A Big Fat Sign

Most people I’ve told this story to have got goosebumps. So strap yourself in it’s a good one!

In November last year, I had just finished my final placement but was still working on my final assessment. I had been applying for NT teaching jobs like crazy. My heart was set on the NT. Job or not I would still be up here making something happen. I looked over the job ad for a remote teacher on a Friday afternoon. I had applied for a couple jobs already that week so I sick of writing, I told myself I would apply on Monday. I had a quick read of the description but then I was hooked. Word like self-determined, bi-lingual and dignity pulled me in. This school was different. It seemed to be the job I have been waiting for. So a couple hours down the rabbit hole of writing my application and I had sent it through that afternoon. By Monday afternoon I heard from them and had an interview later that week. This school is directed by the Elders, so they get the final say of who comes into their community. Therefore, before I could be offered a job I had to go visit the community. I jumped at the opportunity and was set to fly up the following week.

This was all very sudden. I hadn’t even finished the semester yet. Although this is exactly what I had been hoping for, now that it was all becoming real, a bit of fear set in. Jess, WTF have you got yourself into this time! I calmed myself down and tried to remain positive and open. I needed a sign! This is a big decision therefore I need a big sign to assure me it’s the right thing to do. Anyway I go about my business as usual. If I don’t swim in the morning I usually go for a walk. I was living in Nambour and there is a bush reserve nearby that I walked through often. On a Tuesday, the day before I was flying out, I went for a walk. At the top of the reserve there is a park (Koala park). I usually stop here and do some push-ups and stretching. I don’t know what it is with me and push-ups, but I always need to be able to do a decent amount. Just in case someone randomly challenges me to a push up competition I guess, I have to be ready. So I get up to the park and on the exact spot on the grass, same spot every time where I do my push-ups I find this.

WOW. Here is my sign. If you don’t know what it is, it’s an indigenous symbol that represents people sitting around a fire sharing stories. A yarn circle. I didn’t have my phone on me, as I don’t like having it while I’m doing the nature thing. So I run home and grab it and drive back up to the park.

I sat with it for about 15 minutes taking it all in. In the time I was sitting there two people walked past. Now this thing is big, maybe 2m across and also right where people cut across the park to the trail on the other side. So here I am thinking, OK this person is going to see it, stop, ask me if I did it. It was SO obvious.

Like, you couldn’t NOT see it. However, this person walked straight over the top of it not even acknowledging it. Wow, are you serious!? Then the second person came along and did the exact same thing. My jaw dropped! Too caught up in their own head to notice this big beautiful piece of art under their feet. By this point I thought I could be tripping balls and its not actually there. But I touched it and it was REAL. This just made it clear that it was a sign just for me- no one else. The message was clear also- stop doing push ups Jess you have more important work to do.

At this time I had just finished reading a book – Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta. It’s all about Indigenous worldviews and how they still are so relevant today. Tyson uses symbols like this one to express the information in each of his chapters. Quality read if you are interested. A real paradigm shift. Maybe being in this headspace was a catalyst for a sign like this appearing for me? God only knows… Maybe through sharing this story I will find the person who made the yarn circle and that will be another story in itself!

I flew out to Darwin then Arnhem Land the next day with an open mind and heart, knowing I had to switch on because this may be it. The job, lifestyle and community ticked all my boxes. Kind of too good to be true really. Still pinching myself about how it all fell together. I did my final uni Zoom presentation in Darwin. Closed that long and stressful chapter. Flew back to the Sunny Coast packed up all my things (I don’t have many things), said goodbye and hit the road. The rest is history. As much as I am a little nervous to start this new job, receiving such a significant sign like this assures me that I am definitely on the right track!

Jess

17/01/2021