Selectively Juggling

What do you love about where you live?

What do you love about where you live?

What do I love about where I live? Oh, so many things. I am grateful to be an Australian and to live in a country that offers incredible opportunity, security and social freedoms.

1 Freedom of religion and FREEDOM FROM RELIGION.

There is meant to be a complete separation of church and state. We are based on a secular society; however, since colonisation, there has been too much political power wielded by conservative, regressive right-wing evangelical politicians. This is changing, and there is a real focus on ridding ourselves of this riff-faff. People are free to practice their chosen religion; conversely, we can live a life FREE from religion.

2 Health Care, Aged Care and National Disability Insurance Scheme.

I am incredibly grateful to live in a country with comprehensive subsidised health care, especially since I have children requiring expensive medications and multiple surgeries. I love that part of my taxation from my hard-earned wage goes towards funding state-based health services. I love that I can take my kids to the doctor’s and have it bulk-billed, so there is no gap payment. I love that the government funds my child’s plasma therapy, which costs more than $800 a week. Or that my daughter’s brain tumour medication (benign), which was initially worth more than $8000 a month, only cost me $5.30. If I lived somewhere else, say America, my children may not be alive, or we would be bankrupt from medical fees. I don’t even batt an eyelid worrying about medical and doctor’s costs. Yes, we have private insurance, and I access it when the kids are in the Hospital, as it helps to take the pressure off the public system. We also have social welfare systems, including My Aged Care and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, that help to support people and their families.

4 No Gun Violence:

I love living in a beautiful country without gun violence, especially school-based massacres. I have never needed to worry if my children were safe at school. I have never needed to buy them bullet-proof vests and schoolbags. In fact, when there was a massacre, the government acted immediately and put into systems protecting all its people. It wasn’t a political issue but rather a national issue garnering a bipartisan approach.

5 Diversity.

I love the diversity at my work, community, kid’s schools, Universities, and Greater society. Diversity of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, and ability. Beautiful diversity in all its colour, texture and meaning. This is something I take for granted. Perhaps I shouldn’t! Diversity that isn’t tokenistic but rather deeply embedded in society. I won’t deny there is some weird kind of class system, but it is countered by the Australian ideal of ‘supporting the underdog’ and supporting everyone through a sense of mateship. There is real social mobility. I personally don’t see class and don’t judge someone on their lived circumstances. After all, I was born into public housing. I rose above that, went to university and have a professional career. I am a long way away from where i started in life.

6 Nature and Environment.

I live in a stunning part of Sydney, surrounded by lush forests and deep water frontages. There are steep sandstone escarpments and rocky outcrops. There is abundant bird and animal life in and around the built-up areas. Yet my commute to work on Sydney Harbour is easily manageable, either by car or train. The weather is generally good, with hot summers and mild winters. The rest of Australia is a mix of every environment imaginable, with stark desertscapes, forests, plains, slopes, alpine regions, incredible coastlines and rich tropical areas. Australia is an incredibly beautiful country, with starscapes that give the northern lights a run for the money. The deep dark desert sky can create phenomenal opportunities to marvel at the milky way and ancient constellations. And the spaces are often uncrowded.

7 There is so much more.

I love that I can have a garden and grow some veggies. Still, I can also just walk 400 metres to the shopping centre where there are several doctor surgeries, two dental businesses, a major food retailer, plus many other speciality stores like several cafes, bakeries, butcher, sushi shops, chemists, post offices, bank, florist. There are much larger centres within a 10-15 drive away, and other smaller ones in between.

I love that there is so much nature around, so it doesn’t take long to get out of the city and into regional and remote areas. I love that, as a woman, I am not bound to a particular career pathway and have the same rights as men. I am happy that University is not just for the rich, and anyone can attend (once they meet the entrance criteria)

I love that our electoral system is protected by the Australian Electoral Commission. I am happy that Australian children are learning about colonisation’s historical and contemporary effects on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I love that you can take these subjects in depth during the last two years of high school. If you want to study more in University (like my 18-year-old son is currently doing), I love that MORE books are being written, retelling history as it was, and that we are not in a society where books are being BURNT.

I love being part of a society where I can join a professional union where they fight for my worker’s rights. I literally could go on and on. However, I will bore you all to pieces.