Vasilios Theodorakis – An Online Author

Unless one has travelled or is aware that their ancestors were also displaced by war, poverty or persecution – it’s hard to imagine that the rest of the world doesn’t live as we do. i.e. that most of the world’s people aren’t immersed in a safe, stable and resource rich context.

Even the poorest of the poor (leaving aside our indigenous brothers and sisters who’ve had to live in 3rd world conditions since Europeans arrived), in the worst suburbs of our cities, live better than your average person elsewhere in the world.

The pitiful federal election campaign that’s occurring, and the petty policies both parties are running, has yet again highlighted how ignorant Australians are in regards to how good life already is in this country!

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2010

As a child I used to dream of being able to look through my bedroom window and seeing what ever I could imagine appearing on the other side of the glass – a person, a scene, another world. As an adult, I can now ask my computing devises just about anything and up will pop a digital window which will display what ever I hoped to see. Not quite as romantic as what I imagined as a child but it does give me access to information, sounds, pictures and moving pictures almost instantly and all in the palm of my hand. The dream of the naive child has almost become the reality of the adult.

And to think, that as a child and adolescent, I would take a thousand questions to bed with me, each and every day. Questions that no one and nothing could answer and which are now resolved within a matter of seconds – minutes at most! For example: How old is the musician I just listened to? Where was that actor born? Is a company independent or owned by a multinational? How many bees in a beehive? What does a red gum look like? And does anyone know what happens after death?

I don’t know if this ability to see, hear or answer things instantly is a good or bad thing for our youth. I do know however, that I sleep easier now – not haunted by questions I haven’t been able to answer or by facts I haven’t been able to access. :)

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2010

Politics is the art of targeting the lowest common denominator. If that denominator proves to be an immoral or unethical “stance on an issue” then societies go backwards and become indictments of themselves.

Just take the current political discussions on asylum seekers. During the course of a week, the Labour Party and its new leader – someone that most people had come to believe was a moral individual – decided to take the line of absolving the country’s extremists and racists. These politicians publicly proclaimed that the “average” Australian – whatever that might be – were not “bad people” despite their heartless attitudes towards displaced individuals and the atrocious treatment of non-Anglo Australians!

Shame on you PM – any semblance of hope people like me had in people like you was instantly dashed! All of us will be voting “Green” from now on!

How will this country ever be guided and encouraged to become the nation it can be, when the only thing politicians care about is appealing to the worst of society – and doing so, just to get re-elected!

Unfortunately, as a country we have a long way to go in order to become a global role model – especially with the ongoing suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act. Then again, it probably doesn’t matter – by the time we get our act together, nationalism will have become obsolete anyway!

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2010

If it hasn’t already become apparent, my politics have always been left wing and green. If you know anything about the Theodorakis clan, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. In fact, what would be a surprise is if one grew up as anything other than left wing within a Theodorakis household. Social justice is part of Theodorakis dinner table conversations from infancy. This also explains why going into social work early in life seemed so natural for me.

As a left winger then, I’ve felt very disillusioned with Australian federal politics for some time now. I’ve inadvertently continued to vote for Labour though this led to a PM who was a little too right wing and non-Westminster/Federalist for my liking. Now I find, that even if I could put up with his right wing nonsense, I couldn’t put up with him ignoring our Westminster protocols of consultation. His executive approach to government left many people like me wondering how, in good conscience we would continue to vote for the Labour Party. My guess is most of us wouldn’t and many of us were getting ready to vote for the Greens.

If you compare democratic systems, the Westminster/Federalist approach we have in Australia is still the most stable and constructive form of government in the world. Anyone who tries to move too far away from its current approach does so at the constituent’s and nation’s peril. People have yet to invent a better and more stable form of government.

So yesterday my faith was restored, when the Westminster system won out over an individual’s ambitions. I therefore look forward to once again being able to vote for the Labour Party and wish the new PM all the best in her battles ahead. May she not only lead us well, but may she also protect the institution which has placed her on the pedestal on which she now sits.

Our political system is what makes this country so special, stable and safe. Thank goodness for the Federation’s robustness and the ability to replace leaders who do not perform.

As an aside, you can guarantee the hobbled parliamentary system in Queensland is the real reason why Queensland continues to suffer such ongoing corruption, even under the current Labour government. Take away the Upper House in a Westminster system and you take away fundamental checks and balances!

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2010

There are many temporally challenged people in the world. People who sit back and wait for help to show up in the form of money, strangers, friends, family, God, love or politics. People who’ve made themselves overly dependent on others, and people just like you and me who wait and wait – then wait some more – hoping that others might solve their problems!

Unfortunately, in using this approach, life can pass you by and leave you wondering what in the world happened to a big chunk of your time. The problem of course is that self advancement doesn’t come in the form of a package, a pill or a person – it is a process initiated by oneself, carried out by oneself and fulfilled by oneself.

In my experience, genuine movement forward often emerges out of tragedy, desperation and finally, an understanding that only the self can help the self. We are ultimately alone in the world as no one can walk in the shoes that we already occupy. Those of us who learn this, usually get ahead, and those who don’t usually fall by the wayside.

