Good Friday is a time to reflect... but on what?

I hear really truly spiritual people talk and I'm filled with admiration. Some have made huge sacrifices to follow a spiritual path and are confident and committed enough to announce their allegiance (those who do it without forcing their views on anyone else are the ones I most admire). 

Late last year The Hiss and I attended the interfaith service at the Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney where we sang Christmas Carols with people from different denominations. I'm talking about religions like Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, Anglican and probably others. 

In the middle of the service a relative of a woman who had died after a long battle with cancer told her story and lit a candle for her. Then everyone else was invited to light a candle and say a few words about whatever they wanted. I'm a bit of a cynic (understatement) and my first thought was, "Shite, we haven't got all day here people. This will take forever if the whole congregation decides to speak" followed by my own imaginings of how the whole thing would translate into a scene from a sitcom. 

It would be easy to take the piss. But it was my choice to be there and no one was pressuring me to participate. If you're interested, go to http://www.pittstreetuniting.org.au/interfaith.html

The reason I took The Hiss along was to give her a sense of occasion. It was close to Christmas when the western world goes off its rocker - last minute shopping and trying to squeeze a year into a month - and people forget to care about each other. Sometimes it's important to slow down and consider your place on the planet. 

Which brings me to the ocean. 

At some point over the next two days I hope to get down to the beach. Maybe I'll sit and watch the waves, wonder at their power and magnificence, and offer up a little prayer for humanity, the little fishies in the sea (sharks too) and sentient creatures that walk the Earth. 

Peace be with you.

As-Salamu Alaykum.   

PS: It's the Bondi Bluewater Challenge on Easter Monday, one of the last swims before we head into an Australian winter (after a wet, cool summer).

PPS: I'm in a dilemma because I've been ranting on about caring for creatures on the planet but I just discovered a nest containing thousands of baby spiders on the back verandah. What do I do? My first reaction is to blast the crap out of them with fly spray. Should I let them all live? Should I let one survive, a la Finding Nemo? What would a really truly spiritual person do? 

PPPS: I've shown the spider creche to Precious Princess who thinks I (not she) should decimate them - and on, of all days, Good Friday.

Can't do it. I'll wait until Spanner gets home. 

A longer than usual long weekend in Australia

Aussies love a long weekend. We can't get enough of 'em. And I'm not about to complain.

This year an extraordinary clash of public holidays has led to a five-day long weekend. Usually, there's the four-day Easter long weekend that includes a holiday on Good Friday and another the following Monday.

But this year ANZAC Day, a national public holiday, fell on Easter Monday. Rather than roll the ANZAC Day and Easter Monday holidays into one, the powers-that-be added another day to the break. So, Tuesday is also a day off work for millions of Australians.

We're not bludgers. No way.

Anyway, the weather today is miserable and I feel for the Diggers who've joined ANZAC Day marches across the country.

There's also an ocean swim on today, from Coogee to Bondi. This one's a 5 km trek, which I'm definitely not ready for even though I was encouraged to participate by several delusional swimming associates.

Maybe next year.

The photos were taken yesterday when Spanner, The Hiss and I went to Bondi for a swim, though Spanner just sat on the beach while The Hiss and I practised body surfing. Afterwards, we had a small but nice cuppa up the road at a hole-in-the-wall cafe/tapas bar called Massive. And on the way home we stopped in Paddington for a squizz at the old reservoir, which has been preserved. Would you believe in 1985 there were plans to turn this historic piece of Sydney into a car park? Love it or lump it, this is Australia. Lucky there were no iron ore deposits under it.