Reflections on a Bathroom Mirror

The mirror has no preferences. Whoever peers into that pool of light sees a faithful image, albeit laterally inverted. The young boy had looked into the bathroom mirror perhaps a thousand times with casual confidence, but today, the reflection felt surprising and strangely alien. It had to mean something. Thus began a quest that spanned his entire life, filled with many kinds of adventures, both external and internal. His journey crossed continents and led him to explore the deepest places of the mind and heart. It required keen observation and demanded ultimate honesty. Sometimes he stumbled; other times, he rejoiced. Ultimately, his goal was to answer that age-old question: who am I and where do I fit into the scheme of things? This question is everyone’s question, and it suggests that by polishing our own mirrors, we might discover something wholly renewed.

Paul Rigby was born in World War II London. As a child, he spent eight years in Zimbabwe; in 1965, he joined the East London Advertiser as a reporter, a foundation for his interest in journalism and public relations. In 1969, he travelled overlandto Australia and, in 1974, started his own Sydney PR business for IT companies. Paul spent three months at the FindhornFoundation in 1977– 1978 and soon after moved to New Zealandfor 18 months, where he made a first attempt at writing a novel. In 1981, he became a founding member of a rural community near Bellingen, NSW. Later, he moved to Queensland where he ‘put down roots for the first time’. He lives there now, along with his partner, Jane.