Time as a Christian scholar
I was effectively homeless from when I joined the circus. When I wasn’t with the show I was moving on from town to town living in various vehicles. Working with Eden Brothers was too exhausting to keep up full time. So when I wasn’t with the show I was between family, friends, backpacker hostels, caravan parks, vehicles and on a few occasions homeless shelters. I was staying at my parents place while they were backpacking around Europe and I was going to have to find something else for when they returned. I could go up to North Queensland with the circus, but it was October and I didn’t fancy living in an over crowded truck in tropical wet season heat. I could head down south and try to make it as a busker in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, but then I would be dead broke and constantly at risk of serious homelessness. I had heard of a Christian ministry called Fishers of Men that catered to homeless, drunks, addicts and other battlers and decided to give them a try. I ended up staying for two years.
It was really full on Christian: lots of guitar playing and singing of spiritual songs, bible study and praying for each other. It came time to take on a job or study, a job seemed unlikely so I started to look into study options. I was persuaded to take on a Batchelor of Ministries at Christian Heritage College. I had no intention of getting the degree or seeking work as a minister, it was just an interesting subject to pass the time. The following year a new subject became available; Batchelor of Liberal Arts, the philosophy and theology course I had always wanted to take. The Millis Institute was dedicated to all that is Good, Beautiful and True. It was a fellowship of students and teachers that sought wisdom through study of The Western Cannon. An ancient line of books that goes back to the times of the early Bible with Homer. We read heavy going books and then had intelligent discussion about them in class, under the guidance of a wise doctor. Philosophy and theology discussed in a civilised way in an educational institution. Now I have a university diploma and a few extra units covering the wisdom of ancient times and I grew a lot a from the experience.
I often find my self missing The Millis Institute, but I am in contact with my alumni and I was enriched by the experience. I did two units covering the history and philosophy of the internet online with Curtin University over the summer before the pandemic, which bought this blog about. I took a break from study to work and travel. I will be completing my BA with Charles Darwin University soon. I need it to get an artist visa for Bali.
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Clown Artist Philosopher 