I have possibly said this (or something similiar) on this blog before but I want to say it again as it is important. There really is not enough support in this country, probably the world, for people who have a mental illness and their carers.

This morning I attended a breakfast and a talk put on by ARAFMI (the association of relatives and friends of the mentally ill) and I was very moved. I go along to these things sometimes. My bosses let me go to “network”. I really do hate networking but I do think it is important to get out there and hear people’s stories. I think sometimes I get so involved in what I am doing that I forget about the bigger picture. I think I also forget how much stigma there is about mental illness. Obviously working in this area almost everyone I associate with is pretty educated on the issues and most of my “lefty” friends are too so it suprises me to hear stories of such prejudice.

So I will finish this by saying some things that address some of the stigmas I heard people facing this morning. Probably most of the people who read this blog will know but just in case.

1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime.
People receiving treatment for a mental illness are no more violent or dangerous than the average population.
There is no definitive answer on what causes mental illness so people who have one are not necessarily drug users or their parents did not necessarily abuse them.
Schizophrenia is not the same as pyschopath.
Mental illness is an illness, like cancer or diabetes. It does not indicate fault or weakness on the part of the person who has it.

Not a very original title but appropriate for the day. So it’s finally happened. Today the PM of Australia said sorry to the Stolen Generation. It was a moving moment. I have to confess I did cry. When I woke up this morning and looked out the window at the pouring rain and I very nearly stayed in bed but then I had sense that today history was to be made and I wanted to be there. So I got up and went to Martin Place and stood there in the rain with Carlyn and an old friend from Rough Edges who is indigenous and watch after many years of wishing for this moment Kevin Rudd say the word sorry.

I’m excited! Not because (as many have stated) an apology in itself can bring about reconciliation or close the enormous gaps between indigenous and non indigenous people but because without it, we can not even really start. I also thought it was a good apology from Kevin Rudd, respectful and honest. I heard that he spent hours with members of the Stolen Generation just listening to their stories and it showed. I like the fact that we have a PM who listens. It was a shame that this was not mirrored by Brendan Nelson whose speech was completely disrespectful, inappropriate and plain down right rude. However I am not going to let that ruin the moment. I would like to think in 100 years people will remember today. That they will remember the thousands, perhaps millions who gathered around in public and private places to apologise for the horrendous way that we, as a nation, have treated our indigenous people. And they will remember Kevin Rudd’s words and not those of the opposition leader. So I with the PM and others say sorry again to the aboriginal people of Australia and let’s hope that this will be the beginning of some big changes.

“You do right in grieving for your sin. However, I advise you to grieve moderately. For you must believe that God’s power to forgive is greater than your power to sin.” Brother Giles

If you have not already read it on Tom’s blog you can read it here. As of last night the community house has 60 days to find a new home or we will be out on the street searching for people who would like to have us in theirs. Our landlady has decided to terminate us. On the termination form there are a number of boxes that give different reasons why one would do this. They say things such as “doesn’t pay rent” or “property damage”. There is also the no grounds box which is what she has ticked. It appears she is kicking us out for no reason. We think the reason is she wants more money but I guess she can not say that.

We have been thinking about the possibility of moving since she hiked the rent up on us and at least this makes the decision for us. We have looked at a couple of houses but we haven’t found anything that is ideal. However after last nights termination we are no longer able to hold out for the perfect house so we decided that we would go for the one we looked at the other day. It’s no guarantee but Matt’s agency is renting it out and he thinks he may be able to get us a good deal. It is still quite expensive though and very posh. It appears that Martin and I will have a walk in wardrobe and ensuite. Ryan says we have officially graduated from huppies to yuppies. Part of me is very excited about it, the other part is kind of uncomforatble and hoping it will fall through. Our furniture is going to look quite out of place.

