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In late January of 1970, I came into this world, squawking like a two-bob trumpet. Post haste though, my newborn wailing was easily drowned out by the rhythmic clamour of the nearby FIAT auto assembly plant. Turin – it would appear – was evolving just as swiftly as Italy’s other large cities.
Truth be told, the entire globe was heavily invested in the booming industrial revolution. It was a time when governments spruiked change in sectors such as production, finance, industry and emerging sciences. And companies responded with cut-throat corporate tactics and soaring profits.
Although evolution was breeding progress worldwide, unfortunately my folks stuck to tradition, and named me Giuseppe. Yep, that’s right: Giuseppe.
‘We named you in honour of your grandfather…’ – they chortled, both wearing demented grins. My grandfather?! Was that supposed to mean something to me? As far as I could tell, Gramps was an imposing presence. A bloke that sported razor wire intellect and a handshake as welcoming as a polar ice cap. Back in the day, we were all named after our Nonno or Nonna. Hmmm…
So fat chance I was going to score a cool name like Lucas; like Reece or even Xander! Nope. Giuseppe it was; and Giuseppe it would remain until those rubber wheels skidded off the tarmac as we landed bumpily at Tullamarine Airport in mid 1970s. Ironically, it was in Australia shortly thereafter, that ‘change’ ensued.
It came, as chance would have it, upon my enrolment to St. Ignatius Primary School in Richmond. Due principally to Mrs Fletcher’s hilarious linguistic shortcomings in pronouncing foreign names, Giuseppe was soon benched in favour of Joseph. And much like a duck to water, I took to it instantly! Evolution- Phase One. Boom!
Skip forward a month; a year; and an odd decade (or 5), and I realised that without embracing change in our lives (or how we see things) we only risk relegating ourselves to stagnation.
And as my fellow Aquarian naturalist Charles Darwin stipulated in his treatise ‘On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection’ – if an organism or system chooses not to evolve or change, it inevitably dies off.
In late January of 1970, I came into this world, squawking like a two-bob trumpet. Post haste though, my newborn wailing was easily drowned out by the rhythmic clamour of the nearby FIAT auto assembly plant. Turin – it would appear – was evolving just as swiftly as Italy’s other large cities.
Truth be told, the entire globe was heavily invested in the booming industrial revolution. It was a time when governments spruiked change in sectors such as production, finance, industry and emerging sciences. And companies responded with cut-throat corporate tactics and soaring profits.
Although evolution was breeding progress worldwide, unfortunately my folks stuck to tradition, and named me Giuseppe. Yep, that’s right: Giuseppe.
‘We named you in honour of your grandfather…’ – they chortled, both wearing demented grins. My grandfather?! Was that supposed to mean something to me? As far as I could tell, Gramps was an imposing presence. A bloke that sported razor wire intellect and a handshake as welcoming as a polar ice cap. Back in the day, we were all named after our Nonno or Nonna. Hmmm…
So fat chance I was going to score a cool name like Lucas; like Reece or even Xander! Nope. Giuseppe it was; and Giuseppe it would remain until those rubber wheels skidded off the tarmac as we landed bumpily at Tullamarine Airport in mid 1970s. Ironically, it was in Australia shortly thereafter, that ‘change’ ensued.
It came, as chance would have it, upon my enrolment to St. Ignatius Primary School in Richmond. Due principally to Mrs Fletcher’s hilarious linguistic shortcomings in pronouncing foreign names, Giuseppe was soon benched in favour of Joseph. And much like a duck to water, I took to it instantly! Evolution- Phase One. Boom!
Skip forward a month; a year; and an odd decade (or 5), and I realised that without embracing change in our lives (or how we see things) we only risk relegating ourselves to stagnation.
And as my fellow Aquarian naturalist Charles Darwin stipulated in his treatise ‘On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection’ – if an organism or system chooses not to evolve or change, it inevitably dies off.
So sliding some coloured beads on my mental abacus, I turned the focal lens onto myself. Onto us in jail. In da joint. Da Big House, as it were.
It became instantly clear that I had a choice to make. A toss of the coin, if you will! Heads – I remain the same. Tails – I change and evolve.
Thus, I threw myself into Gamblers Help. Dived headfirst into drug and alcohol programs. And embraced a multitude of strategies for assisting my fellow jail-birds that GEO Healthcare imbued me for a role as Peer Educator. Evolution, phase two. Boom!
For me, Evolution – Phase Three was to open my heart to Jesus Christ. The dividends that has paid (by me reading the Holy Bible) are breathtaking!
What I’m getting at, is that often in life it is the smallest of changes that yield the most surprising results. Results that despite not being immediately clear to us, may one day lead us to leaving jail… and never return.
Perhaps merely a change of mindset, that in turn leads to the making of better choices; and thus a better life! Or at the very least: a happier life right? After all, isn't that what we all wish for ourselves and those we love?
My brothers, I thank you all for the kindness you’ve shown in reading my thoughts.
God Bless.
So sliding some coloured beads on my mental abacus, I turned the focal lens onto myself. Onto us in jail. In da joint. Da Big House, as it were.
It became instantly clear that I had a choice to make. A toss of the coin, if you will! Heads – I remain the same. Tails – I change and evolve.
Thus, I threw myself into Gamblers Help. Dived headfirst into drug and alcohol programs. And embraced a multitude of strategies for assisting my fellow jail-birds that GEO Healthcare imbued me for a role as Peer Educator. Evolution, phase two. Boom!
For me, Evolution – Phase Three was to open my heart to Jesus Christ. The dividends that has paid (by me reading the Holy Bible) are breathtaking!
What I’m getting at, is that often in life it is the smallest of changes that yield the most surprising results. Results that despite not being immediately clear to us, may one day lead us to leaving jail… and never return.
Perhaps merely a change of mindset, that in turn leads to the making of better choices; and thus a better life! Or at the very least: a happier life right? After all, isn't that what we all wish for ourselves and those we love?
My brothers, I thank you all for the kindness you’ve shown in reading my thoughts.
God Bless.
Even behind bars, there are ways to soften the edges. Ways not just to pass the time, but to leave prison carrying something more than the baggage you came in with.
The other old men and I never thought our lives would come to this. But here we gather again, like withered autumn leaves, awaiting the 7 am call for muster. Occasionally we stare at the large blank television screen which has been positioned high up in a corner of our small common room. What are we looking for?
I spat my first fireball on the shore of Warwick's Leslie Dam over half a century ago. That freaky moment was the flashpoint for a short but spectacular career as a professional fire breather. It gave me money and notoriety, but it very nearly killed me.
Victoria has just announced a raft of changes to youth justice. It will uplift a number of children’s offences to face adult prison terms, and will also introduce a new ‘Violence Reduction Unit’ to coordinate crime prevention policies across government.
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Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.
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