"Varnish on King" is a new whisky bar set to open in Perth in the next week, but the story runs deeper than the opening of a new venue, it's also the story of my little brother taking the bull by the horns and dictating the direction of his life as he brings up his young family.
Lachlan (my brother) once told me he was "sick of working for the man," but rather than keep making the same complaint for the rest of his life, when a friend approached him about opening a new bar, he came up with the money and got to work on designing and building "Varnish"
Nelson Mandela once said that courage isn't the absence of fear, but the triumph over it, and if this is true, when "Varnish" opens to the public, it will be be more than a launch, it will be a triumph. Lachlan lives a very comfortable life with his parter Gill and their 2 boys, Oscar and Hugo, but that life was dependent on how hard and smart his boss worked, but now he has given himself the chance to turn his family's good life into a great life.
In today's West Australian newspaper, one of WA's best food critics said that when "Varnish" launches, it will be "the coolest opening this year." He also says that "Varnish" is the "perfect" bar.
So there'll be no more working for the man for my little brother, now he IS the man.
Thursday 25 July 2013
Friday 19 July 2013
Real life stories need telling - 2
Some people inspire by their actions, some people inspire by their words, and some people inspire just by existing, and my friend Besart Hamzaj is one of those people.
Besart grew up in the small Albanian town of Kukes where the challenges of being an everyday citizen are huge. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, where almost one quarter of the population earn less than US$2 a day. As if potentially earning US$54 a month isn't a big enough challenge, Besart was born with thrombocytopenia with absent radius, or TAR syndrome, which is where you don't have any radius bones in your arms, meaning his hands are attached to his shoulders.He was also born with severely bowed legs, so when he was growing up, all the children used to call him a wizard (a major insult in Albania).
When Moira Kelly from the Children First Foundation was in Albania, she met Besart and decided she could help straighten his legs, so she got Besart flown to Australia where a surgeon at the Mater hospital in Sydney donated his time to perform the surgery to set Besart's legs straight. While he was in Sydney recuperating he lived the life, he got treated like another child in a family that a lot of Australian children would be jealous of. By the end of his stay, Besart was playing soccer in new clothes, was taken out water skiing for a day, and had eaten like a King for his entire stay
The time came though when he had to go home. He went back to Kukes with straight legs, better English and new clothes, but he still had no radius bones in his arms, few job prospects, and people still called him a wizard, but despite the fact he thinks Albania is "mut" (shit), and insisting he has g2g (got to go), he just keeps trying to get by, and that's why Besart inspires me. He hasn't started a charity, or been to the paralympics or climbed Mount Everest, he's just gone to University and is trying to open an internet cafe, but he's struggling. Life is tough enough on it's own, but for Besart, it's even tougher, but he just keeps trying, He wants to get out of the life he's in, but. he gets up everyday and gets through it, and he does complain, but he doesn't whinge
Besart wants a perfect life, but until it arrives, he's going to keep living the one he's been given.
Besart grew up in the small Albanian town of Kukes where the challenges of being an everyday citizen are huge. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, where almost one quarter of the population earn less than US$2 a day. As if potentially earning US$54 a month isn't a big enough challenge, Besart was born with thrombocytopenia with absent radius, or TAR syndrome, which is where you don't have any radius bones in your arms, meaning his hands are attached to his shoulders.He was also born with severely bowed legs, so when he was growing up, all the children used to call him a wizard (a major insult in Albania).
When Moira Kelly from the Children First Foundation was in Albania, she met Besart and decided she could help straighten his legs, so she got Besart flown to Australia where a surgeon at the Mater hospital in Sydney donated his time to perform the surgery to set Besart's legs straight. While he was in Sydney recuperating he lived the life, he got treated like another child in a family that a lot of Australian children would be jealous of. By the end of his stay, Besart was playing soccer in new clothes, was taken out water skiing for a day, and had eaten like a King for his entire stay
The time came though when he had to go home. He went back to Kukes with straight legs, better English and new clothes, but he still had no radius bones in his arms, few job prospects, and people still called him a wizard, but despite the fact he thinks Albania is "mut" (shit), and insisting he has g2g (got to go), he just keeps trying to get by, and that's why Besart inspires me. He hasn't started a charity, or been to the paralympics or climbed Mount Everest, he's just gone to University and is trying to open an internet cafe, but he's struggling. Life is tough enough on it's own, but for Besart, it's even tougher, but he just keeps trying, He wants to get out of the life he's in, but. he gets up everyday and gets through it, and he does complain, but he doesn't whinge
Besart wants a perfect life, but until it arrives, he's going to keep living the one he's been given.
