Your Story Ep 5 : Rod, from Stolen Generation & Prison to Art & Music

Welcome To Episode Five of Your Story.

To listen to the podcast please go to Your Story

Today is Australia/Invasion/Survival Day and coincidentally I have a poignant theme.

Rod is a local in my area and when I asked him to tell me his story he just went off on the subjects that impassion him. I had to ask him to stop until I got my recorder as I found that he really had something to say about Australian society and our ill treatment of the native Aboriginal Australians of whom he is one.

Born in Western Australia and adopted by Dutch migrants he grew up in Holland only to return to Australia at 14 to prejudice from both the black and white communities and then to fall, like so many, into the cycle of addiction and prison.

He now has a career as a performer and artist, striving to make his world a better place.

This is His Story.

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Many thanks to Rod for allowing me to record his didgeridoo playing for use in this programme.

Colour Blind/Deficent Tested and Prejusticed!

“I just don’t see it like you” is the statement that we have all heard.

Yes that’s right, we all don’t see it the same, figuratively and literally but we want to challenge it and make everyone see it the way we do. Impossible!

We’re all different with different upbringings, genetics and culture that influences the way in which we see the world.

When I was eight years old the Department of Education nurse came and visited my school and we had a basic government health check. Amongst saying argh! and having our groins felt for problems we had a colour test. These are the standard Ishihara tests but I’ve always referred to them as confetti charts. Well I had a note to take home to my parents which said that Ian was red/green colour blind and so began my understanding of this condition.

Can you see 45? Can you see 56?

In both of these examples I can not distinguish a number.

Colour deficiency effects about 8% of the Australian male population and is carried on the female “X” chromosome. Which is interesting in that yes two of my mothers brothers were colour blind but so is my father. Which is a coincidence. How about that! I remember him buying some pink shorts once thinking that they were grey. I thought they looked fine but all the women of the family laughed, he never did wear them.