Welcome. I hope you’ve had a great week and are looking forward to the next one coming up. As is often the case these days our week has been punctuated with medical appointments. Roger had to have his yearly medical check to ensure he is safe to continue driving. He passed with flying colours as I knew he would but it had concerned him. I think his fear was that he would be at my mercy and he would become a prisoner in his own house. Where I could be here all day everyday and still not have enough time to do everything I want to do he has to get out, even if it is just a quick trip to the shops.
I had my 3rd mammogram and ultrasound post cancer surgery in readiness for the yearly check I have with the surgeon. Another two years and I’ll be officially off her books and deemed cured. Someone called me a survivor the other day and I reacted negatively which surprised both of us. I don’t consider myself a survivor because I didn’t believe it was going to kill me. Well maybe I did think it would kill me for a time while I was in shock when they gave me the diagnosis and up until surgery but after that I don’t think I believed that this one would get me. I think if I had believed that I would be living in fear of the unknown and the terror of what might be. I have a dear friend who fifteen years after surgery is fearful of every pain she gets – fearful of the cancer’s return. In some respects I feel that the cancer has got her even though she has survived.
We also have finally been given a doctors appointment in Cairns. I presume that means that treatment will happen but we haven’t been given a date for that. This week I am just going to go ahead and book what I need to. It has changed our plans slightly. Instead of travelling inland on the way to Cairns we will travel up the coast. That way if we don’t get to Cairns by the 20th we can have the consult by phone and as we use a provider that only has good coverage on the coast we will have to plan accordingly.
I’ve also had some lovely coffee mornings with some good friends. Wednesday turned into a philosophical discussion and gave me the direction for my posts next week. Monday was due to be about writing so I plan on writing about time, continuing on with a part 2 on Wednesday and a book review the next Monday where time is a central theme. I struggled again with last Wednesday’s post, not getting it out until Friday. Even Monday’s came out on my Tuesday but that I could rationalise and say it is everyone else’s Monday. Now I have a plan it is up to me to carry out.
I have found some additional challenges that I will join in where and when I can. Bushboy’s Ragtag Daily Prompt provides photographers and writers with a word prompt to do with what they will. This one was Inchoate. According to Webster: The meaning of INCHOATE is being only partly in existence or operation : incipient; especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : formless, incoherent. My photo above is my response to this prompt. When reading that definition my thoughts immediately went to foetus’s and ultrasounds. The photo above reminds me of an ultrasound – a tenuous connection I know but it worked for me.
The other challenge that this photo is posted for is Clare from Clare’s Cosmos who on the 15th of each month wants you to Share Your Desktop Fitted perfectly because my ultrasound sunset just happens to be on my desktop at the moment.
The two other challenges that I have entered before are Marsha’s photographing public art PPAC and Cee’s Flower of the Day Photos for both these follow.
My goals are on track. Toastmasters on Monday night saw me present my umpteenth ice breaker speech. It went well. I told what drove me to Toastmasters in the first place in 2013, what events had led up to me losing my voice and why I stayed. This leaves me only one more speech to conclude level 1 in motivational strategies pathway and this I will do at the next meeting. When this research speech is done it will mean that I will have completed two levels in the one toastmaster year – this level 1, a level 4 in Innovative Planning and with only one more speech and evaluation to receive in Level 4 of Engaging Humour I feel I will be getting a triple crown again this year.
My entry for PPAC is a stark reminder of the divisions in our world today. COVID 19 and the vaccinated or not vaccinated alone are driving wedges between families, and communities let alone if we consider climate change, and other issues facing the world today. I have been listening to our parliamentary sessions on the radio
I have been listening to our parliament sessions on the radio and to put it bluntly I am disgusted. We have our federal election on the horizon and our government is doing its best to engender fear into all our hearts. This is how they win elections – reds under the bed, babies being thrown overboard and the war on terror are just a few of previous pre-election campaigns. When the populous are fearful they vote for the encumbent party. If ever I’ve heard them and us it is in these parliamentary sessions and it is fabricated nonsense. Nevertheless all these divisions are driving wedges between us. The artist for this piece of street art named Social identity theory wrote ” Our world is divided more than ever before. 80 million displaced peoples. War and disease have torn apart communities and families. The Social Identity Theory is as old as our ancient lizard brains, yet to survive, we must recognise that our Similarities Far Outweigh our Differences.” What a wonderful world we would live in if this were the case.
I’d love to hear how your week has been. Until Next time. I hope you have a good week.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
So true Irene. This is going to be a nasty election campaign, not that they all aren’t but as they have nothing solid to boast of it will likely be a negative campaign scaring us into thinking that if we don’t vote for the incumbents’ terrible things will happen. Sorry, I mean more terrible things than we’ve already had. Sadly, most people don’t bother to study the policies of each group and they will cast their vote based on personalities as portrayed by the Murdoch media or on whatever big hook is being used in the advertising campaign. The favourite one is “Labor is bad for the economy.” Remember “Labor’s Big Tax on Everything” back in Abbot’s day. People will fall for that kind of spin unfortunately. Sorry for the rant.
