LIFE & LOVE
March 2014Vol. 2 No: 3
AD
Independent Media Inspiring Minds2
Editor:
AMY DORRINGTON
Deputy Editor:
CONNIE LAMBETH
Contributors:
AMY CONLEY
NICKY ROBERTS
JOANNE CORRIGAN
K. FELICE
DANIEL WALMSLEY
DAWN MISSO
CONNIE LAMBETH
SAMANTHA WHY
Photographer:
JILLIAN BOGARDE
Designer:
ANDREW O
’
BRIEN
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
3
Cover image courtesy of Jillian Bogarde
Image Credit: Jillian Bogarde
http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/
post/35214966162
LIFE & LOVE
EDITOR’S WELCOME ..................................................................... 5
BEHIND ENEMY LINES .................................................................. 9
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE GUILTY ..................................... 14
BUILDING A COMMUNITY ......................................................... 23
MY HEART IS A GLOBE: MOROCCO .......................................... 26
TIME TRAVELLERS ........................................................................ 32
HOW MANY FROGS DOES IT TAKE TO FIND YOUR PRINCE? .... 40
THE BLOOD TYPE DIET: A SIX YEAR JOURNEY ............................ 48
RECIPE FOR FRIENDSHIP ............................................. ............. 63
Image Credit: Jillian Bogarde
http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/35214966162
Ames xx
Some say autumn is a me to reect inwardly. Leaves blush
crimson and fall to the ground, only to be trodden on and swept
away like yesterday’s papers - so too do the frivolies and forgoen
resoluons of summer. But autumn needn’t be a me of lost
pathways and lament - it should be a me of fresh outlooks,
clean slates and the freedom to start from scratch.
This month, we embrace our bohemian spirits and
bare our souls - blood, guts and all. Our talented
writers featured in this issue aren’t afraid to break
the rules and reveal their deepest secrets.
Are you ready?
Hello lovely ones and welcome to another
super-splendid issue of TAT Life & Love…
LIFE & LOVE
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
For the last month, I have crossed to the dark side.
Where beer and high carb foods are consumed with
no lingering thigh-guilt. Where talk of power tools
that I’m not even sure exist, is exchanged. That’s
right ladies, I have been living with the hairier gender.
Men.
By Amy Conley
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10 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
It’s just me, my glorious
boyfriend and his best mate.
Up until yesterday, we lived in one tiny
studio together. How intimate. It was
kind of like being in a slightly disturbing
sitcom - the like of Three’s Company
- except less platonic. The amount of
times I caught my boyfriend in bed with
his buddy drinking tea because, “hey,
it’s an open plan place and this is the
most comfortable spot”, has ensured
my future therapists will be very wealthy.
Nonetheless, my boy and his friend, let’s
call him Bachelor Number 2, have been
loads of fun to live with generally.
So when Bachelor Number 2 asked me
how it felt to live with boys, at rst I was
at a loss to answer the question. It felt
normal, like any share house. We drink,
we cook, and Bachelor Number 2 brings
us cups of tea in the morning, and sits on
the end of the bed while we doze (that’s
normal…right?). But he was right, it was
an unusual circumstance and perhaps
I was modifying my behaviour to better
suit the male species. Let’s examine the
list of factors I compiled the very next
morning - after my cup of tea of course.
I eat all the carbs. No diet food here.
Feeding tradies is hard work so there
will be no kale and quinoa salads.
I can actually feel myself getting fatter.
On the ip side, they are both t
and skinny and wander around in
underpants ALL THE TIME while I
jealously wish just one of them had
cellulite or stretch marks. It’s unfair.
I now experience makeup shame.
Both guys have seen me with and
without makeup - but that’s not the
issue. What I hate is having them see
all the tell-tale tools of the trade in the
bathroom and then watch me put it on.
It’s like when a magician gives away his
secrets. It just ruins it for everyone.
Shame-chick-icks. I rented a
Rachel McAdams movie last week
and guiltily snuck it into the house
for my own viewing. We ended up
all watching it together though,
11Independent Media Inspiring Minds
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Image Credit: http://www.ickr.com/photos/57557325@N00/244584446/
http://www.ickr.com/photos/42453867@N00/6781034342/
complete with commentary on her
choice of wedding dress.
They get drunk and switch quickly from
“I love you guys” to, “let’s wrestle on
Amy’s bed” so quickly. So, so quickly.
Just last night I had to intervene in some
roughhousing as the boyfriend yelled
“Ammmyyy heeelllpp meeee” from the
room, as Bachelor Number 2 was doing
some kind of weird judo wrestling thing
on him. Although apparently hitting him
in the face with a washcloth wasn’t
helpful.
