SORRY

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998 - one year after the tabling of the report, Bringing them Home, which was the result of an inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.

One of the recommendations of the report was that a National Sorry Day should be declared. Sorry Day offered the community the opportunity to be involved in activities to acknowledge the impact of the policies of forcible removal on Australia's Indigenous populations.


On Sunday 28th May 2000 more than 250,000 people participated in the Corroboree 2000 Bridge Walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge. This walk was in support of Indigenous Australians and was organised by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (now known as Reconciliation Australia), a Federal Government initiative to promote greater understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The event highlighted the issue of a lack of an apology by the Commonwealth Government to the Stolen Generations.

FINALLY....

On the 13th of February 2008, the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, tabled a motion in parliament apologising to Australia's Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations and their families and communities, for laws and policies which had 'inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.' The apology included a proposal for a policy commission to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in 'life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.'

I too say Sorry, for injustices that break my heart.

(much of this text is courtesy of The Government's culture.gov.au)

Serendipity

Ever have one of those days where the universe seems to be trying to tell you something? I had one the other day and although it wasn't momentous, it still struck me.

Two days after the death of Heath Ledger I had been sitting at the computer, looking at some old footage, and having a cry when a friend rang to discuss his death. Over the course of the phone call we moved on to general things and ended up having a conversation about the struggles he still faces being a gay man in the teaching profession.

An hour later I was in the Village and decided to have a look in the bookshop to cheer myself up as so far the day had been fairly bleak. I came accross this book which seemed to leap out at me.
I've been reading quite a few books lately set in rural Australia so the cover immediately appealed to me. On turning it over I read this ---
'When Hollywood actor Heath Ledger finished reading the script for Brokeback Mountain - a film about a love affair between two American cowboys - he thought of his friend Adam Sutton, whose life was reflected in many of the film's themes, and told him, 'I've just read this script and it sounds a lot like you.'
I don't know if I've been living under a rock but somehow I missed hearing about Adam Sutton who was on Australian Story soon after Brokeback Mountain was released. All I knew was not only had I been thinking about Heath Ledger all day but I'd also been ruminating on the issues my friend had brought up about coming out. FREAKY!!! Needless to say I bought it straight away and hugged it to my chest all the way home.
It is a wonderful book and is told with humour, amazing personnal insight and courage. His journey is fascinating and will stay with me for a long time. It is also poignant in the light of recent events which were of course unknown to Adam at the time. ***** 5 stars from me for what it's worth.

Corey Hart, Sunglasses At Night

Here is another gem from the "So Bad They Are Good" section of my record collection. Apparently this song really gets Krissa going so this is for you my dear. Enjoy.

One boy going cheap.

O.K. now he's just annoying!

Our first day home from the hospital and Surferboy and I talk to Moondoggie about the need to be careful now that he is carrying around about a tonne of plaster on his left arm. We impress upon him the need to be careful as 'you broke your arm!!!' and your balance will be off for a while. He looked at us with those tangle-lashed orbes and assured us he understood...
Fast- forward to school pick-up and after reminding him not to jump off the retaining wall he so loves, he proceeded to get up said wall, fall off, and badly graze his knee. "But I didn't jump off it Mummy, I was climbing up."
Fast-forward again and I am busily working away on the computer (googling Lorelai Gilmore) when I hear Moondoggie run up the hall, chased by his sister, fall, smack his broken arm into the floor and split his lip open!!! Of course blood gushes everywhere and we assume he's knocked every tooth out of his mouth which luckily wasn't the case and he came away with a fat lip and very sore mouth.
At this juncture we decided to cut our losses and pack him off to bed before I had a nervous breakdown.
The thing that amazes me about the last couple of days is that it is all so out of character for Moondoggie. For a boy he is very placid and has rarely had any sort of accident, let alone ones of the magnitude of the last couple of days - maybe our run of luck is well and truely over!
He's damn lucky I think he's cute 'cause I'm this close to putting him up on ebay.

My Brave Boy

It was my little Moondoggie's first day of 3 year old kinder today but instead of tripping off to meet all his new buddies he spent the day here......

Because he did this.... (warning - this is a little off) (LEFT arm for those of you who completely missed it)

Due the the random nature of the universe Moondoggie launched himself from the 3rd step of the bunk ladder in a bid to defeat the enemy of all Power Rangers and instead of landing with a flourish as he has done a

dozen times before, he landed with a snap!

Needless to say he did not make it to kinder today.

Although 24 hours spent in emergency at a public hospital is hideous it has provided me with enough musing to write posts until Easter. Until tomorrow .... this wrung-out mother is off to bed with a hot cuppa and to have the cry I have been saving up since yesterday morning at 8.15am!

Y.A.F.

Don't forget to drop into the

Yarraville Arts Festival

this Saturday.

Soft Cell - Tainted Love

I don't know if anyone else owns the Soft Cell album but it's worth buying for the fabulous 'Sex Dwarf'. This album is only second in 'Aceness' to Kagagoogoo's 'Erganomics'. (Now if you own both of those albums you can join my gang!)