G'day,
Been a little while getting these stories together because of a little trip. I went to Bundaberg to watch my niece play touch and the Gold Coast to help a girls Rugby League team.
What I can tell you is the kids from the bush are the most well-mannered decent kids you will meet.
They are also not scared. The teams they play are bigger, faster and better organised.
Our kids meet each other the day before the carnival and are still learning names while they play. The other teams have been together for months and practiced.
However, I guarantee by the time they are 18 many of these young stars will no longer be around. They are driven relentlessly at such a young age and will be burnt out or injured before they hit senior ranks.
Others who are bigger or faster than everyone else will quit when everyone catches up to them as they mature.
Kids from the bush have a rounded grounding. They play multiple sports and learn transferable skills
The only thing they lack in the bush is regular competition of a high standard. However, the skills they learn out here mean that when they are exposed to that higher level when they go to boarding school or move to the city they thrive.
The perfect example in this edition’s stories is Luke and Kyle Bartolo. I hope you enjoy their story.
Kyle and Luke Bartolo
Katrina Milosevic
The Connair disaster
Feature Story
The Bartolo Boys
Kyle and Luke Bartolo are a great example of where hard work and dedication can take you. They are also the best ambassadors for what growing up in the country can do for you.
Theirs is a story of hard work, dedication and sacrifice. It also includes a family full of love, respect, pride and community spirit.
This edition's stories
Katrina Milosevic
Playing a teapot at school in Mount Isa led Katrina Milosevic to a career in film and theatre and one of Australian television’s favourite prisoners.
The Connair Disaster
Long before the World Trade Centres were attacked Australia had experienced the same sense of disbelief.
And all the evidence was found in a Mount Isa flat.
Five Minute Fillup Podcasts
This week’s listen: Intelligence
The smartest person is not necessarily the most intelligent. Five minutes on why we should judge intelligence differently to how society conditions us to.
A Final Note
Their are people I admire from afar and simply have no reason to be involved with them. I approach people and ask questions because I want to know them better and learn their story.
Sometimes when I do people look at me like I am some sort of weirdo but I believe everybody has a story and just because you didn’t invent the combustible engine or win an Olympic Gold Medal doesn’t mean you aren’t special.
Living a good life is an achievement and the more people realise that the better.
"The world isn't as bad as the news makes it. There are good people everywhere — you just have to know where to look."
Until next time,
James
Stories of people, place and perseverance