The Man in the Arena

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt
"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
Read the full speech here

If you don't know it's impossible

Just one of many quotes from this inspirational speech by Neil Gaiman to the University of the Arts Class of 2012:

"If you don't know it's impossible, it's easier to do."

What does the NCFH do?

"They offer a targeted, holistic health service to those working on farms across Australia to ensure better health outcomes." ~ Deb Bain, Farm Day

More questions than answers

Two weeks ago, on hearing the National Centre for Farmer Health had had its $1 million annual grant cut in the Victorian State Budget, I started a petition in the hope of putting enough public pressure on the Victorian Government to see the decision reversed. I have no links to the Centre whatsoever, but given my vocal advocacy for farmer health and mental health it seemed unconscionable that I wouldn't get fired-up and try to do something about this: a case of 'put-up or shut-up' so to speak. So, without much forethought, I jumped in boots and all, expecting a flood of support for the petition from Australia's farmers and farming communities ... but I was naive and wrong. There has been barely a trickle of support and quite frankly, I feel embarrassed for putting myself out there when no one asked me. And now I'm left asking some very hard questions: Why? Why hasn't there been the flood of support I hoped for?

Stop the National Centre for Farmer Health from closing

Last week I was left flabbergasted by news that the Victorian state government had cut funding to the National Centre for Farmer Health which will have implications for farming communities across the whole of Australia. Farmers make an extraordinary contribution to the Victorian economy, as they do to our nation's economy.  It defies reason that a government would entre into a false economy by cutting back in important areas such as health, mental health and welfare, which will only cost them more in the long term. We as a nation can ill afford to lose any more of our farmers!

Join with me in sending a message to the Victorian government that our farmers are important to the future of this nation and we will not let them be undervalued in this way:

Change.org|Online Petition Template

Side effects

It is now Day 33 that I have been going through: first the side effects of withdrawal from one anti-depressant [shared in this blog post: The black hole]; and now the side effects of a new anti-depressant (which I'm coming off because my body is rejecting it, but sadly this cannot be done overnight).  Just for a bit of fun, I thought I'd make a list & here it is:

Hold on

Sometimes things happen in threes (3s)

Almost 12 months of inconsistency in access to appropriate mental health care, combined with many visits to many different doctors with many different outcomes for me,  has helped me to decide that I am going to give myself the chance to live life without the effects of powerful anti-depressant medication. I've been willing to do what the doctors advised up until a few days ago when it became apparent the advice I was being given was resulting in adverse side effects and no quality of life for me. I sought a second medical opinion and then confirmation of my decision came in the following three messages:

Second chances

The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible." ~ Winston Churchill

April has been a very difficult month, but it was Winston Churchill who said: "If you're going through hell, keep going!" ... so that's what I have done - one halting footstep at a time.

What ANZAC Day means to me

I've been trying for days to write a post about what ANZAC Day means to me & each time I start, my eyes brim with tears and before I even get past the first paragraph, the tears start rolling down my cheeks, just as they are now. 

ANZAC Day will always remind me of my grandfather, a veteran of WWII he sacrificed a promising sporting career & his sanity to fight for our country.  Like so many others, he went to war a strong, fit, idealistic, young man & returned wounded, 'shell-shocked' and his career in tatters.