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A safe place to share, celebrate and unpack life's journeys.
Join us and special guests to discuss all things close to our hearts.
This podcast is brought to you by Mediate.
Speaker 2:We acknowledge and pay our respects to all First Nations people. In Australia, we honor the cultural connections and responsibilities of our custodians, past, present, and future.
Speaker 1:This podcast is recorded on the lands of the Yugambeh speaking people. Welcome to Yarns with Linda and Preston. Here we are. Yarns with Linda and Preston.
Speaker 2:First time.
Speaker 1:1st recording.
Speaker 2:1st week time. I'm excited. I'm excited. I'm excited. I'm looking forward to some of the conversation we're gonna be having in the future episodes.
Speaker 1:We are gonna have some yarns. That's for sure.
Speaker 2:Well, we just thought, it'd be great, for the first first episode just to let everybody know who we are.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:You know, who they possibly be engaging with. Yes. So yeah. Do you want do you wanna start?
Speaker 1:Sure. So, for those who don't know me, my name is Linda Bumayy. I belong to the Mananggali people, which forms part of the Yugambeh language region. The Yugambeh language region covers across Southeast Queensland, and we're fortunate to be recording here on the Gold Coast on, Yugenbea Jagan. And I live, breathe, work, exist on country.
Speaker 1:I get to work with incredible people right across the community and across the country. I've been blessed in that. I've done a lot of different roles and will continue to do a lot of different roles. But as long as I'm connecting with community and people, then that's what I'm about. I'm driven and responsible for relationships and connections, and that's what gets me up every day.
Speaker 2:And the alarm. And the alarm.
Speaker 1:What about you?
Speaker 2:Well, I I'm from the Northern Tablelands in New South Wales. I live live in Queensland right now. Obviously, I'm the Gold Coast, but, I come from Northern Tablelands. My mom's country, country. Lived there up until I was a teenager.
Speaker 2:But also I have connections to the Mid North Coast in New South Wales. So my dad, he's he's Tungari Gumbaynggib man, but also got links down to, the far South Coast of New South Wales, the Yuin people. So, I guess for people that don't know me, in a former life, I I was a professional sports person. I was a rugby league player. Did that for a number of years with with a number of different clubs.
Speaker 2:It was it was a great experience. Learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about the world outside of Tinga. And I guess, like like a lot of us, just still on the journey of of learning, understanding who we are. You know, it's really hard to introduce yourself because there's so much more that we don't even know about ourselves.
Speaker 2:Very
Speaker 1:true.
Speaker 2:And I guess like yourself, just trying to, figure out best ways to relate, to connect, you know, because that's who we are as human beings. It's just, the more connected we are, and sometimes it can be a little bit, chaotic, but there's beauty there's beauty in that because, you know, the more people that we have around us, it means we have more people. Not only that, we can support, they can support us.
Speaker 1:So would you say you've got a job title now? Because everyone asks me what I do, and I'm like, I actually haven't got a jazzy job title that I can say, this is me. Because I like I do a lot of different things across community, and I I can't come up with a very cool job title. So I'm just Linda.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And that's and that's just Linda. Is there is there a a real need for it?
Speaker 1:That's right. You can see.
Speaker 2:Given the environment that you're working in, I don't I don't know if there's a need for it.
Speaker 1:Do you have one?
Speaker 2:No. I don't think so.
Speaker 1:There you go.
Speaker 2:No. I don't don't think so. I mean, got a foundation, that I'm working working in, and working on at the moment. Yeah. A lot of that's around well-being and a lot of what, hopefully, we get to talk about moving forward in terms of connections and relationships because, again, you what I've found, not just not just, as a rugby league player, but I probably learned more after after my career than I did, before my career and Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And during my career. Yeah. When when I say that, I've probably learned more about myself and learnt more about the world around me, and where where we fit. You know? I'm a true believer that we all have a role to play.
Speaker 2:I'm still trying to figure out that role so I can play it the best way I can.
