Jan 2008

Peace is Here!

According to Harvey!

24.01.2008 13 °C

Last year, a 42 year old Irishman, walked 4,000 miles across Australia, claiming that Peace is here. To make it even more bizarre, when you discover that he pushed an empty wheelchair all the way, carrying ‘Harvey’ his invisible friend. This Dubliner was not raising money for this adventure, he was 'testing the boundaries of imagination' as he would put it. You will see quickly that this is not your average long distant walker.

The story comes from the experiences of a lateral thinking, disabled, brain damaged, Mr Frank Muldowney. He was a talented artist during his school years, who thrived on visual detail, but at 19 years old in 1985 he suffered from a brain haemorrhage, leaving him with speech, visual and comprehension problems. His art career seemed to be over but in time Mr Muldowney describes his disabilities as ‘a blessing in disguise’, as to him noting is really bad or good, it depends on how you look at it. Over the years he became a part time comedian or impressionist, focuses on perception in all parts of life.

Mr Muldowney spent time in therapy in 1985-87, to improve his speech and comprehension. He got involved with charity walks for the MS Society, raising funds for MS sufferers, but also built up Frank’s health and confidence. He was in Roslyn Park College being trained in, with other disabled people for 2 years, to fit into society and find employment. Frank's instincts lead him to a different path and after getting a job in the local Credit Union, in his spare time he returned to focus on his own imaginative artistic skills. He created a character which he adopted from the 1950's eponymous classic film 'Harvey', who he aimed to use as the centre of attention to express his own philosophy about peace, through an unending journey, a film and the media. This was his dream, with the intention to question the mind-set, that peace will never happen.

Harvey was reborn - Happy Frank

Imagination, is the centre of Frank's philosophy, which confirms his own beliefs from Albert Einstein's quote - “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the entire world”
“I was depressed soon after the operation in 85’", said Frank, "and by chance an empty wheelchair was parked beside my bed. I felt my dreams now have a better chance of becoming real in that wheelchair than me. That got me thinking, all dream are invisible but can be turned into reality, through faith, personal belief and actions. I didn't know how, but I new in time I had to do something about this empty wheelchair and it's meaning."

NBN 6 O'Clock News, New South Wales

He continues, “In my life, I learned that the universal dream is, the desire for peace. I spent time thinking, what exactly is ‘war' and 'peace'. Through years of travelling, I believe that War and Peace are not actually real, more a personal feeling or perception, but not something real that can be seen or bought. War, to me, is the human feeling of fear, and peace is a feeling, of one living happily. How can anyone create a peaceful world who is unhappy. I knew one must have the feeling of peace, to have a concept of what a peaceful world would be like. I decided to "feel peace" in myself, in my thoughts, attitudes and belief. It did not take long to actually feel peace in my heart, through my own imaginations an feelings. It was incredible. Anyone can experience this feeling, by thinking of one of the best times of your own life, then focus on that memory. The more one does it, the more one experiences a real feeling of inner peace and ones own perception of the world changes with it. Peace to me, is a personal feeling deep in your soul, that cannot be seen and cannot be taken from you. So I do not see conflict, political or military actions creating solutions to peace, when in fact it is only the individual who can create peace in him or herself."

"I had deep hatred in myself, about many things, disability, human rights, poverty, injustice, mass murder, the list was getting longer. The wisdom of people of the past, eventually cured me over time. Those who do not hate anyone, have the key, as they would say ' It you hate someone, then you have to carry that hate with you. If you are brave enough to forgive, then you will be at peace."
"If I decide to be unhappy because of my disabilities, or to live in fear by war or terrorism, then that is my misfortune, I then live in a world of war. If I however decide to live as happily as I can and forgive those I used to hate, then I am at peace and I can spread my happiness to others. I am now, no longer in that wave of fear or hate and I am creating my own wave of peace, going in the other direction."

The inspirational figures of Frank's life "Their dreams live on through our imaginations, through Harvey"

Consider that one day, Mr Frank Muldowney was unemployed living on a disability benefit. He got a job, saved as much he could, flew to one of the biggest countries in the world, picked up a wheelchair, assembled a team and walked across Australia. He ended up appearing on national television, radio and newspapers, met the Irish Ambassador and the Dalai Lama at a press conference in Canberra. Is this what happens when you live a dream? “I followed my heart, to see is it true that dreams can become real by living them. As soon it started, things changed around me and now I have the words to express myself which I did not have before. I know how really lucky I am, however it takes courage to live a dream and the benefits after is, inner peace and contentment.”

On the road pushing Harvey with the back up team blocking traffic! - Frank introducing Harvey to the Irish Ambassador in Canberra.

Frank is now resting in Dublin, with ‘Harvey’ of course. His next journey is from Dublin to Belfast, hopefully soon this summer, a walk of celebration for the peace that was achieved in Ireland last year. He is planning to make a documentary of the short walk which Frank believes is a pilgrimage of peace, joining the 2 capitals together in peace. Belfast will not be his last walk, as he intends to continue the walk to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and ending in London. He has admitted his ultimate goal is to make a comedy documentary as Frank walks with Harvey, through Israel, India and Pakistan, making friends on both sides, leaving those with hate to ponder.

An Taoiseach giving Frank an award in 1998 - Completing his walk around Ireland in 1993 with the Dublin Lord Mayor

Press conference April 12th 2007. The day when Journalists of the Canberra Times introduce Frank, Nathan and Harvey to the smiling and curious Dalai Lama.