Wednesday, December 26, 2012

FAITH

Hi there readers. On the 21st December 2012 there was a prediction that the world would end. I found this fascinating, not because it was predicted via a Mayan prophecy, but because I had no idea that the world was about to end. I only found out recently that this particular date had more than one special moment.

A few weeks prior to the 21 December 2012, I did hear that an incredible shift in spiritual energy would occur on this day and that 11.11am was the most powerful moment that this energy would enter our world. This news got me excited. I have spent many years communing with nature, meditating and healing myself and others using the energy that I have inherited that lies within. I have never questioned this because I just know that it exists. Now I know you are all going to ask me the question 'how is it possible that as an academic I could believe that an energy that is not tangible nor physically visible exist?' Its a valid question and I am not sure that I am able to answer this question, because some things just are. There are no explanations, there are no scientific measurements or proof of life type of evidence. Sometimes there just is.

Now I know that is a little difficult for some people to understand, but you see sometimes you just have to accept what is, without analysis and have faith that it is there. 

The interesting thing to add to this debate is that my faith in the universe to deliver what ever I need to meet my requirements during this life comes to me with ease. For example prior to the 21 December, 2012 a colleague, who has become a friend, asked me to take a ride somewhere (she wasn't sure where) to meditate with her on the 21 December 2012. At first I hesitated because I have been so busy being academic that I have not meditated in the nature setting for over 2 years. I have meditated in doors, however I have not been consistent due to the pressure of academic responsibilities and timelines to deliver. My hesitation only lasted a few seconds, then I agreed. We worked out that we would take a ride to Margaret River on the day in question and meditate and commune with nature. However, over the next few weeks, things got extremely tense within my employment space and we where both a little unsure as to whether the plan to meditate would actually eventuate.

After a little bit of tension we got together over coffee and agreed that we would keep to the plan and make one exception, that we would change the venue. Despite the tension that was happening within our workplace my friend and I had overcome the challenges and managed to agree to another place closer to home that met her needs rather than mine, for I never plan anything to such a degree. Generally I say yes and head off into the wide blue yonder with absolutely no idea where, when or how. I do this a lot because I love the surprise that the universe provides me when I reach the destination. Now having said that the only thing that we planned was that we would take food and that we would head to Guilderton. It was the best plan ever. When we arrived we were spiritually guided (some call this instinct) to the perfect spot to commune with nature, meditate in peace and quiet and listen to the sounds of the universe. It was amazing with incredible results. Now the most interesting thing about this journey was that I, who has been very caught up in the earthly plane of existence had rebalanced myself on the day in question , reconnected with my ancestors (one in particular who has walked beside me for many many years), my spirit guides and angels, and it felt wonderful to be alive. In my quest for academia I had forgotten to maintain my spirituality in the way that my ancestors had taught me. I will from now on maintain what has been gifted to me for it was the most incredibly joyous moment of rebirth that I have had in a long time.

I write this as a thank you to the universe.

Now the prophecy was interpreted to say that the world would end on the 21 December 2012. As you all know nothing tangible or visible actually happened to end the world. However, what if the prophecy is interpreted too literally or misinterpreted? I ask this question because after the experience that I had on the day in question and the ongoing experiences that I am now having since that day, I can honestly say that the world ended as we know it. There is a different energy around me and within me and if you let go of the earthly world of existence and FEEL the energy of nature you will FEEL the unseen, you too will FEEL what I am FEELING. Spiritual energy is a FEELING, it is not something that is measurable, although some modern day scientists are saying that spiritual energy may be measurable. My understanding of spiritual energy is that it is a FEELING! I have total faith in this feeling and as a rule I generally act on these FEELINGS because I know that these FEELINGS are guiding me in the direction that I need to take. 

Here is an example of a FEELING that I received recently and acted on. On the 23 December 2012 I was walking from my kitchen to my room. On the way to my room there is a long thin cupboard near a wall that we call the 'stuff' cupboard. The kids nicknamed it the 'stuff' cupboard because everyone drops their 'stuff' on it as they walk from the kitchen to their bedrooms. The 'stuff' cupboard had the beginnings of wrapped Christmas gifts piling on top of it. As I walked past the 'stuff' cupboard I suddenly turned and headed straight towards it because out of the corner of my eye I had noticed a book laying open with the pages face down. The book was obviously very well read and worn. The title of the book was visible. Suddenly I had the most intense FEELING of sheer excitement and could not believe what I was seeing.The book was 'The Secret'. Now I had watched the DVD of 'The Secret' when it first came out and opted not to read the book. I had forgotten all about it since it's initial run into the open market because at the time I did not find it interesting. Yet here it was in my living room on the 'stuff' cupboard, laying open and shouting at me 'READ ME' and I had a FEELING of sheer excitement. I looked around to see who was coming to claim it, then I realised I was the only one home. I picked it up and began reading it. I took it to my room, made myself comfortable on my bed and began reading. The interesting thing about this event is not the book itself but the FEELING of sheer joy that I had when I first saw this book and the FEELING of urgency to read the book. I have not questioned where the book came from, although my 'fly girl' was looking for it, not because she was avidly reading it, but because one of her dearest friends had loan her the book to read and she thought she had lost it. I told her that I had it and may I please finish reading it. She sort of grunted at me whilst turning her lip up and nodding her head to the side which I interpreted as 'yeah sure'. I have read the book. 

