The Afterword

Category: Daily Prompt

  • If I Couldn’t Fail

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    Peter
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    If I couldn’t fail, I’d buy a patch of land — a tired stretch of soil and scrub — and try to bring it back to life. I’d plant local eucalypts and grevilleas, wattles and banksias, enough variety to invite the birds back and coax the insects home. I’d watch the contours of the land…

  • The Hardest Goal I Ever Set

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    Peter
    in

    What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself? It began with an idea.A flicker really — a connection I started to notice between my interest in creative writing and my practice as a preacher. Both, I realised, were about shaping meaning, holding attention, and opening space for discovery. I thought a doctorate might…

  • The Ones Who Stay With Me: John Coburn

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    Peter
    in

    When I think about my favourite artists, I don’t immediately picture a museum wall or a famous exhibition. I think of the painting that hangs in our home — one that has moved with us from house to house, always finding pride of place. It’s by John Coburn, the Australian abstract painter whose work captures…

  • Why I Write

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    Peter
    in

    What is your favourite hobby or pastime? There are many ways to listen to life — through conversation, through silence, through the pages we fill. For me, writing has become the way I pay attention. It’s how I make sense of what lingers, and how I learn to live awake. Ink.Quiet.A thought takes shape. A…

  • Nothing to Lose, Everything to Give

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    Peter
    in

    What would you do if you lost all your possessions? It’s a confronting question — one that sounds hypothetical, except it isn’t. For me, it came close to reality. I was caught in a scam. What I thought was a small, trustworthy investment turned into a complex trap. Over time, what had seemed solid dissolved…

  • When “Black Tie” Didn’t Mean What I Thought It Did

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    Peter
    in

    I feel very embarrassed when I look back on it. I was a broke uni student when the invitation arrived: a 21st birthday party in one of Sydney’s more affluent suburbs. The card read simply: Black Tie. Perfect, I thought. I didn’t own one, but I knew a mate who did. A quick borrow, and…

  • A Day in the Diary

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    Peter
    in

    Your life without a computer: what does it look like? 7.00am. The desk feels emptier without a screen in front of me. Essays take forever. My pen scratches against the page, and when I need a reference, I head to the library, combing through indexes and card catalogues. Progress is measured in hours, not minutes.…

  • Breathing New Life into the Old

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    Peter
    in

    What skill would you like to learn? I would love to learn how to restore old furniture. There’s something wonderful about taking a table with wobbling legs, a chair with faded upholstery, or a dresser that’s been pushed to the curb — and seeing more than just its brokenness. With a bit of imagination and…

  • The Hidden Economy of Friendship

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    Peter
    in

    I was talking recently with a friend who noted that loneliness is a major issue for Australian men. Maybe less so for women—I’m not sure. I sometimes wonder if busyness simply covers it over. Being the boss at work comes with its own kind of solitude. Responsibility sits with me, and for now, people seek…

  • My #1 Priority Tomorrow

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    Peter
    in

    What’s your #1 priority tomorrow? My top priority tomorrow is participating in a week-long conference of university colleges. It’s something we do every year, gathering colleagues from across the country to talk about the things that matter most in our work. This year, the number one item on the agenda is both urgent and long…

  • The First Time I Learned Hard Work

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    Peter
    in

    In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled? I was fifteen the first time I met hard work face to face. Not chores, not the jobs around home that I already knew. This was something else—intensely hard work, the kind that strips you back, leaves you empty, and then fills you with a…

  • Risk and Waiting

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    Peter
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    What’s the trait you value most about yourself? What I value most about myself is not a single trait but a paradox I live with. I am both daring and patient. I will risk everything when the cause is right, and yet I will wait years if the time is not ready. It’s a strange…

  • Three Jobs if Money Didn’t Matter

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    Peter
    in

    List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter. If money were no object, I’d choose work that feels less like a job and more like a way of honouring what matters. Each of these roles is about restoration—of stories, of people, of things we might otherwise lose. The Story GathererI imagine a workstation…

  • Many Strands of Heritage

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    Peter
    in

    What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in? When I think about my cultural heritage as an Australian, I don’t immediately go to music, food, or fashion. I go to politics—not the bickering kind, but those rare, defining decisions that have shaped the fabric of our nation. There are…

  • The Brand Manifesto

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    Peter
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    What brands do you associate with? I do not associate with brands because of their slogans.I associate with brands because of their integrity. I do not want a glossy commercial that wins awards if the factory floor is filled with silence and strain.I want truth that stretches from the warehouse to the storefront. I do…

  • How “More” Finds Its Way In

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    Peter
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    What could you do more of? Sometimes the easier way to answer the questionis to flip it. What could I do less of?Less rushing from one meeting to the next.Less eating lunch at my desk,fork in one hand, typing emails with the other.Less pretending that rest is optional,something to earn at the end of the…

  • The Wisdom of Two Ears

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    Peter
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    What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? I work with people.Their words spill into my days—rants, confessions,small mercies offered like gifts,distortions dressed as truth. A friend once told me,learn to use your good earand your deaf ear.The wisdom is knowingwhich ear belongs to the moment. Sometimes the good ear listens close,catching what trembles…

  • Empty and Full

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    Peter
    in

    What things give you energy? By the end of the day, my cup is empty.Operations and planning drain it.Workplace conflicts drain it.And even the conversations with students—so often good and worthwhile—can drain it too. Because alongside the laughter and energy,there are stories of mental health struggles.There are hurts no one should have to carry.There are…

  • Nearly 30 Years On

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    Peter
    in

    What’s your all-time favourite album? That’s a hard question to answer. It depends on the day, it depends on the mood, it depends on the occasion. There could have been any number of albums I might have chosen. Rather than overthink it, I went with the first album that came to mind: Loreena McKennitt’s The…

  • Critical Thinking in a Complex World

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    Peter
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    If I could be more informed about any single topic, it would be critical thinking. In a world overflowing with information, opinions, and competing narratives, the ability to question assumptions, weigh evidence, and arrive at well-reasoned conclusions has never been more important. Critical thinking is not just an academic skill—it’s a way of navigating life…