at Heathrow airport and boarded a plane to Australia. It was the beginning of a 15-month independent backpacking adventure. 

My mum’s cousin “Auntie Ann” and her husband “Uncle Alan” collected me from the other side, and drove me to their house in the sleepy Sydney suburb of “Balkan Hills”. My memories include all-you-can-eat diners, shopping malls, spiders, my aunt teaching me to identify plants, and laughing a lot. They referred to me as their “adopted daughter” and advised me not to get a job in the red-light district (as if)🤣

A couple of weeks later, restless and keen to get exploring, I started a new role as a “door knocker” setting up appointments for the Brittanica encyclopedia sales’ team.

The training taught me to tap on the door and then step back a bit so as not to invade the person opening the door’s personal space. The script went something like this:

I worked a Monday to Saturday shift from 5 pm to 8 pm traveling up the Sunshine Coast. There were 5 of us per team and car. It was a great way to get off the tourist path and meet people. I enjoyed the random chats and hearing people’s stories.

Our team leader despaired of the 4 of us, as we’d bundle back into the car and compare who’d been offered the most food and drink. He was only interested in how many callbacks we’d made for him.

Something that really sticks with me, is the quietness and solitude, watching the stars and listening to the noisy cane toads - it felt peaceful and I wasn’t afraid. My own daughter is just 3 years away from being the same age as I was, she’d do something a lot cooler in a coffee shop.

Communication back home was via “Poste Restante” as emails and mobile phones were unheard of. On one occasion whilst collecting mail from the post office in a town called Coolangatta, where I was working in a new position at the Youth Hostel organising their events, I bumped into my mate Dan from home! (I’ll dig out some pics soon).

This week, I had my panel interview for the Lib Dem Ward Counsillor role for Burpham. They asked me if I would be OK door-knocking to help with campaigning. I’m a pro!

📝5 Sentences from You 

Top tip from Oli Barrett on how to have better conversations. 

Never ask "What do you do?"

Instead, ask "What's keeping you busy?"

It allows them to talk about something in their real/personal life, a big project or interest they care/are irked about, or about their work/career.  

More here 

Ian Moncrieff MacMillan

📰Good News Friday

This is a recent Friday feature.

A space to share GOOD news.

»For example, which number would you choose from this?

»Tillingbourne.Earth are hosting a “Green Cinema” event on Sunday 26th March from 7.00 pm to 9.30 pm Theme: Precious Water. I’ll be there…

If You Made it This Far🎬

Hello and welcome to new subscribers too, I look forward to hearing from you.👋

By the way, this Thursday 23/3, I’m hosting Business Buzz Guildford from 10.00 am to noon. Join me here for coffee, connection and a chat.

There’s also a National Virtual Spring Buzz on Thursday 30th March - info.

Until next Friday at 6:08 am (ish).

Jane Tyson
Random Dialogues
working with people to help them grow personally, professionally and commercially from networking with random dialogues.