Vale Geraldine Hoff Doyle

TO EXPLAIN NEW TEMP PROFILE SHOT:

("Rosie the Rivetter" died December 30th, 2010.)

Geraldine Hoff Doyle was 17 years old when she was spotted in a Michigan metal factory wearing the now infamous red polka-dot bandanna. After being photographed by Union Press International that day, the photo was later used by the U.S. War Production Coordinating Committee to create the image we know today.

Not only has she become a pop cultural icon, she also symbolises the struggle that still goes on for equal rights for women both at home and in the paid workforce. We, all owe her and our mothers and grandmother who fought for our rights, homage, respect and the communal generosity to continue the fight as 'we have not achieved it all' and 'we cannot expect to sit back and have it all, whilst whinging that the Feminists mislead us!' Wrong! Selfishness from the eighties onwards for both men and women drove the wishlist 'to have it all', and still does in 2011.

My wish for the coming year is no wars begun and fought in the name of democracy (please treat the community with respect and call it for what it is... bloodshed for strategic alliances or commodities) and LISTEN when we take to the streets to say we disagree!

Whilst on a Maxine-style whingefest in this first blog ( I call it therapy), I am also heartily sick of whining middle classes procaliming how tough they are doing it financially... the term asset rich, income poor to me means a desire to 'have it all' without compromise. To the newly establishing families... forget the two cars and Mcmansions with Plasmas... aim more modestly and you just might find your relationships last longer and are happier.

More wisdom for the old bitch.... if you do not look after yourself then no-one else will. Without self-respect others will not give it freely either. So be warned 'the takers' of this world. Whilst I have happily and proudly worn the mantle of mad woman for decades, I will not have that label equated with fool or stupidity. I do know what you are doing. I see the hidden agendas and I respect you all less for it.

2011 is time to stop hiding behind the dredged up 'mask of the clown'. It is Act 5 and Shakespeare's clown is now calling it like it is and others will see how they underestimated the character of the fool. Even the Tarot card may just be wrong... s/he may not need the small dog to stop stepping off the cliff whilst gazing at the skies. It might actually be a choice. the choice to search for beauty instead of earthly degradation and opportunism.

I am no longer The Fool... call me The Priestess in balance between the black and white pillars of society. My mood states may fluctuate but I will always find equilibrium! It will be when it suits me and as I work my way there, not on anyone else's timelines of expectations.

I wish everybody clarity of thought and understanding (with compassion) in 2011.

“My Grown Up Christmas List”:

Refuse to call this one a BUCKET LIST as they are goals and WILL happen.

1. To spend Christmas 2011 somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere with people needing TLC.
2. To fly over Antarctica on a NY’s Eve… or boat around the summer glaciers.
3. To see the Northern lights
4. To spend a 24 hour day in daylight (possibly Finland or Iceland)
5. To visit Machu Picchu before I am too old to climb.
6. See the Great Wall
7. Visit Valley of the Kings and Abu Symbel
8. Visit the Taj Mahal (even alone)
9. Spend some ‘me’ time on Santorini
10. Do the Yarra Valley or Melbourne hot air balloon ride
11. Do the whole Tandem parachute jump
12. Also do the V8 circuit at Sandown
13. See the shows on Broadway without a night off (or matinee off)
14. One last visit to the West End!
15. Eat at Tour D’Argent and Maxim’s de Paris (even alone)
16. See polar bears and orcas in Newfoundland ( I’ll never afford the Rocky Mountaineer trip).
17. See the golden Buddha Inside Jogyesa Temple in Seoul, South Korea
18. Visit Angkor Watt in Cambodia.
19. See the bloody South Island of NZ!
20. Lastly see Uluru, Kings Canyon, the Olgas, wave Rock, Pilbarra, cable beach and Kakadu before I shuffle off.

A Day of Peace, hopefully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYHCeUfoAnw&feature=player_embedded

I know this is from earlier this year on THAT anniversary but I feel it i perfect for today. You may have noticed I have been UNUSUALLY quiet lately. WEll, rest assured friend I have been dealing with the uppermost issue which affects many people at this particular time of the year... Too much to do in too little time, and despite all my 'welllness lessons' in 2010 I still put my own needs to the bottom of the list.

