General Douglas MacArthur, a formidable US Army general, built a strong relationship with legendary Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin during the Second World War.

When the Japanese attacked the far east, General MacArthur, stationed in the Philippines, was ordered to leave just before the country fell to the enemy.

At a train station in South Australia, he was appointed Supreme Commander of the South-West Pacific Area and so began a strong relationship with Australia and its people.

General MacArthur had movie star looks and was charismatic and charming.

He was a John Wayne-style character from Little Rock in the US state of Arkansas, often pictured in a bomber jacket with a pipe and aviator sunglasses.

When stationed in Australia the people adored him as a celebrity as much as a wartime hero and leader.

It was the glamorous US that Australians looked to for inspiration and cultural cues to ensure they were en pointe back in the day.

General McArthur was military royalty having graduated with various honours from West Point.

It is often argued that during this time the Australian federal government ceded too much power to the US and General MacArthur, but that debate is for another time.

And while General MacArthur is famous for his role as a commander during war time, he is also famous for an expression that you may not attribute to him.

'Rules were meant to be broken' is a phrase commonly heard, however, it is far from General MacArthur's full quote:

"Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind," he said.

A few years ago, a great mate of mine told me to "hide the I" in my writing - a journalistic technique to remove any question of bias or writing that could be considered self-indulgent.

Fortunately, and with all due respect, I am not a journalist.

Further, I feel that rule should be broken far more regularly to ensure I say what I think, particularly when I am blessed to have a platform and audience.

Self-indulgence scares the life out of me, but I do have a responsibility not to waste words.

There is a famous author whose famous line penned from first-person perspective reinforces the power of an individual response with its poignancy rarely more relatable than during recent weeks.

"It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived." wrote Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird.

In recent weeks, acts of bravery have dominated our news feeds along with a deplorable act of bastardry with the unjust declaration of war on Ukraine by Russia.

But in slight contrast to Harper Lee's poignant sentence regarding the father not participating in wars, the bravery of Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is never in question.

Remarkably, the former comedian, winner of Dancing with the Stars, and the Ukrainian voice who dubbed the Paddington movies is now a presidential war leader whose courage and guidance has been recognised the world over.

His calm, considered, yet assertive, brave and determined manner regularly broadcast via social media channels, has propelled him into the role of world leader with more ability to cut through than the President of the US and the North American Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General.

The Russian invasion has impacted us all.

Children speak of Russian President, Vladimir Putin and war and the terrifying scenes of hospital neo-natal wards in basement bomb shelters coupled with the carnage caused to innocent civilians because of regions constantly in dispute.

There has never been a more important time to speak with young people about the conflict and tragedy both on our doorstep and in parts of the world that are difficult to comprehend and understand.

Amazing acts of bravery have been on display closer to home across Queensland and northern New South Wales.

A one-in-one-thousand-year flood, difficult to comprehend in reference to such a period, has devastated and overwhelmed our nation with daily death and destruction fed to live crosses and continuous coverage ensuring that we are all fully aware.

There have been stories of rescues and the willingness to make quick, yet calculated, decisions to save the lives of others, with helicopters and boats and kayaks and jet skis employed to liberate humans and save thousands of head of livestock hopelessly trapped because of rising flood waters.

Of course, there are celebrities who have acted quickly and been photographed in the process, much like General MacArthur during World War II, however, there are thousands of individuals and groups who have stepped up to make a difference.

I hope that their bravery is recognised more than any others.

And while we must ensure perspective is employed in writing style, there is far more important perspective to be kept because of the privileged lives we lead even when war and floods and the death of legendary Australian Test Wicketkeeper, Selector, and highly successful Cricket Academy coach, Rod Marsh impact our days.

It's all about perspective.