Interesting story but what does it have to do with the prophecy and my experience on the 21 December 2012? Good question. Since the day in question I have been receiving positive FEELINGS that are so strong and intense that I am acting on these positive FEELINGS and experiencing incredible results. I have no idea why I was asked to read 'The Secret' but what I do know is that I FEEL really excited about it. And that excitement is still with me. 'The Secret' is about FEELINGS and positive thoughts that we emit in the form of energy. If we emit positive thoughts that makes us FEEL good then we receive good things back. Now the interesting thing about 'The Secret' is that it explains this energy as something that has many different names yet has the same description. Some for example call this energy God, others call it Buddha, others call it Karma. It doesn't matter what you call it this energy is described as the all seeing, all knowing, all creating, all loving energy of LIFE and that this LIFE force is within each and every one of us. 'The Secret' teaches you how to tap into this energy that we all have just like I tapped into the Energy that appeared in our world on the 21 December 2012.

As I said in the beginning of this blog, some things you don't question, some things just are. This is one of those things that just is. 

Acceptance of what is without explanation is the most amazing thing that you can ever do because it means that you let go of the teachings of a man made earthly existence and let yourself be transformed by the power of spiritual energy that just is. It means that you have FAITH!

Life is good!


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Tired

I have had an interesting couple of weeks spending my time intensely editing my thesis and rewriting and editing and rewriting and editing and rewriting and editing...and so it went. But the good news is that my thesis was submitted by the due date and all is well in the land of Barb.

However, due to the late nights staying up studying (I work full time so nights were the only time I had free and weekends of course) I think that I went past that time when you know you are over tired, but some how you just keep going until you finish what you have to do. Im not complaining because I love studying and I love reading, so studying was not a chore. It was more of a 'I ran out of time' to study thing. I had to sleep at some stage so that I could go to work. The point being that I wore myself out. Literally. 

I am currently suffering from a jet lag type of fatigue, or maybe a better way to describe it would be delayed fatigue. On Monday, the day that I submitted my thesis, I felt so happy and excited, there was a sense of well being, euphoria and a host of other emotions that went through my mind and my body. Achieving ones goals is so satisfying. Despite these emotions I did not visibly display how I was feeling because I did not feel the urge to do that. You see although there was all this intense emotional euphoria going on inside of me, I also felt the urge to be really quiet, to be still. It was an odd sensation. 

Today, Tuesday, I had to drag myself out of bed to get to work. I got up early because I did not have to take the beast to school this morning, which also meant that if I left early for work I could leave work earlier. Tuning into my body, I felt extremely tired this morning, I was pleased to get to work early. The interesting thing is that my day went fast but I went slow. Really slow to the point of being a snail. It was a weird sensation.

I left work early and upon my arrival at home I hit the treadmill. I hit the treadmill thinking that a good jog would wake up my body, that by now is feeling like its about to shut down. I ran at an enjoyable pace and felt the tension leave me. I sighed with pleasure, it was relaxing and I felt good. I jumped off the treadmill, hit the shower, cooled off, dried myself and got dressed and then passed out on my bed. Oh my god what a granny. I can not believe that I did that. My fabulous children came home to find me snoring my head off in my room at 6pm. They were in shock. Usually at that time of night I am in full mummy swing, cooking, cleaning, watering plants, sweeping floors etc etc etc. It was amazing. 

The kids were stunned. They both stood in my bedroom door, trying to lower their voices which actually woke me up from my concussion (Im sure thats what it was), as I rolled over to look at them through the crescent opening of my eyelids, my daughter said, 'oh poor mum, you look really tired and we woke you up'. My son said 'are you asleep?'. 

I muttered a response however words didn't seem to want to form in my mouth because I had trouble moving my jaw. They both stood there a few minutes and looked at me a bit longer, this time quietly, then my son said 'we'll shut the door and let you sleep'. 

Of course that was it, I was now awake. I dragged myself out of bed and went to the kitchen to have a chat with the kids. I opted not to cook and we ordered out. The beast surfaced from her bed at the sound of us tinkering away in the kitchen and joined the harmony. I was quiet. I listened to the chatter of my children and the routine goings on of feeding dogs, cats and ourselves. 

As I ate, my daughter said to me, 'you look really tired'. I nodded. My son said 'you look really clean'. Well that just cracked me up laughing. Boys brains are so interesting. They work completely differently to girls and in our house, my son being the only boy, it is really noticeable. My daughter is often heard to say 'he is such a boy brain'. My daughter gives her brother this look, and he goes 'what' and raises his arms, then he turns back to me and says 'well you do'. Made me wonder what I look like when I haven't had a shower...lol

Dinner all over and I headed back to my room. I am now resting, tuning into my body and blogging. I still feel tired. My body is tired. My brain is tired, and I am tired. 

Satisfied, but tired. 

Life is good!





Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Editing and Procrastination

I have spent the past four weeks madly editing my thesis leaving little time for myself or for enjoying the good things in life. Not that I am complaining but I am having trouble finalising my work. My thesis subject matter is deep and meaningful and it is something that I am passionate about. The subject matter is close to my lived experiences therefore it is requiring me to put aside my personal thoughts and focus on the academic paradigm of an anthropology discourse in order for me to gain good grades.

