright. Anyway, I caught the tram, turns out they are all free, which was great. The weather here in Australia is bloody hot to put it into our language. It was around 40 degrees and you could feel the wind. Real fire conditions. Yet in Queensland to the North they had flooding that was as large as the State of Victoria (where I am). That is a natural disaster for sure. I am not watching television so out of the loop there. I just reflected on climate change, there will be more of this. The melting ice is the real concern, and that is a reality we all have to face.

I got on the tram and sat happily looking out the window, enjoying the air-conditioning. I noticed this girl coming towards me, I felt her make a decision to sit next to me. I felt she was attracted because of my colourful clothing. People often sit next to people they like or feel are ok. She stopped with a jolt and sat. She was chatting with her two friends who were Irish. I was basking in the Irish accent imagining I was still in Dublin on my world trip. I do love the way they speak. I noticed her organising her friends. She spoke to them with such respect and asked them questions. I compared that to Australians, they seldom speak like that. They might say ‘lets do this, lets do that’, but they don’t take the time to really work with the group. So it was interesting to listen. Then they got up to leave, then the girl who was next to me started to panic about her purse. She walked up and down looking for it. Then I started looking and noticed a blue purse under the chair in front to the left. I indicated to the people ‘is that your purse’, they grabbed it, I got up and yelled to the girl ‘we’ve got your purse’, she quickly grabbed it and jumped off the tram. The guy who passed it to her said to me ‘you just gave her a good day’, yes I said ‘nothing worse than losing your purse’. I smiled then another guy sat in front. Some time later the tram driver gets on the loud speaker he is speaking in a really cheery voice, hello passengers, he then talks about the hot weather and then wishes us all a happy new year, he was so friendly and nice. I said to the guy in front of me ‘he should sing a song next’. He smiled and agreed. I said ‘we need more of that’. I meant more friendliness and interaction. He had a good voice would make a good announcer. I felt he had talent. I dashed up the front of the tram and told him he should sing. He smiled and laughed. I laughed and gave him the thumbs up, and off I got.

I walked to catch another tram and headed to St Kilda. When I got off I did a nice walk to Acland Street (main street). I headed for my favourite bookshop. It was a hot day wooh. Inside the bookshop I looked around and found an interesting book. I bought it and then left and headed to the angel shop. That has crystals, tarot cards all that mystical stuff. I like to go in there have a little look. They were about to close so just slipped out. Then picked up a Living Now magazine just to browse if anything interesting was there. I spoke to the lady as she came out of the shop. She walked with me and asked me what I was doing for new years, I said just wandering around, no plans. I then said come for a cup of tea. She agreed and we went to the coffee shop.

I told her about my life as a clown, my passion for peace and my world trip. She was fascinated by my life and turns out she is into theatre and her next course is clowning. Are there coincidences I ask myself. No, of course not. So we had a great chat. She said she was going to the Convent (no she is not catholic) to go to Lentils As Anything (this is a restaurant where you pay by donation). Lentils has a philosophy of love and that we share, the workers are volunteers and they believe in kindness and community. My sort of place. Lentils has been going for 10 years and they have had 3 restaurants. So how is that keeping it going by donation. Melbourne rents are high, so they have done well. Anyway, she invited me to go with her, I said to her I would go with her. She said she was staying at the ‘nunnery’. I said I feel like that sometimes, I said don’t tell too many people that. The nunnery is a hostel I am guessing up near the Museum. Anyway, we caught the tram and walked up Johnson street. We jumped on the bus. Had a chat with the bus driver. I said where are you from, he said ‘australia’. I said ‘don’t you love that I don’t even know my own countryman’. He laughed. I said where abouts are you from he said ‘tasmania’. I said ‘what is your name’, he said Tasman. I laughed at that. He told us he was having a quiet one with his family for new years. We were about to get off and I thought take a photo. So I had a photo with him. Nice bloke.

Debra (my new friend) and I got off. We went to the Convent. I got there and saw a wall fall of peace statements written by people visiting. Loved it and started taking photos. The woman serving said they were closing early. I said no left overs, she said no. Her partner was running the restaurant she said. Turns out it was Shanika who I interviewed on radio, he is the founder of Lentils As Anything. Great guy. He remembered me. I clowned in his restaurant years ago and we had a joke off which he won. He knows heaps of jokes. It was funny. So he found us some food. Then another couple arrives and they end up joining myself and Debra. Shanika and his partner come and speak with us. We talk about love, peace and the world. It was just how I wanted it. I suggested to Shanika that they have a clown night, where everyone serving is dressed as clowns. He suggested I organise it which I will. I will make it a presentation night about my world trip.

The two new friends we met really enjoyed the time chatting. I gave them my card. They headed off then I asked if we could get a lift up to Lygon street to catch the tram. Debra had mentioned she would like to do a peace ceremony. I invited her and the couple to my place but they had other plans. So Debra and I went to Brunswick. I made her a nice Chai and I had a nice red wine. We set up candles and she wrote me a wish for the new year. I wrote her one too. Then we meditated as the fireworks, which sounded like bombs went off. I did think about the environmental impact of our luxuries of fire works and the pollution but that didn’t spoil my good intent for the future.

Debra then had to leave as she was heading to Adelaide. I didn’t tell you she is from London and interested in working with children. We had a lot of similarities and she was definitely a peace maker. I walked her to the tram and waved her off. I walked back marvelling at the perfect night it had been. I was with like minded people and just allowed the flow of life. The couple commented on this word ‘flow’. I said it is learning to just follow the thread, you don’t need to make plans, life takes you to where you need to go. I remembered Debra sitting there meditating like Buddha, she was an evolved soul, no doubt. So we were meant to meet. She is returning in a week so if i am well, we will go clowning. She is looking forward to it.

So the day in the life of a World Peace Clown. You never know what will happen, which is good.

It is just another day, but you can celebrate New Years every day. I looked at the people trying to party hard. Drinking too much to feel really good and meet others. They have a window of a few weeks to a month off work. Sad that we have to cram life into one night or a short holiday, just imagine if every day was New Years. For me it is becoming that way.