Thoughts on today
Over these past 31 years I have spent much time away from my family. And much too much time away from what were then my young children. After the longest individual stretch (6 months) away from them as I took on European charter flying in 1993 and the dark arts of winter operations I swore, even though I only had 2 weeks at home before going back, that I would never be apart from my family for as long ever again.
Despite much overseas time in those intervening years I kept that promise, never distant more than 3 months largely.
Yet COVID 19 has done what I hoped would never happen again and I am again 6 months from much of my family, spread around Australia as they are. Our once proud industry in ruins, this time from a miniscule physical virus not the robustly visible and virulent political virus of the then corporate state. Still, only Murdoch remains of that past virus, ironically with his news outlets vigorously denying the magnitude of the current virus. McMahon, Strong, Hawke and Abeles have left us, perhaps Murdoch is the last of the dinosaurs to go.
I remember those lost along the way. I remember those who chose a different path and hope they have come to terms with that. I wish well those still in the industry but with wings folded for a time. I can only urge that all involved remember that unity is critical to whatever the future holds.
Sui generis