Like many others, my greatest error in judgement (as a young man) was waiting for external help that never arrived. Needless to say, I was shocked when no one approached me and offered to address the issues that had buried me in a temporal ditch. Neither friends nor family tried to alleviate the problems that had developed – and why should they? The ditch I was in was my own and all those close to me had their own issues. To be given absolution without being able to systematically deconstruct, identify and address each aspect of a burden, does not lead to growth and personal evolution – it leads to a stunted existence. You have to remove as many obstacles obstructing your path, as is possible, before life can progress again.

In my case, once the core burdens had been removed, the things that did came to fruition, happened because I made them happen. This is a difficult truth to swallow, especially for someone who grew up thinking he could depend on others. I wish I could offer examples of how life might function differently, but I can’t, and unless you lead a particularly charmed existence, you will always have to do things for yourself. Either that, or you’ll have to accept that most things you’d like to accomplish, just won’t happen.

So – as the lads I grew up with used to say – “Get over yourself and get on with it!” You might just find, trying rather than hoping, accomplishes more than you could’ve ever imagined!

Dedication (For my whinging Gen Y brothers and sisters.)
Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2010

It’s 2010 – a name like mine should be recognised as a “good Australian name” by now, just like Kerry O’Brien and Oodgeroo Noonuccal.

Its form was born into this land and has belonged to this country for over 43 years. If individuals don’t understand that a non Anglo-Celtic name is as Australian as an Anglo-Celtic name, (or an Aboriginal name for that matter) then they’ve missed the whole point of this country.

Why do I still have to explain such a simple thing to supposedly “educated people”! Frankly, if they don’t get it – it’s their problem, not mine!

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2010

It never ceases to amaze me as to how much noise people make regarding the environmental impact of humanity, yet, how little they’re prepared to modify their lifestyles.

For example, after thirty years of intensive research (carried out by agricultural departments in universities across the globe) there are now commonly available facts regarding meat and dairy production and the consumption of natural resources during meat and dairy production. It takes approximately 100000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of beef while it only takes 4000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of lentils – i.e. a saving of 96% of the earth’s resources. Despite the negligible differences in nutrition between beef and lentils, you wouldn’t know there was such an alternative and such a saving gained by simply switching to legumes. And why? Because people don’t want to know – it makes them uncomfortable to think where their food comes from and what impact it has on the planet. Most of us are just too lazy to make a change to our lifestyles. The fact that the meat industry is such a powerful lobby group and promotes its product so well, doesn’t help matters either.

So if you really want to make a change on your environmental impact, switching off your lights for one hour per year,  just isn’t going to cut it! To quote what we’ve printed on our VVOC T-Shirts  – “Want To Save The Planet?” – “Stop Eating Meat!” A simple mantra, that would have a dramatic impact on the environment if all humanity followed it!

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2010

Each year on “Australia Day”, my wife and I visit the location of local Aboriginal midden grounds and pay our respects to the original people who lived on the land that we now live on. In 2009 I wrote the following piece for us to read each and every year until this country acknowledges and begins to respect its Aboriginal people and its Aboriginal past. Health permitting I intend to keep reading this out loud under the figs, next to the mangroves (in the park) every 26th of January, or at least until a more appropriate date for Australia Day is chosen.

“Paying Our Respects – 26th January 2010″

Today we remember our Indigenous brothers and sisters who have been murdered, beaten, raped, diseased, displaced, ignored and forgotten for 222 years.

We remember that they met here peacefully on this midden mound whose name we no longer know.

We remember that here they rested, discussed and resolved problems that the different clans of Quandamooka (Moreton Bay) encountered for thousands of years.

We remember that we are standing on land which they believed could not be owned by any one person but only looked after by the clan / their people – i.e. entrusted in guardianship for all time.

We remember that people belonged to the land but that the land did not belong to all people.

We remember that as a many Nationed peoples, they were invaded and that the land was never lawfully settled by the non-Indigenous peoples, as no treaties were ever signed with the original inhabitants, as no attempts were made to protect the original languages and culture, and that the original people’s presence was never acknowledged in any meaningful way.

Today we remember that choosing this day as the national day of the country is an insult to the surviving Indigenous Australians and disrespects the Indigenous people who died and suffered over the last 222 years. We look forward to a time when this county’s national day is inclusive of all Australians, when its flag represents all Australians and its Head Of State is answerable only to Australians.

Yet again we had the whole park to ourselves as we read this out loud and reflected on the day. None of the locals care to remember that the park is the burial ground of the indigenous people’s shell middens.

Cheers – Vasilios Theodorakis – January 2010

Since I was very young, I’ve given people the benefit of the doubt in spite of their horrid treatment of each other, other creatures and me – no more however – enough is enough! I do not believe that those around us (my wife and I) are really interested in other people’s well being – not unless, they are forced (by law) to be interested in other people’s well being!

