Marriage Proposal (and the meaning of life) at the 12 Apostles

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No it's wasn't mine so don't lament girls there is still hope...

I'll start at the beginning.... I booked a bus tour like the Phillip Island tour, but this was way different. As soon as I stepped on the bus I was asked if I spoke Spanish (in Spanish) The bus was full of attractive college girls from Mexico city and other Spanish speaking countries. I seriously was the only one (besides the driver) that didn't speak Spanish. It was crazy cause up to this point I had met every other nationality but no Espanics. I immediately struck up conversation with a couple people in the front seat. Sergio, who was born in Argentina, and his girl friend Simone, live just outside of Melbourne. I thought it a bit odd at the time as the tour company mostly advertises to travelers and not locals but whatever.

We began our 150 Km drive down the Great Ocean Road driving through Gee Long. Now this was a special day for the city of Geelong as it was Grand Final Day and it was the first time Geelong had been in the final game since 1963 (44 years). The grand final is like the super bowl except people are actually excited for the game and not the commercials or silly half time show. It was a big day and the town was nutty. All the shops had windows painted blue and flags bearing the blue and white stripes in support of their beloved Cats.

Just past Geelong you get to some really great beaches. I thought the beach I saw last week was special but it had nothing on these ones! This is also home to the biggest names in surfing suppliers. (Rip Curl, Quicksilver, Billabong) all started here. Our driver actually knows the guys that started the companies by selling wetsuits their moms had sewed in the garage. (Now it's all made in Mexico, but still headquartered here).

So the beaches were spectacular like 30 foot waves and the surfers were tearing it up. Impressive, most impressive…

The Great Ocean Road officially begins just past the town of Lorne (read lawn). An arch and statue mark the beginning. A little history provided by our driver. The road was built just after WW1 circa 1919. The government leaders were looking for something the returning soldiers could do after the war. One guy had recently visited Highway 1 in San Francisco and thought Australia needed a road like that. But instead of 18 miles they wanted to make it about 200 miles, and instead of using bulldozers and backhoes they used picks and shovels. It's nothing short of amazing to see what they were able to do. The road winds through the rain forest with mountains on one-side and 50 foot cliffs dropping into the ocean on the other. I'm sure you've seen car commercials or maybe one of those inspirational posters that have a narrow road that makes a 360-degree turn with autumn leaves blowing across the pavement. That's what the road feels like. It is seriously twisted and narrow, and extremely dangerous because American tourists try to take photos while driving on the wrong side and then run into a tourist bus and someone runs off the side either into a mountain or into the ocean. For that reason they have posted road signs informing you which side of the road to be on. (we did get in a small traffic jam because a car had slid off the road and gone straight down into the woods. We couldn't even see the car since it fell so far, but the crews were out trying to lift it back up)

Already this was the most beautiful scenery I'd ever seen, I couldn't believe it!

We stopped for lunch at one of the many roadside cafes, but this one had a special treat for it was surrounded by wild kolas and parrots and other strange creatures. It was awesome just wild kolas hanging out eating lunch with us.

Back on the road, I got to talking to that guy and girl and the driver as we seemed to be the only ones really into what we were doing. The Mexican girls were in the back talking in spanish and wondering when the next bathroom stop was. Turns out the couple (Sergio and Simone) were Christians and we talked a little about the mega churches down in Texas and if I knew Charles Stanley, or Phil Olsteen ( I don’t).

Bob Dylan’s Hurricane came on the radio so we started to talk about music. Sergio is a DJ. Like for nightclubs and corporate Christmas parties. He owns his own company that he started at 17. The standard question, “What kind of music do you like” came up. I really hate this question cause I never know how to answer it. My tastes are so diverse and hard to explain. I usually say what I don’t like which is rap and country. But I actually do like country I just don’t want people to automatically think I like country cause I’m from Nashville. Anyway…I responded to Sergio’s question with “I don’t like anything popular or over produced.” Which to me means Justin Timberlake and Avril Lavinge. But that was not the answer Sergio wanted to hear. Think about it, he’s a DJ, he takes the most popular and produced music ever created and produces it even more. I’m not into the nightclub scene so I really have no background on the music or the art to truly appreciate it, but I’m sure whatever DJ’s do is very respectable.

He surprised me when he said John Denver, CCR, The Eagles, Dragon, and other standard 70’s rock. (Yes John Denver was the first thing to his mind, I don’t know anyone except maybe my dad that would respond that way).

