June 2016

It's mid June 2016 and that means the end of the finanancial year, yep that means TAX time and with that comes the normal EOFY bargain sales. As I'm retired basically I pay little tax and that is via my com super  (DFRDB) after 22 years in Defence and as I only pay minimal tax I'm below the tax threshold and I generally get it all back anyway. We do have an investment property, if you could call it that, it's running at a loss and virtually get no tax benifits from that either, but hey we are alive and well and appreciate each day we wake up.
June has also been a month of sorrow with the passing of a great friend and also joyous with the wedding of a family friends daughter, Chantelle to Aaron, in Townsville. Next month will see us all visit the Polling Booths once again in a bid to choose a leader for this great country of ours, unsure which way I'll vote this time, not much between any of them.

Time to reflect

A time to reflect on who we are and why or what we are here on Earth for. Most won't or don't even think about the who, why or what we are here for and that is understandable at times. We exist and therefore we live and co-exist and we multiply and sometimes many times over. We succeed and we fail, and we get back up and we try again. We've continued to do this for centuries now and to what end, what purpose are we doing this? Is it just to live? Yes! we develop and gain knowledge but history has shown we as humans don't learn from our mistakes for we continue to make them. I for one do not know the answer.

I am feeling this way at the moment as I lost a very close friend only recently, I am so shocked at his departure from this world so quickly and unexpectedly that I find it hard to comprehend and this has led me think, to what purpose was his life or any of ours. He was a good man, a awesome father and a helper of those less fortunate than himself and yet he is now gone, never to be seen or heard again, why? I guess that it sounds awful, but it was so sudden and unexpected that no-one got the chance to say goodbye, but then would that have made any difference or make it easier to cope with? Certainly not for him anyway, but those that remain, who knows? I guess it might have.

I will remember my friend forever as a man with few regrets, he was at most times a jovial man who always had a joke to tell. I still hear his laughter and it is his laugh that I will remember fondly for he had a laugh like no other. He had strong morals on life and his philosophy was that no matter what happens to us in life we should be so grateful for what we have as there was/is always someone out there worse off than us. He told me once to live my life as if this was my last day on earth, we are here but a short time, so live life to the fullest.

My world will be a darker place without you my friend.

I will miss you Phil Shivnen.