TO BEGIN

The beginning of the journey of my life as a human being began with great excitement and anticipation, and so it was that on 2nd August, 1963, I chose to be born into a family living in the middle of Suffolk, England. I had chosen to be born into a young countryloving family in order to watch, be a part of, and experience other forms of life as well as human life. I could watch and see how the birds interacted with each other, how animals of all types worked, played, and competed with one another. I could experience how plants of all forms grew, changed, and died throughout their lives. I could learn how each and every form of life in the sea and on land intimately depended upon each other for survival, each one equal to all others in existence. Just as was planned.

I could feel what it was like to play in the sun, to smell the wind in my nose, and feel its freshness in my lungs. I could feel the rain on my face and touch the earth beneath my feet. I could experience the rainbow colours of life in all of their glorious beauty, the wondrous smells of harvested food, straw, grass, flowers, honey, and the fresh clearness in the air. I could stare at the stars in the night sky, knowing I had a part in their making. I could watch the clouds sailing across the daytime sky with awe and wonder, knowing they are very much needed for all life on this planet we humans call Earth.

From childhood and through growing older and wiser, I travelled the experience of the human experiment and learned what humans knew of the planet they live on. I learned of their history as told by conquerors and kings. I learned what humans knew of how this planet and the galaxies worked and smiled knowingly to myself. I learned how to manipulate the Earth's resources to human advantage. I learned that humans are good at manipulating themselves too, sometimes to individual advantage. I learned how humans manipulate electricity, the fuel of intelligence, to perform all manner of wonderful and intriguing tricks and illusions. Fuel, of any easily extractable form, it seems, is crucial to human endeavour and survival. Of course, it was created for this very purpose.

Human interaction is interesting, as is watching how humans deal with likes, dislikes, conveniences, and inconveniences, witnessing how they shape their lives depending upon whether a way of action, reaction, thinking or understanding is viewed by fellow humans as conducive to common ways or not. The urge to blindly copy or duplicate other people's actions just because it is viewed as the correct or established way is interesting. The herd mentality as defined by the need to be led rather than to explore for themselves and use their innate abilities to question and to reason before following a possible better way or path, the fear of being different or of not conforming, are perhaps what drive this urge. All of these a huge barrier to progress.

The ability to love and to hate. To laugh and to cry. To be happy and to be sad. The ability to show your emotions and to hide them also. The ability to be a good mechanic and a hopeless nurse, a good mother and a useless electrician. The ability to think and rationalise freely. These are what make you human; these are what should help you to work together for the collective good. None of you are experts at everything. You are all masters of your destinies, yet equal also. You all have different skills and abilities in order to help each other where needed. Great satisfaction can be gained from being of help to your individual selves as well as to others. Humans would progress farther and live much happier lives if they shared rather than competed.

Being the best at whatever you choose to be is important for the collective whole. Being the best at whatever you choose to be for your individual self only is ultimately destructive. How can anybody buy what you sell if you keep all of what you call `money' for yourself? To fear poverty and all that is perceived to go with it is false. You, as part of God, can create anything you wish. There is no restriction and no shame in doing so. Such is the power of knowledge, understanding, and rational thinking. Never believe anything as 'gospel' until you have tested it for yourself. Don't be a sheep; be a shepherd instead– a shepherd of your life and the life of everything around you. Don't believe everything other people say. Test it for yourself and see if it works for you. How do you think natural processes work? Through personal trial and error– do you think?

PHYSICAL TRAVEL

Throughout my childhood and having inherited a very valuable and wise stepmother, I learned of the joys of travelling to foreign countries from a human perspective. I learned of the ways in which people from these countries viewed the beauties and experiences of life as a whole, which are different from those of us in England. I learned human history from a different viewpoint. I witnessed a much more positive perspective to the challenges of life and learned much about solving challenges with respect to a collective whole rather than from selfishness. I learned of the importance of being of great support to the young ones and to encourage them in all ways you can, regardless of your own prejudices. The importance is not to continually test and challenge only, but also to teach, help, and encourage too.

