Today ends a week where once again I opened up my life, my private life to the public once again.
This was thanks to a very decent and incredibly skilled man by the name of Kent Gordon. After being approached to introduce Shelly Argent's Australian Story earlier in  the year, I thought a lot about going back to opening up on TV, of course there was my admiration for Shelly and her noble cause in seeing that her gay son is treated just as her straight son is by the state which lead me to instantly say yes to her. However there is a giant leap from an introduction to being the actual subject of a Story.

Kent Gordon has an unbelievable talent for getting a story and for getting compliance from his subjects to open up. It was this skill and an appreciation to which he dealt with Shelly's Story which lead me to breach the issue with my Family to see if they were interested in once again being hoisted into the lounge rooms of Australia.

Apprehensive at first my Mother soon agreed with me that perhaps this could be the epilogue to my very public 'coming out', allowing those that had seen into my story whilst on Big Brother every night for 3 months or Dancing with the Stars for those torturous 8 weeks, a bookend, a finally so that we may go on with our lives and the questions that so many people had finally answered... The whys, that whats happened with the farm, his dad, did he find a partner etc.

Also and more importantly, it would show people that just like it is for everyone who deals with an issue like 'coming out' life must go and....and it gets better. After all for the thousands of people that contacted me over the years and the thousands more that pulled me up in the street, or the Rodeo or the queue at Coles that said my coming out had helped them find the strength to do the same there, were so many that couldn't due to the fear of what would happen afterwards.

This Story was about saying to them, yes it was terrifying to come out, and yes there were times that were bloody tough on me and my family...but it did get better and you can just get on with your life and look back and realise how that great weight on your shoulders was a burden that when lost, allows you to truly find happiness.

Initially I think Kent found getting information out of me a bit of a task, afterall much of the territory he was delving was long hidden in the depths of my memory, some bad events I didn't want to revisit....and of course when you have had such a varied life that's taken you across the globe and back, some memories are just hard to dig up;).

I was very fortunate to have a great number of family friends who wanted to talk to Kent about their shared journey with me. I am no saint, I can be as annoying as a mob of crows calling outside your bedroom when your trying to sleep, as inappropriate as a drunk secretary at a Christmas party but l in all I am lucky to have so many great people in my life that put up with all my shortcomings and so grateful that they would speak on camera.

Due to the rather odd life full of twists and turns, many were cut from the final show, after all its a big ask to cram a life of over 30 years into 28 minutes.

I think quite different to many stories Kent has done, mine was unfolding as the camera was shooting and it ha taken some very different turns just in the months since the project started. I have become immersed  in DOGWORLD, training companion animals, search and rescue dogs, narcotics dogs, dealing with in home behavioural issues and travelled to Britain to study new techniques on using dogs to teach dogs...added to this become involved in politics once again and also been elected to the national committee of the Assoc. Pet Dog Trainers.

Leading up to the Story going to Air I have done countless interviews with Radio, some of which are on the site so check them out if you have time, again talking directly to people via this medium allows me to get the message out to people that they are not alone in their trials and tribulations and that life always gets better.

I am so greatful that my favourite Australian Singer and Old Dancing pal Kate Ceberano introdced my Story, she is someone I have great admiration for and herself a person of true conviction and ability beyond the microphone.

Thank you to my family and friends for opening up in this story and Thank You Kent Gordon for telling it in a most honest and sincere manner which even left me teary as the credits rolled and Kate's beautiful voice sang out the words 'Go Your Own Way'....