We also got to know the driver (Trevor) pretty well. He is super cool. I think he has done everything. He lived in Nantucket for 13 years and made sails for sail boats. He also had done several road trips across the states and knew Nashville very well. (He likes Nashville too! the first Aussie I met that could pick it out on a map, actually had genuine fondness for the city, and the country as a whole). I heard the Mexican girls say something about Mississippi and playing the banjo and they asked me to explain where Alabama was. It's funny how the banjo is so associated with southern life. Most people think Tennessee is inside Alabama and everybody plays the banjo. I'm serious I get this all the time.

Anyway... I got to know the driver and this couple pretty well as we were driving and talking and just taking it all in. About 1/2 way through the trip we had to stop at a small town to get some motion sickness pills (not for me). So the driver gave a spill about a helicopter trip around the 12 Apostles that was a must do. I had already decided to do it and I found out that Sergio and Simone were going as well, but no one else on the bus wanted to partake in the flight. I didn't know it at the time but the flight that awaited us was going to be life changing.

As we were pulling up to the car park for the 12 apostles, the driver tells us to bolt to the chopper before the other busses get on. We did but were too late. A nice big Indian family had beaten us there. So we went to the see the Apostles from the ground and then come back.

This was actually a good thing. We ran down to the viewing decks and snapped several pictures. It was truly unbelievable. It felt like I seriously walked onto a different planet it was that spectacular. The contrast between the ocean and the beach and the cliffs introduced me to new colors I never saw in my box of 96 Crayolas. I was literally blown away. (Seriously it was really windy and the wind will blow you over if your not careful.)

Well we ran back to the helicopter trying to budget our time to the fullest. Simone had to use the toilet so as Sergio and I were waiting he tells me he's thinking about proposing on the helicopter. I was kinda shocked but sorta had a funny feeling that might happen. So I was like oh well am I getting in the way? He was like no way I want you there to take photos. So I was like cool man sounds good. It was all very rush rush after that. We got ushered onto the chopper and we were off. It was about a 15 min flight and we were all in awe of the whole experience. None of us (except the pilot of course) had been on a helicopter before so this was pretty amazing. I had no idea when Sergio was going to do it so I was trying to listen for a code word or something and kept looking back to see if he was really going to do it, and we were all passing cameras around and it was crazy cause it was so awesome. So we flew all around the coast and then started to head back to base and I thought for sure he's going to back out so I started to think of something I could say that would help him out but the only thing I could think was just dorky like "wow you only see this once in your life", or just would give it away like "Wow this would be a really good place to get engaged" so I just remained quiet and prayed he'd get the courage to go through with it. About that time he asked the pilot were the base was. And then asked if I would take a picture again. That's when I figured he'd finally do it so I turned around and he took off his belt got on his knee (or tried) and ask Simone to marry him. None of us ever heard an official "yes" but she was defiantly shocked and surprised and very happy. I got as many pictures as I could but it was seriously a very fast moment and before we could think, we were on the ground and the pilot was telling base we had a proposal on flight and we were all getting pulled out of the chopper to make room for the next guests, it was all very, very fast, but I think I got some good shots.

After all that, we got back on the bus and headed down to go down some steps carved out from some farmers like 200 years ago. The steps go straight down the cliff face and lead you on the beach right in front of one of the apostles. (You don’t think about it at the time but how in the heck did they build these steps I mean they seriously are on the face of a 50 foot cliff heading straight down to raging water.) We were only supposed to be a few minutes but the three of us decided to run out close to the apostle to get some photos next to it. So off we went, down the beach, took some photos, and then ran back.

The next stop was this place called Loch Ard Gorge. And this story is the best of all. 200 years ago there was a ship coming over from England and going to dock in Melbourne. They had been at sea for 3 months and 3 days before they were scheduled to arrive, a fierce storm blew them into the face of these cliffs. 53 people on board, and everyone died. Except two people. A boy and girl both 18 years old were miraculously washed into this narrow passage and into the safety of a small cave. Everyone else was slammed into the cliffs over and over, there was no hope. So this guy somehow scaled the walls of the cave and made it to this farmers house (the same ones that built the steps) and they sent this rescue party to save the girl. Which they did but the girl was devastated after loosing her entire family and returned to England. (not sure if I would have ever gotten on a boat again but I guess she really wanted to get back). The guy stayed in Melbourne and became a great captain and had kids who became captains and did great things. Now there are wooden steps and platforms built up so you can go into the cave they were washed into. After seeing it I can't believe it, it's unreal that they would have been that lucky to one, wash in there and two, be able to climb out I don't understand how that was possible.

