Dominic Bagala 22nd September 1973 - 12th December 2001

Thy day has come, not gone
Thy sun has risen, not set
Thy life is now beyond the reach
of death or change
Not ended - but begun
O Gentle heart!
Hail & farewell

- W. J. Bryan




From Anthony

Dominic, brother of mine, your life was a short one, but one which was richly lived. Our memory of you will not grow weary. Your smile will glow forever, your image forever destined to remain young. Not to be etched with wrinkles of pain, nor the ailments of the aged, your time came sooner and your scars in youth. But like the scars of life, your existence and your
time on earth are indelable in the minds of those who knew you. Those who knew you well knew you had many enriching, happy years in your shortened life before life introduced you to a darker world. You now lie embalmed with the spirit of light and divinity freed of the complexities and struggles of our chaotic world.

I remember some of our many conversations over the years, you often pondered on your place in the world. On a never ending quest to seek out your identity one of your main themes in life was in self-discovery along with your strengths and weaknesses. I think most people would agree when I say that your best strength was your ability to seize life and live it to the fullest. A full life lived in an abbreviated time. You've seen so much, and left your mark in the lives of many. Imprinting the lives of those who knew you with your natural,down to Earth and honest manner. You've seen the world when you traveled to the USA and Italy last year, you've been on cruises and you sure knew how to party. I remember our trips to Kempsey and Forster-Tuncurry with Jack years ago and our fishing trips over the years. We never did catch many did we? Maybe one day I'll catch one just for you.

Amongst some of your traits were things like punctuality, tidiness and order. Remember how the guys used to joke about how meticulously clean and orderly you were. Indeed you left your room spotless before you left our world. Up above the television in your room are some of your awards. Black belts in a few martial arts disciplines. You loved training, you loved martial arts. Self mastery and discipline were high on your list of personal goals.

Sometimes you looked up to me, and sometimes I looked up to you. Especially on fashion, and social matters. You even taught me how to do a Windsor knot. Bottom button undone on the suit jacket, or unbuttoned totally. You knew style, you knew charisma, and you knew how to dress and it showed too. Many girls loved you over the years and many girls cried over you. You also knew how to think and reflect giving you a deeper persona. Your theme was always to live and the exploration of the mystery of life. Somehow this world ran out of options for you and perhaps your mission on Earth complete. You always were strong minded, and you did things your way. You even chose the final script of your life. I know, wherever you are, you are at peace and if heaven was a place like Earth you would already be starting to explore it, to contemplate it and to live in it to the fullest. You now rest in the warm embrace of the great beyond with our grandfathers and a grandmother, late relatives and one of our best friends, Jack. Eventually we
will all return to that place where it all started, and be together again.

In my heart I carry memories from the earliest of childhood to the very recent. I remember as kids we used to play in the farm while mum and dad worked. We learnt from each other, and sometimes we made the same mistakes. Sometimes we'd have intense debates because we were both so passionate on a theme. Sometimes we argued, but it never lasted long. I don't ever remember a time we weren't close. We even moved to Perth together and I remember those early days of Perth as being some of your most purposeful and happiest.

You made many friends there as well and they are shaken with grief by your loss. You loved movies, especially the action packed ones. Remember how we often used to quote Scarface, Tombstone and other favourites? I always knew somewhere there you were seeking answers in self discovery through them, looking at who you were, and wanted to be through the characters around you, both in life and in fiction. Remember the songs? Those amongst your favourites reflected you on many levels. I know, if you were here, you would tell us that you didn't want any "flowery fairy music" for your musical tribute. As a tribute to you, we will play your favourite song as I know you would have wanted, which reflects how you would want us to remember you. You always did love Bon Jovi's music and this track we will play for you, "Blaze of Glory" from one of your favourite movies.

Through your life you would look up to many, in your quest for self discovery, but also, many looked up to you and now that you are gone, your life, a masterpiece of events and memories, is worthy of it's own title.

Generous at soul and loyal at heart, you always stood up for your friends and family and for what you believed in. You were never too busy to give some advice, never too frugal to give someone money, never to afraid to stand up for what you believed in, or for someone you cared about. Never afraid to live life to the fullest. Friendship was effortless for you, honesty was your best friend. You shall never be forgotten.