The issue that I have had previously is that I was struggling with sifting through the information to make some sense of what it is I am really trying to say. Having said that I managed to put my thoughts in order and deliver a coherent and clear argument, however I have just realised that although my thoughts about my subject matter are coherent and clear, I am having problems finalising the task of editing. 

Is it boredom, is it lack of wanting to finish it, or is it because I have a short attention span which I gladly own up to? I am not sure what is going on, but what I do know is that I only have 5 more days to finalise my thesis and submit it. 

I feel a big sigh coming on! The interesting thing is that I do not feel stressed or that I need more time. I have written my thesis, I have read through it and it is coherent. I am clear and have remained focused on my argument. it is the editing that is driving me insane and referencing the parts that need tidying up. 

I think the issue is that once I achieve what I set out to do I have difficulty returning to it, so maybe this is why I am struggling to finalise my thesis, or maybe I am just waiting for the last minute because I love working under pressure, it keeps the adrenaline pumping and motivates me to remain focused. 

So MF some clarity here would be welcomed.

On that note I am signing off to go back to work on editing my thesis or to think about editing my thesis. There is always tomorrow night, less stress it will get done.

Life is good!

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Artistic Images of Life

As a visual artist I appreciate anybody who can take an artistic photograph and create an expression that hits your emotions. Occasionally my fabulously wonderful children delight me with their antics. While they are having fun they can also produce some very interesting imagery that reminds me of how beautifully artistic photographs can be. Check these out?


I love this image. It is my youngest child having fun with her friend who took this photograph with her phone camera. Very artistic image. I can see the playfulness in her eyes yet it has a sense of disturbance about it all at the same time.


This is the dinner that my son cooked and served up for me one night. Made me laugh I have to say....lol

  
   'Learning to fly' Life imitating ART. (Image of Cockatoo by Patricia House). 

How wonderful is this. My son the majestic bird. When I first saw this image of the cockatoo photographed by Patricia House, I instantly connected this to my sons antics on his bike. How amazing the similarities.

Art is a fascinating journey of life and it never ceases to amaze me how the relationship between art and life lives a parallel existence. 

Enjoy!

Life is good! 

Friday, September 14, 2012

Destruction of Aboriginal Heritage Sites

Recently I was updating on issues surrounding aboriginal heritage in Western Australia, in particular the destruction of aboriginal heritage sites by FMG. A close friend of mine passed on through my email network some information that distressed me. 

It appears that FMG have destroyed aboriginal heritage sites, either deliberately or not, during the clearing of land for the construction of the Solomon Mine. 

I spent the day at work on Thursday pondering the consequences of what FMG had done and why? I also spent a lot of time trying to get over my anger. Why is it that we denigrate aboriginal history so easily and not think about the consequences? Why is it that aboriginal ethnography is considered to be unimportant because it is oral and not written lore. I found that the destruction of aboriginal heritage sites made me feel sick in the stomach. And even though it is not my particular country that the sites are in I feel as though I have been moved aside because I am unimportant. The reason I feel this way is because aboriginal sites are about our lore, our culture, our lifestyle, our law and our survival. It is the one thing that teaches us how to live and survive. It is who we are. 

Interestingly one of my colleagues who is also aboriginal, asked me how I felt about the destruction caused by FMG's lack of care and lack of due diligence. At the time I felt miserable. My response to the question my colleague had asked was 'I feel distressed'. It distresses me that money is more important than culture and heritage. It distresses me even more that FMG are trying to get out of being prosecuted by laying the blame at the feet of the archaeologist who conducted the research. I am distressed that our Minister for Indigenous Affairs signed the section 18 consent in direct violation of the recommendations of the ACMC. It distresses me that the heritage that has been destroyed is not retrievable. It distresses me that we continually allow mining magnates to dictate the rules of engagement and that those rules change when ever it suits them not us. It distresses me.

Why do we have an aboriginal heritage act if it is allowed to be misused? Why does our government pretend to care when this particular chain of events has shown that this government does not care at all. I am distressed by this and I am in pain. I have lost my faith in government, again.

In previous blogs I have tried to share the feeling and importance of being one with country and how that connection is within ourselves as a people. Aboriginal australians no matter where they live are born with this genetic inheritance of connection to country, nature and life itself. We are one. I cannot describe the pain that the destruction of heritage sites has caused me. I fail to understand the stupidity of this act that violates the Yindjibarndi people. Words are failing me in my distress.

I have attached some links for you all to check out. Please make the effort to check out the links. Changing the world requires us to sometimes raise our voice in protest even if that goes against our usual way of doing things. For if we do not raise our voices this senseless destruction of aboriginal heritage sites will not stop here. Eventually it will come to your town and it won't be aboriginal, it will be a heritage site that is of importance to non-indigenous people and government will dismiss it as unimportant because the drive to make money will over ride the desire to preserve the important things in life.

Don't wait until its on your doorstep. Raise you voice in concern for the lack of decision making by our government that affects all our lives.

Links to check out:
http://yindjibarndi.org.au/yindjibarndi/
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/323674/no-legal-action-for-fmg-over-sacred-site-desecration/?cs=12
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-12/fmg-admits-indigenous-sites-were-damaged/4256466/?site=indigenous

Today life is not so good! 

