taken from our blog soon to be https://neuage.me/
1979 I was at our local astrological weekly thingy. I was taking nursing courses at Towson State University (Baltimore, Maryland) after a decade being stuck in a religious-metaphysical cult, trying to right my sinking ship. I took nursing because after a decade in a celibate (if only I had been) order I wanted to be more interactive with females. A bit sexist I suppose in today’s me-2 world of…anyway they were talking about an astrological conference in Auckland and then in Sydney. I had written articles – a booklet even on several astrological musings so I thought I should go. I did’t have any money for such a trip though I was working at Sheppard Pratt (a psychiatric hospital) whilst doing my nursing degree. In what I thought at the time a real message to go I received two credit cards in the mail the last day of registration. The two together were enough to buy the tickets to Auckland and Sydney. 42-years later I can’t remember if they ever got paid off…so much happened in the years after, name change, country change…children, women…anyway I went. Almost did’t get there – various things happened on the way. Actually, now that you have asked, I have a book (two actually) on all this “Leaving Australia, ‘Before the After’” and “Leaving Australia, ‘After’”. Available through Amazon, of course.
Whist in NZ I went from Auckland to Wellington with someone I met at the conference - we spent a few days together then I flew to Auckland - stayed with a new-found friend a couple of days then flew over to Sydney for the conference there. In a different twist of fate I could have ended up in NZ the past 40+ years.
January 1980 I was in New Zealand – went to the astrological conference, presented my research, ‘finding the Self through the 5th house’, and some other stuff happened. Amazing thought that some whom I interacted with then, when I was a mere two year past turning 30 would now be in their mid-70s or a bit younger if still alive. Strange thought. Then our little group from Baltimore went to Sydney for the conference there – I rambled on about my research for a week at the conference in Sydney. Had a difficult encounter with a female from Adelaide (where the hell is that? – I thought at the time) she popped up in Baltimore a few months later, we drove across the USA together drinking bottles of liquor the whole way. By the time we got to San Francisco we hated each other. I put her on a flight to Adelaide (wherever that was) and went on to Hawaii where my best friend said he was getting me an on-air astrological show of my very own. Of course, none of that worked out. One day with my best mate I was at a Ry Cooder concert and we were very stoned. I got home and had a collect phone call from Adelaide (wherever the hell that is), it was one of those ‘guess what?’ calls. Anyway, she arrived in Hawaii.
We did not get along – had to get married for her to stay in the USA –a short while later Sacha came along. A few months later it was “I am going home to Adelaide” (by then I had an idea where it was) if you want to see your son again…come along. So, June 1981 – I was in Adelaide. Now I knew where the hell Adelaide was. Started a tofu factory, had Leigh two years later – divorce soon after, and I had the children the rest of the time. Took them on visits to New York and Hawaii, California, etc when Leigh was 2 and a half and Sacha five (yes, by myself and those two) and again when they were 10 and 12, the second time we went on to France and Germany too. My tofu business fell apart- difficult being a single parent and running a business. Leigh got signed by the LA Dodgers in 2000 age 17. I became an Australian citizen in 1995. I met Narda between Christmas and New Year’s 2001 – we moved to New York 2002 – taught there until 2010 went to China until 2015 taught there. I got my PhD at the University of South Australia in 2005, took seven-years. In 2003 due to a horrible event in my life I let go of all prior metaphysical beliefs – especially astrology – I followed it from mid 1960s to 2003 – forty years of ridiculous stupid beliefs. Now I am happy with no specific beliefs – we are here we do the best we can we leave – that is it.