How is it that when you are REALLY busy, people always ask fro extra help.. (you know that old cliche that when you need something done ask a busy person)? Well if we are that good at time manegment we wouldn't look so bloody obviously busy!

So what had been going on... two important Conference Papers, numerous job applications which everybody knows takes so much time just tweaking the small bits to match the criteria to the 'T'... or is that tee?

Add to this a fresh new start on my PhD first chapter of the exegesis. YEP youe've read that right ANOTHER FRESH START... that make's Take 6 at Draft one!"

It appears that I am one of those candidates who seems destined not to be able to draft my rough work up to standard and that it is expected to virtually hit the mark in the first go!

So do I get to the subsequent chapters? Only in flow charts, mind maps (can you imagine those!), dot points, coded and marked references, research notes compiled and located in relevant colour-coded folders, but the actual first drafting of these chapters... ya gotta be kidding! And this despite every chapter having a corrseponding Conference paper or presentation!

Would you believe it has taken me over three years to begin to trust my own writing techiques... you know the ones that actually get me published.

• Write it out free flowing, just to see for stuctural cohesion.
  
• Redraft for voice.style consistency, then
  
• back through to add supporting evidence without repeating (or padding) what the previously published experts say, then
• sending to a reviewer/referee/ outisde editor for CONSTRUCTIVE commentary and objective critiscism of the writing's weakness NOT MY OWN!

Well, that's the way I am going now and believe me it appears to be bringing the wrath of the academic gods, onto my head.

So what I say.

It work for me. I am now only just able to say I KNOW this is right and will hang together and no longer feel the need to defend and justify myself all the way through the writing which invariably weakens the strength of the piece.

All so logical when looked at calmly and rationally!

Pity is that very few PhDers are able to do just that, due to the pressure and stress of both external expectations and inner self-doubt.

Now I am just dying (metaphorically) for the time when I can actually swing back into my creative work and just let the characters have free reign, even should their stories appear (as has been commented) implausible or cliched. Cliche is when something is so common it is boxed and categorized... so believe me when I say in my novel most of these women's experiences are 'easily' boxed and labelled cliched and self-indulgent.

I just want to write with authenticity and artistic freedom at last. I am NOT, repeat NOT writing capitla "l" Literature!

This time is coming and very shortly, so my deepest blackes( -4 periods) are drawing to a close, even though to many outside observers I have been functioing at +4 in the professional/public domian. We all know what that means, and the inner determination and cognitive resources required to pull that off successfully.

May I proudly announce I am making it without recourse to any form of respite hospitalisation, medication re-qdjustments at all. (Despite contstantly articulated predictions)

This is HUGE.

As many readers of this blog understand, it is not called the silly season for nothing... even the 'normal' amongst us feel compelled to 'play act happy families and western cultural myths'. For many despite being surrounded by so-called loving and supportive family, IT IS THE LONELIEST TIME OF THE YEAR.

At leas,t I just did the role this year and ignored the expectations.

I am alone but reasonably happy as loneness in itself allows me time to reflect on the important people in my life who are no longer with me; my dear mother, Ivy (who would adore the fact I do the whole baking thing from her generation), my Dad, Ted (who would be a tad disappointed that I didn't say stuff you to adult son and climb the bloody roof and bedeck the house with all the glowing lights... but he would be proud that I finally took a stand of independence), my brother Kevin (who has been so uppermost in my mind these last years when I think of him dying within the darkness of the mine's confined space... now that its the ultimate alone-ness... I have no right to self-pity), to my brother Ron (who has taught me that we do in fact reap what we sow, but nevertheless no person should die alone without at least one person by their side), and to the georgeous Michelle who never took life too seriously, and the beautiful Dizzy who unfortunately did. And to Terence and my darling Billy, and the many others taken by one of the globe's unnecessary and curable diseases. Today I dedicate to you all and promise to give thanks for just being here and giving it my best shot no matter what.