Jack be nimble

Aborigines were adaptable, they moved with the changes of land, adjusted according to the change of seasons, understood the necessity of change and learned from the changes. Being quick in their moves, nimble in their mind, keeping alert and observant at all times.

Being nimble is an asset; being able to change, adjust, adapt – making mistakes, learning from them – growing in mind and spirit to face the exciting challenges life throws at us. ‘Jack be nimble’, the poem goes, ‘Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick’. Today many of us would be engulfed by the flames – unable or unwilling to adapt to this rapidly changing world in which we live. Holding on to the old, rather than embracing the new – climbing high above the candles flame rather than being burned by apathy, discontent and lack of motivation.

Nimble is defined as quickness of motion – either in body or in mind. It conjures up thoughts of agility, lightness and clarity. Quick of thought, quick of action. As we think with this clarity we take action before the thought becomes stale, the idea loses momentum and the prey disappears back into the undergrowth, hidden in the bush that has risen up to obscure the view, confuse the mind and hide the vision once again. No hunters would do this. They are decisive, take action – or go hungry.

‘Jack be nimble’ commands him to jump high, aspire to, stretch upwards, go beyond his belief and by so doing achieve his goal. It dares us to revitalise those dreams, thoughts and ideas that have since faded through years of inaction and passivity. Reminding us of life as it was, life as it could have been and life as it is now. We can wallow in the negativity of these thoughts or answer the call implicit in these lines, inviting us to take action. To move from adversity to victory necessitates that we become nimble.

Being nimble in mind is not related to nor dependent on the colour of your skin or your origin. It is an asset that you can tap into, that certainly enriches your life and most importantly allows you to incorporate the new – and the changes that will benefit you now and into the future.

Nimble has the power to build. It is positive, swift of foot, quick witted, adept, light and active. The ability of the Aborigines to live and adapt to the harshness of Australia embraced it. Life as we know it today demands it!

‘Nimble thought can jump both sea and land.’ (William Shakespeare)

A breath of fresh air

There is a tendency to argue that nothing has improved, a sort of public-spirited masochism, the devotees of which feel better the worse things can be made to appear.

Every year people start with new intentions, ‘New Years’ resolutions. A resolve that things will change for the better and that the individual will somehow evolve to a different level. For the devotee the intention is there, but not the willpower. Running with the pack the individual quickly allows the adversities of life to erode the intention, listening to negativity, believing the bad news rather than holding tight to the intention to make a change. Not realising that a corporate decision to think differently would impact and change the outcome for everyone.

To the untrained eye Aboriginal art could be seen as a vast array of dots, randomly splashed onto a white canvas, with no meaning. Rather like life itself, a random collection of thoughts with no cohesion. The intention of the artist unclear, leaving the observer with the impression that there is really nothing behind the multiple splashes of colour nor thoughts in the mind. Yet to the trained eye the artwork tells a story, it is a map, giving clear directions as to the movement of the earth, the animals and plant life. It is a message of hope passed on through the wisdom of generations who came to understand the patterns, the seasons and the offerings of Mother Earth to those positive enough to believe that there is a future rather than life getting worse – it just goes through seasons of change. The balance between snow in winter, sun in summer, green leaves in spring turning to amber in the autumn mist. Organising the dots, which represent our thoughts, into clear and definite maps, pathways, goals, ambitions and dreams that will guide us with greater clarity through life.

Metamorphosoz is about change. It is about Victory over Adversity. Not ‘New Years’ resolutions, rather a work in progress for those ready to be devotees of positive change rather than public-spirited masochism.

Sharing the world has never been humanities defining attribute… (Henry Reynolds, ‘Why weren’t we told’)

Adversity and Victory

With destruction comes rebuilding, with displacement reconciliation. Over the year we have looked at various aspects of the Aboriginal culture and Australia as a country. We have seen how the indigenous people have been displaced and how early settlers have had to adapt to all that is harsh and real about Australia.

At first glance, its intense red soil, vivid blue seas, endless white beaches and lush dark rainforests, the Kangaroos, Koalas, Cassowarys and exotic birds make it a veritable paradise. While so beautiful, this paradise is inhabited by the ten most poisonous snakes in the world, venomous spiders that can kill with a single bite, ants that leave you in pain for several hours and a variety of plants that may look pretty but are purveyors of pain to the uninitiated. A continent surrounded by a sea that is so enticing – and yet home to the Box Jelly Fish, Irukandjis, Saltwater Crocodiles and many other exotic but dangerous species. Against this adversity generations have survived – and thrived. What spirit must man have had to see the beauty and overcome the harshness so unique to this land. The Australian ‘coat of arms’ says it all – its people like the two animals depicted – the emu and the kangaroo, with an inability to go back or backwards, must out of necessity, like the people, go forwards. Propelled towards victory.

Australia is home to the oldest continuous living culture in the world. Estimated to be at least 40.000 years old, these people are still strong and spreading. Even though the Aboriginal culture took a major set back during colonisation it was us, the ‘new comers’, who were the lucky ones. We have been allowed to partake of something ‘so old’, something so difficult to comprehend. We have witnessed in the people a oneness with the country and understanding of nature that is undeniably ingrained into the very fabric of Australia’s history. Their Art is a language that tells stories, explains the movements of the people, their customs, their ways – and shows how they survived. It invites us to understand and embrace all that has happened here in this country over the centuries. As we learn more we realise how advanced these people were and how close we were to destroying them. Each discovery made, elevating the indigenous Australians to their rightful place.

There is still a long way to go – rebuilding and reconciliation are taking place, yet some predict it could take another two generations to come to terms with all that has happened. Let us believe that we can do everything in our power to speed up the process, to become united – one strong country, one strong people – who understand, that ‘united we stand, divided we fall.’ Only then can this country rise to the greatness that it has lying deep within. And only once we take the brave step to face the adversities of the past will we arrive at the victory of the future.

So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains – and we never even know we have the key. (The Eagles, 1974)