More pondering...

I'm just thinking about how we all have our own focal points depending on our own personal situations, whether we be parents, and then of what age are our children; perhaps single, or in a couple with no kids, or gay; city dwelling or country, which country, so many many influences... whether we or a loved one suffers from a serious illness, a disability, one of the many heavy burdens that so stongly influences our every day lives.. all of these factors and many more influence our focal point and charge our priorities, our choices in our everyday lives. It's all so personal and subjective to our own pathway before us. I only know mine, you have your own. Much of what I think about may be totally clear to you, or totally foreign, depending on your own pathway in life and understanding. Respecting different views despite them not being our own core values is a part of living harmoniously on this planet, even though it can seem so impulsively difficult to do.

One of the things about moving home to my country of origin is that I feel more deeply wounded when I disagree with the opinions of the press, or the speaches by our politicians or the other people within my society. When you live in a foreign land, even if you have that nationality and can vote in their elections, it's still very comforting to think if you disagree with their stances, "its ok, its not my home, my voice". But coming home to Australia, despite it being a labour government, and a woman as prime minister (ta dah), it's still somewhat disappointing. Not only in the complexity of attempts to combat the massive problem of climate change, but even more so in the press and therefore public opinion, which differs quite radically from the european view. (In France for example, I never once heard the questioning of whether climate change is 'real'). sigh. But that's my view, perhaps not yours, you may find me equally a fruit cake for spending so much time worrying about the fact that the school canteen gives out approximately 100 polystyrene cups each day to hold a hot chocolate in little hands and then be totally non biodegradable and polluting to our environment whether through incineration or land fill.. (http://www.grinningplanet.com/2008/04-08/foam-cups-polystyrene-cups-article.htm)  and how is that encouraging our children to take positive action in their future we are surposedly helping educate and create with them?  Another of the thorns in my side is the teflon coating on my son's trousers for school, which has such a toxic load of dangerous chemicals seeping into his fragile skin each day.... as I said, we all have our own focal points. (http://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/?s=teflon)

I dont pretend to have an answer for everyone, I just try to do the best for my family and environment with my own options and choices everyday. Its an enormous challenge, but I prefer to look about myself and reflect rather than keep my head in the sand, at least most of the time.