Friday 12 July 2013
Real life stories need telling - 1
There are a lot of people doing amazing things around the world, but because their stories aren't considered "newsy," they go through to the keeper and never see the bright lights of the international media.
If a journalist gets a whiff of an interesting story and runs it past the head of news, one of the first questions they'll be asked is "what's the hook?" For a story to be deemed "newsy" it needs to have a link to current affairs, or be so groundbreaking that the public need to know about it. Some stories though, just don't have a hook, but they still need to be told - people waking up everyday and doing what needs to be done - mowing the lawn, feeding and bathing the kids, going to footy training or getting to work on time are things that should be celebrated, but because they're not "newsy," they're not being told.
One such story that needs to be told is that of a young Australian journalist who packed up her nice, comfortable Sydney life, left her parents and brothers and sisters behind, and took up a job with the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia. She now works in Afghanistan, most recently for an online Afghan news outlet in Kabul. Catherine James was scratching an itch to tell other people's stories, and it landed her jobs that she doesn't consider earth shattering, but this is exactly the kind of story that needs to be told.
When Catherine moved to Cambodia, she immersed herself in the local culture including living with a Cambodian family. On a day she was invited to eat with a local business contact at any establishment she chose, she asked to go to the most traditional Khmer place. The menu read like a David Attenborough documentary on insects. The only creepy-crawly not on the menu was the gecko, revered as a sign of good luck. Catherine ordered an ant salad - a garden salad with lashings of red tree ants, which she said tasted like a regular salad only crunchy.
When she moved to Afghanistan, things got a lot more serious. After leaving her compound for work one day (a compound where everyone leaves their backdoor unlocked so neighbours can borrow groceries), she hopped in the car with another Western female colleague, their Afghan driver and so-called security guard. As they were driving through town, it seemed to be just another regular day, but as they were chatting away, a Taliban attack on a building broke out in front of them.
The traffic stopped and machine gun fire could be heard all around them. Catherine and her colleague hit the floor and covered their faces with their head scarves - scared to be identified as foreigners - only to hear their driver and security guard open their doors and leave the car. After what seemed like 20 minutes but was probably only 2, the doors opened again and two men jumped in the car and started yelling in Persian at each other. After a brief moment of terror, where the girls thought the two men were kidnapping them as the car cranked into high-speed reverse down the street, they lifted their scarves and realised it was the driver and security guard, yelling because the the security guard had not brought the standard assault rifle he is meant to carry.
Catherine's story needs to be told as she sums up what most of us think about other people's lives. We look at people around us with a hint of jealousy and think "they're so brave/insightful/adventurous, they must have their life together." As she explains though, her life hasn't been all adventure - she's chosen her path, and despite the fact that it's a lot bumpier than it looks from the outside, she's not going to get knocked off.
"Most things I've done, I've stumbled into not really knowing what I'm doing or whether the end result will come good for me. I've been lucky. Extraordinarily lucky. But I am also paying a price. No adventure comes without sacrifice. I think that is the point most people miss. We think its all glory and wonderment. However, it's also fear, uncertainty, loneliness and pain."
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For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
If a journalist gets a whiff of an interesting story and runs it past the head of news, one of the first questions they'll be asked is "what's the hook?" For a story to be deemed "newsy" it needs to have a link to current affairs, or be so groundbreaking that the public need to know about it. Some stories though, just don't have a hook, but they still need to be told - people waking up everyday and doing what needs to be done - mowing the lawn, feeding and bathing the kids, going to footy training or getting to work on time are things that should be celebrated, but because they're not "newsy," they're not being told.
One such story that needs to be told is that of a young Australian journalist who packed up her nice, comfortable Sydney life, left her parents and brothers and sisters behind, and took up a job with the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia. She now works in Afghanistan, most recently for an online Afghan news outlet in Kabul. Catherine James was scratching an itch to tell other people's stories, and it landed her jobs that she doesn't consider earth shattering, but this is exactly the kind of story that needs to be told.
