Stan tells his powerful story... we set up a bit of a 'let's move and chat to the people around us' situation. Talk to someone you haven't met... all that usual uncomfortable stuff!
People start to move, react and connect to the powerful messages Stan has had to share about his own dad, about another man who mentored him, helped him train to be a player for the Melbourne Football Club and about his message 'How Lucky Am I?' This message is forged optimistically and comes from some dimensions of Stan's life story where he had to face intense adversity. It is always good to work with Stan. I find something new in his story every time I hear it. It is something to witness how people connect their own experiences to what Stan offers them.
I meet Steven and Annette - what a team! They have a boy at the school who has just started this year. When younger, Steven played at a high level in the Tasmanian State Football Competition. He was a real all rounder, having been a champion in the diving pool as well. I don't find these things out from Steven directly - I get that information from Annette later on. He strikes me as a very humble person.
Steven and Annette just shine and I'm moved by the extraordinary privilege it is to visit schools around Australia, meeting parents who are really having a go at being the best they can be for their kids. We discover we have daughters about the same age. The three of us swap notes. How best do we manage the challenges? We want our girls to be safe as they go out and socialise - how do we balance this with their wishes to be trusted? Here are two people who are just great to be around. There's a strong sense that they have been very intentional about how they have raised their kids. And you know, they have had to be, because...
To have the conversation, the audience were invited down from their tiered seating to stand and mingle on the stage floor below them. Annette had helped Steven down the stairs as I imagine she would have done many times before. She helps by holding, propping, supporting as Steven moves his legs, swinging out in a kind of circling motion, to create a forward momentum so that he can get down from one stair to the next. He laughs a bit as he gets to the stage floor... looks me in the eye, and says kindly, "I'm not drunk you know! It's just that I've got MS."
Annette and Steven explain how their gender roles are a bit non-traditional. Annette kicks the footy with the kids (it doesn't stop Steven from passing on a few tips). Steven explains that Stan's message 'How Lucky Am I', applies to him.
He explains that his dad once asked him if a cure for Multiple Sclerosis was suddenly found, would he be lining up to receive the treatment?
"I told dad, 'no I wouldn't do it' - you see, I've gained so much from this disease. If I didn't have MS, I'd be out working in an office or something like that and missing out on so closely seeing my kids grow up. There are a lot of dads that don't get the chances that I get."
I talk to Annette again later. There is a comfort that Steven has with the world. He got the most out his body prior to the MS onset, when he was able to take himself to high performance levels. Now he is getting the most out of his high performance spirit! Annette states simply, she finds Steven an inspiration.
"He is a great dad", she says. Annette, you're an inspiration as well, just quietly! They are both pretty chuffed when I seek their permission to be 'the story' for this week's post.
Steven seems surprised but offers, "you can write what you like, no worries, but I really don't see myself as that special."
Steven, I'd say that sums up exactly what is special about you.
Thanks for taking the Time and Space to read this.
Bill Jennings
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