Best Friends Club

[Abner]

@Glisten  there are also other people using this forum who are equally anxious about this, I don't know who they are, nor would I tell anyone if I did know, that's entirely up to them to decide whether to come out on this forum, but there are lots of us using this forum, and the socio-political climate that's festering against us is scaring us, and There's evidence of it here too, not quite as bad as overseas yet.

[Abner]

This is also bringing up for me an situation that happened to my younger sister once when we were at high school.  She isn't LGBTIQ. 

One afternoon, in class she had to go to the toilet, she raised her hand and said "Sir, I need to go to the toilet."  He said "No.". Over and over, she ended up pleading with him, he said no every time, she ended up bursting in her pants.  There was mess all over her legs and her uniform skirt in front of the entire class. He made her clean the mess he'd made.

I found out after class when I met her to go home, she was shattered with shame, humiliation and rage.  I said "Will we get the train home, it'll be quicker?"  To which she replied "No, everyone will smell me."

[PeppyPatti]

Dear @Abner 

. Im wondering if you could write more on what you think of just the benefits of living in Australia ? You and me or you and @Banjomum1- or you and @tyme @Oaktree @Glisten @Meowmy we could all discuss the badness but here is where I may be wrong, we do have stuff to show off to like our increasing getting smaller …..

Land, Wide open spaces…..

Have we made gain on the space of richer and poorer?

What do you think of couples allowed to own a home in WEstern Australia on 5% of their income? This may be Australia wide? 

There’s nothing bad about schizophrenia. My ex husband and my very dear friend is more intelligent than anyone I know except my two sons. He is diagnosed. The hospital just seem to enjoy changing his Psychiatrist a lot and …..there is nothing no one can do about that.

The beauty of you is that you know yourself like many other people on this forum.

Cheers….. 

[PeppyPatti]

This is true possum. 

I wish @Abner can just ,..........I dunno .........do a TED talk.

You and I can come along for support. 

I think @Abner you would become immensely popular. 

[Abner]

I agree @PeppyPatti there are lots of VERY good things about living in Australia, that we fought VERY hard to get and can be very easily lost. 

Our rights are weak unless we fight for them, even in this country.  I lived through the 1970s in Australia, when if you're even mentioned the word racist in relation to this otherwise quite beautiful country, people would reply "Well, if you're not happy here then go back where you came from!". We could all very easily find ourselves back there.  

Recently, after nearly 40 years of fighting really hard for it, and a lot of heart-break and tragedy along the way, my community won the right to get married.  That could be taken from us at the stroke of a pen, and all it needs is for the majority to only concern themselves with their little patch, basically "If it's not going to affect me I don't have to think about it.". There was a time in this country when certain communities in Australia weren't allowed to get a job, let alone own their own home.  The rest of us said "Well, I'm not one of them so I don't have to think about it.".  Authoritarian regimes tell us not to think about the broader picture, or anything beyond our own little, they tell us "You'll be safer just thinking about your own little patch.". They don't tell us our own little patches are just as easily swept away.

Anyway right now I need to get out of this thought pattern I'm a bit stuck in, and think about other things.

I love that we all, so far in this country, enjoy a great health system, a good education system, good women's rights... but the bottom-line is even that can crumble before our eyes.

[Abner]

Also @PeppyPatti one of the few things that get me out of this thinking groove when I'm plunged into it is something we're not supposed to mention on this forum; it's physical exercise, and I'm very grateful that yesterday I did an hour and a quarter of strength training, during which I held what's called a dish hold for 3 sets, each of 5 minutes duration; pretty damn good. Today I'm going for a walk later, I might even buy a coffee on the way.

[Glisten]

@Shaz51 Shazzy a little/big scientific breakthrough.

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/105223022

[PeppyPatti]

Hey @Abner 

sounds like you have a great understanding  of how important it is to protect the good things about living in Australia, as they often took hard work to achieve and could be easily lost.

I'm in a weird thought pattern, last week I was struggling with stuff - iv almost .....almost decided to just eat gummies but then something good happened.

I had the fortune of getting both my sewing machines serviced. Not much for other people but when I come back from holidays, I am sewing. 

You're right, rights aren't guaranteed and require ongoing attention.

You mentioned some of the positive aspects, like the health system and education. Thinking about these, even in simple terms, what are one or two specific things you appreciate about them right now? Funny my youngest son at 30 yrs old said to me what all parties should be Focusing on is education. 

Focusing on a small, positive things I think is the way to go.  Dr. James Doty's work reminds me that noticing and appreciating the good around us can have a powerful effect on our well-being.