When Catherine moved to Cambodia, she immersed herself in the local culture including living with a Cambodian family. On a day she was invited to eat with a local business contact at any establishment she chose, she asked to go to the most traditional Khmer place. The menu read like a David Attenborough documentary on insects. The only creepy-crawly not on the menu was the gecko, revered as a sign of good luck. Catherine ordered an ant salad - a garden salad with lashings of red tree ants, which she said tasted like a regular salad only crunchy.
When she moved to Afghanistan, things got a lot more serious. After leaving her compound for work one day (a compound where everyone leaves their backdoor unlocked so neighbours can borrow groceries), she hopped in the car with another Western female colleague, their Afghan driver and so-called security guard. As they were driving through town, it seemed to be just another regular day, but as they were chatting away, a Taliban attack on a building broke out in front of them.
The traffic stopped and machine gun fire could be heard all around them. Catherine and her colleague hit the floor and covered their faces with their head scarves - scared to be identified as foreigners - only to hear their driver and security guard open their doors and leave the car. After what seemed like 20 minutes but was probably only 2, the doors opened again and two men jumped in the car and started yelling in Persian at each other. After a brief moment of terror, where the girls thought the two men were kidnapping them as the car cranked into high-speed reverse down the street, they lifted their scarves and realised it was the driver and security guard, yelling because the the security guard had not brought the standard assault rifle he is meant to carry.
Catherine's story needs to be told as she sums up what most of us think about other people's lives. We look at people around us with a hint of jealousy and think "they're so brave/insightful/adventurous, they must have their life together." As she explains though, her life hasn't been all adventure - she's chosen her path, and despite the fact that it's a lot bumpier than it looks from the outside, she's not going to get knocked off.
"Most things I've done, I've stumbled into not really knowing what I'm doing or whether the end result will come good for me. I've been lucky. Extraordinarily lucky. But I am also paying a price. No adventure comes without sacrifice. I think that is the point most people miss. We think its all glory and wonderment. However, it's also fear, uncertainty, loneliness and pain."
------------------------------------
For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
Monday 8 July 2013
Put a fork in me, I'm done
People have been trying to convince me to keep playing footy now that I have played my 100th, and I've been told there are rumours that I was considering it, but I want to set the record straight:
I'm done.
The most compelling argument to keep playing was that no matter what happens if I chose to keep going, the memory of yesterday can't be erased, which is a good point, and a fortunate one, as those memories were perfect. From sending the under 18's onto the Ern after smashing the changeroom door, to breakfast with my whole family, to the call from GWS Giants captain Tom Scully wishing me luck, to the "Fat's 100" shirts, to the reserve grade side's come from behind win, to leading fourth grade down the longest guard of honour I've ever seen, to 2 goals in a winning team, to singing our victory song twice, to first grade handing Manly their second defeat in 2 and a half years, to a few beers at the Epping Club. There wasn't one part of the day that could have gone better.
My most compelling argument to retire though, is that 8 years ago I was a footballer who retired on someone else's terms, but on Saturday afternoon, I was a footballer who retired on MY terms.
--------------------
I've recieved so many messages of support during my 4 game comeback, and I wanted to thank everybody who helped to make all my football memories perfect ones.
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For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
I'm done.
The most compelling argument to keep playing was that no matter what happens if I chose to keep going, the memory of yesterday can't be erased, which is a good point, and a fortunate one, as those memories were perfect. From sending the under 18's onto the Ern after smashing the changeroom door, to breakfast with my whole family, to the call from GWS Giants captain Tom Scully wishing me luck, to the "Fat's 100" shirts, to the reserve grade side's come from behind win, to leading fourth grade down the longest guard of honour I've ever seen, to 2 goals in a winning team, to singing our victory song twice, to first grade handing Manly their second defeat in 2 and a half years, to a few beers at the Epping Club. There wasn't one part of the day that could have gone better.
My most compelling argument to retire though, is that 8 years ago I was a footballer who retired on someone else's terms, but on Saturday afternoon, I was a footballer who retired on MY terms.
--------------------
I've recieved so many messages of support during my 4 game comeback, and I wanted to thank everybody who helped to make all my football memories perfect ones.