Less is More

I have opened this page a couple of times this week and sat staring at a blank page. I am struggling to write. Not sure why. I have so many writing tasks to do yet the page remains blank, stares back at me and my mind is empty. I cannot seem to find a single word to write. I have closed this page several times, then opened it hoping that the magic will happen and words will spill forth from my thoughts splashing onto the page filling the void with thoughts of worth and value. I can not seem to be coherent yet my mind is filled with the personal little things of the mundane. I cannot seem to get out of the daily routine of thoughts of triviality yet I function to meet the responsibilities of my day. As I write this I wonder what it is that has sent me to this place of routine. A rote list of daily tasks that need attending to. Its interesting how the little things manage to become the most time consuming chores when you are feeling as though you are moving around in a fog. Thats probably not a good description but basically it's just that I am having difficulty sitting down long enough at my desk to write and when I do I think of other things that I could be doing or I get side tracked and start researching other interests and not attending to the matter at hand and that is getting on with my thesis. Its not that I haven't written it, I have. The problem is I have to edit it and I am procrastinating.

I searched the internet to inspire me to get on with it, but alas I sit here sharing my inability to string a coherent thought together. It is a little frustrating yet I also find it interesting that I am in this position. Normally I would have just sat down and got on with it. Lately I have not been able to focus. What is on my mind you ask? Good question. Everything from work, to my children to my life in general. The only thing not on my mind is my thesis.

So having said that maybe I need to take a break from it and I shall come back to it with fresh eyes and new enthusiasm in a few weeks time. Who knows. What I do know is that I have taken deliberate steps to go to Uni on the weekend and spend hours working on it. I am hoping that the atmosphere of the University will create the thought processes that I need to get out of this slump of thoughtlessness that I currently exist in. 

I shall not complain for my life is running smoothly and I love my job. I am grateful for what I have, but I ask for universal intervention when I say 'please send me coherent, clear thoughts that meet the requirements of my thesis' in order for me to 'get on with it....sigh!

Less stress, life is good!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Olympic Highlights

Like everyone else I have been tuning in when convenient to watch the highlights of the Olympic Games. Generally I prefer to participate in sport rather than sit on the couch and watch it and the Olympic Games are no exception to my disinterest in watching sport. However this Olympics I actually got excited.

As usual with the Olympics I flick through the Swimming events and every now and then I flick the TV on to see when it will be over. Then I spied the Track and Field events which I love. My anxiety levels rose with the mens 100m heats because I came to the realisation that in between writing my thesis moving into my house and sorting out my life I was subconsciously keeping a close eye on the exploits of Usain Bolt. In fact the last time I watched someone run with such beauty was Carl Lewis (showing my age now) and Michael Johnson. Its not often that you get an athlete as outstanding as these guys and I love watching them run. So in my disinterest I watched the heats and then I watched the finals and I have to say it met my expectations. What a run. Totally awesome.

Thinking that I had experienced the great event of this years Olympics I turned the TV off. Today when I switched it on there was a replay of Sally Pearson's 100 metre hurdle run. The girl ran like a gazelle, so graceful and beautiful and perfectly executed. It was a pleasure to watch. 

I have to say I am not fully engaged in the Olympic mania, but I have had the pleasure of witnessing two memorable events that I probably won't forget in a hurry.

On that note I am going to run (probably not so gracefully) out the door and onto my treadmill to work off some unwanted middle age spread and dream of Olympic glory.

Life is good!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Unsettled

Recently we moved into our brand new house. Yes it is beautiful and fresh and smells like a newly laid wooden floor mixed with a bit of dog because the teenage son seems to not quite understand the term 'outside dog'. I have given up trying to teach the boy new tricks and I have to say the dog is a faster learner. However, my son loves his dog and the dog is in love with him. It's pretty sickening to be honest, but the whole affair is very cute and who am I to get between a man and his dog. When they use the term 'a dog is mans best friend' I would have to agree going on the empirical evidence witnessed in my home. The good news is that we are finally beginning to settle down.

I can't believe that I have a home. I have lived all over Western Australia throughout my adult life and I have not regretted any of it. All of the places that I have experienced with my children holds a special place in my heart and my memories are nothing but happy ones. However to finally settle down in one place and in such a beautiful home is a bit daunting for this little black chic from the bush.

When I first moved into this house I felt guilty. Yes folks I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I thought of all of my friends and family who are living a less successful life and maybe not living in such beauty as I am lucky to be experiencing today. It has taken me a while to get over this feeling and to allow myself to come to love my home. In fact it has been a bit of a learning experience. I feel proud, happy and overawed all at the same time. I am humbled that I have achieved such beauty. I had no idea that owning a home could be so rewarding emotionally not just for me but for my children. I love the fact that I can relax and do what I like in my home whenever I want. There is freedom in debt. Of course there is another downside to owning a home apart from the financial constraints and that is the work required to make it aesthetically appealing.