Speaker 1:But we should learn every day. Like, every day should be a lesson and every day is a opportunity to discover something. And it makes life exciting.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I think it helps with your confidence as well. Yeah. The more the more you know, the more confident you feel. I know, you know, where where knowledge is, there's power, but for me, where where there's knowledge is, there's opportunity for us to be able to help with that each other Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And be able to share and be able to connect. And that's really, what this podcast is hopefully all about. It's just how we can understand, how we can connect and and share so that our communities, our our society, our country, can be better for it.
Speaker 1:That we can unite and that we can celebrate each other and truly strengthen each other and not, divide or feel like we need to be in this constant, struggle of winning all the time or comparing ourselves that we can celebrate who we are and who we can be.
Speaker 2:And and share and celebrate, like you say. It's like competition is one of those things that, I think it's banned across time. You know? But competition has its place, I think. Where where we at now in today's society, I think, we have to think more about how we how we can bring each other up, you know, instead of competing competing with each other.
Speaker 2:Because the more we compete, I'm I'm starting to see I'm finding that where other people are are very successful, other people aren't aren't doing as well. You know? And we have to try and bring it back to a balance. You know? And look, I was a for 14 years.
Speaker 2:I don't even know if any of the stuff I'm I'm I'm gonna be saying in these in these podcast is gonna make any sense, but it's it's really what I what I've what I feel. And it's it's only through the experience, things that I've seen, conversations I've been been involved in, that I that I come up with that. You know?
Speaker 1:And we just wanna be able to have yarns without barriers and have honest yarns and support each other but in a positive way and and move forward and and united rather than I don't want to I don't wanna be in a society where it's individual wins. I wanna be able to see individuals win, and I wanna celebrate individual wins. But I don't want individual wins to, drive everything that we do. That we're so scared of letting someone else win that you you forget to celebrate others. Celebrate yourself, but also celebrate others.
Speaker 1:And that's what I wanna do in the podcast. I wanna be able to I want everyone that listens to feel like they're winners.
Speaker 2:Called maybe And maybe they could take
Speaker 1:part of a whole.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And that's really odd. It's we're all in this together. Yeah. That's something that I've found out.
Speaker 2:I I am Aboriginal. You know, I do come from a a family, a heritage that's that's, have that First Nations background. Yeah, but also have, a Scottish Scottish background, and an Irish background. You know? But that's still still a journey that that I'm that I'm on trying to figure out.
Speaker 2:And, I'm I'm so excited to find out about that that sort of stuff. And I guess there's always this talk about, culture, culture being a thing big thing. And and it is a big thing. Don't get me wrong. It is very, very important.
Speaker 2:But I'm not sure if this is gonna make any sense. But growing up, where I grew up in Tinga. There wasn't much in terms of culture when it come, traditions and customs. There wasn't a lot of that, so not a lot of language, stories, dance, and and the stuff that comes with that. So I didn't I wasn't engaged in that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:Tinga was just a place where I grew up, spent time with my family, probably doing stuff that traditionally we did for a long time, but didn't actually realize it.
Speaker 1:I think it's in the essence of who you are and your connection that's the true culture.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:Because it's, links to country Yep. And it's, things that can't be explained in black and white. It's our way of being, and it's our way of responsibility and connection for each other, but not only as humans, but in partnership and relationship with the land around us, the animals, the, you know, sun, moon, everything that is around us, all of that energy comes from a strength that I think we're born into. That we're we're, fortunate enough to, inherit, and then we're also fortunate enough to be able to share that and be able to share that strength and that love and that all those positive things, that go way over and above being able to do artwork or perform a certain dance or things that people see as culture in material things, the essence of that which isn't seen is the most valuable, I believe.
Speaker 2:It's it's one thing about culture that, I didn't really understand what culture meant. Like, in the in the meaning of the word culture Yeah. I didn't didn't really understand what I'm what it meant. You know? Didn't didn't didn't learn about it in school.
Speaker 2:You know? When I when I talk talk about culture, it's not just Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander culture. It's like culture Mhmm. Across the board and and what it what it meant. You know?
Speaker 2:And then what I'm what I'm seeing and what I've seen for a long time is that a lot of different traditions and customs across different cultures are very, very similar in in the reasons why they do it. How they do it might look very, very, very differently, but why they do it is very, very similar. Mhmm. And and that for me, it gives me it gives me gives me hope that we can as move forward as a as a human beings. You know?