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It is definitely going to be a negative one. It would be ideal if each side was prohibited somehow from denigrating the other side and could just give policies. But perhaps no-one would listen to them if they weren’t bickering like children. Our media controls the country rather than the politicians but that could be changing with social media but then if covid is anything to go by there is as much misinformation being touted there. time will tell. My husband says ” we get the government we deserve” – unfortunately I think I deserve better. Yes I do remember. I would love to see a debate/referendum on what we want our country to look like rather than base everything on being in the black. Let’s face it – we all have gone into mortgage to buy a house. What is the difference? I love a good rant so don’t apologise.
Lovely to see you on zoom the other day. I wondered if it was you but didn’t ask as I’m not a big talker.
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I was a bit hesitant about trying Zoom. I’m better at writing than talking but I’m g lad I did it. I also believe we , as a country, get the government we deserve but I think I deserve better too. I’ve always tried to be a responsible voter and learn about the polices. So many don’t. I disagree with those who say they won’t vote at all because all parties are bad. I don’t think that kind of cop out helps.
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With you on all counts.
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What a great catch up with you post. I adore your attitude on life. I’ve always had this attitude nothing will get me down. I’ve over came so many different types of illnesses I’m battling with long haulers…your post today reminded me don’t get stuck and walk through the illness and continue living. I’m not saying this right, but I hope you get what I am trying to say.
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I do get what you are saying Cee and I think that is exactly the right attitude otherwise it did get you. Lovely to see you Friday.
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It’s always fun to chat 😀 😀
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Hi Irene, thank you so much for joining in on the SYD fun and sharing your wonderful photo with me (and everyone else who reads my blog). I hope you can join in again next month 😊
As to our parliament: I usually watch the sessions on the ABC News channel while enjoying my lunch, but I get so angry with their rude, disrespectful, inconsiderate and downright undiplomatic behaviour that I’ve stopped doing so. It’s an appalling display of how to NOT follow parliamentary procedure and it baffles me that these are the people elected to run our country.
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Totally agree Clare. They are worse than children. They should all go to a Toastmasters Parliamentary educational. It is frightening these are the people elected to run our country which means most people either don’t know or don’t care or are plain frightening themselves.
Yes I’ll be in next month on the 15th.
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Greast to hear 🥰 And what I can’t tolerate about our parliamentary sessions is the rude behaviour, the talking over eachother, the yelling – sometimes the yelling of obsenities – and the general lack of courtesy. It’s embarrassing and shameful.
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Absolutely.
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It would be good if I could spell ‘great’ 🤣
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Hi Irene, Your post speaks volumes to me. I also don’t think of myself as a survivor. It was a bit of an ordeal to have breast cancer, but the follow-up preventive medications were more troublesome than the surgeries. It interrupted my swimming for a month, and that’s about it. I was glad to catch it early and be alive, but I didn’t put forth any effort in the matter. I had great doctors. 🙂 Thanks for joining in PPAC I hope you have another great week filled with joy and great health. 🙂
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You have a great attitude Marsha. I too am glad to be alive and grateful for living where we do have access to good health care but there it ends for me. Hope you have a happy week also.
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Yay for you. I have three more years of medication and check ups. That is super non-invasive.
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My goodness Irene – I take my hat 👒 off to you! You’ve covered so many topics in your post.
Hope your breast results are good. Your positive attitude is inspirational! Go you!
Your Toastmaster’s achievements put me to shame. I started out but never got around to finishing even the first lot. I will hopefully return one day.
Taking the coastal road seems a wise idea. Perhaps you can put up some photos of Cairns when you get there.
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Thanks Wendy. I’ll be really surprised if they’re not good. I have found Toastmasters has given me self confidence that I didn’t have before. I wouldn’t say it has made me outgoing but it does allow me to function in a group without being so nervous that I didn’t say anything. Perhaps the time just wasn’t right for you but you can always return when you want to. I’ll definitely post some pictures of our trip. About to book a 4 day train trip from Cairns to west and back again. That will make it all seem real. Have a great week.
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I admire your spirit to defy the fear-mongering, Irene. I read an article a few years ago that spoke of the harm doctors create when they phrase cancer in battle terms. I understand your pushback against being called a survivor, and yet I also know of others who find comfort in having “survived” But we use fear too much, I think, in our modern society. Worse, is when governments use it to manipulate people.
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Absolutely agree. Our politicians use fear to control us and win elections. Drives me mad.
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