You made friends easily with your charisma and style. You always knew how to make people laugh and often did. You could take a situation and give it a different perspective. A no nonsense manner was always your preferred approach. One that required a frankness and honesty that was rare to come by. Those who knew you knew that underneath the tough exterior there was the philosophical and contemplative Dominic, who was on a never ending
quest to understand people, himself and our lives, and the great beyond.

The final chapter of your life brought you closer to that place of infinite understanding. I hope you have your answers now.

We will miss you terribly now that you have moved beyond our world.

Rest in peace Dominic.

Brother of mine.



From Mum, Dad, and sister Maria

Dominic, child of ours, after 28 years of raising you, we suddenly have to say goodbye for the last time. Along with your sister, we mourn deeply, but we are guided through it with a beacon of light carrying many memories of your life. Generation after generation shall know you, and through them you will breathe your spirit in the portal of our living world.



From Michael, Shaun, Gabriel and John

Dominic, friend of ours, was our friend and brother. We shared the good times and the bad times but together we overcame many obstacles that life presented to us. Dominic was hard headed and did things his way, sometimes going against our good advice. But that was how Dom was, his way, and it wouldn't have been Dom if he wasn't that way. Dom always tried to help someone, whether he knew them or not. That was just the way Dom was. Always looking out for people. He loved life, his family and his friends and had a unique way of showing it. Dominic would portray himself to a stranger as a vicious tiger but deep down a part of him was like a placid kitten, wanting attention and affection.

Dom loved his job at the Casino and often would share his stories with us of the incidences that occurred. Maybe one of those incidents proved to be fateful. Either way, he did it his way. Dom's life was full of ups and downs, mistakes and successes. Sadly our Dom has left our world. How do we begin to understand what was upsetting him so much that he took this avenue. We would of stuck around for him through thick or thin. We wonder about the causes. We are left stranded with questions. But in the end he did it the way he wanted.

We love you and will miss you immensely. We all hope that you have found the peace and the sanctuary that you were looking for.

On behalf of your best friends Michael, Shaun, Gabriel and John

Goodbye our friend and brother.



From your Cousins

Dominic, cousin of ours.

How do we say goodbye to our cousin well enough to do you justice. Your charm and good looks preceded you, you were our James Dean /Van Damme rolled into one. Your humour, your smile, your pizzazz. Bella De Nonna.

Amongst some of our fondest childhood memories were the many hours at Nonna's house playing hide and seek and the amount of places to hide. What about the memory of this one year, when you were young you decided to slide across the floor with your socks, sunglasses and a cucumber thinking you were Tom Cruise in risky business.

We still remember you in Nonna's kitchen with the tea towel helping clean up after a Nonna meal and laughing.

Your wit was excelling, your heart bigger than most, our good looking cousin who no one could help falling in love with. There is now an irreplaceable void amongst your cousins.

Fond memories of you will live in our hearts forever.

Rest in peace. Dominic






Remembering the life of Dominic Bagala

Introduction by Anthony Bagala

Dominics life was a short one but in that brief time he lived well. His family and friends all have many cherished memories with him. His unique style, strong sense of conviction, social gracefulness and charming ways are etched in our memories. Coming to grips with Dominic's premature departure is difficult for all of us who knew him. No one can truly prepare for the sense of loss. But with this website, along with other avenues of memory and recapitulation, we can honour him, remember him, and have one more taste of the life that was Dominic Bagala. One moment of quiet, fond reflection can sometimes imbue a frequency of spiritual blessing in the suffering of a loss.

Dominic's early days were spent growing up on our family farm where our parents grew flowers for a living and sold them to retail outlets stores. The three of us, Dominic, Maria and myself attended to a world of curiosity living in this strange, rustic old home in Bossely Park. We often amused ourselves exploring our environment of animals, gravely flower beds, a creek which was inhabited by eels, small freshwater fish and ducks and a chicken pen. Many of the first photos in the picture gallery were taken on our home at the farm.

From a very early age Dominic exhibited a social grace. He wasn't overly concerned with the things around him as he was about the people around him and the aspects of society. His strong convictions about those he cares about would often see him tend to someone in trouble. I remember once I got in trouble with a guy from school at the tender age of 9 and who was there to support me? Dominic.

Very soon after starting school he quickly made a lot of friends of whom still surrounded him in one extent or another to the day he died. Michael Caruso, Daniel Ivanak, Shaun Gatt and Jack Alamade to name just a few. Jack sadly passed away in 1995.

