6. Lion

Martin married my mother on 25^th August 1990, two days before Martin turned 21 years old. After a short and uneventful stay in St Kilda East, we moved to the newly forming suburb out west. The family budget and youngish lifestyle appeared to match what Laverton had to offer.

Chantelle & I were enrolled at Laverton Park Primary School. The school doesn’t exist anymore since they merged with Laverton Gardens Primary in 1993.

For some reason, Albert Park Primary had put both Chantelle and I way ahead of other students at our new school. I was in Grade 3 and working on stuff I’m sure I did in an earlier grade at our last school. Or maybe the work came natural and I was just taking it in better than others our class.

Whether academic, sporting or any school activity, we both seemed to become leaders amongst our peers. I was Captain of both the Grade 3 & 4 cricket and football teams. I played every sport that came up in interschool sport, including Newcombe. For those that don’t know, Newcombe was a game similar to Volleyball, except you caught the ball and then threw it back over the net. Our school were guns at this game. We had the tenacity to pick out the weak links on the other side and continually throw missiles at them. Harsh, but fair. We were there to win!

My fondest memory of Primary School was definitely joining the school choir with my sister. I loved to sing and so did she. It was something we would stay for after school, just so that we could become better singers. Our choir sang at other schools, shopping centres and even railway stations. We weren’t scared of what other people thought, just happy we could entertain.

The most amazing experience I ever had was singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” solo in front of over 1,000 people at Werribee Centenary Hall. The choir was performing the back up tune while I was out front with aboriginal clap sticks and a super-loud microphone. 

Picture this – me, a 9 year old boy no taller than 4 foot tall, standing on stage in front of a huge crowd, clapping away with those heavy sticks, reaching the extraordinary high notes of that song. I sung with passion, integrity and emotion. Every note released with the utmost care and respect. Not even the sweat pouring from my forehead under the intense stage lights could deter me from giving that performance. It was a couple of minutes in my life that I will always treasure.

When it ended, the crowd roared. You know that feeling when you want to smile but if you do you will cry. That moment when all the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and your entire body is numbed with pride. The cheering was very addictive. It was something I craved. The seed was planted during that particular moment, for a life of achievement and appreciation. I wanted to feel that satisfaction every day of my life. I wasn’t one for mediocrity.

When Mathew was born in July 1991 to brother Beau, who came less than two years earlier, some of the priorities in my life changed. I was now a big brother to three younger siblings. I knew I had to become responsible and a role model and have the time to show love and care for our newest family members. I suppose I had the chance to help condition these kids into achievers and successful people. I wanted to be the big brother that all the other kids were jealous of.

I had to be the best at everything I did, even if I had no natural ability. This was my new attitude, fight and hunger. I strove for perfection in an imperfect world. I had to be competitive, a winner and successful in everything I did. Despite my young age, I wanted to make successes out of every situation. Even a failure was an opportunity to understand the moment, correct it and make the most out of it. Every decision or specific point in life had to be lived to the maximum. I was a very determined and mature kid. It was exhausting and stressful but the conditioning that would pave the way for an amazing life. My faith and belief was that I was going to succeed in whatever I did – no matter what anybody else thought. Lee Peterson had become Lee Schraner and I wasn’t just here to build castles anywhere – I was here to build castles in the air!

The Skyhooks were right. Ego was not a dirty word.

Be sure to login next week for the 7th Chapter of "Nothing to Prove - The Autobiography of Lee James Schraner"