Everyday heroes

There are a lot of ordinary everyday people out there, they walk among us, they pass us in the street, they might even live next door, some might even be a considered good friend. What makes these people out of the ordinary is that they are everyday heroes. People that go that extra mile, that extra yard to help someone or a cause. In turn it helps the whole community, their good deed can save a life, fix a life and help other lives in the meantime.
One of these everyday heroes I am proud to call a really great friend. I inherited Jo Cadman as friend through my wonderful husband Maurie.
Jo is simply amazing!,  Perpetually driven by an internal powerhouse of enthusiasm, Jo is a gregarious, rambunctious, dynamic, spirited, inspirational, deeply, deeply ethical, full of life, full of zest type of person. The best type of person to be godmother to our Little Miss Mischief!
Jo has this wonderful exuberant laugh that will uplift any one's spirits to the highest, whenever I feel low I just need to hear Jo's laugh, it works a treat every time. I love her to bits.

When Jo told us she was doing 'Ocsober', I thought that's Jo through and through.
Inspired, we decided to name a new print that arrived in the door that day, dedicate it to Jo's cause to raise money for Life Education. The print itself reminded me of a drunk trying to walk straight, with it's forward yet sideways almost circular path. This print seemed so appropriate being black and white.
Help us help Jo, by purchasing a "Everyday Hero" sling, as 100% of the profits will go directly to Jo's cause, the fantastic Life Education program that relies heavily on donations to educate our children about drugs and alcohol . Our children are our future.

Please read Jo's pledge below
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/jo_cadman_8

Well, it's official now! Completed the web page, let my world and those in it know all about it. Already got a couple of donations - thankyou very much! This really means I actually am going to have to go through with this! I feel good about it and feel that the time is right for me to do this - hopefully, the outcome will be that I loose weight (woohoo!!), feel better, have clearer skin, more energy and the fundraising reaches it's goal and goes to such a worthy cause to help educate our kids that drugs and alcohol are just no go in today's society.

Recently, with the Ben Cousins doco and the Matthew Newton scandal, it just goes to show how much our society is affected by drugs and alcohol. I couldn't bear my son to end up in these situations, and be one of those parents that are helpless in trying to do anything. Well, maybe this is my little way of trying to not be helpless and contribute to education of what drugs and alcohol can do. Only recently, our trusty Toyota ute was stolen from our family property and then burnt to the ground in bushland nearby. After talking with some local kids in the know around town, it seems that the likely person who did this is a wasted human being, normally high on ice. Apparently, you can't really talk to this guy, because he is so affected by ice in a psychosis way, that he would be inclined to stab you. He is renown for breaking and entering, armed robberies and stealing cars, and is believed to be locked up at the moment after being caught from an armed robbery at a Pizza Haven. What would this guy be like if he wasn't on drugs or didn't take drugs. And why is there such a need for him to take drugs to the point it has altered and changed him. It's food for thought and the reason why Life Education is crucial for our kids!

I guess a month off alcohol isn't that bad a deal.

Thanks for Supporting such a Great Cause!

24 Aug 10 15:49 PM
posted by Jo Cadman

Well, I have taken the plunge, and I'm not sure how I am going to go. Seeing I missed "dry July", when I heard about Ocsober plus you could help raise money for Life Education for kids, I thought I have to do this. As those who know me, I do like to have a drink or two, especially a good cold glass of bubbly! So, Ocsober - not having a drink for a month - will be a challenge for me. It's only a month, you say, but think about it. A lot can happen in a month, particularly to drive you to drink! Just dealing with my son and partner is surely enough of an excuse!!!
So, what better incentive than to actually contribute towards raising money for a good cause - helping educate kids about drugs and alcohol abuse!
Go on, give us a hand and help - a dollar or two donation would be a great way to keep me off the drink in October. You never know, I might actually end up being a nice person!!

Our own story is that last year, our family home acted as a safe house for a young man of academic brilliance. Unfortunately he was a drug mule and a cocaine addict. After his family had exhausted all avenues he was dumped on our door step with a plea that sounded like "please give him a good home, will collect when all problems have been resolved".

One fateful night while neighbours where enjoying their evening meal, unaware of the goings on next door. With stealth, gunmen broke into the young man's home, held his mother and tiny sister at gunpoint. Demanding the $50,000 that he owed them, it was then that the parents realised that their son might have a wee small problem with drugs and the drugworld. Pleading for some time to collate the debt, the family fled into the night disbursing younger children at various safe locations, the last port of call was our home. Up until they knocked on the door at 1am, I hadn't seen or heard from the family in more than 10 years. Few hours later, leaving their son behind, both parents fled individually to different states. Careers, schools, family & friends all abandoned to save their lives. All the while the young man with a constant case of the sniffles and incoherent ramblings to persons unseen, didn't understand why his 'friends' had turned nasty. Friends that had told him that they were like family to him. I believe the correct term is 'frenemies'; there are no friends in the drug world, especially when the buyers don't pay up.

A young man that should've had a promising future, but instead his gift will go unused, beneficial to no one, destroyed, because he possesses an academic intelligence of genius and an emotional intelligence of zero.