Where has brother Bill gone?
My daughter called me today and said my nephew wants to speak with me. I said ok and gave her my phone number to give to him. She called me back, 5 minutes later, crying, and said the reason my nephew wanted to call me is that my brother Bill, his father, her uncle and my elder brother, passed away today.
I knew he was very sick and I had been waiting for this news for six months. Tonight, I am in shock. I often think, every five minutes, how most of my family has gone to heaven. And how this makes me feel lonely and isolated. Full of hazy memories, ghosts inhabiting my mind, instead of the real laughter and joy of family, that is now dimly lit in the past.
Bill was 14 years older than me. My half-brother. My mother married my father a few years after her first husband died. I heard that he died because he ran over a boy in his car and killed him back in the 40s or 50s. He, I was told, died of a broken heart. My father was just back from the war and met her working in a hotel. She was 12 years older and had 2 children, Bill and Vanessa. He was happy to take this lot on which was remarkable.
Bill quickly became Warrnambool’s most decorated sportsman: ever. His small body, (short) was coated with pure muscle. This would be a handicap for many; somehow he turned it into an advantage, rooted close to the earth, giving him superb traction and balance.
Dodger McConnell was a star rover for the Warrnambool Football Club. He entertained devoted fans with his dodging and weaving for years. We were chalk and cheese. He the gladiator and me the dreamy philosopher. I couldn’t watch him play football just for the fun of it. Without much competitive DNA, there is no point. The Chittick’s pies were awesome though; more than enough reason to watch the mud-laden bodies, paint the landscape with endless contortions and some beauty.
Crowds would gather at the Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club every Christmas to see William McConnell slay the inferior gladiators: more cheering. Different to playing football in a team, tennis allowed him to shine ever so bright. Streaks of white, shorts and shoes, like the Flash, blurring and streaking the ball back to where it came, fast and furious.
For him, skiing on the reedy lake Pertobe, between the Warrnambool beach and the old cannons protecting the bay on the escarpment, was another triumph of shortness and muscles easily gluing themselves to the silver water, under a summer’s sun of fun in Warrnambool.
Without ceasing, he vanquished every sport Warrnambool could throw at him and won. I saw him easily win every game he played at the Billing’s squash courts.
This guy was a Roman gladiator, an inspiration for every sickly kid still in their dreams: like me.
I was and am still, amazed how he studied his accountancy part-time while working at Fletcher Jones. And how he went on to become the Mayor of Warrnambool and Administrator for Deakin University.
After he retired from Deakin University he rode an average of 50 kilometres a day on his racing bike around the hills of Torquay. New challenges and winning them all. I am sure he decided to fight the dark and deathly spectre of age, by mounting his steed as often as he could and thrashing her through every imaginable obstacle and adversary.
Apart from winning local bike races, he came second in a seniors race in Europe at the age of 75. At the age of 81, a bit over a year ago, he was still pumping his pedals and fit as a Kangaroo’s thigh.
Life had been pretty good until he crashed his bike and punctured his lungs in 2021. While recovering in hospital the doctors noticed a tumour on his kidney (from an x-ray). They successfully removed it. Then a few months later he had a headache and the doctors found a tumour in his brain, they operated but couldn’t get it all. He tried chemo for around 12 months and finally succumbed. A hellish year for him. The man of constant smiles and positivity.
I used to chat with him on a video call every couple of months until he found out he had a brain tumour. Then nothing. One day he stopped answering my messages. I didn’t know why? But, wondered if he was resistant to my harping about alternative cures like CBD oil. Or, this extremely proud conqueror of the world, Mars the God of War, felt even more than most, (weekend and debilitated) at facing an illness that could and did take him out of the race he ran all his life so incredibly well.
Either way, I never got a chance to say goodbye. I could only cry inside for months, wondering what was happening with his chemotherapy, and imagine the outcomes of his fate at work: his year from hell.
His son told me on the phone he fought, good-naturedly, this battle too and like so many others, it was his time. The power of nature. I believe in using everything you can to banish disease from your life. CBD oil, vitamins, superfoods, and herbs. He didn’t.
If any good can come out of his early demise is this. Keep your mind open to all cures, do your research, and don’t trust doctors to do this for you. Only consume organic food and water and keep/build your faith in God’s natural cures and reduce them in man’s science. Take full responsibility for your health and happiness.
Goodbye, my beloved older brother. I love you and will miss you. I hope the gods in heaven have plans for your incredible gladiatorial skills.
Roditch 2022
Roditch
Biography
I am a retired Photography Teacher, Refugee Settlement Manager, and Builder. For the past 10 years, I have been teaching part-time, writing books, taking photos and doing lots of research.