Dominic was anti-organisation and anti-institutionalisation from a very early age. His sense of rebelliousness and defiance at any notion of conformity developed early. Some people loved him for it, others debated with him about it. It gave him a unique character trait that sooner or later would capture the affinity of those around him. He also had a strong work ethic and from an early age, while still in high school, he started his work life as a part time sales assistant in a camping and disposal store in Fairfield run by a man he admired immensely that often told him stories of his experiences in Vietnam. What most people didn't know about Dominic was just how much he read and through his reading he developed a keen awareness about the world around him. He was articulate, giving him an elegant rugged charm. In particularly he loved studying about the human condition and behaviours and how it is moulded within various forms of societies and political systems. Dom used to love tackling the issue of corruption in society and the folly of human beings. But he blended this perception with a more silent, unspoken belief that people can be better than their programming and their instincts.

Dom prided himself on his fearlessness and his convictions. It won him respect from his friends and strangers alike. As a teenager his sense of fashion, social graces, good looks and rapport with people manifested more and more as he bought his first car, started to use his apprenticeship income to buy himself a wardrobe and experienced Sydney's nightlife. Every night out with Dominic proved to be an adventure of some type. Some of those adventures will comfort us in vivid memory for the rest of our lives.

Dominic loved martial arts and undertook no less than 4 disciplines. A couple of them were formal academy disciplines, the other two he trained with a mentor and friend, Jericho, in Jerichos personal set up at home.

He loved fishing too when they were biting. I fondly remember the days back in 1989 when Jack, Dominic and myself used to venture out to Port Kembla in the wee hours of the morning to try our luck. Those days didn't produce a lot of fish but they sure produced a lot of great memories. I recall the time Dominic caught his 2 large Rock Blackfish at the jetty in Jervis Bay. He was so excited about catching those fish. As soon as we returned home we pulled the camera out and laid out the fish on the table.

Dominic decided that his apprenticeship didn't offer him the kind of life he wanted so he moved onto crowd controlling and applied for security work for the new Sydney Harbour Casino with the original recruitment of staff for the opening days. For a few years he enjoyed his work until a very controversial brawl happened in the foyer section of the Casino which caused serious set backs for Dominic who endured a nervous breakdown. A few years later Dominic and I moved to Perth in June 1999. In the few months that he lived in Perth, Dominic made many friends, all of whom were sad to see him return to Sydney in September of that same year. Occasionally, through out the next couple of years he returned for extended stays.

On the morning of Dominic's passing no one would of suspected what destiny was to pervade over all our lives. Only a few hours beforehand, he was enjoying a few laughs over the movie Liar Liar, featuring Jim Carrey, which he has seen quiet a few times now. He even called our mother over to watch a few scenes in the movie with him that he found particularly funny. He exclaimed "Oh this is such a funny movie, no matter how may times I watch it, I always crack up laughing"

</b> Some facts about Dominic </b>

Name: Domenico Bagala
Date of Birth: 22 September 1973
Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia
Favourite Movies: Young Guns, Tombstone, Scarface, Snatch, Matrix, Get Shorty, Liar Liar, Wrong Bet, Braveheart, Fight club, Casino, Goodfellas.
Pastimes: Martial arts, gym, hunting, fishing, movies, reading.
Favourite Foods: Lasagne, Pizza, Bacon and Eggs.
Favourite reads: Philosophy and the great philosophers, Psychology, Human Performance, Inspiration/Self Help.
Cars Owned: Holden Commodore VL, an old Ford Cortina that got stolen, Hyundai Coupe.
Highlights: A great 21st birthday party which will always be remembered
His trip to Perth in 1995 (doing the Walpole Tree tops walk and Bunjee jumping)
His holiday to the US and Rome in 2000
His trip to Queensland (Bungee jumped there as well)
His party cruise with friends from work
Getting his black belt
Buying his brand new Hyundai Coupe
Moving to Perth and the drive over
First couple of months in Perth

Misfortunes in the past: Being accidentally burned on his legs at 3 by a stray can of petrol being thrown
being hit by a car in his high school years by a P driver
playing chicken with his friend. He sustained a fractured rib
having a car stolen from him a few days after buying it which was uninsured
that horrible Casino incident
With the rest of his close friends, dealing with the passing away of Jack