After that we made our way to a place called London Bridge. A great story here too. Back before 1990 there was an actual natural bridge that went out into the water. It was open to the public so people went out there all the time. In 1990 a man a woman went out there to consummate their relationship. Whilst in the act of this, half the bridge collapsed leaving them stranded on the remaining island. The television stations got word very quickly and they were rescued but strangely did not want any pictures or interviews. Meanwhile, back at home the man's wife is watching the early morning news and finds out why her husband never came home last night. So the lesson of the story is don't be an idiot.

Well that really ended our tour of the great ocean road. Which is a shame cause once you get to the apostles there is soooo much to do. It's really hard to do take time to take it all in. If you go, I recommend staying out there and making it at least a two day adventure.

However, it wasn't the end of my weekend. Sergio and Simone were very kind to invite me to church with them the next day. They live out near the Dandenong Mountains which I'd been wanting to see and even have a brochure with all the fun stuff to do out there. It took me an hour to get there by train. Which I didn’t mind cause I’ve been reading a lot and have a great book about the emerging church movement so it’s totally cool. (But man that was a long train ride). So Serge picked me up at the station and off we went to church. We talked a little about service and I picked up that it was non denominational with Pentecostal roots, which is cool. It was a very family friendly church and I thought quite big for Australia with 650 members. We walked in a few minutes late and to my surprise, Louie Giglio was on a giant projector talking about space and NASA. It was kinda weird but kinda cool. I mean Louie is an amazing speaker and I hadn’t seen this before. Simone and Serge said they’ve never had a service like this before.

After the video there was some worship and a little movement of the spirit but no snakes or tongue speaking. The pastor did announce that there would be a bar be cue to celebrate a new rec. center the church is building in partnership with a local school. Normally, I would be against such a project but I bit my tongue and think it’s great they are doing it with the community and not just for themselves.

During the barbecue I met some cool people and talked about electric cars and churches in America, and Laser Tag. It was really neat because one thing I’ve learned is that we are all the same. Seriously, people are people no mater what country they live in. We all think and feel and love the same way it’s true and it’s really awesome.

We basically got kicked out of the new unfinished gymnasium and out into the rain. Simone had a bridal shower to go to (not hers not just yet), so Serge and I were going to drive out to his sister’s house to see her newly born 1 month old baby. Once we got out there the whole family was asleep and we woke them up and but then left to grab some lunch.

We then went back to pick up Simone and drive up to Mt. Dandenong to this place called sky high to watch the sunset. This place is pretty sweet, gigantic windows give you a breathtaking view of all around the greater Melbourne region. This is were they will have their wedding reception (Yeah planning starts fast, as you can probably suspect, I got to experience the early struggles of wedding planning which is also interesting cause most of my friends are now married and I’ve been witness to a lot of this and seems like it’s always the same, I can’t wait or maybe I can).

We got up there, had a coffee, and watched the clouds form and white out everything insight. So much for watching the sun set but oh well.

We made our way back down the mountain, and then a tour of parents and grandparents to share photos and fun. Everyone I met was simply a terrific person. I mean for starters Sergio and Simone were kind enough to just let me hang out with them, it was after all a big weekend, but I never felt out of place or unwanted. Even meeting the family was cool. I got a good talk in with Simone’s dad who is also an accountant and really interested in America. (I think I made Serge a little jealous but us accountants have to stick together we may be dull at a party but once we start talking about tax law and International Financial Reporting Standards, oh man, watch out!).

After the tour d’ family and friends we made it back to the city. The return trip by car was very much appreciated. That was really the end of my weekend. Literally it was about midnight before I got to my apartment.

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I thought I’d ad a little personal reflection on the events that unfolded. I’d be surprised if you are with me at this point but I’m going to get deep on you, if you’re still reading hold on.

As I mentioned in my last entry I have a video camera that was unable to use for the penguins. I brought it along on this trip and planned to use it in the helicopter. But on the Koala stop I noticed the battery was dead. Really frustrating cause I plugged it in the night before but forgot to turn the setting to charge. Just a stupid mistake (by the ones that designed the camera I mean it should charge when you plug it in right?)

Not a huge deal until I found out about the planned proposal. I thought, man if I would have had my video camera I would have captured it all on there it would have been perfect and everything would have made since. But without it I could only take photos. (Which to be honest was difficult to do since it was so hectic and in a small space and all.) So for the remaining trip (and up until just recently) I was trying to figure all that out and kicking myself for not having the camera. Sergio and Simone didn’t seem to care. They are so much in love to worry about such things.

