02/10/2026
Today I turn 50, and to say I’ve been lucky is an understatement.
Life has been incredible—not without its challenges, but definitely incredible. To say I am grateful would also be a huge understatement, and the God’s honest truth is that I am amazed I’ve made it this far and that things keep getting better.
I get mega enthusiastic about the simple things in life, and here’s why...
At the age of 15, I broke my neck and sustained enough head trauma to give me retrograde amnesia. For the first couple of weeks, it was a roll of the dice as we waited to see whether I’d have permanent brain damage (I’m sure many people would assert that I do 😂).
It was a total of about 8 weeks dead flat on my back, only allowed to move my eyes while we waited to see if I’d have use of my arms and legs, and whether I’d ever be able to talk again after the op (clearly that talking bit is working too 😂). These are obviously serious things for a 15 year old to ponder.
My surgeon absolutely aced it (thank you Prof Robert Fraser 🙏🏼), and about 8 weeks after the accident, I was walking, talking, and the rebuild began. Hopefully you never break your neck, but if you do, Adelaide is one of the best places in the world for getting put back together.
So anyhow, a metal plate, some screws, and a bone graft later, and I’m up and about and thanking God every day for the privilege.
I was only 15, but laying there in that bed, I prayed a lot and I swore to God that if I was lucky enough to get a second chance, I’d try to do right with it. Ever since then, there’s only been 3 reasons I do anything...
1️⃣ It's the right thing to do
2️⃣ It makes me happy
3️⃣ I’ve got no choice. (And if we are being truly honest, the times where we truly have no choice are pretty rare).
Approaching life through that lens helps make things simpler, and it makes me much happier than if I dance to the beat of other people’s drums. I don’t always get it right, I don’t know that any of us do, but I definitely give it my best, well-considered shot.
At age 50, I truly feel like I’m only just getting started. I know that nobody is actually self-made, so thank you to all the incredible people in my life who helped me get here.
And thank you to life’s aggravations for helping motivate me... because sometimes caffeine and indignation are pretty awesome fuel 😂☕️🙏🏼
