WARNING: This post is a political piece which contains my personal opinions.
Australia has a new Prime Minister. Tony Abbott is gone and Malcolm Turnbull is now the leader of this country.
There has been much written about this change and the merits or otherwise. Regardless of political allegiance we all deserve a national leader who is articulate and can represent this country appropriately on the world stage. Tony Abbott did not. Here is a sample to illustrate my point.
Tonight I want to address a discussion I became involved in on a forum. Someone asked if people felt that interactions with businesses, either face-to-face or in telephone conversations had become overly familiar and insincere.
I felt that this was the case and even quoted the following example which was fresh in my mind.
I had just been to pick up my new glasses and during the process of fitting and adjusting them I was asked
“How’s your day been?” – “fine, thank you” then
“Are you working?” – “yes” then
“Where do you work?” – “name of employer” then
“So, what have you got planned for the weekend?” – “just a quiet weekend at home”.
At this point the glasses were ready and I escaped. I am much closer to 60 than 50 and the interrogator was was a male who was probably in his 30s. I had to bite my tongue not to reply with something the lines of “none of your business” after the first question and answer which I accept as standard. Am I being too harsh? I am quite happy to sit quietly while the fitting process is completed.
I do not mind chatting and some people who know me in real life would attest to that. However, I am essentially an introvert and prefer not to share all of my details with a random stranger who is not really interested in my answers. One of the aspects of this particular example which I found particularly annoying was the interrogative style of questioning. I have thought about this and examined my interactions quite a bit since the experience I outlined above. I have decided that it really all in the delivery. Probing questions that leave you feeling as though you are being interrogated are not the way to go. It is clearly an art to set the customer at ease and have a casual conversation.
Like the poster at the top, perhaps I should build up a collection of witty one-liners for times when I feel confronted by the line of questioning.
What are your thoughts?
You may have noticed my absence for a few days. I have been in Sydney for work but am now safely home.
I stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel. Depending on which site you read it is 4 or 5 star. However, I found much of the experience over-the-top and excessive. The lighting in the foyer would illuminate an entire village in a Third World country. The extravagance was overwhelming and I can honestly say that I am relieved to be home. Give me the simple life any day.
There seems to be an ever-increasing competition between luxury hotel brands to outdo the opposition so this type of experience is not limited to this particular hotel. I wonder how many people actually find this appealing.
What are your thoughts and experiences?
No, we are not about to retire, although today is GMan’s birthday and it is a reminder that the time when we are no longer in paid employment is edging inexorably closer.
It is strange how thoughts seem to align. A friend posed the question on Facebook today, “What are your retirement plans?” The answers varied but an overarching theme seemed to be travel and writing which may have something to do with her particular group of Facebook friends. However, I was blown away when one respondent stated, “I’m hoping to simply make it to retirement age!!” That really put it into perspective because although we all risk not making it her odds are definitely not as good as most of us.
I also saw my own plans with a great deal more clarity. I realised that my retirement plans are very similar to the reality of my life today and while some could view that as rather boring I can see that I am living my life as I choose here and now, today and every day. I don’t want to sound morbid but if anything happened that I did not reach the age at which I intend to retire I would still have done and seen much of want I want to do and see.
We need to create a balance in our lives but I would implore you to savour each and every day as well as planning for the future.
When we arrived home this evening this fellow was sitting on the lid of the rubbish bin beside the driveway. This is a tawny frogmouth which is often mistaken for an owl.
Despite the car driving past and then reversing into the garage as well as the dog barking he did not move.
I went upstairs and collected my camera and took a series of photographs getting increasingly close but still no attempt to fly away.
We see these birds from time to time, often in family groups of 3 or 4 on tree branches or perched on the gate or even the clothesline. However, tonight I think that this lone one was searching for dinner.
About 10 days ago I wrote this post.
Tonight I would like to follow that up with this piece, also written by my friend, Patty.
In the town of my youth, behind the double brick home that is my mother’s neighbour’s house, is a hoarder.
The daughter of a very cranky, intolerant almost-100 year old father, (who lives in a nursing home on the other side of the river) she lives by herself with her mother’s memories and furniture.
Downstairs, you are barely able to squeeze past the belongings of her mother’s old home.
The furniture, the tables, the sofas, dusty with age and just covered with plastic, the china cabinets, and boxes, and boxes, and boxes of glassware and who-knows-whatever-else. All stored.
Filling up her house, cluttering her own life.
She moans to my sister as they hose their lawns. “I wish I could travel! It’s too expensive.”
My sister and I would sympathise and suggest she sell some of her mother’s possessions.
“Oh no! I could never do that! It’s too precious!”
And so her life is unlived, her home a rambling, chaotic mess of someone else’s life.