Speaker 2:And I know, again, being an Aboriginal man, a lot of what what I I'd talk about is what I'm comfortable with and what I what I know.
Speaker 1:What you feel?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I'm gonna use that as a reference, a lot and and as well as my career as a professional sports person. But for for a lot of stuff that we're gonna be talking about, people need to know that it's it's universal. Mhmm. It's universal to all
Speaker 1:of us. Human race.
Speaker 2:That's That's what it is. And when when you spoke before about that, that feeling, that connection to country, you know, it's not it's it's a human thing. You know? I think anybody that's taken their shoes off and and walked in the sand or on the grass felt that connection. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:So Everyone can feel it. You you can. You can. So I I'm looking forward to some of the discussions that that we have coming up. And, as always, you know, our discussions or our conversations come from questions.
Speaker 2:So if it's alright, I'd like you to I'd like to ask you the first question.
Speaker 1:Oh, look out.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Oh. And just have a have a bit of a yawn. And and again, today's today's not it's not a long conversation. It's more about introducing ourselves and just
Speaker 1:That's it.
Speaker 2:Just have have a little conversation about connection
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And and relationship. Yep. So when we talk of connection and relationships, what does that look like to you?
Speaker 1:So for me, because I focus so anyone who knows me knows that for me, it's all about, relationships and connections, and that's what drives everything in my life, from, just people that I might meet in an instant, just, you know, in and out or, for longer term in terms of, my connection to where I live and the energy that's around there. Connection to, businesses even and then how they operate. So, you know, how people function in those businesses to get those outcomes is all about connections and relationships in schools. The relationships that students have with each other, but also the relationship that the people that work within those schools have with those students. And you can see the different relationships.
Speaker 1:You see the outcomes from relationships based on how strong or how valued, how respected the connection is along there. So for me, it's really important. I'm really passionate about relationships and connections. I tend to meet people and and and it's and it's a meeting when I meet people, it's about forming a relationship that's going to go that's deeper than just, hey. My name's Linda, and my job title is this, and I can do these tasks.
Speaker 1:It's about who I am as a person and how I connect connect with others as a person, not as a role or to just complete a task, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It does.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, I value I value and I honor all of the relationships I have, even the most the even the most shortest ones that have happened or will continue to happen. I still value that because you still get something out of that whether people realize that or not. Even in passing someone, how good does it make you feel to just smile? Or just someone smile at you or say hello as they walk past?
Speaker 1:You're probably never gonna see them in your life. But that connection can it provides a feeling.
Speaker 2:Acknowledging is quite a powerful thing. Mhmm. Yeah. And we speak about it all the time. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And going to a survey, speaking to the person behind the desk, asking me how their day's going, but genuine about the question and trying to connect. And that's that's really all it is. It's like, I acknowledge you. I see you. I hope you're doing well.
Speaker 1:I think it's about open heart as well. I do, and I am concerned about connections and relationships that are based on closed heart interactions. So I guess the biggest thing for me is social media.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And the connection and the devastation that that can cause because it's not really, a relationship or connection based on an open heart connection.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And that and that worries me. I, I I wanna always be walking around with an open heart and connect with people on a genuine level, and and not in the way that I see is happening so often.
Speaker 2:It's really difficult to, everlasting relationship when that when that connection is manufactured.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And that's that's a difficulty I think a lot of people have by going on social media. They are connected, but it's not really connected. Is that what you're trying to say?
Speaker 1:Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 2:And and, unfortunately, it's a it's a big part of our daily doings now. You know, it's it's such a big big part of our work space. It's a big part of our our community. It's it's how we connect.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:You know? So how do we how do we create those meaningful positive real relationships or connections via via, platforms like Facebook or Instagram?
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And that's that's the question. I think we can't we can't answer it right now, but No.
Speaker 1:We can't.
Speaker 2:That's that's a that's that's a question that each individual that uses it as to as to try and answer themselves, I think.
Speaker 1:Or do they what do you think about when you are commenting or putting a post?
Speaker 2:How are you feeling at that time?
