Red-letter day, black heart (Sophie)

Well, I know at the very least I am due for an update on here – especially considering my last post which was when I was definitely worse for wear compared to my usual self.

It has been a pretty difficult last week and a half. Fate did intervene in some respect and I don’t have Glandular which is great, however I have been sick with Bronchitis and Sinusitis which has definitely not been fun! I haven’t been this sick for a long time…however I’m slowly getting back to a state of normality though my voice is still a bit croaky (not great for someone who loves to talk and have long conversations with people!).

Overall I am still concerned about my results, but all I can do is hope for the best. Being sick definitely affected my performance, particularly in ATA, but I feel like hopefully my hard work in the semester helped me pull through. I’m feeling very objective about it all now…it’s happened, I cannot change it now; it could have been a lot worse!

I have returned to the philosophy that has followed me everywhere this year – that belief in yourself, hard work and doing what you love will lead to success no matter what. It has worked so far!

I will not let anything stop me from trying my best, and trying to achieve my dreams – not just in the sense of a career, but in my broader goals to change the world for the better. I think sometimes I just place so much significance on attaining career success because it will make it so much easier for me to work on some of my other goals.

In the broader scheme of things however, University life is already off to a great start for next year -I’ve just found out that I’ve been officially accepted to be a Peer Mentor for 2007!!!!!!! I am so happy about this. I did the whole application process and thought I’d missed out because I heard nothing back by the due date but it turned out that this had just been because there had been so many applications! I am so excited to be part of the program. It is an honour to be chosen to be in a role like that! I just hope the First Year I’m assigned to is cool! Lol.

Last night as a climax to the end of exams (my last one was yesterday morning), I attended the Make Poverty History concert. It was amazing…the vibe was incredible. Despite being sick, I was determined to be the picture of “Crowd involvement”! I am never too scared to get down and boogie! My arms are tired from waving my glow-stick in the air not stop and jumping up and down so much! My friend and I took heaps of photos so if I get the chance, will post a few up. Eskimo Joe and Evermore were the highlights….our homegrown talent definitely overwhelmed the presence of Bono and Pearl Jam! Eskimo Joe’s “Black Fingernails, Red Wine” was an amazing thing to watch with the crowd just going nuts. They also performed one of my favourite songs right now – London Bombs (of which the popular misconception that the song was politically related was cleared up with the announcement that “This is a love song!”).

Behind all this music, the message was never lost however – that We are the first generation who can Make Poverty History. Sometimes I think stepping back for a moment to seriously consider this statement is so important. I’m proudly wearing my white wristband around town. The excesses surrounding us are just so disproportionate to reality sometimes. Whether that be Saturday morning Video Hits with rappers shoving their bling down our throats, or Society’s general obsession with celebrity culture…

Tim Costello’s words on the night, were perhaps the most significant and meaningful to me: “This is how our politicians govern – they wet their finger, they put it up in the air and they say which way is the wind blowing?” Such a true statement…one that in a sense sums up the increasing amount of political apathy…but at the same time shows us that if we educate enough people, and encourage enough people to believe in certain things e.g. moral awareness and the need to help those less fortunate than ourselves, that we CAN make a difference.

It is so important when being blessed with the right to vote in this country, that we take the right along with a sense of responsibility –

“I do have a brother, and he along with both sides of politics has failed to see with the same moral clarity what your generation gets”…

I am hoping We will fight to gain even clearer ‘moral clarity’ against so many of the forces that try to decay it in. For so much of the world’s future depends on our decisions now, and the way we live our lives into the future as the leaders of today step down and we take control.

I live for the day, where we can Make Poverty History – starting with Indigenous Australia.

Sophie