News from the Room
Tall poppy syndrome has a way of sneaking up on me like a magpie in spring. One second, I’m just living my life, the next I’m swatting away the instinct to downplay everything I’ve worked for.
This year, I finally did something I’ve spent years daydreaming about: I left the 9–5 and started building something that matters to me.
I took what started as a small solo fundraising effort and turned it into an event that could make a real impact and be broadcast globally. I’ve spoken at events across Australia and overseas. I’ve built my own talks and workshops from the ground up. And next week, I’ll be representing the baby loss community on Tasmania’s number one radio show. Which is objectively… pretty cool.
But here’s where it gets weird. Every time I talk to someone who genuinely wants to know how things are going, I do this thing:
“I don’t really know what I’m doing… it probably won’t work.”
“I only spoke for 15 minutes, it wasn’t that important.”
“You won’t hear it anyway, it’s just a Tasmanian station.”
It’s like I can’t say anything good about my work without quickly throwing in a disclaimer, just in case anyone thinks I’m getting ahead of myself.
As many of us know, Tall Poppy Syndrome is ingrained in our Australian culture. We’ve all experienced it before, and now I seem to pre-empt it. I cut myself down before anyone else can. Classic self-defence manoeuvre.
I’m trying to get better at catching it in the moment. It’s not easy. Talking about the weird and wonderful stuff happening in my life still feels incomplete without a quick self-deprecating punchline. But I’m learning to sit with that discomfort instead of undercutting myself.
I’m a work in progress.
SCOOTING FOR HOPE
24 Hours - 1 Scooter - 1 Purpose
$100K for Pregnancy after loss Care
The 411
This Week at Room Eleven
A Heartfelt Story
The latest episode of the Room Eleven Podcast is out now, featuring Gavin Blue from the Heartfelt Foundation. It’s a good one.
Scooting for Hope is next Month!
I had a catch-up with the events and livestream team to get everything on track. I’m well out of my depth organising something this big, so their support has been a lifesaver. They pulled together a clear task list for all of us to work through ahead of event day. Luckily, I work best when there’s a list in front of me, and I’ve been ticking things off at a solid pace.
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Weekly Musings
What I’m Watching: The Lost City Of Melbourne
The Lost City of Melbourne is a documentary that digs into the city’s architectural and cultural history, focusing on the wave of demolitions that reshaped it through the 20th century. It traces how a city once packed with stunning, immaculately built structures slowly replaced many of them with concrete and glass.
As someone born and raised here, I’ve always been openly biased about Melbourne. This doco reminded me why, and made me wonder what the city would look like today if we hadn’t knocked down so many extraordinary buildings built to last.
It also highlighted how cinema culture, and more broadly art culture, kept the city vibrant. Many theatres survived thanks to their cultural pull. I’ve spent time in some of those spaces, and I’m grateful they still stand.
I used to work at the Rendezvous Hotel, a building that’s over a century old. I’ve seen firsthand what it’s like to maintain a historic space. The staircase there was built by the same firm that built the Titanic’s staircase. That’s proper history.
You can watch it on Netflix.
Not a big newsletter this week. But it’s always a privelidge to get to share them with you. From reflecting on tall poppy syndrome to geeking out over Melbourne’s history, and getting stuck into event prep, it’s been a mix of self-awareness and steady progress. Bit by bit, it’s coming together.
If you’d like to help us keep moving forward with Scooting for Hope and the work of Room Eleven, the best way is to share this newsletter, spread the word, or reach out if you’d like to get involved.
See you next week.
Rob
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