Crazy Ideas

I think this blog is going to confirm my craziness. I thought I would share some of my thinking..... I am an ideas kinda person, a linker... goodness knows how, or what sparks off those synapses, but off they go! And, here we go down the 'rabbit hole'!

You might think Im crazy, not sure if you can make this out, but it is a magpie 'sunbaking' in my back yard! He looks dead or has been smokn pot! But no, Google it, magpies sunbake! Go figure.

I had breakfast with Karen the other morning at The White Elephant Cafe, Gnarabup Beach, a truly beautiful place perched about the Margaret River coastline. Great breaky, great coffee... any way... I was telling Karen about this product I had found during my daily research sessions on the web. It is called a Coffin, a paper mache pod that you put your dead pet into, and then plant in the garden, the pod contains a seed and ostensibly your pet becomes ideal fertiliser and moisture for the said seed to germinate and grow. It's a great idea....

View from The White Elephant Cafe, last week.

Karen, at this stage was paused over her eggs and bacon... we both had our lovely, faithful, little doggies by our side. Any way... I said that I had, had a similar idea years ago... except for humans. Designing a paper mache or cardboard box as a coffin. Then burying that person in a dedicated tract of land, new thinking on a cemetery, and planting a tree with them and simple plaque to mark the place, as there would eventually be a forest, and the only thing their relatives would have would be a 'lat & long' to locate find their beloved deceased.

A group with Stand Up Paddle Surfing in front of The White Elephant Cafe

I know you are thinking this is getting weird... but really I am looking at death from a pragmatic view. Have your ever heard of the Sydney Mortuary Station? It's a magnificent building located at Sydney's Redfern Station. It was used between 1867 to 1948 and transported the deceased by train to Rookwood Necropolis Cemetery. (Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_Street_railway_station)

Stay with me...

Have you heard about Dr John Wamsley? Ok, it was a while back, but he was the guy that wore a hat made from the pelt of a dead (obviously) feral cat! He was made Environmentalist of the Year in 2003. He was responsible for changing the law to allow feral cats to be killed. He also set up a couple of amazing sanctuaries for wildlife after eradicating the feral plants and animals. A big fence around the sanctuary was necessary. A truly amazing bloke.

Have I lost you???

Ok, most of my thinking has some sort of 'do good' intention behind it. To me there is no sense setting up a business and taking what you can in regards to the dollars, without giving back to 'the universe'... that being firstly, those closest to you, then your family, your neighbourhood, your closer community, your wider community, the environment, the earth etc.

So..... The issues swimming around my mind at the time were (and goodness knows why), what are we going to do with population explosion, land degradation, flora and wildlife extinction, ultimately our own extinction? The cemeteries are overcrowded and land in the major cities come at a premium. Not everyone wants to be cremated. How was I going to resolve some of those issues? How could I help?

Well, putting all these elements together, I thought about setting up a Dr John Wamsley type sanctuary, dedicated to restoring degraded land, flora and fauna facing extinction and turn it into a wonderful kind of cemetery. The Sydney Mortuary Station could be reinstated, a train could transport the deceased and their relatives to the sanctuary for the burial. (returning the relative afterward, obviously) What a great venue for a wake!

Main Break, Margaret River

The whole process, a conscious attempt for individuals to give back to the environment upon their death. To me a fabbo idea. Don't you think? No?!

I was telling Karen about this and she was now looking at me wide eyed and kinda 'takn the piss', as only she can. But, standing behind her was a guy that obviously was listening in on our conversation, it was priceless, but he couldn't help but laugh out loud, and give me a sideways glance, just to put a face to the voice! Too funny! I did say, well Karen you realise that I am not worried about anyone stealing 'that' idea. But you know what I still reckon it's a great idea. What has happened to Dr John Wamsley?

Main Break, Margaret River

So there you go, that's a little insight into my kinda thinking (I have considered a far wider picture of this issue than what is written here of course). Some people ask me what I do..... I think about issues and how to resolve them. Would love to apply them though.

At the moment I am thinking about how to resolve issues presented by natural disasters in Australia (and hopefully that would benefit the entire world). There is the issue of unemployment and the issue of opening up Australia to greater tourism.

Have just spent a couple of days working on a report to the Water Corp in Western Australia re the noisy and smelly manhole covers in the street outside my house. Not good for a person working on ideas... the intermittent noise, driving me that much crazier, not to mention the odors that are raising health issues!

Main Break

 Cheers Cath

PS.. just found Dr John Wamsley's website.... http://www.johnwamsley.com/