24/1/1953 - 7/7/2023

There are a few people in our lives who really make a huge difference.  A difference which is defined by the impact that they have on people and the scope and scale of that.  For me, John was one such person.

I first met John in 1987, he was my Year 9 science teacher at Ivanhoe Grammar School. He taught us many things about science. The fundamental basics of physics, chemistry, and biology which provided a groundwork and basis for a lifelong love of science and discovery of things new.

He even taught us about the dreaded human reproduction unit which I'm sure he hugely relished... But I remember particularly one very proud moment when he brought his ultrasound photo of his daughter in to show us all. We were all taken with the wonder and technology that allowed us to see as yet unborn children. Amazing.

John was also an amazing Chemistry teacher and he loved exciting his students and giving them the sense of wonder which he himself had with science. This passion and love was translated and imbued in so many of the students he taught. He was truly exceptional. He spent 40 years of his career teaching at Ivanhoe Grammar both at Ivanhoe and the Plenty campus. Many will understand how much of an amazing feat that indeed was...

There was more to John than just his students though. His family was always his priority.  He always had time for his kids and did whatever he could to support them.

John was a passionate Collingwood member and supporter. He knew all the players, and ardently supported them whether it be at the ground in person or from his leather recliner in front of the TV. 

He always supported and had the support of his loving wife, Karen. The two of them were peas in a pod and were always looking out for each other, a true example of how a life partnership is and should be.

I was honoured to be able to stay in contact with John over the years and hugely valued his friendship.  Each year around Christmas I would always pay a visit if possible, and when other significant events happened I always wanted to be able to share them with him. He was always interested and engaged whether it be a new car or a new kid.

John tragically passed away in an accident whilst on a walk on holiday near Port Douglas. Whilst he had experienced his share of health challenges, he was loving life and life was good. This makes his sudden passing all the more tragic.

Whilst I share some of the sense of loss John's passing brings, this is nothing compared to the loss felt by Karen, David, Steven, Robert and Claire and his brother Roger. My heart goes out to you all.

Even in this time of sadness, there is much to celebrate as John was indeed an inspiration.  His legacy of having taught a multitude of students a love of science and discovery will live on, and his presence will be felt in all the lives he touched in perpetuity.

Vale John Pollard. Thank you for your inspiration and kindness, your passion and your tenacity. It will not ever be forgotten.

Ok - So I have embarked on a few life changes.  The first is to make a change in perspective.

I have long stated that:

The only thing that will change if you do nothing, is nothing.

So doing nothing is not an option.

Not that I necessarily have any amazing philosophical insights to share (yet) but I am sure that they will come.

I am taking some time off from the hustle and bustle of work, to try and gain some calm, and to travel to Japan.

What do I hope to gain from the trip? Well, I'm really not sure yet. I'll have to let you know when I find it.

I will be doing some Instagram posts of my trip over the next month so you can see these on my @kangadrew72 instagram account.  I have three key goals on my journey.

1 - Find the best coffee in Japan. - 日本で最高のコーヒーはどこですか

2 - Find the best ramen in Japan. - 日本で最高の拉麺はどこですか

3 - Find enlightenment. - 悟りはどこにある

Goal 1 will be challenging, as being a confirmed coffee snob, the bar is set high.

Goal 2 is a bigger challenge because with 28 days only overseas, that's only 28 days of dinners, and I still want to enjoy some Sushi and Sashimi whilst there...

Goal 3 - I suppose, is the ultimate challenge. I don't expect to find this, but with meditation, relaxation, focus and mindfulness, I can hopefully at least start this journey.

So that's it for now, keep following for more...

K.

Here are some of my cool tool projects

IP finder

Sometimes you have to quickly know what your IP Address is (according to the ourside world.  It's not too hard but it can be annoying. So I just created a little script to show it.  Nothing but the IP Address. Simple.

http://ip.kangadrew.com/

That's it. Nice and simple.

Cool - but how did you get the URL to redirect?

Well, I used another little tool called REDIR301.  This uses a DNS lookup to forward a notated subdomain through to a URL of your choosing.  So simple - check out the information at https://redir301.link/ and all the information is there.

If you understand how DNS works, then it can be used.  Hey, it's a little nifty and a little cheeky, but it works, and that's all that matters :-)

But you said a few cool tools - that's 3!

