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STEVIE WONDER – BRISBANE ENT CENTRE – 25/10/08

Listening to: A time 2 Love – Stevie Wonder


Stevie wonder born Stevland Hardaway Judkins, (later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) born May, 1950 in Michigan is a LEGEND in his own lifetime.

Apparently, Stevie toured Australia and New Zealand in the 80’s. I can’t find out the exact year so if anyone can tell me, I’d actually like to know how I could’ve missed it. I’ve no idea since I’ve been into this guy since his first #1 hit Fingertips, aka Little Stevie Wonder at just 12 years old! I can only think that I was either between countries (i.e. in the process of relocating to OZ) or I was living in Wellington and he only toured Auckland or I was travelling through Asia, or I have no f**kin idea! But the good newz is – I got to see him now! Admittedly 45 years since he entered my life – but I got to see the man - the legend on his final leg of his Australian tour!

He performed a wonderful medley of some of the faves: Superstition, Living for the City, Higher Ground, My Cherie Amour, Master Blaster, and of course Isn’t she lovely, dedicated and written for his daughter Aisha Morris who accompanies him and performs on stage. She is absolutely beautiful with a voice to die for. To be watching her perform a gorgeous jazz ballad, now aged 33, made me realise just how long I’ve been on this planet as I remember the day she was born!

He performed for almost two hours of absolute toe tapping, hand clapping, cheering entertainment. Stevie’s opening line after the first song: ‘We’re only just getting started’ really set the tone. He interacted with the audience a lot! And even had us singing way too much at one point. The guyz had to sing lines that went something like: ‘a man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do’ while the gals had to sing something like: ‘no, no, not on my time, you must be out of your friggin mind’ while Stevie sang Part-time lover. When he gave the song over to us, he thought we were quite hilarious since we were hopeless :)

He has been described as Blind, Black and beyond Soul. He is still singing the message of love and hope and hasn’t become jaded by life, fame or the music industry or anything else. He expresses pure joy in living through his music – music that lights up the world for us and makes the joy in life easier to see. He truly is a person with remarkable vision. When he speaks about freedom, love, war, Obama, Martin Luther King, God – he doesn’t sound as though he’s preaching, he tells it how he sees it and he genuinely believes we can all be better people. We can save our planet. We can live better, laugh louder, and most of all, love so much more than we are.

I can’t begin to explain the impact Stevie had on my life as a teenager. A man and his lyrics encouraged me to be strong, to be a survivor, and grow to be a better person, no matter what your hardship.

I don't remember the defining song that hooked me, but I do remember the defining album. While there were many great albums since his beginning in 1963 - Songs in the Key of Life, would have to be the album that reached into my heart, grabbed me and told me to sit up and take notice. Stevie summed it up on his album sleeve: 'Songs in the Key of Life is only a conglomerate of thoughts in my subconscious that my Maker decided to give me the strength, the love + love - hate = love energy, making it possible for me to bring to my conscious an idea'.

It was during those years of growing up with his music that gave me hope, and love, and made me see things differently – taught me to find positivity through adversity. I was certainly overwhelmed with tears when he eventually came out on stage (there was no support band so we amused ourselves by doing the Mexican wave, over and over, and over) the crowd were great and the energy was electric.

Yes, it’s taken a mega amount of years before I was able to rejoice in the magick - the legend that is Stevie Wonder - but it was well worth the wait!!!

Each life has its own beat, moving through space at its own pace, standing still for no one, and yet you, as if not caring, though knowing how precious it was to you. Gave to me selflessly, life’s most priceless possession, your time. It is only my wish that you feel your time not to have been given in vain. For waiting is not what I meant for you, but to share with me the images of life that God has sent me through, and if this life affords me again the chance to share with you the new and hidden knowledge, through song, I will move as swiftly as life demands, but never so fast as not to give you my very best. Stevland Morris

TRAVEL & other bits and bobs

Listening to: Kings of Leon

How did our use of time become so complicated? You see I’ve been planning an OS trip. It began its inception three years ago when I desperately needed to see my long lost mates in the UK, and each time for whatever reason it got postponed. Finally, this year I finally bit the bullet and asked my partner in crime, and in life if he wanted to come on this odyssey of travelling and researching my books with me? YES! So the trip has evolved over time from being a stint in Egypt and the UK, to Egypt, Sinai & Thailand (sorry my beloved mates) hope we can catch up in Dahab :)

Being the travelling, rambling, nomad that I am – it all should be a piece of cake -right? Wrong! What happened between living foot loose and fancy free to all of a sudden everything becoming bigger than Ben Hur? Is it just the mortgage, the car, the kidz (four legged variety), the job…the writing?

