What to do with yourself and ourselves next!

 

Merry Christmas to you all!

Well the week is almost at its end. Nothing what I or we have endured in 2014 came close to what was witnessed by those caught in the tragedies of the Lindt Café siege at Martin Place, school massacre at Peshawar in Pakistan or of the eight children viciously murdered in Cairns up in North Queensland. Ferocity impeaches what most law-abiding citizens are naturally feeling at this chaotic loss of human life.

 

Besides bearing this horrific assault on a very uneventful month for me, on Wednesday I managed after nine months practicing, pleading and cussing myself to pass Technical Production and Presentation Skills components of Certificate III in Media under the professional teaching of Nicky Page, Radio Adelaide’s Training Manager. While I can breathe a bit more freely, I’m prohibited from recording, producing and managing a program on my own. It ain’t all bad as I can consolidate and rehearse what was taught to me and maybe in six to twelve months from writing this entry ‘The Third Undergrowth’ might conquer the community radio airwaves and win big at the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia Awards.

I watched Stella Young’s memorial service held at Melbourne Town Hall yesterday. Bryce Ives’ glass-shattering words about ‘being proud’ of your disability ‘by practicing’ advocacy for or against what is counteracting disability rights on a community, academic or political platform propelled an emotional defiance that Stella’s work would not stop. Graeme Innes (ex-Disability Discrimination Commissioner) and Nelly Thomas’ eulogies perfected how I felt that Stella will never again write another article, make us laugh or twitch at her comedic gigs or scout new voices who too argue, prioritise and highlight disability without under-educated patronisation or ‘inspirational pornographic’ memes. Tears were shed, her name immortalised and accessibility approached with fine proficiency. Now the next step is continuing where she left off so suddenly.

2015 is the year that disability won’t be backpedalled or postponed because our loudest spokeswoman died thirty-two years young. No that won’t be possible as my legacy to Stell is to stop the bulls*ht, challenge societies and institutions about ableism and pledge that disability narratives and opinions will not get lost under the misinformed notion that we ‘do not matter.’

WE DO BLOODLY WELL MATTER!!!!!!

So “get proud by practicing. Keep practicing so you won’t forget.”