At 4 years old I wanted to be a Pop Star. I had my first turntable at the age of 2. My head was stuck in my speakers from the age of 4. By the time I hit High school, people would ask me what I wanted to be when I finished School. Was simple. A Pop Star.
Alas, I left School at 15 in mid Year 11 (I always struggled with classes - undiagnosed ADHD???). I didn't know what to do next. I never really learned music, just loved it. I'd worked part time in a Milk Bar on weekends when I was 14. What to do next? I spent the next 3 years partly bumming around, partly having a go at different jobs. I worked as a Coffin Trimer for 3 months. Making artificial plants for 2 weeks. Worked at Pet's Paradise for a week. Did 1 day at a Toxic Waste Disposal Plant. Hated every one of them. 'Work' was a dirty word. I thought: "Is this as good as it gets?"
At 17 I worked as a Delivery Boy for a Printing Company in the city. Moved to Printer's Assistant, then Printer. It was ok. But got bored. Went back to bumming around for a bit (mmmm beer). Then did a few other jobs short term including door to door sales.
Then, at 22, I went for a job as a PCA (Personal Care Attendant). Got on the job training then worked in people's private homes assisting Paraplegics, Quadriplegics, Brain Injuries & Stroke Victims. I learned to insert Catheters (those pee bags), perform Hydrotherapy, physio stretches, dress, undress and shower people, clean lots of poo and vomit ... and I LOVED it! I'd never done anything so satisfying in my life.
By the age of 25 I was working Fulltime as a Disability Support Worker and working Part-time as a PCA at a Nursing Home. I'd never ever thought I'd use the words 'love' and 'job' in the same sentence. It was amazing.
Then, about 5am one early morning, driving home as DD (Designated Driver, not Drunk and Disorderly) from a night out clubbing, I suddenly became very drowsy at the wheel on the Monash Freeway. I decided to pull over for that '15 minute Powernap' the TAC had been plugging on TV. I stopped in the Emergency Lane and went to sleep. 10 minutes later, a Drink Driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit us at 90kms/hr.
2 mates in the back were killed. They were 20. My partner at the time sustained moderate injuries. I almost died. Lower back injury, broken ribs, internal bleeding, a lung filled with blood, a Brain Injury and cuts, bruises etc.
1 week in Intensive Care. then 3 weeks in a Private room with an epidural in my back and 2-hourly pethadeine (spell check?) shots. Next step was a year in Rehab.
At the end of that, I was sent on my way with: "Your back is rooted and always will be, you can't do what you used to do. Find something different. Also, you'll always have trouble learning new tasks and Short Term Memory problems are here to stay. Good luck. Ciao"........
TO BE CONTINUED
No comments:
Post a Comment