OK - got me.  So I have finally resurrected my Herepoint project.  First put together in 2014(!) Wow that's a long time ago- this little tool allows you to generate your own "Herepoint" using your current location, OR a location which you choose and then send it through to friends or share on social media.  https://here.pt/ 

This one still may have a few bugs, but the SMS system is working and the Twitter and Facebook shares still work too.

Note that this is in no way related to here dot com or that whole Here franchise, but if they want to buy the domain and are reading this, then please, send me an email! 

So what drives you today?

TLDR: Be passionate and have balance.

You might stick the #dadjoke filter on and say "The Bus Driver" or it might be something that you think about a little more deeply.

Is it that your alarm always goes off at that time so you drag yourself out of bed out of habit? Is it the child screaming at you or the neigbour's child?

Are you so awake and driven that you just have to get up and greet the world with amazingly open arms and a huge smile on your face?

I'm a little jealous of the last idea there, I would love to greet the day with such enthusiasm that it is infectious. It is hard though, and I think if there are a few roadblocks in your way of being that exuberant bounding ball of energy, then it will be a challenge but it's still possible.

It's about finding passion, living passion and maintaining balance.

Passion takes many forms, but it ultimately it is a thing, a place, a task that delights and drives in equal measure. Something you are always wanting to do more of and feel that you could never tire of. Don't be afraid, it's OK to have more than one passion. Certainly it can be hard do juggle more than one sometimes, but if you're passionate enough, you can find a way.

It would be fair to say that many people (more than usual) are struggling with this notion of passion. Sometimes external factors which we can't control get in the way of us focusing on our passions. That might be a government restricting our movements and interactions. That might be a law of the land. That might be the lack of financial resources to be able to engage with the passion or responsibilities which take that time away.

Don't get me wrong, I think that you need to be responsible as much as you are passionate. The bills still need to be paid, the family still needs to be fed and the toilets still need to be cleaned. Balance here is what is needed.

So for me there are a number of things about which I am passionate.

I love food. I love making food, and I love eating food. The latter perhaps a little too much, but the food passion can be saved and passed on which is part of the reason I set up our food website https://food.heaths.net/. Luckily my wife is also passionate enough to have put up many more recipes than me, but there's so much variety there. As much as anything it's also a future resource for our kids to use, but it's also a source of inspiration.

I'm passionate about smells and fragrance. I've always loved the smells of things. Some of my earliest memories are of smells - they are etched into the fabric of being.  The smell of the baked beans and sausage served me at day care when I was 3. The smell of the lunchtime meat pie and sauce lunch order in the paper bag it came in, or the Friday special hot dog order. The smell of the garden you grew up in, or the onionweed at the oval you played in on Thursday nights. The smell of your first aftershave (Old Spice or Brut 33) or your girlfriends perfume. The smell of petrichor just as the rain touches down on a midsummer afternoon.  The smell of a pine forest or the salty wafts of kelp washed up on the beach. These evoke a being and a passion in me so I have learned more about fragrance and scent. I even like to create new scents and fragrances with my perfume house https://houseofkei.com/. Smell is a great passion.

I'm passionate about my community. I've been involved in council activities and helped candidates run successfully and unsuccessfully. I've been a member of the local CFA brigade in Eltham since 2001 and even run the Facebook page for the Eltham Town Square. 

I'm passionate about my family. As a husband I always try to look after my wife, and as a dad, I would do (almost) anything for my kids. Sometimes it feels like I'm a glorified taxi service, and as a former Uber driver also I know how that feels; but I do know that my kids will appreciate it one day. Perhaps the day that they start driving their kids around. On that day I will laugh.

But passions can come and go. It's OK to let them go and it's OK to mourn not being passionate about these things. Over the past few years I have been passionate about Geocaching. Lockdowns took a great toll on that activity.  Suffice to say that when my caches started being archived for lack of maintenance during the lockdowns, it was enough to kill the passion. I hope to enjoy caching again one day soon, but it's also OK to rule a line in the sand and turn your focus elsewhere.

So if you're struggling today a little, that's OK. If you need a mental health day, take it. Find a passion, live a passion, maintain a healthy balance. 

There's always room for a little more passion too.

That's my 2¢.