So what’s it all about?
It’s all about a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It’s not about trying on the hard sell or even showing you how to make money. There are plenty of bloggers out there who can do just that with great verve and tenacity. On the contrary it’s about sharing—period. Now there’s a novelty in this day and age.
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Meet Mike
Mike at 15 months. Little did he know that he had a long way to go
Mike has an alter ego. It’s a character he met in his dreams and came to the conclusion, after many meetings between mind and soul, that he had been conversing with himself. So one day he asked his other self if he had a name. To Mike’s surprise the name of Jasper Nicoli emerged.
“Jasper T. Nicoli to be precise; at your service.” It couldn’t have been made clearer. After that Mike decided to go with the flow. One night during restless sleep he found himself floating in what he regards as the middle of nowhere. Out of the blue Jasper emerged. By this time he had been expected.
“We’re at a crossroads, you and me, sport . . .” (There has to be some Aussie history in there somewhere). “. . . right in the middle of a nightmare.”
“How’s that”, Mike asked. “I’m hardly breaking sweat and I’ve got used to seeing your ugly mug by now.”
From that moment on, Mike realised that Jasper had a phrase or saying for practically any situation. This time the reply was simply “Sweet dreams help you along your spiritual path whilst nightmares awaken you at the crossroads.”
It is at these crossroads where all experiences become manifest. So on behalf of Mike and his “friend,” welcome to the crossroads of life. This is how we are going to exchange our thoughts, ideas, aspirations, fantasies, hopes and, of course, our dreams which are not ready to be sweet just yet. Right now we’re not on a spiritual path. On the contrary it’s the polarities of life which interests us and how we deal with them. This is what Mike wants to share with you. And remember it’s all about a little bit of this and a little bit of that—all subjects are valid here. So let’s get this show on the road.
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Not always a writer
Mike at the controls of a Linotype machine. The good old days of ‘hot metal’.
Mike (the middle guy in the photo) began his career many years ago as a compositor in the newspaper industry but with an inherent love of writing, the pen always lay alongside the setting stick/Linotype keyboard and he soon began contributing short editorials for his local paper. In 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped off his moon ladder, “one short step for mankind” became the foundation for Mike’s article, which set a trend for years to follow, during which time he wrote a series of short pieces for magazines and newspapers.
In later years he lost heart for his trade as it evolved into the electronic era and transferred from the production side of printing to the excitement and trappings that sales offered. Eventually, he brokered his way to a comfortable existence and retired early to nurture his love of writing and concentrate his creative efforts on an idea that had taken root in his mind when he was in his late teens. Fearful of ridicule in his earlier years, the idea remained a closely guarded secret, but an unusual meeting with a stranger would soon lead to its blossoming into The Meadow.
And this is the point where he and Elfreda Pretorius crossed paths. You can learn more about this by watching the video which appears in The Meadow page (A Great Love Story) on this blog site.
Only recently Mike was involved in the making (or creating) of moving images in film and video. In the course of being a student, a part of the University brief was to produce a short piece of video which centred around him. It could feature any part of his life — either past, present or both. Being the “mature” student that he is, he embarked on a project that he knew none of the other students could follow, simply because they don’t have a long life history behind them that Mike possesses. One day he decided to climb to the top of the tallest building that he could find so that he could reflect on the past 30 odd years of his life (which is as far as the presence of video technology would allow). See what you think when you watch “On Reflection” from the home page.
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The future?
Writing in some kind of format will always be the catalyst that drives Mike forward. Right now his passion is to share his thoughts with others, thus encouraging interaction and good communication. One way to achieve this is by effective blogging and hopefully, his site will go a long way to help proving that point. As mentioned earlier, there is no desire to profit on a commercial basis. Rewards are varied and a build up of great quality contacts will be reward in itself.
Mike recently immersed himself into a programme of learning based around film making. Within a short time, as little as eight or nine months, he had gained enough experience to be able to handle a video camera, shoot a scene and edit to his satisfaction. Naturally, his involvement will be on-going and soon he hopes to be able to create another avenue of expression — through the lens of life.
Eventually this blog site will be swimming with video clips, put together with a touch of finesse that Mike could never have dreamed a year or so ago. Everything that is filmed will have relevance to this network and it is hoped that visitors will associate themselves and contribute to help, weaving a tapestry that is rich in culture and current events. After all, it’s all about a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
So come on board and comment on Mike’s blogs, telling him what you would like to be hearing, viewing and even fantasising! Why not? Anything is possible this day and age. Mike demonstrated this, along with his writing partner, Elfreda when they wrote The Meadow.
Mike O’Hare welcomes you to interact with him and comment on his blogs and articles