All the books I write come from experience and research. Yes, in my life so far I have worked with refugees, taught art, built houses, studied herbs, and health. I have also studied astrology spirituality including meditation, animal welfare, and poetry.
I sincerely hope that you can gain valuable information from my books (usually short and sweet introductions) to different facets of life I have visited.
Where to find Roditch online
Website: http://roditch.com
Blog: http://roditch.com
Books
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 103,380. Language: English. Published: January 6, 2022. Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Autobiographies & Memoirs
A story about my life in Warrnambool, Castlemaine and Rushworth
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 249,020. Language: English. Published: December 19, 2021. Categories: Nonfiction » Children’s Books » Lifestyles / Country Life
Time to dropout and start a new, secure and sustainable life.
Price: $2.00 USD. Language: English. Published: October 26, 2021. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography – Photo books
Portraits by Roditch. These photos are a collection of Roditch’s portraits over the past 5 years. They are a reflection of the person.
Price: $2.00 USD. Language: English. Published: October 26, 2021. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography – Photo books
This is a collection of photographs of rural Thailand. Including farmers, Monks, temples and farms
Price: $2.00 USD. Language: English. Published: October 24, 2021. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography – Photo books
Original Photos of Buddha sculptures Thailand taken by famous photographer Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 170. Language: English. Published: December 6, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » Spiritual inspiration
One reason I love Buddha is because he knew that animals had sentience, consciousness, and that consciousness was as valuable, respectable, sacred as any Homosapien.
Thailand of Dreams Series 1 by Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 170. Language: English. Published: December 4, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » Spiritual inspiration
Thailand is a country is worth exploring to regain your imagination, love of nature, fairy tales and spirits of the land.
Portraits and Souls Series 1 by Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 180. Language: English. Published: December 4, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » Spiritual inspiration
Portraits have always been there as a window into someone’s soul if only we are to look and care.
Beautiful Buddha Series 1 by Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 180. Language: English. Published: December 4, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » Spiritual inspiration
Buddha is the peace in the world. Everyone can benefit from Buddha,s teachings.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 140. Language: English. Published: December 4, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » Spiritual inspiration
Children are the magic in the world. NASA has done research that confirms that all children are born creative geniuses, but, by the time they are 7 years old their genius has been retired by cultural and family conditioning.
Musing with the Fishes Series 1 by Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 180. Language: English. Published: December 4, 2020. Categories: Fiction » Inspirational
It is a wonderful way to relax and tune in with nature; just looking into water and musing with the fishes.
Off the Fence Posts by Roditch
Price: $3.00 USD. Words: 20. Language: English. Published: April 18, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography – Photo books
This book is a collection of posts I have made over the past 3 years.
Musing with the Fishes by Roditch
Price: $10.00 USD. Words: 530. Language: English. Published: April 16, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography – Photo books
What is real? As you look into these pictures you can see spirits and goblins and all sorts of magical things
Price: $10.00 USD. Words: 600. Language: English. Published: April 15, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography – Photo books
Thailand people love family, culture, Buddha, music, and celebrations.
Price: $7.00 USD. Words: 1,090. Language: English. Published: April 15, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography – Photo books
Thailand has a unique balance of culture, spirituality, art, agriculture, and the environment.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 7,120. Language: English. Published: April 14, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » General self-help
Right now you are creating your future if nothing else. This book is about a future that belongs to the rich and powerful.
Teaching ESL English Zen by Roditch
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 5,990. Language: English. Published: April 14, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Teaching methods & materials / language arts
10 years of experience teaching ESL English to Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary, University, and Teachers.
Animal Sentience Zen by Roditch
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 10,700. Language: English. Published: April 13, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Science & Nature » Animals
Sentience is the word we use to say that we are animals like animals are human.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 3,550. Language: English. Published: April 13, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Contemporary Poetry
Poetry is a way to communicate more deeply and completely. It is not just about writing a poem it is being a poem for your family, friends, and society.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 2,900. Language: English. Published: April 13, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography – how to
Photography comes from the soul as any art does, the deeper you go the better your photos will be.
Price: $3.00 USD. Words: 750. Language: English. Published: April 13, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Artists
Shepparton, Victoria, Australia has produced an amazing amount of brilliant artists over the years.