Things that Dom wanted as he got older but seldomly spoke of: To find that perfect woman and have kids some day
To buy a motor bike
To see the world

Dom's Work Life: Attainment of Trade Certificate in Fitting and Machining
Attainment of the Close Personal Protection (Bodyguard) Course
Attainment of the Police Accredited Security Long Baton & Handcuffing Course
Attainment of Revolver and Semi-Auto Pistol Accreditation
Attainment of Occupational Health and Safety Certificate
2000 - 2001: Marconi - Crowd Controller
August 1995 - 2000: Sydney Harbour Casino Star City - Senior Security Officer
March 1995 - August 1995 - Atkins Carlisle Scruttons - Sales Representative Customer Service
March 1993 - March 1995: Dept. of Community Services (W.S.D.D.S) -Apprentice Fitter And Machinist
December 1990 - October 1992: Voest Alpine Mining and Tunnelling - Apprentice Fitter and Machinist
1990 - Lenehan , Lynton , Bloom , Blaxland Market Research - Office Clerk
1988-1990 - Fairfield Disposals and Camping Supplies - Sales Assistant Part-Time



Quote from Dominic's journal

"And in the end, it is not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

"If you don't believe in something strongly enough to risk your life for it, then you don't believe in it at all" - Dominic Bagala



"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Anna Eleanor Roosevelt

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. In this life we get nothing save by effort."- Theodore Roosevelt

"The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed." - Buddha

"The man who fears no truths has nothing to fear from lies." - Sir Francis Bacon

"One of the things which danger does to you after a time is, well, to kill emotion. I don't think I shall ever feel anything again except fear. None of us can hate anymore - or love. - Graham Greene - The Confidential Agent (1939)

"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." - Marcus Aelius Aurelius (121-180 AD), Roman emperor, philosopher

"The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear & get a record of successful experiences behind you. Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." - William Jennings Bryant (1860-1925), Writer, essayist, critic

"The free man is he who does not fear to go to the end of his thought." - Leon Blum

"Life is a corrupting process from the time a child learns to play his mother off against his father in the politics of when to go to bed; he who fears corruption fears life." - Saul Alinsky

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me & through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." - Frank Herbert, Dune

"Hope & fear are inseparable. There is no hope without fear, nor any fear without hope." - François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - St. Paul & Timothy - Philippians 4:6

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power & of love & of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

"Failure is not the worst thing in the world, The very worst is not to try." - Anonymous

"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." - Eddie Rickenbacker

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us." - Nelson Mandella

"You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us." - Nelson Mandella

"Do what you fear & fear disappears. - David Joseph Schwartz

"Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly." - Robert H. Schuller

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." - John Wooden

"The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others & hesitate to tell the truth that is in us & from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light & life no longer flow into our souls." - Exodus 23:20

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Chinese Proverb

"For all sad words of tongue & pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'." - John Greenleaf Whittier

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Sir Winston Churchill

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American writer, philosopher, poet, essayist Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Character cannot be developed in ease & quiet. Only through experience of trial & suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired & success achieved." - Helen Keller

"Until the pain of remaining the same hurts more than the pain of change, most people prefer to remain the same." - Dr. Richard D. Dobbins

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." - Isiah 26:3

"What this power is I cannot say; All I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it." - William Shakespeare

"It is meant that noble minds keep ever with their likes; for who so firm that cannot be seduced." --William Shakespeare

"Those that are good manners at the court are as ridiculous in the country, as the behaviour of the country is most mockable at the court." --William Shakespeare

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." --Albert Einstein,

"I will prepare, and some day my chance will come. " - Abraham Lincoln

"If a man hasn't found anything he will die for he isn't fit to live" - Unknown

"What's the difference between a hero and a coward? Nothing. They're both afraid of getting hurt or dying, but it's what the hero does that makes him a hero, and what the coward doesn't do that makes him a coward." - Unknown





Excerpts from Dominic's Journal

25 February 2000

Opening journal

Scars

'A scar, according to The Macquarie Dictionary, is "the mark left by a healed wound". I have those plenty but this story, my story, is not about those types of scars. This story is, or could be, your story. Anyone's really. The bum on the street you walked past today, the person behind you in traffic, the guy next door. This story is about the scars left in my psyche. Scars that you or I or anyone for that fact doesn't get to see. So I am going to tell you what they look like. Who knows, you might learn something. You will hopefully be able to tell your story too. Unlike so many others that suffer at the hands of fate in quiet desperation without ever letting others know of their scars. Maybe, in a way, that is what my goal with this book is. Who knows?

