Melbourne High School Orientation Day – and Joe’s Birthday
We accompanied Joe to his MHS orientation.
As a practise for things to come we caught the train to South Yarra Station where Joe will alight to attend school. With a choice of two stations close to where we are staying, it was clear that the station carparks are snapped up early in the work day.
We drove to Caulfield and were lucky to catch an express which meant only two stations and we were there.
Joe’s orientation at Melbourne High School occurred on his birthday – 10 December which is also our wedding anniversary. Joe along with 300 other successful applicants. Helen provided some thoughts as we stood in the Principal’s car space (or scooter space) watching our son start part of his next academic journey.
With time on our hands we went into town and checked out some of the old arcades and streets that were literally a walk down memory lane for both of us. We found a five by five Rubik’s cube that we got Joe for his birthday.
I had arranged to attend a meeting with one of our federal education bodies who we deal with on a number of levels involving many programs. It was great catching up with a number of people who add value by offering a consistent conformed set of solutions for all states and territories in Australia and who I am really happy to say are friends as well as professional colleagues.
After a meeting in at Collins St, Helen and I arranged for Joe to meet us under the clocks at Flinders St Station – one of the classic meeting venues for Melbournians before and after the advent of instant messaging.
After catching sight of Joe we walked towards Taco Bill’s on Russell St which I mis-identify in the video as the Collin’s St restaurant. We diverted through alleys and lanes adorned with the artistic graffiti that caused these once forgotten paths to become tourism destinations for snap-happy tourists and locals alike.
At lunch (finally at Taco Bills) I briefly interviewed Joe about his experience.
We walked down through Bourke St Mall and into the arcade that had the game shop with the 5 * 5 Rubik’s Cube. After collecting the cube we caught the train back to Caulfield – Again a very quick and smooth ride although we did do the City Loop first.
That night for the first time since Joe was born we went out by ourselves. Helen’s sister Tina shouted us to a gold class indulgence package at the cinema. Enjoying a five course meal and champagne while watching the latest James Bond film reclined in comfortable massive suede chairs was a different treat for us used to spending this day together in a far flung destination with Joe.
Joe had his own adventure, attending his cousin’s graduation night and enjoying his night out as well.
It turned out to be one of those days that included a significant series of events and celebrations. These unfolded in a way that we all kind of expected because they had been part of Joe’s plans for such a long time. Now they were occurring as a reality, not a dream in a young boy’s head.
The journey has just begun, but this was a path that Joe set, not us. Because this is not a commercial story or blog, because you are reading this, there is every chance you have had an impact on Joe’s direction, dreams and achievements.
