I am now becoming quite strongly of the opinion that we would be well advised to celebrate the ethos of our wonderful country on another date...it seems to me that to continue to laud the date of arrival of the first fleet into Port Jackson in 1788, marking the commencement of European settlement of this island continent and thus excluding the indigenous people who lived here long long before that day, is simply to increase division and discord.
As it only commenced as a wholly National public holiday in 1994, it seems that we really would not be stepping aside from ancient tradition to move the date to one that can be shared by everyone as a celebration.
Indigenous people largely see it as a day of invasion and loss...and I think it would be really nice to have a party that everyone was invited to...I don't like the thought that we might not be delivering invitations to those folk down the street that have a different skin tone to us...we really really really do not want to go down that path, that is not we are about here.
This has been a quite gradual transition for me...when I was a child I loved the family picnics and celebration that Australia Day meant for our family, but as I have aged and begun to think more about these issue for myself, I now find myself looking back a little ashamedly at those memories and the lack of insight and empathy I have displayed towards others.
I do not normally interest myself actively in political issues such as this, (and most current politicians seem to deny this is actually an issue, beneath contempt, even non-Australian to raise it), seems to me to be well outside the narrow bounds of politics. I am sure that we are going to hear a lot more on this subject before we rest...not from me though, I am no activist...stating which side of this fence I am standing on is pretty strong stuff for me...but I will watch with interest and if I am asked for my opinion, I have it ready.
Moving right along now...
I have spent the last couple of weeks busily creating a couple of projects for my two design teams. Both these are now completed, the videos edited and uploaded and submitted for acceptance. They will become active in February once the DT Coordinator approval has been given.
They take quite a deal of time and some expense and when I look at the finished product I always ask myself "is it worth the trouble?"...I am never satisfied with the standard I manage to achieve...I like things to be "perfect" and they never are, and with the DT projects I find myself making items that may not even have an intended recipient.
However, they do fill my days (and I hate being bored even more), give me challenges, accrue into possible gifts for unsuspecting folk every now and then and I am learning a lot more about video editing and my associated programmes than I would if I was not making them. It is also a (largely) wonderful community of like minded people with whom I can communicate through comments on their videos and blogs, and who reciprocate very kindly with mine.
Here is a bit of a peek at the two projects I have just completed...
Better go, my neck is telling me that I have spent way too long on the computer today, and I have a couple of birthday cards to make for use in the next week or so...
Bye now,
Di