I have noticed that both of them get
manlier as a group, and girlier if one on
one with me. I’m going to call it Proximity
Manliness. Together they drink, tell
jokes with sexual innuendo, talk about
building, hunting, xing things etc. If
alone with me it’s all, “hey let’s start a
craft day, I need new lamp shades”, or
“oh I love that doona cover”.
I have accepted that I am outvoted on
the toilet seat and I have just moved on.
My boyfriend has since learned that
having someone else in the house does
not work as a shield to me being angry.
I can do this angry glare and snarky
comments bit anywhere, man.
Now, that is all fairly innocuous stuff.
It has kind of led me to have a “we’re
not so different, you and I…” kind of
epiphany. I should also note that when I
don’t feel well, they ght over who gets
to make me a cup of tea, they disappear
and come back with a variety of pain
killers and offer to massage my feet.
They compete over who cooks the best
meals; they buy me surprise cider and
offer group hugs when I have a bad day
at work. Being the only girl in a house full
of hunter-gatherer protective males has
its perks. And let’s be fair. I’m sure living
with females is hard at times. Coming
home to me despondently curled up in
a camp chair, casually hating everything
for no good reason, and shooting death
ray glares at anything that moves can’t
be that delightful. And the makeup
glitter that lives all over the bathroom
and gets on everything, as well at the
roughly 50,000 products that live in the
shower must be annoying. I never knew
that there were such things as girly AND
manly shampoo until now. It’s a learning
curve for everyone.
I’m still having a great time, deeply
embedded in observing the species. I
have learned that yes, the clichés about
the differences between the genders
are somewhat true, but I think it works
in a complimentary way for the most
part. Either way, for the moment, I think
they might have accepted me as one of
their own.
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
LIFE & LOVE
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14
1515
THE
THE
+ THE
Very personal insight from a new mum…
By Nicky Roberts
THE
THE
+ THE
“
“
I want to start off by saying that
this is just my own personal
experience and thoughts. Every
mum and dad has their own
experiences and opinions, and
by no way should we judge how
they do things or feel when it
comes to their children.
This is not supposed to be a sad
story - it’s an honest story with a
happy ending. I wanted to share my
emotional journey about the rst year
of being a mummy. I am the mother of
a beautiful one-year-old boy. I feel so
blessed to have him in my life. I love
to watch him grow and develop from
a chubba bubba into an intelligent and
cheeky little boy. But this year hasn’t
been an easy one for me.
There have been no physical ailments,
no major challenges for my family
- we have had a very normal year in
baby standards, everyone is t and
well - but I have gone on an emotional
rollercoaster ride I never thought I
would.
There are two things that you will
probably hear most new mums say
they experience - sleep deprivation
and guilt. I have experienced both,
more so the latter. There has been the
normal guilt - choosing formula over
breastfeeding, enjoying some ‘me
time’ and even the guilt of daycare.
But I also experienced a deeper guilt
- a guilt that came from the strong
emotions felt in my rst year of being
a mother. No one had ever mentioned
that a new mum could experience such
emotions, some which made me feel
like I was the worst mum in the world.
Why am I telling this story? I don’t
know, maybe for my own therapy or
maybe for new or expecting mums to
take solace in my experience.
“This should be the happiest time of
my life but all I want to do is cry.”
This should
be the happiest
time of my life
but all I want
to do is cry.
Image Credit: http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/19134871457
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Independent Media Inspiring Minds
“
“
I started
thinking that
perhaps I really
was the worst
mother in the
world.
It was about ve months of me being
a mum and I had put my son down
for his morning nap. I picked up the
phone, called my mum and cried.
In antenatal classes, the nurses drill
home the point that babies cry. Most
of the time there is a reason for that
crying but sometimes there might not
be. They tell you that if you are having
difculty handling the crying, to put
the baby down in a safe place, walk
away and compose yourself. Easy!
What they don’t tell you is what to do
when everything is ne at home but
you are the one crying hysterically.
They tell you about the signs to
look out for regarding post-natal
depression – they even tell the dads
to look out for it. They tell you there
will be lots of sleepless nights, which
leads to emotional strain. “Sleep when
the baby sleeps.” They tell you how to
put the baby safely to bed, how to put
them safely in a car seat, how many
dry and wet nappies they should have
a day. They tell you all of this but they
don’t tell you what to do when you’re
baby is sound asleep and you’re sitting
on the couch staring at the walls with
a ood of tears rolling down your face.
Maybe they can’t because every mum
experiences motherhood differently.
But I wish they had told me. Don’t get
me wrong; I love my son more than life
itself. But the sadness and loneliness
I began to feel as a mum made me
doubt that I even deserved him.