Speaker 1:Yeah. How are you feeling at that time? Like, why are you what's your motivation even for doing that?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I think that's a starting place in itself.
Speaker 2:Yes. For some of us, it's hard. It's hard to hear. We don't we don't we try not to judge. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:It's hard for us to understand why why people may comment. Or
Speaker 1:Is it routine?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Is it is it the situation they're in? Did we just don't know. It's it's it's it's new to me. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:It's new to me. So Will
Speaker 1:you avoid social media? Why do you avoid social media?
Speaker 2:Well, for that reason, I think it's just I I like to connect on a on a on a in a physical sense. Yep. Yeah. Because it's for me, it's hard to get context, when you when you read it on the screen. And I just like to know how how people feel or what they look like when they're actually talking to you.
Speaker 2:It's really hard to know whether somebody's smiling on the other side of on the on the screen or on the on the other side of a a phone call. Mhmm. You know? So there there's something again, when we talk about that connection, it's not you know, I mean, that that physical connection is really, really important to me. Yep.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And,
Speaker 1:There's many sides to a story as well. Yeah. So when you see it written, the way you read it might be a completely different, meaning to the way it was written by the person who wrote it.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:There there can be about 10 different sides to a story as well, and and how you interpret that can is is different. I might read the same thing today and interpret it completely different tomorrow.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Well, yeah, I'm a go to your place or we go to somebody's place for a cuppa because we had a question.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:You know? But you end up staying for longer than you expected.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah. They're they're for me some some pretty pretty awesome experiences. Yeah. You you get to learn a lot sitting down, but doesn't matter whether they're older than you, whether they're younger than you, or whether it's somebody you know. There's always an opportunity.
Speaker 2:And that for me, when it comes to connection and relationship, that's that's one thing. There's an opportunity for you to be able to learn. You know? By sitting there and having a conversation, connecting with somebody, there is a real opportunity.
Speaker 1:When time stands still and you're not worried about where you need to be or where you've come from and you can be in that moment, I think that's when true connections happen.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And presence can, certainly be very challenging when there's so much going on in the world. And we're so connected through phones
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And stuff where, you know, 24 hours a day, even when you're asleep, you probably got a phone right next to you that's like, there's heaps of stuff happening on there.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So you're always there's always that, you know, busyness Yep. In the world.
Speaker 2:Always something happening.
Speaker 1:Yes. Definitely. So relationships,
Speaker 2:Is that the same thing as connection?
Speaker 1:I think, a relationship is can be defined by the connection. Yep. So I think the stronger the relationship, it depends on that true connection and whether that connection is genuine or whether it's, not not so much genuine, but maybe it's arranged. So it might be a connection through employment or a connection through in, employing a handyman or something like that, which is gonna be very different and a different kind of relationship. But I see, for me, they go hand in hand, and connection is almost forms the strength in terms of what that relationship is going to be.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But I think in every engagement, there's connection and relationship.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Even with how you drive your car. Yep. You've got a connection and relationship.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know? Do you let it run dry at petrol, Wait till the light's blinking at you and it's screaming at you? Yeah. Or do you make sure, you know, it's full and clean or, you know, all of those things. So I I think they go hand in hand for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And it's it's not always person to person, is it? No. It's it's could be an animal. Yep.
Speaker 2:It could be that connection to country, connection to devices, or your relationship with devices Mhmm. Relationships with drugs and alcohol Mhmm. Which is something we don't talk talk enough about.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And it hopefully, we get an opportunity to talk a little little on that. But, yeah, you're right. That that strength and connection is really, really important as to whether that relationship is gonna be meaningful and positive and where it's gonna promote promote growth. And that's that's what we should look at, or look for when we're in a relationship. We need to be able to promote growth in each other and and well, growth for yourself and growth in in in the person or growth in in country or growth in the animal.
Speaker 1:And strength and learning
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:To be able to always have that reciprocity.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And, look, people out there might might have their own ideas of of, what connection or relationship is, and that's and that's fine. You know?
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:And that's that's what these conversations are are about. And, you know, we're gonna we're gonna ask people, you know, to put up put up on their their platforms or or on this page when we do get one app, you know, about what what connection or relationship looks like to them or what it means to them.