Obviously being a new house there is much work to be done. The first thing to settling down is to unpack your boxes of 'stuff'. Slowly I have sifted through my boxes of stored goodies that have not seen the light of day over the past 4 years and have come to the realisation that I don't need any of it. In fact I have thrown most of it away. I have kept a couple of items that carry sentimental value however the rest has gone. This purging of material objects with little meaning has become quite insightful and it has me thinking about the way in which we as human beings seem to think we need to acquire 'things'. We don't need the majority of 'things' that we collect and today I went through the last box that needed purging because brotherboy was doing a tip run and I did not want to miss the trailer. I have to say it felt good. In fact I feel extremely happy. My happiness is not because I purged the box of 'stuff' but because in this last box I unearthed a long lost treasure.

About 8 years ago I purchased a book of poetry and short stories titled 'The Business of Fancy Dancing' written by Sherman Alexie. I thought I had lost this book that I love and I was contemplating ordering another copy when it did not appear in any of the book boxes that I had previously unpacked. I purchased this book online because I could not get a copy here in Australia. Alexie is an American Indian and writes the funniest stories about life on the reservation. Alexie also highlights what it is that he views as important in life. I love his work and it always makes me smile when I read it. Unearthing this book and releasing 'The Business of Fancy Dancing' into my home has given me joy. I know its weird but I have been reading poetry from this book all day today and it is resounding off the walls of this house and into the ears of my children despite the fact that they are not in the same room as me as I recite. It feels good to let this go, to feel such emotion from words that express the journey of life. Words that remind me of what life is really about. This is important to me because living in this beautiful home means that I could easily forget the real things in life and get caught up in material gain.

'The Business of Fancy Dancing' made me realise that I don't need a whole lot of 'stuff'. What I do need is nourishment for the soul and I hope that I will not forget this as I experience the pride and joy of owning a home.

So in this beautiful house which by the way is limited in the furniture department because I have so much space in here that I do not want to fill it up and lose the space that we have, I am being reminded to remain humble and accept the gifts of the universe with gratitude. 

In saying that I would like to share with you one of my favourite Alexie poems:



Indian Boy Love Song (#1)

Everyone I have lost
in the closing of a door
the click of the lock

is not forgotten, they
do not die but remain
within the soft edges
of the earth, the ash

of house fires and cancer
in sin and forgiveness
huddled under old blankets

dreaming their way into my hands, my heart
closing tight like fists

By: Sherman Alexie


Life is good!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Life and Art



Check this little guy out, he is so beautiful. My fabulous children and I took the dogs for a walk into the  scarp. There is a wicked little trail in the hills close to where I live, where you can enjoy nature at its best, and when you turn around you get a beautiful view of the city. The most interesting part though was watching my children enjoy this little guy.



Here he is climbing on my sons jeans. And my son was so happy that this little guy took a liking to him that he said 'can we take him home'. Of course this got an instant 'no' from his mother and a lecture on the importance of leaving nature as it is. And yes he did put him back under the rock in which he unearthed him.


As you can see this little guy is small but super cute. He became more interesting to my children when I said 'check out the artwork on this little fella'. All three of my children were amazed and it suddenly dawned on them where Aboriginal Art originates from. It was so nice to watch the smile on their faces as they checked out the 'artwork' with lots of 'oohs and aahs' and one 'oh so thats how it's done'. 

Sometimes it only takes a few words and a visual image for something to make sense. 

Enjoy.

Life is good...!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Its Too Expensive

I have recently had some interesting events happen at work not to mention some extremely interesting conversations over lunch with some of my fabulous colleagues. The most recent spate of conversation has been around a couple of things that interest. Firstly the things we take for granted. At one of our work events I was engaged in a interesting conversation about energy and how we as human being take the energy that we use for granted. In fact it occurred to me that until I began working at Horizon Power I had not put a lot of thought into the energy that we use other than to turn the lights off because I would like to reduce the cost of my electricity bill. However since working at HP my thoughts are turning towards other forms of energy like sustainable energy, wind, turbine and solar energy. When you think about the environment that we inhabit here in WA there are areas of the state that would benefit greatly from any of these types of energy sources whilst keeping costs down for energy users. However when i mention this to whomever wants to listen I seem to get the same response 'it's too expensive'. This comment has baffled me a little because I am still trying to figure out which part is too expensive. Is it too expensive for the initial installation of sustainable energy sources? Is it to expensive to run? Is it too expensive in terms of the cost of materials? Is it too expensive to build? 

All of these questions enter my over active brain and when I ask for clarity I get the same answer 'its too expensive'. 'Yes' I say but which part is 'too expensive'? I understand the response what I don't understand is that when I ask for clarity nobody seems to be able to respond adequately. This leads me to the conclusion that nobody really wants to answer the question.

My thoughts (and they are totally random uneducated thoughts about sustainable energy which I know nothing about other than the basics), is that nobody can clarify the answer because the truth is it may be expensive in the short term; in the long term it is probably going to put a lot of people out of work if we build sustainable power stations. Realistically energy resource centres could be run electronically using natural resources to harness the energy needed to power entire towns, cities etc. I think if we where truly engaged in the process of sustainable energy as a future building block to reduce carbon emissions we could have done so by now. We have the science and the technology to produce sustainable energy resource centres.

So what's stopping us 'ITS TOO EXPENSIVE'.