I felt sad, but why? I felt lonely, I felt
bored. How could a mother feel like
this? Was I a bad mum for having
this deep, gut-wrenching feeling of
sadness? What exactly was this about?
I felt sick. I poured my heart
out to my mum over the phone.
17Independent Media Inspiring Minds
LIFE & LOVE
Image Credit: http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/69053667421
“
“
It was so hard to admit exactly how I
was feeling, to hear myself say what
I was saying. What was she going to
think? I didn’t know if I could even
admit this to my own husband. Would
he ask me why did we decide to have a
baby? Would he regret having a baby
with me?
What it boiled down to was that I
wasn’t in control of my day, my baby
boy was. I had to go through the same
routine every day and it was getting
boring. I was missing not working
9 to 5 (who would have thought?).
I was envious of my husband going
off to work. I would watch the clock
slowly tick over, dying for it to be
5pm when my husband would walk
through the door. I was lonely, oh so
lonely. I had placed all these stupid
expectations onto myself about what
sort of mother I wanted to be and I
wasn’t meeting any of them. And then
there was this beautiful bundle of joy
in my arms staring up at me and I just
wanted to cry.
Cry because I felt guilty.
How could a mother feel like this?
Did any of the mums I had met
through playgroup feel this way? I
don’t know because I never asked. I
never wanted them to see or know
that I was struggling with inner
emotional turmoil. They all looked so
happy and relaxed with their babies,
like they were all put on this planet to
be wonderful mothers.
They all looked so
happy and relaxed
with their babies,
like they were all
put on this planet
to be wonderful
mothers.
18
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
To them, I probably looked the same
way but I sure didn’t feel like it.
I wanted to tell them that I thought
motherhood was a beautiful thing
but that it also sucked. But who
says that? Was that something I could
say?
I felt like it was such a taboo to say
exactly how I was feeling; that they
would look at me and their jaws
would drop in shock. So I never said
anything, and still haven’t. Not even
all my family members know the
emotional seesaw I was on during my
rst year of motherhood.
I remained on this emotional and
guilt-ridden rollercoaster ride for
months. My honesty placed me in the
category of post-natal depression by
my GP and I was encouraged to see a
psychologist. I don’t know if it helped.
I don’t think I have (or had) post-natal
depression or maybe I just don’t want
to admit it to myself. I did cry a lot
throughout the year. Many times I
thought I couldn’t do it anymore, and
I started to think that the person I
was ‘pre-baby’ had been lost.
Every time I would even think like
this, the guilt would just pile on
and on until it sat at the base of my
throat. I kept telling my husband that
I had stuffed everything up and that I
wanted to start again.
I wanted to be the strong mum who
doesn’t cry all the time. The mum
who is relaxed about everything baby-
related – when they sleep, feed and
cry. But any bet that if I had my time
again I would be exactly the same, and
I realised that there is nothing wrong
with that.
With a supportive husband
and mum, I started to work
on changing things in my
life that made me feel sad
and lonely.
Image Credit: http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/60371327813
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Independent Media Inspiring Minds20
Don’t get me wrong, there are still
times when I get bored or wish I
could be heading to work rather than
playing with blocks again, but I don’t
get upset about it the way I used to.
I started to accept my feelings as being
okay and started to accept myself
as not just a mum, but a great mum.
Instead of feeling guilty when I want
to cry because I have had a hard day,
I have learnt to accept it as part of
being a mum. I don’t want guilt to
own me and it shouldn’t own any
mum. And if we do feel sad or lonely,
or feel like we have lost control of
our lives, we should be able to share
it with others and not feel isolated.
Maybe it would have been ne if
I had shared it, but I will never know.
I just never felt like I could, because
it was never presented to me as a
normal possibility of motherhood,
it was presented as a diagnosis for
treatment.
I sit and watch my bubba crawling
around and I can’t take the smile off
my face – he’s so cute. I also shake
my head because I think back over
the year with this new sense of ease
and laugh. Being a mum has changed
my life but it hasn’t changed who I
am. Yes, I now have a different role to
play in life, but I’m the same person I
was ten years ago. I am an emotional
wreck at times and a fun-loving
person at other times, but that’s me -
and those traits have come with me
into motherhood. I know there will be
many more challenges to come during
motherhood, however I am feeling
really good about that. I’m sure this
emotional rollercoaster ride will
never stop, but that’s exciting, because
rollercoasters were never meant to be
boring.
Image Credit: http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/78423173163
www.facebook.com.licensetosmile
is a ‘Not For Prot’ Organisation helping to
provide warm clothing to Queensland’s homeless.