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For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
Saturday 6 July 2013
Game 100 - Match report
If you could slur in a blog, this entry would be a disgrace. I've just been out having beers after the most enjoyable day of footy I've ever had. There were no parts of it that were more memorable than any other, but every part was sensational.
It all started at 5am Friday morning when my sister arrived from London for one night to watch the footy today, she flew out about an hour ago, but while she was here, it meant our family were together for the first time in 2 and as half years. The emotion of today has been snowballing ever since, after speaking to the U/18s this morning, I ran out to the longest guard of honour I've seen in my life. There were Penno players, Penno supporters, all wearing specially made "Fat 44, 100 games" shirts, and opposition players from the game before ours, even the opposition we were about to play, Manly, were there.
The regular captain of our team, Boxy, told me he was stepping down so I could lead the team today, so after running out for what was to be the most enjoyable 2 hours of my life, I felt like I was contributing for the 2nd time since I had my stroke (the first being in game 99). After having an air swing trying to get a kick on my left, I ended up kicking a goal on my right. I was about 80 metres out, picked up the footy while fending off 6 blokes, just as a freak hurricane hit Ern Holmes Oval, so I ran to 70 and kicked a barrel that sailed through at post height.
I thought kicking 1 goal in my hundredth was a good result, but just as an earthquake came through at the same time the wind picked up to 70 knots an hour towards Manly's goal, I took a hanger over 12 Manly players, and despite feeling like I'd broken my leg when I landed, I burned the other 6 players with my electric pace, and from about 55 out on my wrong side, I slotted the sealer that won us the game.
If I could have sat down before I played my comeback game 4 weeks ago, I never would have dared to imagine it would have turned out so perfectly. If I put all the emotion of getting diabetes at 14 then playing AFL for the Sydney Swans, and a few years later getting bashed and having a stroke, then writing a book,. climbing Kilimanjaro, and filming 2 documentaries, I'd be really proud of my life. But after today, one of the proudest things I can say about my life is thast I'm a footballer who retired on his own terms.
------------------------------------
For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
It all started at 5am Friday morning when my sister arrived from London for one night to watch the footy today, she flew out about an hour ago, but while she was here, it meant our family were together for the first time in 2 and as half years. The emotion of today has been snowballing ever since, after speaking to the U/18s this morning, I ran out to the longest guard of honour I've seen in my life. There were Penno players, Penno supporters, all wearing specially made "Fat 44, 100 games" shirts, and opposition players from the game before ours, even the opposition we were about to play, Manly, were there.
The regular captain of our team, Boxy, told me he was stepping down so I could lead the team today, so after running out for what was to be the most enjoyable 2 hours of my life, I felt like I was contributing for the 2nd time since I had my stroke (the first being in game 99). After having an air swing trying to get a kick on my left, I ended up kicking a goal on my right. I was about 80 metres out, picked up the footy while fending off 6 blokes, just as a freak hurricane hit Ern Holmes Oval, so I ran to 70 and kicked a barrel that sailed through at post height.
I thought kicking 1 goal in my hundredth was a good result, but just as an earthquake came through at the same time the wind picked up to 70 knots an hour towards Manly's goal, I took a hanger over 12 Manly players, and despite feeling like I'd broken my leg when I landed, I burned the other 6 players with my electric pace, and from about 55 out on my wrong side, I slotted the sealer that won us the game.
If I could have sat down before I played my comeback game 4 weeks ago, I never would have dared to imagine it would have turned out so perfectly. If I put all the emotion of getting diabetes at 14 then playing AFL for the Sydney Swans, and a few years later getting bashed and having a stroke, then writing a book,. climbing Kilimanjaro, and filming 2 documentaries, I'd be really proud of my life. But after today, one of the proudest things I can say about my life is thast I'm a footballer who retired on his own terms.
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For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
Friday 5 July 2013
"Give it a crack"
When people hit a certain point in life, they can start asking themselves "What if I had just done that thing I always wanted to do?" There are a lot of reasons why people don't take a risk and try something new, but if lack of opportunity was one, that excuse is going to be taken off the table thanks to "Give it a crack", a night of entertainment by people who just want to try something they've never had the chance to do.
