I made the poster below a couple of decades ago for another site I made. It’s just one of the bits of work I am inflicting upon you!

Our lives are complex – even messy sometimes and I have tried to represent that in the collage of public domain images

At the centre is the single tulip, the photo taken in the grounds of a decommissioned psychiatric ‘asylum‘ and evoking images of veterans rememberance.

I put it at the centre for a specific reason.

This LLEW business is complex and multifaceted, involving workplaces, relationships, academic learning and paperwork and it’s so easy for me at least to get confused, conflicted, or co-opted, to wonder what the right thing to do is.

When I wonder what the right way forward might be, I try to remember we would not be working as we do, benefiting from the organisations and supports, without those who came before us.

I remember that we are where we are, with the access and support we have, because they, who are no longer with us – have toiled to make it so, to move the consumer perspective, ever so slowly, towards being respected as much as it is, and put us in places that let us have a go at making a difference in services and in the lives of our peers who use these services.

So our work, our jobs even, don’t belong to us really. They are a trust handed down to us by past generations of comrades.

I remember taking on the torch passed by Ross Findlay, who was just leaving the job I was stepping into. He called the people we met in our work ‘Our brothers and sisters, even the ones we’ve never met before.’*

Therefore the choices I try to make are those that advance that generational reform, and also those that use the access and influence those who went before have gifted us to support all members of our large ‘family of choice’.

And when those choices make my life difficult or employment insecure, I pray for the integrity to make the right choice, to hand over the gifts we received to those who follow, undiminished and perhaps improved.

* * I knowthat quote is not gender inclusive , and I happily – joyfully – acknowledge all my comrades and offer heartfelt respect, including by respecting who they are in my speech. If  I wrote that today I’d say ‘family’. Recall though we were two middle aged middle class  guys  from Middle Mellbourne and so not too bright, speaking in the 90’s, and I like to do Mr Findlay the courtesy of quoting his precise message. It’s got me through some tricky spots.