Secondly, I had a stimulating conversation about water and the use of water and the effects on our environment and about the lack of drinking water in WA. To add to that concern is a thought that has been floating around in the back of my mind and that is that we are not experiencing enough rainfall this winter? One of the interesting things that came out of my conversations with my colleagues is that the Boab tree which grows so beautifully in the Kimberley is a natural water storage container. Therefore you would think that Boab trees are registered as a protected plant species. Well I would have thought that our lack of water would have given someone the idea that a Boab tree should be registered purely as a water vessel. But alas no, you guessed it our Boab tree is not registered as a protected plant species. Why you ask? I don't really know the answer to that but I will take a stab int he dark and suggest that it probably has something to do with the abundance of the plant. For a plant to be protected it needs to be close to being extinct. My theory is that the Boab only grows in the Kimberley and I am not sure if it grows in the NT, however if it does it is still rare because it is only growing in certain areas, although it is abundant in those areas. Despite that it should still be protected not because of the abundance issue but more so because Boab trees do store drinking water. The natural water bottle so to speak.  

Of course the other reason may be that 'ITS TOO EXPENSIVE'.

Who would have thought...lol!

Life is good....!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Native Titile: country, life and me!

I have something on my mind and it is creating a bit of havoc in my thinking therefore I would like to share my thoughts so that I can find some clarity. Recently I went to a Native Title Seminar. I was excited because it was my first Native Title Seminar and I can see will not be my last. Before I begin let me just say I love my country. Balladong country that is. When I go home I feel like a different person, I stand on country and breathe in air that makes my soul sing. I have trouble expressing how I feel because it is such a passionate experience, and I know that I am home. The sense of belonging is incredible, everything around me is extraordinarily acute. Birds are not just making noise they are singing, to me. I hear the sounds of insects and I see the tracks of animals and I smell the earth with such awareness that I feel as though I transform into something or someone else. Being on country brings me to life. I live and breathe the earth, sky and waters of the balladong. It is an intense experience and I yearn for country.

Having expressed my love for all the world to see let me get back to my dilemma. Here I was soaking up the experience of a Native Title seminar thinking I would learn something fantastic and I was sorely disappointed. What I learnt is that mainstream government continue to enforce assimilationist perspectives, have no respect for Aboriginal people and continue to attempt to remove us from our land. I say this because the recent Noongar Native Title Claim is creating a bit of havoc with the new proposal put to government by a handful of representative claimants. Until now I have sat back and watched the play unfold. However, it is now getting to the point where I feel I have to express myself. During a Q & A panel session at the Native Title Seminar I articulated a question about cultural negotiation protocols. One of the panelists said he did not understand the question? Interesting isn't it that a public servant working in Native Title does not understand cultural negotiation protocols. If he understood this he would have understood my question. Let me also say that I was amazed that he did not understand the question and my response was to attempt to explain what it was I was asking, however I could see that he really wasn't interested in what I was asking and he became extremely defensive in his following response. The point that I make is that Aboriginal people have their own way of negotiating. 99% of the time these negotiation protocols are misunderstood or ignored or worse dismissed. Anthropologists are brought in to assist in the process of learning about the culture that mining companies and government wish to negotiate with, however going on the seminar that I witnessed I can honestly say we (anthropologists) are not getting our information across clearly or our government is ignoring our recommendations? The other point that I noticed and became very aware of is that they make no apologies for not understanding because they seem to think that their way is the only way forward. Why is it that we suddenly have a Premier and Cabinet who are so disrespectful that they pay lip service to Aboriginal people and make no commitment what so ever to closing the gap. And the current government has no intention of even trying to close the gap from what I can see.

I say this because in the current political climate basic human rights such as housing, education, health and employment services have suddenly become leverage for mining company negotiations that the State government endorse. My question is why are basic services that are a right of every other Australian leverage for negotiations with the mining and resources industry in the first place when by rights these services should be the responsibility of our state and federal governments. Employing locally, I would have thought is good business practice because it is cheaper than FIFO's even after having to put money up front for training and skills development. Surely this is best practice for any business and should never be a negotiation tactic for access to country. My second area of concern is the Noongar Native Title proposal that I mentioned above. My understanding of the the proposal on the negotiation table is that we relinquish our rights to Native Title in return for a 60 million dollar pay out plus 10 million per year for 30 years with the proviso that we extinguish our rights to land. Now please be aware that this is my take on the deal based on what I have read in the newspaper and what I have heard. I along with many other Noongar people haven't been privy to the full document or seen even a small part of the document. Why you ask? Good question. My concern here is that the proposal should be publicly available so that all Noongar's have access to the document. My question is why is it not a public document? The negotiation affects all Noongar people not just those who are members of SWALSC. We should be able to discuss the proposal with our Elders before they make a decision. The Elders should know how the rest of the community feel about the proposal. It is their job to talk to all community members and open the discussion before making decisions. That is how negotiation protocols for Aboriginal societies work. All decisions about a community are communally discussed prior to the negotiation taking place with 'others'. This has not happened and this is why people are so angry.

Sovereignty is all we have left. It is is what maintains our cultural integrity and it is what allows me to stand on my country and cleanse my soul of a world I am forced to traverse in order to exist. It is not something that I can relinquish despite the fact that I do not live on my country. As much as I love the Balladong the hazards of modern life has forced me and others like me to move to the city in search of work. This is not just an Aboriginal thing, non-Aboriginal people move from rural and remote areas in search of work. It is a symptom of modernity. At the present time I do what I have to do to survive in the modern world and I will make my life as comfortable as possible because I live under the same laws as everyone else. 

