The Great South Land

I always like checking the news in the morning, lazily browsing what's happened over night. It's all bias nonsense, but I appreciate sometimes finding a nugget of information about something important.

This morning though (and for several days leading up to today) - most of the articles and opinion pieces were all informing me that if I do anything to celebrate today - Australia Day - like have a BBQ or go to the beach or *gasp* just appreciate being alive in a good country, then I am a horrible person for doing so.

These sort of manipulation techniques - if used in a real life relationship - would be considered very toxic. So I get the message they're saying about changing the date, I've understood it for years now - but I don't like how they're presenting it. If there are three thing I disapprove of it is manipulation, guilt and shaming. The media seems to really enjoy those three things in buckets.

I'm not going to discuss the atrocities that happened in the past, because frankly, I'm pretty sure we all know about them and how they shaped our country. I also don't think my words would offer anything to such a conversation.

What I am more concerned about is how we are shaping our future.

I am a very future focused person.

I have always felt that Australia - as a whole - seems to do a really poor job at thinking long term, as in generational.

When I sit down with my grandparents and listen to their stories from when they were young, and from when my great grandparents were alive so quickly I realise things have changed massively and quickly. My Nana was telling me how she had to churn the milk to get butter and cream - and now - hey - I just go get those two items at the store. If the changes that took place over their lifetime...

Well - I at least hope we get to Mars.

I feel very strongly about how amazing Australia is as a country. I think I might actually have a bit of a patriotic streak. I love how beautiful this land is, the stark contrasts, the ruggard trees, the oddly shaped mountains and hills. It makes me feel safe. It is perhaps why I love gumtrees so much - because their immensity and grandeur have always made me feel like I am protected by their majesty.

Besides all that - I am very aware that I have been so blessed to live in a country that has allowed me to live, flourish and recover to the point in which I now wish to turn around and give back into that system.

Yes - I know there are things wrong and broken (goodness knows I have acquaintances on facebook who remind me that ALL the time). There always will be broken things to fix. But to focus on the negatives constantly will just lead to being driven further and further into a pit of despair for an entire country. I wish we uplifted ourselves, instead of pulled each other down into the mire. I would so love for us to talk about ourselves through a lense of positivity, through a lense of tomorrowland, of hope and pushing forward into a brighter future.

But - perhaps I am just an idyllic writer who dreams of the stars she shall never reach.

Thank you everyone, for making Australia truly wonderful.