“Yeah I’m free, free fallin'”

Sitting in a Bondi cafe sipping on a piccolo

Listening to Silverchair and Miley Cyrus.

‘Next to you Malibu’

Beautiful.

Haunting.

Today, it’s all about the love.

Daniel Johns and Miley singing.

So sweet.

So pure.

And the music bounces off the barista’s back as a tiny baby talks to her Dad as he talks to his mate.

Both men perched on stools overlooking the front counter.

Piccolo to piccolo.

The smashed avo glistens in the waning, morning sun.

This tiny, shiny little one looks up from her pram and smiles a smile that cracks my heart wide open.

And once again I connect to those around me and step out of my silly, silly head.

And listen and watch.

‘I want to know have you ever seen the rain comin’ down on a sunny day?’

The play list jumps back to 1971 and John Fogerty rasps out a classic.

Song after song and I can feel my heart slowing, ba bump, ba bump.

And then Michael takes centre stage with an Aussie icon:

‘If we could live for a thousand years.’

The deep drumming and vibrant, city strumming of INXS pulsates out to the street.

It’s not raining in Bondi.

No it’s not.

The sun is out.

The music serenades the cafe and patrons smile and look up at each other.

And not one human being is staring at a mobile phone.

But looking.

Really looking at each others faces and nodding and talking.

Really talking.

And I don’t want this to end.

But end it must, because all good things come to an end.

Even ‘Rocket Man’ by Elton John.

Yes, I miss my wife too.

No, I’m not in space and she’s just down Hall Street getting her nails done.

‘And Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise a kid.’

And in my long tooth years I often think Bondi ain’t the the kind of place to raise a kid.

Too removed.

Too precious.

Too preoccupied.

But today Bondi is pretty fucking cool.

Like Tom Petty.

‘And I’m free, free fallin. Yeah, I’m free, free fallin.’

Like to read more from the Bondi Buddhist socialist?

Check out an excerpt from One Day, One Life: P. 155-167. One Day One Life