Social behaviour is getting more extreme and concern for one’s fellow human being is reaching an all time low – especially in our locality. In the past, I encountered malicious intent in only a few people around us. Now I find a large number of individuals are using it as an acceptable form of human interaction.

This really upsets me and I’ve often thought that our species doesn’t deserve its place in the biosphere. Even so, I doubt that our presence will be eradicated anytime soon. Its going to take some time for the planet to wipe us out and correct the mess we have made.

That being the case, and because I no longer trust our neighbourhood, we have decided to put up the strongest, highest fence we can afford. Our aim is to create an island sanctuary amongst this suburban insanity. Whether this action is enough to hold back the barbarian assault is anyone’s guess.

Moving elsewhere is unfortunately not an option.

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2009

If you happened to walk into our house, you would be assaulted by a myriad of books – sci-fi, poetry, sociology, psychology, political science, teaching and extremely uncool encyclopedias.

Then there’s the vintage board games, toys and manual typewriters; the music collection with a who’s who of the 60s, 70s and 80s; DVDs galore – now that all the retailers sell popular titles and TV series for under $10.

There’s 30 years of PCs, Macs and software; furniture that spans 7 decades; a stucco house that was built in the 1950s and has barely changed; the Hills Hoist cloths line; a mixture of native trees, veggies and lawn; the second love of my life – my kayak – the first of course being my wife, Helen.

Finally, we both have long hair, wear daggy cloths, love architecture and good design but have never felt the need to possess flashy things ourselves – or maybe that’s because we’ve never had a lot of money!

We critique all things political within the Australian and Pacific context; love cartoons, sitcoms from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s as well as British comedy; refuse to support the use, abuse and slaughter of other sentient beings and only consume nutritional food that has a minimal impact on the planet.

All in all, our culture is that of popular culture, yet there are those who look at my name and still presume my culture to be something altogether different. My identity is based on a mainstream (politically green) Australian footing and my moral/ethical boundaries defined by my Orthodox Christian religion.

At the age of 42, I am very comfortable with this combination. The amalgam of influences that has gone in to make the “me” is rich – a complex weave with many happy memories – especially from the 1980s and the last ten years of my marriage. I am under no illusions however that my culture is anything but popular culture, especially popular English speaking culture. I was born in Australia and bar three months of my life, have lived that entire time upon her shores. For better or worse I live the English language, think in it and revel in playing with its vocabulary and structure.

There is only one thing that is missing – my religion refuses to put down roots in this country and refuses to recognise the legitimacy of people like me. The Orthodox Christian Church treats us as though we are invisible.

All my life I have fought this attitude – it is dysfunctional and has a destructive effect on any well balanced human being. It asks one to denounce one’s actual experience and culture and adopt a culture that has no relevance to one’s everyday life. Needless to say, this has resulted in the bulk of my family and peers walking away from Orthodox Christianity all together.

Lets put aside the obvious hinderence for a moment, i.e. that its current liturgies are not accessible to English speaking mainstream Australians. The other major obstacle to participation is its ethnic based Churches and the bulk of it’s ethnic based people who are down right unwelcoming. The Church in Australia has become a closed club rather than the universal Church that Christ established – what an institutional mess!

(There are many reasons as to why this happened but the biggest contributor is that the Orthodox Faith did not establish itself in this country the way it traditionally established itself in other countries – i.e. through missionary churches.)

Unlike Bishop Kallistos Ware, who as an Anglican (in the UK) walked into an Orthodox Church and felt at home, if the average spiritually interested Australian walks into any of these ethnic based churches, at best they’ll get dirty looks, at worst they’ll be confronted and ushered out. So much for following Christ’s example of welcoming all! What is even more perplexing, is that this structure continues to baptise mainstream Australians into itself, even though there are very few places across the continent where English speakers can worship and even fewer places where they can experience a sense of belonging!

The only thing I take comfort from is that the current situation is a heresy according to Orthodoxy’s own dictum – Phyletism – which says that any church established in a new land should be operated in the language of that land – this principal has always been in our canons. The hope therefore continues to be, that in addition to these ethnic based parishes, missionary (English speaking) parishes will one day be built in this country. In a nation based on democracy and choice, one should be able to worship in the language in which they think – Indigenous, Slavic, European or English.

In the meantime, I am happy with who I am, love that I’m a product of popular culture drawn from more than five decades and that my first language is English. I have no intention of changing any of this to accommodate the short sightedness of the current administration controlling my religion.

Thus, were you to walk into our humble abode – you’ll find ABC’s Radio National blaring in the background not SBS; reruns of Seinfield and The Simpsons on TV not Inspector Rex and guitar based rock (from the 80s) streaming out of our CD player not suicidal Aegean music. You’ll also find numerous icons of the great martyrs and saints of the Church, crosses from holy places like Mount Athos and a sanctuary with an oil candle and incensor.

This is how my kind live – we do not live as Europeans, Brits or Asians, we live as Australians whose religion goes back 2000 years and is known as Orthodox Christianity – so get used to it, we’re not about to disappear anytime soon!

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2010