The idea for "Give it a crack" came to me after reading a post on the "Oh well" forum at barnabyhowarth.com.au (http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/forum) from a neighbour who wants to do some "public speaking/facilitating to help motivate people to make their lives more meaningful". While I was trying to find somewhere she could do some speaking, I came across a youth festival in America and it became obvious that opportunities to express our creativity become rarer as we get older. "LIVE on Washington," is an outdoor music and arts festival organised by the city's college and high school students that showcases young talent, with bands, solo musicians, dance troupes, live visual art demonstrations, a mixed-media portrait painting booth, roaming poetry readings, and a skate park. It's a festival that is oozing creativity, and it left me asking a big question:
Where do mature-aged people go to express themselves artistically once they graduate from university? When student festivals dry up so too, it seems, do opportunities for people to try new things in front of a live audience. After trying to find a place where my neighbour might be able to present in front of a crowd, it seems such a place doesn't exist, so I had to create my own, and "Give it a crack" was born.
The event will take place on Friday October 18 at 7pm, but get there early to browse the "Oh well gallery" - a display of paintings, clothing and other things people have completed with help from the "Oh well forum." Tickets are $40 or $400 for tables of 10, and currently the line up has 2 motivational speakers, 2 accoustic guitar performances, 1 slam poetry reading, 1 reading of an author's own work, and potentially a stand up comedy set. If you want to show your talent and perform, or to book your tickets, send an email to http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/contact, and let's get our creativity ON!
* 75% of the proceeds from the night will go to the Pennant Hills Football Club
------------------------------------
For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
The idea for "Give it a crack" came to me after reading a post on the "Oh well" forum at barnabyhowarth.com.au (http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/forum) from a neighbour who wants to do some "public speaking/facilitating to help motivate people to make their lives more meaningful". While I was trying to find somewhere she could do some speaking, I came across a youth festival in America and it became obvious that opportunities to express our creativity become rarer as we get older. "LIVE on Washington," is an outdoor music and arts festival organised by the city's college and high school students that showcases young talent, with bands, solo musicians, dance troupes, live visual art demonstrations, a mixed-media portrait painting booth, roaming poetry readings, and a skate park. It's a festival that is oozing creativity, and it left me asking a big question:
Where do mature-aged people go to express themselves artistically once they graduate from university? When student festivals dry up so too, it seems, do opportunities for people to try new things in front of a live audience. After trying to find a place where my neighbour might be able to present in front of a crowd, it seems such a place doesn't exist, so I had to create my own, and "Give it a crack" was born.
The event will take place on Friday October 18 at 7pm, but get there early to browse the "Oh well gallery" - a display of paintings, clothing and other things people have completed with help from the "Oh well forum." Tickets are $40 or $400 for tables of 10, and currently the line up has 2 motivational speakers, 2 accoustic guitar performances, 1 slam poetry reading, 1 reading of an author's own work, and potentially a stand up comedy set. If you want to show your talent and perform, or to book your tickets, send an email to http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/contact, and let's get our creativity ON!
* 75% of the proceeds from the night will go to the Pennant Hills Football Club
------------------------------------
For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
Thursday 4 July 2013
Support for a footballer
We try to make decisions in life based on what's good for us individunally, and if other people like what we've decided to do, that's just a bonus. When I made the decision to come back to playing footy, which I couldn't have made without Chicken (the person, not the food), I thought "This will be pretty cool, I like playing footy", but the support I've recieved has completely overwhelmed me.
My sister flew out of London a few hours ago, she arrives at 5am tomorrow, watches me play my 100th game for the Dees on Saturday, then flies back at 9pm that night. Last weekend, Pennant Hills Football Club President Peter Campbell kept our home ground open so that I could play my 99th, even though it would have been closed 99 999 times out of 100 000 due to the soaking from the Sydney rain it copped during the week.
I don't think this comeback is anything special, in fact it's kind of selfish coming back to play 4 games to reach my own personal milestone, but some of the messages of support I've recieved have blown my mind, and I wanted to share a few of them:
My sister flew out of London a few hours ago, she arrives at 5am tomorrow, watches me play my 100th game for the Dees on Saturday, then flies back at 9pm that night. Last weekend, Pennant Hills Football Club President Peter Campbell kept our home ground open so that I could play my 99th, even though it would have been closed 99 999 times out of 100 000 due to the soaking from the Sydney rain it copped during the week.
