understanding patterns; connecting dots

July 2009 Tonight is our last night at Clarkes Beach on this winter sojourn. This annual pilgrimage and celebration of so many good things in life began for us when this photo was taken in July 2009, about 20 metres from where I am sitting tonight. So much has changed ... Pat the Patrol got sold earlier this year. I was so tempted to hang into him, put him in a garage for 20 years and cash in, but in the end the cash to help fund the new caravan won out. That Ripcurl surf board was the first one I ever owned. The sales bloke at the Torquay store told me it was a good hybrid; sufficiently buoyant to let me begin, and shaped to allow me to progress. The fins were 'new' technology' that clipped in. I spent hours on that board, mostly in the white water. I got more injured than competent in the early days ... not stretching properly and pulling hammies, learning the hard way not to let the board get between by head and a wave. And, despite his well meaning sales e...

I have great memories of my early international work trips. Primarily, I was energised by the strategic thinking, the sense of purpose and meaning, and my admiration for many of the people I met and with whom I became closely associated within a global network. We believed our work mattered and that together we could change the world.  And there was an undeniable appreciation of the perks of international jet-setting. In those days it was invariably a 747 and pre-911 it was acceptable to congregate in the economy exit rows near the galley, and for a couple of people to sit on the rear-facing flight attendants' seats to form a group conversation. I spent hours with colleagues over the Pacific, dreaming of a better world and consuming the free top shelf alcohol that flowed freely in those days. They were heady days for me and some of my best work memories are from the gatherings I was fortunate enough to attend in north America and Europe. The world opened up for me and I de...