I’m going to miss Simmons St, I’ll miss being 2 mins from the coolest pub ever, 3 mins from the yummiest thai ever and 5 mins from the station and King Street; I’ll miss our neighbours (Amber, Duncan and baby Electra on the right; the jazz playing, pot smoking, young guys on the left; the greek man across the road who is forever washing his car and Trish next door to him who is forever walking her dog), I’ll miss the people who drop by who probably won’t anymore now that we are 20 mins walk away rather than 5; I’ll miss the balcony; and I guess I’ll miss the general vibe that’s been established there.

On the other hand I will not miss the smelly kitchen; the bathrooms that are dirty again one minute after you clean them; the sloping backyard and of course having to deal with the land lady. And I am hopeful that we can create some kind of community in the new one. It is much bigger so there will be less squashing for community dinner and perhaps we’ll find others to drop by. It is closer to Glebe so maybe some people from church will come.

So come and visit us. As Tom says we’ll all be so poor from the paying so much rent we won’t be going out much. It’s big, there’s a projector and we might even let you use our spa bath.

I don’t think my interview is going to show up. That is the second one in a row. It is very annoying. I mean there is no way people would just not show up to a job interview. I think people think because it is volunteer work it doesn’t matter. That attitude annoys me. I mean just ring.

It must be the January thing. I have had so much initial interest this month. 21 enquiries, that’s the most I have ever had but not a lot of follow through. I guess people make new years resolutions to volunteer but then by the end of January they have given up.

I have another interview at 6.30pm. I think I am going to go and ring her to make sure she shows up. I would be very angry if I stayed behind and she didn’t come.

Another very fun weekend. Every weekend is a long weekend for me so that was no different but it is good when everyone else has a long weekend too so I can hang out with them.

Started on Friday. Took the afternoon off to go and hang with Jemma. We drank tea, ate food, sat in the park, bought undies and talked and talked. It is so wonderful to have her home again even if she is going to be living in Merrylands. In the evening we hung out in Enmore. We had Anna Thai with Tom, David, Matt, Cara and Martin and then went for ice cream. Jem wanted to be in Newtown so we sat outside Newtown Mission and ate our ice creams. There were some buskers playing so Martin made us all do some dancing. This quickly turned into charades and then bum charades. It was one of the funniest things I have done in a long time. It was also quite community-ish. Other peoeple would join in for a round and try and guess and then Martin’s work friends who were on their way home joined in too. You’ll all be very suprised to hear me say that I love community.

Saturday was Australia Day. Like others I often feel a bit awkward on Australia. On one hand I like Australia and think that there is often good will expressed on these kind of days as people gather together and feel grateful. On the other hand there is a lot I don’t like about Australia and we have seen the more nasty expressions of patriotism (I almost find myself shudder everytime I see someone wearing an Aussie flag). Not to mention there is the uncomfort around us celebrating a day which for indigenous Australians is usually not a time of celebration rather mourning. So on Saturday I, with Cara, Martin and Jemma went along to the Botantic Gardens to watch a smoking cermony put on by the local indigenous community. It was early in the morning so I was a bit chuffed I managed to get up and it was worth it. There was much song and dance and smoking. It felt like the sort of thing I wanted to do on Australia Day. In the afternoon I went to Gowies Roadworker BBQ. It was a nice, quiet celebration there and much fun was had.

From the Gowies Martin and I headed to Gerroa. Gerroa is about 10 mins South of Kiama. It was a long drive but so worth it. It is such an amazingly, beautiful place. We went there as Kat and Tom from church invited us to spend the weekend with them. Kat’s parens live there so we were staying in their home. Thankfully not much was done there really either. Just sitting around looking over the water, going for swims and walks, eating, talking and playing music. It was best at night as I lay in bed and listened to the waves crashing on the shore. It is one of my favourite sounds. We also got to see some Aussie Day fireworks. They were simple but nice. I liked them.