There’s barely enough room for herself. Her mother lives on, in every room.
It’s physically demanding, cramped and unacceptable.
She lives within the shadows, unhappy, miserable, resentful, and unable to move on.
She knows the answer to the situation, she just hasn’t asked herself the question.
Why keep it all, and what happened to MY life!
I have said to my own sons: “When I go, keep what you want, no obligation, and chuck the rest!”
While this is probably an extreme example, it is a stark reminder that we cannot live our lives if we are weighed down by emotional attachments to the stuff of previous generations.
How do you feel about this? Have you had to deal with this sort of situation?
Firstly, I would like to say thank to all of you who have sent your caring thoughts and healing wishes for my mother. She continues to improve and will be home again in no time.
Tonight I want to share some words from my friend, Patty. She posted this on Facebook today and I immediately thought that it may be useful to those of you who are struggling with the loss of a parent and the possessions that are left behind. Dealing with them can be a challenging and time-consuming process.
Some of us are struggling with our elderly parents; in our care, in their death; in recent passing. My garage downstairs is full of my parents’ lives, and every time I go to unpack it, and sort it, I am taken back to my childhood and the re-living of this emotion is draining and emotionally exhausting. As much as we loved our parents, there’s a lot of “stuff” to be dealt with, in a practical way.
I hope this might help you? The Amen is complimentary. Light a candle, and say this out loud. Tears are optional. It’s all release. No rules.
Parents Prayer
To my parents, grandparents, and my earthly ancestors who came before me, thank you.
Thank you for your love and guiding wisdom.
Thank you for loving me, every day; in every way.
Thank you for all of your hard work, your concern, and your complete acceptance of me and my spirit.
Thank you for your precious gift of life and love.
It is received with gratitude.
Thank you for our family, for all of the good times, for your precious memories.
I am now able to live my own adult life, and walk with my face towards the sun.
I shall swing my arms with happiness and freedom, knowing that this is what you want me to do.
Mum and dad, I release you, with love. Thank you for everything.
I love you all, forever.
I will remember you with respect and gratitude. Thank you.
I release you all, back to the universe. I release you all; back to the earth and beyond. Thank you.
It is so.
Amen.
Remember, it is the memories that are important and will sustain you. The stuff is a separate issue.
Posts have been somewhat lacking this week as my real life is demanding more of my time and I have barely been online. Please bear with me as this will continue for the next couple of weeks.
I have spent a couple of days putting my decluttering skills to good use as I sorted and tidied the pantry in my mother’s unit. Although it is a one bedroom unit in a retirement village there is a small but functional kitchen with a walk-in pantry.
I did not have my camera with me to show you some before and after photos but I will try to explain a little of what I did.
There was some great organisation already in place. All of the small jars of herbs and spices live in a shoebox to keep them together.
The first step was to check for duplicates of items – there were a couple and then I decanted items that were in packets into appropriately sized containers. There was no shortage of storage jars and canisters. I then gathered like things together. The baking ingredients – flour, raising agents, coconut etc are all on one shelf. Dried fruit and nuts are together as are breakfast provisions.
One of the important lessons I discovered from this exercise is that we have to constantly adapt to changing circumstances. My mother no longer prepares her own evening meal so many of the things that I keep in my pantry are simply not applicable to her situation. I am aware that some of the ingredients that she has will probably not be replaced when they are depleted.
The other consideration is the size of the containers. The above photo is my pantry but the large red-lidded jars came from from Mum. I have now acquired another 4 as Mum no longer needs them. She simply does not keep that much of anything and the jars are quite heavy and difficult to handle.
I can see another bit of re-arranging of my own pantry coming up as I consider what other ingredients I will keep in the large jars and work out a way to fit them in.
Circumstances are constantly evolving as we welcome children into our homes, they grow and then finally leave home. Later there may be the addition of grandchildren or the death of a spouse. All of these things require us to adapt what we have and how we use it. It is easy for the essentials of one phase of our lives to become the clutter of the future so it is wise to review our needs regularly.
I would love to hear your thoughts on changing circumstances and clutter.
Rather than just one post here are a few decluttering posts from the archives.
I hope you will find time to take a look at these posts. There are others as well which you may find.
I have been away for a couple of days as I have had some family commitments. Luckily, I had prepared the ‘Wordless Wednesday’ post on the weekend so it was ready to go.
I don’t have anything particular to share but I have noticed recently that everywhere I turn there seems to be discussion about excess stuff and decluttering. Is it just me or have you noticed the same?
For ‘Flashback Friday’ I will find one of my previous posts on decluttering and living with less. In the meantime please share your thoughts. Have you decluttered? Do you wish you could? Is there any particular aspect you would like me to write about and discuss?
organised castle 