Vasilios Theodorakis – An Online Author

If life is seen as a poker game, some of us inevitably get dealt a dud hand. The difference with life and poker though is you can’t fold and walk away then change your mind and get back into the match. Once you’re in the game of life, you’ve got to play, no matter how bad the hand is you’ve been dealt.

Sadly, the way my cohort usual deals with a dud hand is to discard one card after the next, taking on new cards in the hope that our hand will improve. Unfortunately, we never do get past that dud hand and miss the statistical fact that some hands don’t get any better – that’s just life! It’s not personal, we weren’t hand picked for higher levels of misfortune, it just happens that way.

So what should we do? Fold early and just walk away? I never did like the idea of pro-actively choosing death – we’ll all be dead soon enough, so why rush getting there! Bluff, and hope that your poker face encourages everyone else to fold before your dud hand is discovered? Or, keeping taking cards in the hope that good fortune finally smiles at you?

The reality is, if you get a dud hand of cards, you have nothing to lose – which can be very liberating. If you’ve decided that you’re prepared to fold and walk away, why not take another card or astound the other players with your thespian skills of bluffing. You never know – by hanging in, you might just win the whole “pot” in spite of providence handing you nothing but empty promises and/or pain!

On a more personal note and inline with this metaphor – it’s good to still be here and good to still be in the game – especially since I’m able to write again!

“So, dealer – I’ll take three more of those cards thanks.” ;)

Cheers – Vasilios Theodorakis – June 2012

Fiona died today – almost 10 months after her sister Lilly. As you might be aware, from a previous post, Fiona was the last of an elderly set of triplets my wife and I befriended some years ago.

At the time of Lilly’s death, we didn’t know Fiona all that well, but close contact over the next 9 months ensured we became quite good friends. This closeness came about because of her fragility – she became dependent on us physically, and we in turn, became dependent on her company. Fiona was an amazing and grand lady who kept a meticulous house, and tried to do her own cleaning, in spite of her age. What she lacked in physical strength, she made up for in practical jokes and a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Fiona loved to keep busy, and even though she suffered greatly because of her sisters’ deaths, she continued to be as optinistic and active as her body would allow.

She was a stay-at-home person who enjoyed making her own meals, but occasionally splurged on a restaurant/gourmet dinner. Fiona savoured all aspects of life and fought hard to stay alive, but in the end, her body just gave way. Her shell became too weak to contain such a powerful spirit.

I suspect, she will always be one of the oldest, wisest and most resilient beings I’ll ever know. The last 9 months we shared with her was an absolute honour and a privilage – her outlook and way of life should be taught in schools and emulated by others. It saddens me that more people didn’t pay her attention.

Fiona, until we meet up again, save us some of your home made peanut butter delicacies and go easy on that jogging. ;)

Eternal Be Your Memory…
Both Helen and I will miss you dearly…

Regards – Vasilios Theodorakis – February 2012

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 2012″

Today we remember our Indigenous brothers and sisters who have been murdered, beaten, raped, diseased, displaced, ignored and forgotten for 224 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 224 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 current locals care to remember that the park is the burial ground of the Indigenous people’s sea shell middens.

Regards – Vasilios Theodorakis – January 2012

Let’s put aside disbelief in the spiritual realm for the purposes of this post, and let’s imagine for a moment, a world where the dark forces had no sway on the universe in which we live – let the mind run with that idea for a few minutes. What would reality look like?

No inflicting of pain or suffering on others? Maybe. No death and dying? Possibly. No temptation to sever our communion with the Source – God? Definitely.

Now add to this metaphysical equation that “time” is not a natural facet of how the universe was constructed (i.e. in the beginning there was no time) and is in fact a symptom of moving away from the Source. Then finally, and because of the overwhelming negativity of time (death and decay), let’s assume that it and the dark forces are intimately connected – i.e. time is an extension of their activity in and on the universe.

If you happen to agree with this train of thought, what does it all mean? For starters, we’re stuck with the parasitic nature of the dark forces because we are trapped in time and inadvertently exist in the same realm as they do. That our struggle against them will continue until we exit time and/or the universe unravels and re-ravels itself (is transfigured) and time removed from the equation. And, that the best any of us can do, is maintain the struggle for order while trying to do the “right thing” by all living beings. In the end, this is, and will always be our greatest weapon against the bodiless (incorporeal) entities that target the weak minded, and try to use us as both instruments of mayhem, and sources of God’s uncreated energies.

Copyright © Vasilios Theodorakis 2011

One begins endeavours like theodorakis.org with such high hopes, and maybe that’s what leads to their undoing. Lowering one’s expectations and factoring in physical limitations may not be such a bad thing for someone like me.

Looking at the date of my last post, its obvious that something went wrong, but let’s not dwell on the past and notions of morbidity. Let’s just accept, that 2011 was not one of my better years, and that I need to aim for a more realistic posting regime.