I also went to visit Jess in Wollongong and went to her church. It was good to catch up and get some more girl time. Now that my life is quite boyey I always enjoy that. Not a bad service either. The complete opposite to St Johns and not really my quiet meditative style but I think it is good to do things sometimes that aren’t our style as to explore all ways to communicate and worship God. I found myself enjoying others enjoyment of God.

So praise God for a great weekend.

I have changed my day off from Tuesday to Monday. This is good for a couple of reasons but by the time I get to Friday I am very tired. Not used to working four days in a row. I guess all of you people out there who work five days every week don’t have much sympathy but that’s okay, I’m not looking for sympathy.

I was looking forward to going for a swim but boy oh boy is it wet. I just walked up to Chatswood Chase, which is only two blocks from my office, I had an umbrella but I still got soaked. Although I could still go, I mean I am going to get wet anyway aren’t I and as I have said I always feel so much better when do.

Not much planned for this weekend. On Sunday we are going to a friend’s from church’s place for lunch and a swim in her pool, but apart from that nothing. Hopefully I can get some West Wing in too. Only five (I think) episodes to go and then it’s all over. How very sad, lucky Cara bought Seachange over to me last weekend…

Yay. Martin got his P’s today. Now he can drive all his on lonesome.

Back in June 2007, I wrote a post about a website called “What is Stephen Harper reading?” Yann Martel, a Canadian author is sending a book to the PM Stephen Harper each fortnight in an effort to encourage his stillness. On the site you can read the letter that accompanies each book. The letters he writes and the descriptions of the book are fantastic. He has such a unique way of looking at things. It is very inspiring. I don’t know if he has succeeded with the PM but he has certainly encouraged my stillness. And one of my first resolutions for this year is to try to be even stiller. Anyway, here is a quote from one of his letters:

“The great thing about reading books is that it makes us better than cats. Cats are said to have nine lives. What is that compared to the girl, boy, man, woman who reads books? A book read is a life added to one’s own. So it takes only nine books to make cats look at you with envy.

And I’m not talking here only of “good” books. Any book—trash to classic—makes us live the life of another person, injects us with the wisdom and folly of their years. When we’ve read the last page of a book, we know more, either in the form of raw knowledge—the name of a gun, perhaps—or in the form of greater understanding. The worth of these vicarious lives is not to be underestimated. There’s nothing sadder—or sometimes more dangerous—than the person who has lived only his or her single, narrow life, unenlightened by the experience, real or invented, of others.”

I do not blog very well in the holidays. Perhaps when I am not at work or studying I am less inclined to sit at the computer. Anyway back at work today. Still very quiet as no one else is around. Good time to blog I suppose.

Holiday went according to plan. We went to Tamworth for four days over Christmas but apart from that I don’t think I went further than half an hour from the house. I read a lot, watched some West Wing and a few movies, went to the beach, visited some friends and drank coffee. Bliss. Although as much as I didn’t want to come back to work it is probably a good thing I did. Too much of that and I would become very lazy.

I am feeling pretty good about 2007, twas a fun year despite quite few challanges. Things that stand would be:

Attending the youth leadership camp and making a new very good friend
Jemma going to Mexico
Getting a more attractive blog
Celebrating our second wedding anniversary at Wiseman’s Ferry
Travelled around Argentina, Bolivia and Peru
Caught up with old friends and family in Peru. Met my new niece
Gemma goes to Melbourne
Mum and Keith go to Alice
Attended my first confernece for work
Maggie (my dog) died
Went to Alice to visit mum and Keith’s new house. Did my prac at Kaltukatjara
I finished uni
Jo left for Guatamala
Kevin Rudd became the new PM of Australia
We moved into Jo’s room
Matt moved in

However, while these things stand out I do not think that they are what made it 2007 for me. Rather it was the constant conversations, prayers, books, swims, dinners, pancakes, BBQ’s, movies, kisses, hugs, random adventures and other ordinary things that happen in a year. I am looking forward to more of this in 2008.