These are uneasy times. The Australian media has been widely reporting on
the conviction of Cardinal George Pell on child sexual abuse charges and the disturbing words of his lawyer that attempted to minimize or normalize what took place. The irony of spending most of your life denying your guilt but then having your own lawyer admit that you are guilty but ‘it really wasn’t that bad in the scheme of things’. Personally, I worry deeply about the secret life the man who spoke those words might have for him to be able to rationalize as he did to the media.
On a religious level, I’ve often thought of religion as separate to its human representatives but that argument isn’t working at the moment. Intelligent discussion is taking place in the media about this and they articulate ideas and arguments far more eloquently than I ever well. Much has been said of false prophets and how Cardinal Pell is one of them. His comments about homosexuality, his belief that abortion is a worse moral scandal than child sexual abuse… Should we have taken more notice and demanded more action at the time these words were uttered?
I am a parent but not Catholic or a victim of child sexual abuse. Since the news of the conviction broke, I’ve found myself actively avoiding the news because anything I’ve read about the victims has left me numb and physically repulsed. I’m one of the ‘lucky ones’. I get to walk away from my computer and close a window on my phone before returning to my life. Many, many people are not as fortunate but at least now perhaps just a few more of them will find some kind of closure or release through this conviction.
As a parent, I’ve ended this week convinced even more than ever of not assuming that all be well when it comes to my child’s interaction with any institution. I . just haven’t figured out how to educate my child without making him anxious and fearful…..
Life has a habit of continuing nevertheless and for that I think many will be grateful.
I’ve been busy doing things, I guess.
I’ve attacked the side hedges with vigour. I could’ve been a landscaper, couldn’t I?
I’ve enjoyed the little things. I ‘won’ the ends of our last but one loaf of fruit toast. They went down a treat this morning with loads of Aldi peanut butter and Costco honey.
Our household is already in the grip of Woolies’ latest promotion and so to, it seems, is our local Woolworths. The current range of collectables is called ‘Disney Words’ which sees hapless shoppers and parents like me yield one alphabet tile per $30 spend. Except it was the start of launch weekend today so we got two tiles for every $30….. plus I scored the album that holds the tiles for free because I am such a frequent, high spending customer.
Despite it being a Saturday morning, the atmosphere at Woolies was pleasantly upbeat. Staff went to town on the Disney theme. We saw an Elsa at the checkout plus several pairs of Mickey and Minnie ears dotted here and there amongst the sea of harried weekend grocery shoppers. Because that’s the thing when you lose a day off during the week, pretty much everything needs to get done over the weekend.
But I digress.
Perhaps to prove that Cardinal Pell that #loveislove and that light will triumph over darkness, it’s Mardi Gras day in Sydney today. I’m not going to be there in person (that person lacks the requisite zjoosh to strut with pride in or alongside the parade), I’ve been cheering on from the sideliness in suburbia.
I started the day with my special Mardi Gras playlist courtesy of Apple Music and I played it loud as I boogied around the house doing middle-aged mum kind of things.
Pearson’s Florist at Bondi Junction (the ‘burbs home of Mardi Gras in Sydney) went all out with a window full of rainbow hued blooms.
In other news from The Junction, the burger place that promises to serve concrete shakes still hasn’t opened (much to my dissapointment) but there is this nifty change machine at the sushi stall. Should you wish to pay the old school way with cash, there’s a new process. You speak with a staff member, they get your order then you put your money into this machine and wait for the change in the manner demonstrated by Master SSG.
How’s your week been?