One creative process that has worked against me is my preference for pencil and paper (notebook) over word-processor. All my ideas and first drafts come to me in this analogue format. In fact I have a notebook full of social commentaries that were written after the last blog entry but never typed up and uploaded.

So here’s hoping that I find a way to convert my hand written material into digital text in a more systematic way. Let’s just say – “Good Day and Good Riddance”! to 2011 and “Hello and Let’s Begin”! to 2012. ;)

Cheers – Vasilios Theodorakis – November 2011

There’s a 1987 New Twilight Zone episode called “Private Channel” that revolves around a teenager who uses an annoying “headphones based radio” (like a Walkman) in a public setting. In this story the teenager’s behaviour is presented as being abnormal. How things change!

The other night, while catching the train home, I decided to carry out an ad hoc survey and count who wasn’t using a device that had them attached via auditory umbilical cords to a little metal box. Of the 12 people I could see, 10 were plugged in! Now don’t get me wrong – I’m no luddite – I need technology and the internet to earn an income, but what’s happened to down time / quite time / reflection time or God forbid, prayer time! It’s as if the general public – and its not just the young – find it impossible to cope with the absence of noise, let alone listening to their own thoughts!

These sorts of observations, often get me wishing for a crystal ball that can look into the future and supply me with non-fictional information which I can use for fictional story lines. Our technological developments are now becoming stranger than fiction. The fact that so many people in public spaces, present as zombies being feed their daily programming, is a reality staight out of the twilight zone. I doubt Rod Serling could have come up with a weirder idea.

Cheers – Vasilios Theodorakis – June 2011

Dear Apple and Microsoft,

Please bring back GUIs – Graphical User Interfaces that make sense. Mac OS 7.1 or Mac OS 7.6 did just fine, even Windows 3.1 made some sense in regards to applications, files and folders. Our current (operating systems) OSs make no sense at all in relation to real world analogies. Its no wonder people get lost in the latest Mac OS X and Windows 7 menus. So many friends and relatives over the age of 75 have just given up in regards to digital technology, and those who haven’t, are constantly on the phone in need of OS support. ;)

Cheers – Vasilios Theodorakis – May 2011

After the last few posts, I’ve had a number of complaints about how much I pay out on the medical profession. In response to these complaints, I’ve decided to keep my “bagging” to a minimum from now on. After all, the good medical practitioners, have managed to keep me alive in spite of the bad practitioners incompetence – something that should be emphasised a little more. ;)

Cheers – Vasilios Theodorakis – May 2011

In Star Trek – The Original Series (TOS), McCoy (the doctor) would often ask James T Kirk (Jim – the captain) how he was feeling. What a bizarre notion this is for Australia’s public hospital patients – real concern from a bureaucratic medical professional – now that’s an oxymoron!

I’ve got to say, I have always loved TOS because of this belief in the good of all individuals (and professions). Belief in a good that offers up hope for humanity’s future, not pessimism. Gene Roddenberry (TOS producer/writer) had quite an optimistic vision for our species. If only real doctors would take a page out of his fictional doctor’s book, and ask their patients – “how do you feel”? What a difference that would make to the doctor’s often invasive and unnecessary procedures. Just talking to the patient and asking them such a simple question, could make all the difference to the patient’s medical history and in turn, to their life!

In the meantime, as we wait for medicine to grow out of it’s Spanish Inquisition phase, thank goodness for Bones’ timeless dialog and banter with his patients – especially Kirk. This fictional interaction, still brings a smile to my face in regards to what may come to pass in the far distant future – a future, where hospital doctors boldly go where no one has gone before. ;)

Cheers – Vasilios Theodorakis – May 2011

Today I lost a very dear and elderly friend who went by the name of Lilly. She died in the company of her sister Fiona, who together with another sister Ruby were triplets from a by gone era. None of the three had partners or children.

What makes the death even more tragic, is that Ruby also died this year. Unfortunately, I didn’t know Ruby all that well. Lilly who I did get to know, had a body that was badly worn and withered but she remained active even in her old age. Lilly lived and died the way I wish I could live and die – active until the moment one lays down their head and passes away.

The remaining triplet Fiona, who I also don’t know too well, is of course lost without her other two siblings. I can’t imagine the loneliness she must feel. Helen and I will continue to support her as best we can until her time comes. Until the deaths of her sisters, Fiona had not spent a day apart from them.

In regards to the triplets’ leader, Ruby – Eternal be her memory.

In regards to my withered and energetic friend, Lilly – Eternal be her memory.

In regards to the trio’s survivor, Fiona – please keep her in your thoughts and/or prayers. May her time come as peacefully as Lilly’s and may she not be crushed by the loneliness she now carries since the other triplets’ departures.

The story of their life should really be told – it’s an inspiration to all “students of life”.

Regards – Vasilios Theodorakis – May 2011