from the pen of John Pastorelli
The year 1978 was a pretty kewl year if you’re into events which help to celebrate those people within our communities who deserve to be celebrated. In June 1978, Sydney ‘hosted’ the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras … this was a brave move given homosexuality was still illegal in most states and territories (and would remain illegal within NSW until 1984). That it was held in the middle of winter was more an influence of responding to a call from California to all gay and lesbian groups around the world to organise solidary activities. It wasn’t till a few years later in 1981 that it was moved to the warmer months of February and March.
This celebration of our LGBTQIA+ community just celebrated its 48th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras … and beyond its celebrations the ‘pink tourism’ activities associated with Mardi Gras have become a significant segment of our tourism industry,
For a few years I used to drive floats in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras for the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service, and I remember one year trying to get my dear old mum (she was 84) up into the cabin. This was her first and would be her last MardiGras, and once she was in that cabin she sure got into the spirit of the celebrations … whirling coloured ribbons out the window and ‘screaming’ as loud as an 84 woman can scream. It was a huge moment for all those associated with that float, as has the event been so important for so many people over the years.
Trying to lift mum up into that cabin without her experiencing vertigo was a feat, and one which remains. And in thinking of mum, I’m also keen to celebrate another milestone event from 1978. And that was the first ever Women’s history week, albeit the related celebration of Women’s Day was held during the start of the 20th century and continues as International Women’s Day together with Women’s history week and Women’s history month.
It wasn’t just my mum who I saw as such as special individual, as I’ve been lucky enough over my career to have almost all my bosses as females. And all were brilliant (honesty moment in that I did struggle with one … and even so, how lucky I’ve been). As much as I’d love to call them out by name, I’ve not been able to obtain permission from all of them and so would like to respect these individuals by remaining vague whilst still holding much gratitude. They might just not want to see their name in print.
I can’t rave enough about these women such as my Senior Ranger when I was starting out as a Ranger, my Senior Education Officer when I was working at the Australian Museum, the ‘go to and fixer of all things’ women when I was working at WWF and the Gould League. And there was my ever supporting, challenging and empathetic boss when I was helping to set up the original BridgeClimb experience. There was also the wonderful young lady who gave me my first crack at being a Ranger … a person I’ve finally tracked down and was able to ring to say how much I appreciated all she did in my early years.
Beyond these relationships in which women were my boss, there are so many professional colleagues such as academic professors, interpretive professions, consultants and employees of various organisations, practitioners and many First Nations Women who have taught, inspired and encouraged me. Many became good friends and only just the other day I received a note from Tasmania from 2 of these ladies … what a blast it was to hear from them.
One person I’d love to track down but alas am sure it’ll remain an unfilled quest (have been trying) … is my tutor for Geology way back in my early university days. Given I failed my HSC in spectacular fashion I applied and was given one shot at ‘making it into university’ providing that over the period of one year I pass all my subjects. All was going well until Geology started to become my Achilles heel. I was struggling with concepts like atomic structures, multi-faceted geometries, shapes that morphed from Cubic to Orthorhombic, with the later sounding more like the music that was playing in the uni bar. This tutor didn’t need to help me and yet she did … it was an incredibly hard 6 months and through all that period she helped me make sure I passed. She knew how much I wanted to be a Ranger with the NSW NPWS and I’m so grateful that she took the time and energy to help this young bloke with learning difficulties and who struggled in academia … if not for her, I’d have struggled to achieve my long-term goal of becoming a Ranger.
So many prominent and pioneering women have inspired me and influenced my career. And in thinking of all these wonderful people I’m reminded of how each person has evoked a story that is associated with what I learnt. I believe such experiences shape our learning and in turn shape our relationship with what it is we learn.
In this era of generative AI, predictive text, cookies, ChatGPT, co-pilot and other technological intrusions on our thinking, we need to continually remind ourselves that a critical element of interpretation is the essence of ourselves which we bring into the experience.
And a blwdy big chunk of this is what we learn through our relationships and experiences with other people – through those opportunities in which we are mentored, supported, challenged, extended, and inspired. It is they who shape our essence beyond whatever content we are learning. Learning is not a transaction on the keypad or voice command, it’s relational and dimensional. It has personality as influenced by the ‘human-ness’ of ourselves and others.
There is no question that AI is useful. There is also no question it is a powerful resource. And rather than question AI, the question is to ourselves and how we can best work with AI whilst enriching the essence of ourselves. To draw from the wisdom of First Nations Peoples and how learning is not automatically given nor assumed. There are rights to gaining knowledge, there are ceremonies to celebrate learning, and there is status for those who have journeyed long with learning.
And so, in celebrating the smarts of these Amazing Individuals (the real and human-smart AI’s), I stand in gratitude for all these women have taught me, and for how they’ve helped me find more of my essence as we walked together and alongside a shared path of learning.