However there is my Aboriginal lore that I belong to and it is in my blood running through my veins and waiting for me to retire back on country. You see this is not something that is a physical thing that you can see and categorise or label. It is not for the world to see. It is a private internal mechanism that I was born with. It is who I am.

Thank you for listening and for allowing me to share my passion.

Life is good!


Oldest and youngest at the Salt Lakes, on the Balladong
Two middle children, on Balladong
Evening calls
Beautiful...sigh!

Poetry



The Balladong

Land
Culture
Life
History

Dreaming
Connecting
Belonging
Identity

Passion
Love
Nature
Mystery

Mother
Lore
Language
Healing

Tears of my soul
Pillage and raped
Renewed vitality
Return whence I came

Home!

By: Barbara Bynder
February 2012

Monday, February 20, 2012

The Antarctic Ozone Hole -- From Discovery to Recovery, a Scientific Jou...


Amazing how a new job makes you feel a little invigorated. That's not to say that I am totally bouncing off the walls and grinning from ear to ear. I am not by nature that energetic, although those of you who know me would beg to differ. And that statement brings me to the thought of how we think about ourselves, or more to the point how we see ourselves. I have an interesting view of the world. My oldest and dearest friend says that 'I am special' which makes me laugh each time she says that because I can never tell if she is being sarcastic or not. I do however, know what she means. You see I don't think like other people and I have yet to meet a lot of people who do think like me. I have met a few people who think like I do but they are few and far between. This difference in thinking tends to put me on the outer in social groups and with my family and can lead to a selective process when interacting in group situations or meeting new people. It is not that I don't trust people, it is more that I can get bored very quickly with trivial types of conversations and then I start to day dream which means I don't listen well then people get annoyed because they think I don't care. And they are right I probably don't really care that much. However, if you put me in the arena of social justice, human rights and environmental protection you will have my full attention. That's not to say that I don't know how to have fun, I do it is just that I have fun differently to the way in which others perceive the concept of fun.

For example, I find vocalising my thoughts on important issues fun. Yes that's right, fun. I get a buzz out of the challenge of changing someone else's thoughts about certain issues. I like the challenge of providing a different viewpoint that others can understand and grasp. It is amazing when the 'penny' drops and people start to understand a concept from a different perspective. They become aware and sometimes they become self aware. For example I have had a lot of complaints lately about how hot the sun is. Well folk's I know its a boring topic but the reality is we have a hole in the ozone layer situated over the antarctic (south pole) which is located very close to Western Australia and each year it gets hotter and hotter during the summer months in the land down under. And this year we are burning, sometimes literally. Recently a friend of mine was sitting in the passenger seat of her car with a clear plastic bottle of water between her legs. It was a hot day in Perth on this particular day, the temperature was rising towards 40 degrees. My friend said that she felt a sharp pain like a beesting on her leg. When she looked down she saw that the sun had radiated through windscreen of the car then through the plastic water bottle which conducted the heat like a magnifying glass and burnt a small hole in her jeans onto her leg. Amazing story it is and it just goes to show you that what we do to our planet really is important. On the same day another person actually complained about how hot it was even in his office. I mentioned the hole in the ozone layer and he laughed. After a few seconds he stopped laughing, had a silent moment and then said 'you're probably right'. I didn't lecture him, I just mentioned the ozone layer and in between his initial response and his discomfort in the heat he thought about it. See the point is we should stop complaining and start thinking why? Why is it so hot? And why is it getting hotter every year in WA? We should not only ask these questions we should seek the answers? For it is only then will we fully understand that our carbon footprint makes a huge impact on our world. And we need to understand how the ozone layer works. A lot of people can say ozone layer but they really don't understand what it does. And for those of you who need clarity in simplistic terms it filters the suns rays so that we don't fry, that is when it is fully functional. At the moment it is not fully functional because we put a hole in it. Global action taken in 1998 has stabilised the hole but it has not repaired the hole therefore the earth continues to heat up. You see we haven't repaired the hole we have only stopped destroying the ozone layer by stabilising the hole.

So when will we learn. Now would be a good time because I am tired of hearing people complain about how hot it is. It is our own fault because we are not heeding the advice of our environmental specialists. We are not listening. I for one think it is time to start listening and stop complaining. Lets do something positive about it. Say it with me now 'the OZONE LAYER filters out the heat of the sun's rays'. See that wasn't so hard now was it. Remember that. 

On that note I will sign off because I am hot and need to go cool off in the night air.

I found this fabulous little video that will help you understand what is happening to our environment for those of you who don't like to read.

Enjoy.

Life is good!



Saturday, January 28, 2012

Australia Day/Survival Day

I have had an interesting experience this year on Australia Day. Mostly I found the entire day to be a day of insightful reflection. I spent the day as a volunteer in the History Tent at the Survival Day concert and to be honest after talking to various people, including the event organisers, I seem to be reflecting on my own views about Australia Day/Survival Day.