I don't think this comeback is anything special, in fact it's kind of selfish coming back to play 4 games to reach my own personal milestone, but some of the messages of support I've recieved have blown my mind, and I wanted to share a few of them:
Fat your an absolute bloody legend
John Porter
Will there be a live feed available (for your 100th game) for those overseas fatman?
Nathan Ryan
So, the #Wallabies and #Raiders lost. This story with my mate @barnabyhowarth puts it all in perspective. #AFL http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-
@CraigNorenbergs
It's the whole Cheers thing. " some times you want to go where everybody knows your name". Penno just feels like home no matter how long since you've been.
Please make sure Chicken has the bar well stocked Saturday
Warwick Jackson
Penno is a great place Barnes, and it's people like you that make it a great place. I remember you cheering me on in my 150th mate. Sorry I can't be there for you in your 100th but we are all right behind you. Go Barnes.. "Every heart beats true "
Justin Kerley
I'd love to ramble on about how good it feels to be a footballer again, but I have to get some work done before training tonight...
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For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
Monday 1 July 2013
There's no I in team
Whether your team is a sportsclub, a choir, a political party, a bookclub or a charity, a study by the University of Western Sydney says our sense of belonging comes from sharing things as a ‘we’, rather than doing it alone as an ‘I’.
The report's author, Joanne Cummings' study was on music festival fans, and as one herself, she decided to do the research after attending a festival where she felt "there was a feeling in the air of belonging." She found that festival-goers felt they were part of a family because they shared things that made them happy. One such festival-goer, Rick explained what makes him happy about the scene:
"you just rock up in a paddock with all your drugs and books and whatever for two or three days and you might actually meet some people and talk and stuff like that."
In a 900-acre paddock in Somerset, England, around 135 000 people found where they belong. The Glastonbury festival was held over the weekend with the Rolling Stones as the headline act and Prince Harry, footballer Wayne Rooney, supermodel Kate Moss among the guests.
The Glastonbury festival started as a hippie gathering of 1,500 people in 1970. It is now one of the biggest music festivals in the world with 58 stages and formal accommodation. The Rolling Stones formed in London in 1962, and quickly started referring to themselves as "The World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band."
Whether you're a stoner, a Stones fan or if you've never been to a music festival in your life, it makes no difference for people looking for the place where they belong. Finding your place in the universe is just a matter of working out what you love, finding some other people who love the same thing, and hanging out.
Just make sure you're not an imposter, or chances are you'll get found out:
"you can be one of those like horrendously wanky people that’s just like ‘I saw these guys like five years ago when you know they were just a garage band and they were so much better then’ you know what I mean?" Festival-goer Heather warns, "But most of the time people are just laid back and there for a good time and everybody is just happy to have a bit of a chat."
------------------------------------
For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
The report's author, Joanne Cummings' study was on music festival fans, and as one herself, she decided to do the research after attending a festival where she felt "there was a feeling in the air of belonging." She found that festival-goers felt they were part of a family because they shared things that made them happy. One such festival-goer, Rick explained what makes him happy about the scene:
"you just rock up in a paddock with all your drugs and books and whatever for two or three days and you might actually meet some people and talk and stuff like that."
In a 900-acre paddock in Somerset, England, around 135 000 people found where they belong. The Glastonbury festival was held over the weekend with the Rolling Stones as the headline act and Prince Harry, footballer Wayne Rooney, supermodel Kate Moss among the guests.
The Glastonbury festival started as a hippie gathering of 1,500 people in 1970. It is now one of the biggest music festivals in the world with 58 stages and formal accommodation. The Rolling Stones formed in London in 1962, and quickly started referring to themselves as "The World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band."
Whether you're a stoner, a Stones fan or if you've never been to a music festival in your life, it makes no difference for people looking for the place where they belong. Finding your place in the universe is just a matter of working out what you love, finding some other people who love the same thing, and hanging out.
Just make sure you're not an imposter, or chances are you'll get found out:
"you can be one of those like horrendously wanky people that’s just like ‘I saw these guys like five years ago when you know they were just a garage band and they were so much better then’ you know what I mean?" Festival-goer Heather warns, "But most of the time people are just laid back and there for a good time and everybody is just happy to have a bit of a chat."
------------------------------------
For information about Barnaby's motivational speaking, go to: http://www.barnabyhowarth.com.au/
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