Speaker 1:And where we can use those, I think we can use connection and relationship to be able to discuss, some of our hard subjects and define, how we can move through those and and how we can, build build each other up in the right ways. And, you know, that people, whether they wanna connect or not Yeah. Not everyone has to connect. Everyone's an individual and, everyone operates differently. But, hopefully, we can start having those honest yarns and safe yarns, that they're not based on any form of judgment and that we can just start yarning more and start supporting more and getting back to basics of connection and relationships, for no other reason than it's the right thing to do.
Speaker 2:Yep. And
Speaker 1:that's who we are, and it comes naturally to everyone.
Speaker 2:Does it really?
Speaker 1:I think well, what it defines differently.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:But I think everyone has an essence of how they connect or have relationships. Could be very toxic
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And it could be very negative, but they still have that ability. Look at a baby when a baby is born. Baby can't speak, fend for themselves at all. But you know what they want. You have an instant relationship.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And they they certainly let you know exactly what they want and need. Yeah. They're they're there to teach you
Speaker 2:That's true.
Speaker 1:Straight up. There's a lesson.
Speaker 2:Well, there there are a lot lot of lessons if if you're open to to receiving them.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And that's the thing. I think there's a lot of lock lot of blockades
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:Put up for ourselves. You know, life is challenging. And no matter how good a plan you have in place, you know, it's always a spanner gonna be thrown in the works. So those obstacles are gonna be challenging. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:But, yeah, you just have to be open open to the possible lessons that you're gonna get from each of these challenges.
Speaker 1:And I think you can face those lessons and gain more from those lessons when you are better connected and have strong relationships around you.
Speaker 2:Why is that?
Speaker 1:Positive relationships. Because I think what it does is it helps with your confidence. And when you have the right people around you, the lessons that you learn are, supported that you can make mistakes. You're allowed to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.
Speaker 1:But that the the strong connections and relationships that are around you will help you along and walk beside you. They won't drag you. They won't tell you or point you in the right direction that you have to head in, but they'll actually walk beside you and walk that, journey with you to the other side.
Speaker 2:Do you think do you think we have enough encouragement?
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:You like to and I like, you understand. A lot of us understand that people do make mistakes. But it's not treated that way sometimes. You know what I mean? Somebody makes a mistake, and we really just we we we make things worse or, you know, we grind them into the ground, tell them how bad a person they are.
Speaker 1:I told you so.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. So do you know what I mean? Like, do you think
Speaker 1:And it could be an instant response. Yeah. I think that's what scares me a lot is that, it's such an instant response to be able to, criticize or drag someone down or place our own judgment on them. And often, without even knowing the full picture. Often, you don't even know a lot of elements of of what's happening, but automatically will jump to a conclusion without backing that person first.
Speaker 2:Mhmm. So jumping jumping into something that because, by the way, it makes him feel.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And, obviously
Speaker 1:that a reflection on the person that's done something, or is that a reflection on me for forming that judgment?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So is it I've come up with that because of a place that I'm in or is it because of actually something that someone else has done?
Speaker 2:And look, maybe some of the episodes that are that are coming up, they help us help us understand that a little bit more as well. And that's something that that I'm really looking forward to. Mhmm. And and it's always a pleasure sitting down with you and and having a yarn and always always feel like I have that that true, true connection. When we sit down, I'm always learning something from you.
Speaker 2:So I appreciate the opportunity to sit down with you and and go on this journey.
Speaker 1:You too, darling. I, we have had many hours of yarns. So I'm pretty excited to be able to then share that with others, but also bring some people in, some guests in to be able to have those yarns as well. Get some professional opinions maybe on some stuff as well, which is good. We're not experts.
Speaker 1:Yeah. We're not experts. But to continue this and be able to share it with others that choose to share it with us if they want to, That's pretty exciting. I'm I'm pretty happy that I'm doing it with you.
Speaker 2:Yep. That same. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Appreciate you allowing me to share the space with you. And I appreciate everybody for tuning in and and listening to this first first episode. And and look forward to creating creating more content for you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Let's yarn on.
Speaker 2:Stay safe.
Speaker 1:Stay safe. Thank you. Take care.