“Tell us who you are, and what you do”. Seth Godin
Hey, I’m Mick.
I’m a dad of two, a partner of one, and a Chiropractor living here in Ocean Grove.
I grew up in the rural town of Ararat, holidaying here in Ocean Grove as a child and I jumped at the idea of living here permanently. It still feels like a holiday year-round.
I opened my Chiropractic studio to share the natural healthcare which has impacted my life so greatly, with the Bellarine community.
I’m completely in awe of the human brain, arguably one of the most complex things ever discovered in the universe.
Having studied lots about the way the human body works, I believe the body is super clever. Being a dad, I witness this expression of cleverness every day through my kids.
I like to take care of my body’s cleverness, so it can take care of me.
I love nature, and the idea of living in an off-grid eco house with a vegetable garden, and no smartphone is my idea of heaven on earth. I’m a long way off still, so until then I get lots of time at the beach and the regular trips to national parks.
My favourite cuisine changes back-and-forth between Vietnamese and Japanese food. I also cannot comprehend how people dislike Coriander. Apparently, scientists have proved that your genetics determine whether there are smell receptors in your nose that make Coriander taste like soap or not. I do not have these genes.
One of my favourite words, is ‘Anthropocentrism’. It’s a fancy word for human-centeredness, which is simultaneously the source of such creativity, and such ignorance in the world.
Another favourite is ‘Sonder’, which describes “the realization that each random passerby that you encounter is living a life as vivid and complex as your own, populated with their own dreams, ambitions, friends, worries and craziness. They might appear only once in your whole life, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing by on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk”
I enjoy dark chocolate. Like 95% dark. Occasionally when shopping, I wonder if 95% is a tad sadistic, and I might get 90% instead. But never less than 85%. I also wonder what percentage of people have actually read the tasting instructions on the back of the Lindt packet, before the mad rush to consume far more squares than they initially intended.
I like coffee. Long black. Sometimes a double if the kids were up early. Occasionally paired with an almond croissant (my kryptonite!) Apparently, behavioural experts can tell lots about your personality by the type of coffee you drink. I’ve never asked one.
I’m a recent convert to Yoga, and love what this regular movement practice offers my bodymind.
I’m the proud owner of some slightly obsessive tendencies. For example, I keep the forks in my cutlery draw laying on their side, facing the same direction so that they “spoon” each other. I’m prone to slight frustration whenever my family visits and disrupts the fork organisation.
I enjoy the process of cooking, but am not fond of the grocery-shopping-part, or the cleaning-the- dishes part. My partner cleans up as she cooks. I cannot perform this multitasking wizardry, and instead leave every dish for once we’ve eaten, so the food doesn’t get cold.
Some of my lifegoals include taking up pottery, re-learning the piano, and watching some live tennis at Wimbledon one day.
I’m an avid reader. I think books are an amazing way of understanding the thoughts of another person. I’m routinely awe-struck by the actual physical process of something as simple as reading. How our visual system interprets different shapes of black ink on white paper, which we can comprehend, be emotionally moved by, and use to change the course of our lives.
I seem to get along well with kids, because I consider myself a big one still. One that can operate a vehicle.
When I was little, I used to lay on my trampoline at night and look at the stars. I still have this sky-gazing practice which I do whenever I feel too self-concerned, or every Sunday night when I put the bins out… whichever occurs first.
A teacher-friend of mine once told me that our true nature is happiness, and that we can realize this inherent happiness by simply ceasing our own efforts to be unhappy.
Deep stuff to ponder, but I’ve tried living my life in accordance with this understanding, and have been happy most of the time since then.
So that’s me.
I’d love to meet you.
Mick