Price: $3.00 USD. Words: 790. Language: English. Published: April 13, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Science & Nature » Environment
The conservationists in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria Australia are outstanding people.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 1,560. Language: English. Published: April 12, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Contemporary Poetry
Poetry from your own pen is a baby bird flying from the nest into the stars.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 190. Language: English. Published: April 12, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This is a book of original poems and photographs by Roditch, inspired by Zen Koans.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 190. Language: English. Published: April 12, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This is a book of original poems and photographs by Roditch, inspired by Zen Koans.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 220. Language: English. Published: April 12, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This is a book of original poems and photographs by Roditch, inspired by Zen Koans
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 210. Language: English. Published: April 12, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This is a book of original poems and photographs by Roditch, inspired by Zen Koans.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 210. Language: English. Published: April 12, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This is a book of original poems and photographs by Roditch, inspired by Zen Koans.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 180. Language: English. Published: April 12, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This is a book of original poems and photographs by Roditch, inspired by Zen Koans.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 180. Language: English. Published: April 11, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This is a book of original poems and photographs by Roditch, inspired by Zen Koans.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 190. Language: English. Published: April 11, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This is a book of original poems and photographs by Roditch, inspired by Zen Koans.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 200. Language: English. Published: April 10, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This book of original poems and photographs is inspired by Zen Koans
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 200. Language: English. Published: April 10, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Ancient Poetry
This book of original poems and photographs is inspired by Zen Koans.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 190. Language: English. Published: April 10, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Contemporary Poetry
This book of original poems and photographs is inspired by Zen Koans
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 170. Language: English. Published: April 9, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Religion & Spirituality » Ancient
This book of original poems and photographs is inspired by Zen Koans. The words come in an inspirational moment and have more meaning than you first think and challenge your mind; like Zen Koans.
Meditation and Prayer Zen by Roditch
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 9,640. Language: English. Published: April 9, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Mental health
Throughout history, meditators have been both influential and mysterious. To look at some of the great meditators, see their works and know them more deeply helps when meditating your way to a fuller and richer life.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 11,920. Language: English. Published: April 8, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Aging well
The fountain of youth is real. By fasting 1 day a week, taking resveratrol, Metformin and AMPK you can live much longer, be more healthy and energetic
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 8,580. Language: English. Published: April 8, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Aging well
There are many places in the world where people still get a large proportion of their food in the wild. And there are just as many who go hunting for their food in supermarkets.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 6,580. Language: English. Published: April 7, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Aging well
People worry about dying from Covid-19 but most of us are dying early because of cancer, heart and liver disease already.
GMO and Glyphosate Zen by Roditch
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 6,870. Language: English. Published: April 7, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Family health
If we don’t have the land or the time to grow our own food then we should buy only organic because Genetically Modified Food plastered with Glyphosate is not an option for a long and happy life
Fruits of Our Labour by Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 21,200. Language: English. Published: April 6, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » History » Australia & New Zealand
This book is a history of the Goulburn Valley Fruit Industry.
Teresa – Love on the Riverbank by Roditch
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 1,810. Language: English. Published: April 4, 2020. Categories: Poetry » Epic
Our heart is silent when it wants to scream out “I am here, love me.” Poetry is kissing with words, words that can cross infinite boundaries of the mind to pierce the heart of a willing soul.
A Suitcase Full of Dreams by Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 83,830. Language: English. Published: April 3, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » History » Australia & New Zealand
The Goulburn Valley, Victoria, Australia is home to thousands of refugees and immigrants from around the world. Shepparton is the main city in the Goulburn Valley which is surrounded by orchards.
Francis of Warrnambool by Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 7,870. Language: English. Published: April 3, 2020. Categories: Fiction » Fairy tales
A lot of very talented people were born in Warrnambool in the ’50s. Like Dave Dawson, Peter Lucas and Jack Wilkins.
Debt and Self Sufficiency by Roditch
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 6,090. Language: English. Published: April 2, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Self-improvement » Emotional healing
We all have too much debt. It is time to pay it all back and remain debt-free forever.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 4,870. Language: English. Published: April 2, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » Civil & human rights
Everyone has the right to physical,. emotional and intellectual freedom. These rights are eroding and it is time to make a stand.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 7,380. Language: English. Published: March 30, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Engineering, trades, & technology » Construction / General
Many years ago I built my own house out of second-hand materials.
Price: $4.00 USD. Words: 7,420. Language: English. Published: March 30, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » New Age » Astrology
This is a small Astrology book. Like all the ZEN series it is a simple introduction about a vast topic.
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 1,360. Language: English. Published: March 30, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Music » History & Criticism
The Sunbury Pop Festival in 1972, photos and poems. Original photos and Poems by Roditch
Swat the Fly – A Covid-19 Self Help Guide by Roditch
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 26,300. Language: English. Published: March 29, 2020. Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Alternative medicine
This book is a collection of natural remedies used by Doctors that will help you prevent and overcome the covid-19 virus.
Roditch’s tag cloud
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