Well this is it. My story. No glamour, no bullshit, no unnecessary vocabulary for the ordinary person to navigate. Just my story as I see it in my words. Maybe this will be published, maybe not. Either way doesn't matter.

At the tender age of 26 I have suffered at the hands of negligence mostly due to the ignorance not malice which I am slowly coming to terms with, not without my fits of anger, resentment and a touch of bitterness. I have at this tender age, on the 25th of February 2000, decided to put my story down on paper maybe as therapy. Maybe because deep down it may appeal to, and even help, others in similar or worse situations or maybe just out of pure desperation to get my point out to the rest of the world.'



14 March 2000

'Yes anyone, you, a loved one or friend the system does have many flaws, many flaws and it can not be relied on. You must take your life in your own hands and to have the courage to make what you can of it even when it is completely unjust. Don't sit back and take it, do not become a statistic make bold loud moves even if it means backlash and possibly a thousands of set backs. I can guarantee this book will be refused by many hundreds of publishers, but I will find someone insightful and brave enough to publish it. Just one brave move can change the world literally. I mean people like Mahatma Gained was one man that collapsed and entire unjust empire, equally as brilliant was Nelson Mandala. If these men did these amazing feats then I believe that one bold and brave move like getting this book published then the taught and bad reviews buy a few people with less vision and soul than the one individual with a definite purpose, the purpose of the individual is all the more rewarding.

I remember a quote "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Confucius
These are the types of people of have had the privilege to learn from because of the incident in my hours, days, months and now years of depression, anxiety and loneliness I have had the privilege of reading and understanding these writing. Enjoying the brilliance of their brilliance because of the incident I have discovered a side of my self that I never knew existed. A writer, a philosopher, a student of life of courage and of beauty. If the people I knew while growing up ever read this they will have trouble believing it is me. So I suppose the message here is that no matter how dark everything seems, with courage faith, and the everlasting love of god you can turn any crisis into an opportunity. An opportunity to grow, to appreciate, to expand your mind and most of all to share. Share your experience your understanding your insights with others this would be the greatest gift you could ever give your self and humankind.'

23 March 2000

'Do I want to die? no I do not. Live normally with some sort of peace of mind and at least some happiness even if it is only every once and a while instead of continues torture and uncertainty. I have given up believing tomorrow is a new day as I used to say ever day through out the past two years. I now feel that I am truly at the end of my rope and if god does not take me soon he must really hate me. If you have a decent job, a good women, a little bit of happiness and your physical and mental health you are an incredibly rich person. I used to have some of these things and did not consider my self rich now that I look back I would give anything to turn it around. I feel as though I am already dead and have no idea how much longer I can keep this life up. I am 26 years old, I could be your son, I could be your friend, I could be your neighbour, nephew your work mate I could be u one day. Think carefully about how lucky you are how much you have. If you do know love appreciate it as a gift from god if you have your health your the wealthiest man alive if you have peace of mind you are in heaven.

Myself my friends the people I know we are the part of society not seen. We are the middle-class,the grassroots, we make up your statistics fill your factories, do your gardens, lay you carpet,take out your garbage we serve your food, cook it. We are the back bone of society and we are weakening suffering. We suffer at the hands of unjust laws very poor treatment. Underhanded rich people,criminals and we have no rights, not to protect ourselves or speak out. The system is designed in this country unfortunately to fatten the pockets of the unscrupulous and underhanded and to live off the sweat of the poor. In what ever way you try to justify it to yourself as you try to sleep, don't sleep because that is the cold hard truth of the matter. If you are doing nothing to help others like me or anyone underprivileged in some way you are responsible for the suffering on this planet and that I believe is an unchangeable truth. I think it was Princess Diana that quoted "the best way for evil to prevail is for good men and women to do nothing ".

If you are not helping the system get better, to become more just, fair or improving it, then your making it worse and us the grassroots can only take so much. We are the back bone of society of the system. Once the back bone is broken the body is useless. You think about that the next time you judge, or treat someone badly, or take advantage of someone. If you do feel what I am writing you are committing the worst crime of all crimes, ignorance.'

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