But I'm one of those people that truly believes everything happens for a reason. Now some may say this is a self-centered ego-centric perspective of life, as if the entire universe revolves around me. Well maybe it is. But we all see life through our own camera lens, and I think God is big enough to have such a complex plan that it involves everyone of us, down to meaningless details that we don't ever consider. Maybe it's just an obsession, or the need to bring significance to my life, but I've seen small things happen that lead to something bigger than I could have imagined. For example, this trip. It's crazy how many things came together at the same time that made this possible. It is really a miracle that I am here at all, and whether you believe it or not, it is part of God's brilliant plan. Knowing this, I have been searching for the reason of my presence since I stepped off the plane.

I will admit to you that when I found out Bob Dylan was playing the Ryman I seriously doubted my theory. That really puzzled me. If you don't know me that well, there are two things in this world that I adore. One is the Ryman. It is my favorite place in the entire world and nothing will ever change that. Two is Bob Dylan. This may sound ridiculous to you, but it has been my dream and biggest desire to see these two things come together at the same time. I thought it would never happen, (especially not while I was overseas). I mean Dylan is at the height of his career playing 20,000+ and he was doing a world tour, there is no way that he would play the Ryman. Believe me, I thought about this before I decided to come over, (if I had known I would have canceled the trip, no question). So when I got the e-mail from the Ryman notifying me of the event, I was shocked! I was literally floored, and even thought of ways to cut my trip short so I wouldn't miss it. I tried to ignore the fact and convince myself it wasn't real but when Blake called me from the show I was painfully ripped into reality and forced to figure it all out.

Then with this video camera, everything just seemed to be falling apart and I really couldn't understand. But it hit when I looked at the title of the book I borrowed from the church... "Adventures in Missing the Point" Kind of a silly title but that's exactly what I've been doing, missing the point. I think we all are looking for the meaning of life trying to find significance, or as Michael W. Smith sings "Our place in this world". I think I finally found it this weekend. The point was not for me videotape the proposal, or even to take pictures. The point was to meet these people. ‘Cause in the end relationships are the only thing that last forever. Moths, rust, and terrorists will destroy everything else. It's the people you meet that make life worth living. God's plan is all about people, not events, not possessions, not careers, just relationships that are formed by living life.

I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm going to play a significant role in the lives of Sergio and Simone but I'm not blind to see that I am playing a small role. I think that's really what God wants for us, to get to know Him and each other (Maybe we know Him better through knowing others). Love your God, Love your neighbor. I think all the world's problems would be solved if we followed that both parts equally. Forget all our preconceived notions and stereotypes and just talk to people, find out first hand and we'll be surprised to realize how similar we really are. So, whilest I have been searching so hard to find meaning I have failed to see the obvious (like trying to find a tree in the depths of a forest, or looking for God in the middle of a crowded city).

As for missing the Dylan concert (and as much as it hurts to say this)... I think life is more than going to concerts. It will take a lot to convince me of this (like missing Dylan at the Ryman) but I do think God has more planned for me than to go to shows every night of the week. If I do go to the shows I should focus on meeting others around me and not the guys on stage. I'm afraid our obsession with celebrities has caused us to miss out on the real heroes or friendships we could be forming all around us.

One reason I like public transport is that it forces you to interact with other people. You don't have the safety or personal hide out to seclude you from the rest of the world. But one thing I've noticed is how quiet the people on the trams are. It seems like no one wants to be bothered on their morning commute to the office, most of us are listening to our ipod or reading a book. So to further make His point clear… on my way to church last night I was doing my usual, listening to music and reading a book about the emerging church, and ignoring the people around me. Well when I got up I some how ripped the cord of my headphones, I still have no idea how, but I had to throw them away, they were unrepairable. It's no question that God's saying look around you...what more can I do to make you see?! (I'm a slow stubborn learner cause on my way home from work today I immediately went to buy new headphones and 3 records. (Can you believe I've bought 10 CD's since I've been here? (I better stop or I won't have any money left for your souvenirs!))

That is my story. I hope you enjoyed it.

Side note:

I've been writing this over the past 3 nights. While listening to Steve Earle, My Morning Jacket, and Lucero among some others. One thing for sure this experience has taught me is that I love America despite its quirky politicians, and I think Nashville is the greatest city on Earth in spite of all the rednecks. I miss so many things and really believe we are a blessed nation that has somehow let the world down. We have a lot of work to do to restore our reputation among our neighbors. Our self-destructing habits have got to change. We need to realize we are not the center of the Universe, but do have power and influence along with a great responsibility to set an example others are following. And it starts with me.

Thanks for reading.

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Photos

Beach
This is just the coast not the good beaches I was talking about.

It's not too late
Simone and Sergio

Representin
Okay I realize I have the same stance in every picture. I'll work on that.

Fatty
Look at this guy. How is that branch holding him up?

Trevor
One top bloke