Hi Jake,
Hopefully you are learning a bit more than a new (more amusing) use of B&B! Although we all need a bit of humour, I'm certainly enjoying your contribution there.
I know what you mean about the sympathy votes, however I would prerfer empathy and that is generally not much on offer. Most people would have no idea how I survive either, unless they ask me. I'm up front about being on a pension, or even DSP if they ask. Most people ask me what I do I tell them I'm a full-time parent.
You're so right about stigma, and I suspect StigmaWatch would have been on overload of late. The federal govt and the mainstream media seem to be aiming for the Guinness Book of Records on stigmatising anyone and anything lately, with MI about equal top of the list along with asylum seekers. Maybe they'll be trying to ship us off to Manus Island or Sri Lanka soon (joke, but not funny).
I know what you mean, as I am in a rural area too. I do a lot of informal stuff in my community, when it gets formalised I feel pressured to perform rather than doing as much or as little as I am able on any given day. I guess some people would call a lot of what I do in my community "pastoral care" but to me it's just being a friend.
Tomorrow I'm off to my first Council Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group meeting (what a mouthful!) as a community representative. I am hopeful that I can add something of value, if not I won't hang about and bang my head against a brick wall. I am very much an outside the square ideas person, sometimes that's appreciated and sometimes it's not. This group only meets every three months so I think that level of regular commitment I can cope with.
Best regards,
Kristin
