Sorry

Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

Prime Minister Rudd's speech, to be delivered 9am today (in about 10 minutes) on a Day of Reconciliation for Australia, a day to celebrate.

New glasses

My friend Grace had her eyes done and gave me her old frames, just after Una took my red glasses in her hands and went SNAP!

Past lives and bluebirds

Frederique has started talking in eerily vivid detail about her past life.

Her mum and dad were dead and she lived with her Grandpa. Her Grandpa taught her to read maps and follow the trainlines and to tell the time by the stars. He also taught her to point with her fingers before she lifted binoculars to her eyes. Tonight she got up and came into the lounge room to tell me she missed her old Mummy and Daddy from before I was born, when I was living in Africa. Her old Mummy and Daddy died, and her Grandpa came and got her. He gave her a flute to play and the prettiest ribbon and a skipping rope but it broke. She said the gold looked like brown stones.

It's not that I believe her exactly, it's just that she's so convincing. She's been telling me this story over the period of about a month now and it builds such a clear picture that I want to write a novel out of it.

Speaking of novels I sent a little one off to Penguin today. It's called Bluebird and it's another Chomp. Hopefully they take it, though it is a little odd. I'll find out in a month or two I guess.

The Friendly Duck and other Souvenirs

The Friendly Duck, originally uploaded by nellup.

Una met a duck on our holiday at Nickle Doo, loving him through the safety of the glass door. His name was 'Friendly Duck' and Una watched eagerly for his return, but he never came back.

Now, weeks later, if Una is inexplicably crying copious tears and we ask her why she tells us she is 'sad about her friendly duck'.

The best souvenirs are stories, memories, images and phrases. Familylore.

A for enthusiasm, F for Sitting

So they're gonna do reports for kinder. You know, which I'm sure will be swell.

But why am I already dreading reading Fred's? (When I was in prep - you know, all of five years old - my report said I was immature. I think Frederique takes after her mother.)

Anyway, I like her just the way she is. My scattergirl.

In related news, we love the Lollipop People and this is a gorgeous piece of writing.

Fragments

Driving
I am booked in for my driving test on the 27th February. I have been learning to drive on and off since I was 16, when my boyfriend at the time would let me drive his beloved Fiat 128. I came quite close to being ready to sit the test when I squashed my poor little car in 1998 (almost leading me to declare bankruptcy, but that's another story - the moral of which is always pay a lawyer if you get into trouble cause they can get you out of stuff you can't get out of by yourself). My current learner's permit (which lasts for 10 years) expires on the 20 March. I have been driving for seventeen years. But I am still worried that I'll get nervous in my test and make a stupid mistake, ride up on a curb, fail.
I enjoy driving, but I am scared of everyone else on the road.

Becoming a Grown Up
Learning to drive heralds a new era for me. I've realised now that I often drive that I am going to need some kind of small bag in which to keep my purse, the car keys and my sunnies/normal glasses - at the moment, I always hand the keys back to Martin when we arrive because he always has pockets. I don't have pockets. I've never owned a handbag in all my life. I either use a backpack or nappy bag or I carry my purse in my hand or Martin carries everything. I may have to buy a mobile phone as well. I used to have one but it died by baby spit.

Please note that below is the most ill-informed weigh-in on the US Election on the net
Martin and I just finished watching West Wing season 6 last night (and will move on to 7). It's been, frankly, bizarre and confusing watching candidates battle it out in the primaries simultaneously in West Wing world and the real world, but it has given me greater understanding of the American system and also greater interest. I am looking forward to the results of Super Tuesday (Feb 5) with great interest. Martin favours Obama, he thinks Hillary is too political, that Obama is the better person. I'm not sure I agree. I admit, I would love to see a woman president. It amazes me, watching West Wing, that their vision for a presidential race was one fought almost exclusively between men (the one female runner drops out early, revealing that she only ran to get certain issues brought to the fore), and the only minority represented is Latino. A few years later the race is between a black man and a woman. It's pretty exciting days. The Australian election outcome could be seen as a microcosm of the world stage, that we're ready to move away from conservatism, to deal with some issues that really take a different way of thinking (like the environment, human rights, a sustainable economy which isn't solely fuelled by rugged individualism) in which case we really could be looking at a black male president or a female president by the end of the decade. To be honest, there was a time not so long ago when I could have easily believed that this wouldn't happen in my lifetime.
Though I wish the choice was really between Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda - or Santos and Vinick as they play in West Wing. Alan Alda is so the Republican you want to love, so much so that I currently think he's set to win the election, in order to show faux-political-balance on TV. No spoilers please.

The Indigo Girls

It's February, which means Indigo Girls is filtering into the bookshops in Australia and NZ. It's already been given a pretty good write up in the Readings newsletter and there was a reprint before the book was even released.

You can read the first three chapters here. Or you can go and read this bit of embarrassment if you must.