I learned of the importance of recording and passing on things like engineering and scientific, historical, artistic, political, and practical break-throughs gained through life, and to recognise any skill or ability in everybody, no matter who or what they thought they were, or indeed what you thought of them. I learned the importance of tolerance and understanding from another's point of view too. To teach, encourage, and support is the best set of skills you have, as is learning to listen to others and their perspectives. During these early travels to a different country, I learned new and exciting sights, sounds, tastes, and textures, ways of making the best use of what you have.

By my stepmother giving me the freedom to play and experiment in the kitchen, as well as forcing me to clear up afterwards, I learned necessary skills needed in the home. So it was that in 1982 I left my family home and moved into my first independent home. As a result I was given wings to fly. I learned how to party and be silly and also learned the lesson of total self-reliance. I spent the next few years thoroughly enjoying my newfound independence and freedom as a human being. What really great years these were. I wanted more.

BUNNY IN THE MOON

Physical travel continued to dominate my thirst for human experience, and I was given the chance to explore eastern Australia in 1988. I made my way to Heathrow and boarded the aeroplane. As I sat in the huge aeroplane at the end of the runway, the engines suddenly raged to life, and the whole plane shook with sheer force and anger. I experienced human terror and excitement at the same time. It was too late to change my mind now, and I clung to the seat as if staring into the jaws of an angry dragon. Then, slowly and inexorably, the plane started to move. I was wide awake, adrenaline running riot through me. Fight or flight was not an option; there was no escape now. I was thrust into the back of the seat as we shot up the runway like a bullet, the plane feeling as though it was about to tear itself apart at any moment. We left the world below us as we roared into the sky. I saw London vanish to a tiny blot on the landscape.

As we left the clouds below us with the sunshine above, the engines quietened down, and I felt sublime peace and tranquillity. I was floating thousands of feet up in mid-air with not a care in the world. I didn't have wings, but I was flying. It was as though I had undergone some terrible death and was now totally at peace and free. So this is what human fear and peace is like, I thought. I then thought, How do you describe this experience to somebody who has not experienced it? The explanation for the urge to manifest as a human was beginning to be understood ...

I released the seatbelt, sat back, and watched day become night. While munching into dinner, I watched the stars above and the stars below. The cloudless sky around me now showed all the lights from earth shining up at me as well as all the light from the stars above winking at me. I had this urge to stand on the wings that were flying me to Australia and look around. I knew this was impossible, of course, and although I may be a part of God, I'm not that good yet. I sank into a deep and restful sleep floating on air and dreaming of potential opportunities ahead of me. Little did I realise what was ahead of me ...

A few hours later I was awakened by the sound of the aeroplane's engines quietening to a whisper and the sense of me gently floating towards the ground, the stars above and below me still shining brightly, the time irrelevant. The engines continued to whisper, and I continued to float gently down. I enjoyed a sense of utter freedom and peace for the first time in my human life– wonderful. Was this great flying metal bird that I was a part of landing? Then I was asked to put on my seatbelt again. Yes, this bird was landing.

All of a sudden the calm and gentle peace abruptly stopped to be replaced by violent shuddering as the engines roared into life again. I experienced the sensation of being thrust forward, of trying desperately to stop in a hurry. We had to stop moving forward, and fast. Brake, BRAKE HARD, stop, NOW. I was then thrust sideways as this bird seemed to broadside off the end of the runway. After a while it seemed as though this bird had recovered its stance. It gently made its way to where it had to be as if nothing untoward had happened at all. Yes, we had landed, but where were we? Not in Australia for sure. It was still dark outside.

I walked off the plane and into paradise, bright lights, and clean fresh air all around. Plants, flowers, and waterfalls were everywhere. People of all nations were scurrying around in all directions with focused purpose, like ants on a mission. People were carrying and towing luggage of all shapes, sizes and colours. I hadn't realised there were so many different colours and designs of the kitchen sink. Foods, textures, flavours, and perfumes I had never seen before, ones I couldn't even imagine. Languages and writing I couldn't speak or read. I was lost and totally helpless in paradise, but thoroughly enjoying and absorbing the experience of exploring this most wonderful of places, Singapore, the most beautiful airport I have ever seen.