Planning a big OS trip was no big deal in the past because I left it all behind. Everything I owned was literally on my back. No mortgage, car, kidz or even that much writing besides the odd short story here and there. Packed the job in – didn’t know when I was coming back and one time it took me three years before I hit Australian soil again! But now it’s all different and it all seems way too complicated. I know it’s not really, but I’m frustrated – because finally after years of FT tedious work, I’m doing what I love. Writing pretty much full-time now, not making any $$ but writing nevertheless, in between the PT job, exercising (trying to shift the flab and get fit at the same time) other responsibilities and planning a huge trip OS. It's all very, very exciting – don’t think I’m whingeing about that for one minute! I’m just plain frustrated!

Frustrated from not being able to find the time to write. I can’t believe all this organising, vaccinations, researching where to stay, booking tix, decent walking shoes that took over three weeks to find due to my massive feet (they don’t make em that big for women in most makes), passport photos, visas, suitable light clothing, first aid kit and the list goes on…

Oh, and not to mention sorting out the camera, downloading music to the Ipod and organising it all into groovee files, the digital voice recorder (research, research, research) need something suitable to take half decent notes on :)

I know this sounds like a big whinge fest, trust me it’s not – it’s more about me feeling rather inadequate as a writer who can’t get her shit together just because she’s planning a great big, bloody, awesome trip!! I really am excited – very, very excited. I don’t know how much writing is going to get done between now and the end of the year (since I will be gone til then) but I do plan to have a whole lot of ideas for some serious writerly projects next year…

I would be really interested to hear how others manage their writing time while planning important things in their life, living life, coping with life, and everything that life brings us in general, all the while being productive and creative...

I look forward to your insights, ideas and opinions on the subject. In the meantime I must away - music to download, itineraries to type up, emails to write… And it’s way past midnight for this rambler…Ciao

All things Writerly...

Listening to: The John Steel Singers

~WRITERS ON THE EDGE~

Back row from left: Michele Cashmore, Sean Williams, Rob Hoge, Chris McMahon, Mark Curtis
Front row from left: Margo Lanagan, Nea Bovill, Deb Soukup, Kate Eltham, Jason Nahrung.
Picture by: Jason Nahrung

Finally making a post YAY! I've just returned from a magickal week away at Joondoburri in Bribie with fellow Edgers and our tutors this year Sean Williams and Margo Lanagan Our days and nights were filled with writing, eating wonderful food (all catered for), drinking, sharing stories about writing, publishing, movies, music, drinking (oh I mentioned that already) walking down Surf Beach in Woorim getting sun kissed and feeling inspired and drawn to the ocean like never before and not one domestic duty or washing up in sight!

The first 50 pages of my ms basically needs to be scrapped and while that idea can sit uncomfortably with me, I also realise that this is my process as a writer. It happens to me time and time again. I never know how the story should begin until I've finished the novel *note to self* next time finish the damn thing! But it's all good, I spent the week brainstorming some otherworldly issues, and answered some tough questions about my characters, and got stuck into world building, the very thing I learned at the Cya conference.

It's kinda tough being back in the real world, because being the nomad I am, I could simply live like this forever - Indulgent? Absolutely and why not I say :) Having said that, I am now planning my OS trip to Egypt, Sinai & Thailand. Less than five weeks to go and lots to do, so will finish up here, post a few pix of the lovely beach and my fellow comrades, which quite seriously my life would not be half as interesting or complete without them.

Enough rambling from me, it's way after Midnight and time to sign off....