My first thought and I know I have visited this idea before now, is why are we the original inhabitants not sharing the day with the rest of Australia? Why are we segregating ourselves from being Australian? I ask this question because the truth is we are assimilated, whether we like it or not. We all live in houses and share the same goods and services as everybody else. We demand equality and the freedom to choose what is right for us. We demand the right to the freedom of speech. We demand social justice and we demand the basic human rights as every other human being, shelter, food,  resources. These things are the core foundations of any society however we continue to insist that we are different. In fact we focus so much on our differences that we miss the similarities between us. I for one am over it. I am tired of talking to unrealistic Aboriginal Australians who think that violence is the answer to resolving their problems. I am tired of watching Australia day move on to a day of partying instead of what the original meaning of the day is about. And yes Australia was colonised, and yes we have a long way to go in resolving discrimination, racism and removing the legacy of historical policy and legislation that has lead to our continued struggle for acknowledgement, respect and justice. However, we are not doing ourself any favours by continually segregating ourselves from the rest of the nation.

I understand the theme for Survival Day and why it has come about, however I can see the negativity that it brings as we continually separate ourselves from the nation as a whole and in the same breath demand to be included. If we are demanding inclusion then surely we should be reciprocal? This concept of 'our' and 'this one is for us' continues to elude me in terms of how this will make a difference for my people who are calling for justice, equality, acknowledgement, self-determination and inclusivity. 


Inclusivity means having a positive role to play in the celebrations of Australia Day. I do not mean to sound dismissive and I have nothing but respect for my people. I understand our past and the need to right the wrongs, I just think we are going about it in a negative way. The current actions being taken to voice concerns and to change the thinking of parliamentarians is eluding us as we revert to violence as a means of bringing our issues into the public arena. Nobody listens to the angry man. People do however, listen to the quiet man. Ghandi is the perfect example of how to make changes for a nation of oppressed peoples. Ghandi expressed the use of non-violent protest in order to shift the thinking of one person to change the status quo of an entire nation. Ghandi made friends of his enemies to create the understanding that we are all people and that we all have the same goals and aspirations, however we just go about it differently. Difference as a culture, as a society and as a people, yet the outcome is the same. Civil societies. Whether those societies be indigenous or non-indigenous doesn't matter because in the world that we live in today we are sharing 'country'. And because we are sharing 'country' it may be time to determine what the meaning of being Australian is for today's people living with modernity. 


May be it is time to redefine who we are as a nation, that is not steeped in the past but is a reflection of the future. A future defined by all Australians for all Australians. 

Life is good!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Same but Different

Yesterday I began my new employment. My role is different to what I am used too. I have gone from a position that was full of stress and drama to a job that is performed by rote, yet is very busy. Basically it means that I am performing the routine structure initially designed to speed up the process yet each task is different but the same. 

I am finding this hard to express because I am still processing the feelings that I am experiencing in the new position. It feels good because I don't have to create the task, the task is readily available and decisions do have to be made without asking each time I perform the task. The routine is a systematic formula that provides the most efficient service for the task. The requests are all different and all very interesting yet they are the same.

My question is do I like this job? I am not feeling all bubbly and excited as I did when I first began working at the Uni. My thoughts on this is that maybe this is because I am older and wiser and maybe I have worked out what it is I don't want rather than knowing what I do want? Or maybe I just got bored with the old job because it began to be same old same old type of mentality and things were moving too slowly for me. Maybe I just need a change. Not sure really and I am continuing to process the feelings that I am experiencing in this new position. So far I feel totally relaxed about the entire job and the ease of it is amazing. I think I am feeling good about this job because there is no pressure and I am not used to that. I also like the fact that I am busy from the moment I sit in my chair to the moment that I shut down my computer at the end of each day. There is no time for long breaks because I am so busy, yet there does not seem to be any pressure. Maybe that is the part that is confusing me. Busy but no pressure. How strange.

Having shared my thoughts with you all on the change in my professional career, I have to say I actually like my new job, but I am confused about the busy without stress part. I have worked under pressure continuously for the past three years and had gotten used to it. However, I know that it was not good for my psyche. This new job is quite calming and I feel calm. A new sensation for me. And no, do not interpret that as boring because the job is definitely not boring. In fact I find it extremely interesting as I am working in Anthropology and learning a lot already. It is good to be gaining practical experience in the field and I am finding that the skills I have learned at the museum have come in very handy. Patience, persistence, researching and paying attention to detail are skills that I had to learn and can now put to good use. In fact I am amazed at how easily I can access those skills without too much thought. 

Interesting it is.

Life is good!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Works of Turner

In a few of my previous blogs I have mentioned William Turner who is my favourite artist. It has just occurred to me that I should share with you some of Turner's paintings so that you can see why I spend so much time pouring over his works.  


Please allow me to share with you Joseph Mallard William Turner, 1775 - 1851. Also known as William Turner.


'Ulyses deriding Polyphemus' Homers Odyssey
Oil on Cavas

This is one of my favourite paintings (There are so many to choose from). This one was on the wall in National Gallery, London. The original is incredible and this photograph does not do it justice. 

Rain, Steam & Speed
Oil on Canvas

Rain, Steam and Speed captures my attention, however the original was not so interesting. I think the photograph has enhanced the colours. However, I still love this work. 


Moonlight
Oil on Canvas

How beautiful is this one?

These are only a sample of the works of William Turner. There are hundreds of his paintings all as enchanting and mystical as the next. Turner paints with passion and finesse providing a glimpse of the world as he saw it. Magical just magical....sigh!

Life is good!