It was a refuelling stop before continuing and a welcome break in a most beautiful international airport. I re-boarded the metal bird and off I went again. Another bullet-like blast up the runway, adrenaline running riot in my veins, then off into peaceful floatiness again amongst the stars.

The first glimmerings of dawn broke and the stars above and below flickered out one by one– each one wishing the world of daylight a warm welcome and safe passage before saying goodbye for another time. So it was that the orange desert of central Australia began a new day.

At 33,000 feet I saw the vastness and power of the desert in all directions and realised just how small and insignificant a human being I am compared to the Earth, to the whole of creation. Yet as small and insignificant I am as a human being, I am also the most intricate and powerful being there is on this planet. I am a specialist in survival. I have the ability to survive in pretty much any natural environment on this planet. If I cannot do so without human or biological help, then I have the ability to make or obtain whatever it is I need in order to survive. I have the ability to defend myself against any attacker, seen or unseen. I have the ability to create whatever it is I need, to make anything I want, to think anything I want, to be anything I want. I have the ability to help, support and work with anything or anybody I want to. I have the ability to make choices and to take control. I am the ruler and commander of my own life. What I do and think is crucial to all life around me. What I do and think decides what happens, what lives or dies, what is made, and what is not. The world is quite literally my oyster. After all, I, as God, created it thus. So it is with you also. As the flight into sunrise continued, so too did my flight into human life and total understanding of it.

I watched the sunrise out of the window, the golds, oranges, reds, and yellows of one of the makers of life's basic elements. For without nuclear fusion, the sun burning its fuel, there is nothing. How many suns are there in creation, most of which we humans do not know? How many life forms are there in creation? How many life forms are here on Earth, within our individual selves even? Ponder upon these questions and you begin to understand who and what you are as a part of God– of what you can do, of what is conducive to life in all of its forms and of what is not. Great purpose, power, and obligation comes from this understanding.

Then the clouds formed– thick, black, purple, and blue. The oranges, yellows and clean air turned dirty and thick, and took on an unnatural and foreboding appearance. There had to be a reason for this. That reason was soon exposed when Sydney was in sight.

The tannoy diligently announced we had to circle whilst the airport could be made safe, and so we did. 'Made safe'??? This bird I was a part of suddenly banked hard right, and I and several hundred other humans vividly saw why we had to stay up here. The land around Sydney, 33,000 feet below us, was dotted with brilliant yellowy orange specs of colour. Specs of gold. Specs of fire. It looked truly beautiful from up here, safely away from danger.

It seems that Sydney was battling with bush fires, and we were about to land in the midst of this. Only when the 777 landed did I realise that the flames were as high as the top of the aeroplane's tail fin, roaring with pure fury and anger. So it seemed this was my introduction to Australia– my 'gentle' introduction to the raw power of nature at its best. It was utterly terrifying and yet totally awe-inspiring at once. I loved it. I was witnessing the natural processes of clearing away the old to make way for the new– of clearing away dead wood to make way for new growth, a natural and much needed process with eucalyptus trees. I felt sorry for the people fighting the fire dragon and those directly affected by it, though perhaps humans should try to work with the natural cycles of life rather than try to conquer them to our advantage. I changed planes in the middle of all this and jumped to Melbourne where the journey up the east coast of Australia began.

I didn't see the first two days I spent in Melbourne; jet lag got the better of me and I spent 48 hours asleep in my tent. I awoke early on day three to strange sounds and strange smells. The earth beneath me was drier and more powdery than I was used to; warmer also. There were birds outside yes, but they were singing tunes I had never heard before. There were scuttlings and scurryings I had never experienced before either– animals I didn't know, that were foreign to me. I didn't know if they were friend or foe. But wait, I was the foreigner there. I was the stranger in a homeland. All around me was perfectly normal and unsurprising to everything there. I was the one to be wary of, to be investigated, and to be mistrusted until proven otherwise.