Andrew FitzSimons, with his trademark hat, says goodbye to Dapto High School. Every school (and student) would be lucky to have a Mr Fitz. Photo: Keeli Royle.
There’s been so much sad, bad and downright tragic news lately that I reckon it’s time to change the dial and let the sun shine in.
Today I promise a Donald Trump-free zone (truly), no politics, no death, destruction or heartbreak and no whinges.
Even better, this column is about stories from our own backyard (well, not my backyard because the drainage is buggered and it’s still a swamp. OK, a tiny whinge). They’re stories about the positive, the inspirational, the uplifting things our neighbours do that aren’t necessarily going to make the front page but are just inherently great.
The best thing about my job and that of the Region Illawarra team is coming across these stories every day. Our daily news meetings often run over time because we get so carried away by a potential story.
From the time I decided I wanted to be a journalist in my early teens, I’ve been addicted to news – reading, watching and listening to it, even before I started in the industry.
The first job I applied for – as a high schooler, with absolutely no experience except for a couple of weeks’ work experience at the local newspaper and radio station – was with a national TV current affairs show. Obviously I didn’t get a response, let alone the job.
But from that time on, news has been in my blood. Day two of a trip to Bali in the 1980s and I was having withdrawals for Australian news. I almost cried with frustration when the Balinese guy selling the papers wanted to haggle over the price. I didn’t care how much it cost, or that it was over a day old, just hand it over and no-one will get hurt.
Any journo will tell you there’s nothing like a newsroom for the adrenaline rush of breaking news.
These days I’m more likely to get a rush from stories about ordinary people sometimes doing extraordinary things, rarely for themselves but more often for their communities.
So in no particular order, here are some of my favourite uplifting, upbeat, make-you-smile stories we’ve published over the past year.
Mr Fitz’s farewell
Most people have memories of a special teacher who helped make school a better place, but regardless, I think we would all love to have a Mr Fitz in our lives.
Andrew FitzSimons, Dapto High School’s principal for 19 years, retired last year. More than 1000 students, teachers and parents, as well as his own family, gathered for his emotional farewell which lasted for most of his final day. Mr Fitz would go above and beyond to make sure students were not just educated, but also well fed and clothed.
Kiama Kubes
How can you not smile when you hear about a group that describes itself as “just a bunch of crazy people who like winter swimming”? Apart from the swimming bit in an icy river, I love the group’s grand event of the year: the Annual General Meeting Day, where they jump on a bus to Kangaroo Valley with a load of wood for a fire on the side of the river. Following swimming races across the freezing river, members adjourn to the pub for the AGM. What’s not to like?
The smiles say it all … Circus WOW members go through their paces. Photo: Jen White.
Circus WOW
The gals at Circus WOW were keen for me to have a go when I interviewed them and as tempting as the offer was, I just enjoyed watching them go through their paces. There was so much (infectious) laughter, support for each other and even a bit of blissful relaxation on the high hoop. It was easy to see why running away to the circus sounds like a great idea. This is a class like no other, where fun and laughter go hand-in-hand, where even the smallest victory is met with applause and high fives. Welcome to Circus WOW, where ordinary women do extraordinary things.
Will Green – the barber boy
Will Green runs a barber shop – Cuts by Greeny – in the family garage. The fact that he’s only 14 is what makes this story so incredible. There would be very few kids his age who know exactly what they want from life, or even how to go about it, but I’m convinced we’ll see Will’s name in lights one day. Anyone who can manage to cut a 16-month-old’s hair and have the toddler laughing and smiling must be pretty amazing.
Bob Harrison’s emu farm
The home of long-time Shellharbour councillors Bob and Ann Harrison was a magnet for animals of all shapes and sizes. It became known unofficially as the Albion Park zoo and at one stage housed kangaroos, emus, goats, alpacas, dingoes, deer and chooks. Bob’s colourful characters included a horse and emu who were best friends and the deer that used to think the dog was its mother. The story brought back many fond memories for locals who used to make a point of driving out of their way just to see the animals.
Lozza’s legacy
There are many people who shun the limelight regardless of how great their achievements are. Lorraine Breska – better known as Lozza – is one of those people. Yet hundreds, maybe thousands, of Illawarra kids have Lozza to thank for teaching them to swim during her 15 years in the pool at McKeon’s Swim School. She taught babies, infants and adults, but had a special touch with kids who were scared of the water and with people with special needs.
A rare photo of the elusive but healthy Fairy Creek rooster. Photo: Jen McDowens.
An elusive but popular rooster
Last but definitely not least, there was one cocky little bugger who put a smile on the dial of even the toughest tradie – the elusive Fairy Creek rooster. When premature news of the rooster’s death circulated online, a dedicated Facebook page was created so fans of the fowl – known variously as Stuart and Reggie – could keep each other updated on his wellbeing. One resident summed it up beautifully – “he’s just living his best life, really”.
And there ends the lesson for today – let’s just live our best lives, today and every day.
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