KNITTING
for
BRISBANE
’
S
NEEDY
We seek donations for adults, children and babies. New and old blankets, clothing, beanies,
scarves and gloves, as well as burial outts for babies born “sleeping” are always needed.
Please visit www.knittingforbrisbanesneedy.com.au for more information.
Image Credit: Anne Worner - http://www.ickr.com/photos/we_ocial/11594354833/
For most of us, a sense of belonging and
community is crucial. Yes there are some of us who
prefer to be on our own (at least some of the time),
but generally humans need other humans.
BUILD
ING A
COMM
UNITY
BY JOANNE CORRIGAN
23
Some recent events have had
me thinking about the quality of
our personal communities and
how they impact on our sense
of place in the world, even how
we feel about ourselves.
How often do we seek a community
with the ‘right’ people in the ‘right’
places for where we think we should
be, even when it doesn’t feel right?
It’s somewhat sad to see people going
out and pretending to be friends, when
in all reality they can’t get away from
each other fast enough. Certainly
sometimes situations call for us to be
pleasant when we don’t necessarily
want to be, however this should be the
exception rather than the norm.
By nature, we tend to surround
ourselves with people who we care for,
and who in return care for us in some
way or another. However there are
times when you need to question if this
is the right community for you at that
particular moment of your life. It may
be that you need multiple communities.
I know I do. Having experienced the
devastating loss of a child, keeping a
community around me who understand
what I went through and what I continue
to go through has been invaluable. I
also need to keep busy, so those who
were and are still able to help me are
the kind of people I need in my life.
To me, the most important criteria for
my communities are that they accept
me as I am.
Then there’s your social media
community, which can help you reach
out to people whom you may not be
able to in any other way. It can be one
of the most amazing ways to share
your life, but it can also be devastating
if used unkindly. Please everyone: use
social media only for good, not evil.
Remember the old saying: “If you don’t
have anything nice to say, then don’t
say anything at all”. I feel sure our
grandmothers intended this old adage
to apply to Facebook and Twitter as
well…
Some folk breeze through life
relatively unscathed, while for
others life can be a constant ow
of rich ups and severe downs.
If those who struggle to get through
each day were able to nd the right
community for them, I wonder if that
struggle would be less challenging? I
am not suggesting that by having the
right people around you everything will
be perfect, however I do believe that
life becomes a little easier when you
belong in a world that validates you
and allows you to be who you really are.
Unfortunately, for someone suffering
from depression it can often seem
impossible to reach out and nd the
silver linings.
24 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
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http://www.ickr.com/photos/22026003@N04/6914319899
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LIFE & LOVE
We should always question whether our
community is a reection of our true
selves or whether it instead reects
the selves we think we should embody.
If you are unhappy, then perhaps the
life you are living is not the right one
for you and those around you may very
well be a reection of this.
So how do you discover the right
community for you and whether just
one community will be enough for you?
The ability to sense the right community
must start early. We need to teach our
children to be comfortable in their own
skin and have friends who are true
friends, rather than encouraging them
to just ‘t in’.
Relentlessly thinking you need
to t in leaves you with the belief
that you are lacking in some way.
As adults, we can learn by watching
small children play. They don’t care
what someone looks like or where
they come from, as long as they are
playing the same game. It’s only when
the minds of these children become
tarnished by notions of acceptance
that we witness complications.
So give some serious consideration
to the people in your communities.
Make sure they are what you
really need, not what ts with your
projection of yourself.
MY HEART IS A GLOBE:
BY K. FELICE
MOROCCO
Welcome to Morocco, they said.
I was a solo traveller trying to nd my way.
Tired of going through the motions created by society,
to dene a life for a 22-year-old.
A Melbourne girl, who somewhere along the way no
longer felt a connection to the life she once lived.
It all starts astray, she thought.
MOROCCO
BY K. FELICE
26 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
Image Credit: K. Felice
Prey to a third world country, I was a
victim of tourism defraud. But then
there it was. My hotel.
A beautiful Riad. Rooms assembled
around an interior courtyard. A
traditional Islamic notion, protecting
the women of Morocco.
Solo didn’t feel so unbearable.
In the mist of dawn, my real
adventure would begin.
Safari.
Three days in the Sahara desert.
Lost in the middle of nowhere.
A chance to think.
A chance to reect.
We rode for hours into the desert.
Surrounded by nothing but sand
dunes and nature. Bodies aching
with the constant jolting - our lives in
the humps of camels.
Sunset to dusk. Guided by only the
stars in the sky.
Astounded by the reality that lay
before me
I glanced up to witness a
shooting star! This was beyond my
imagination.
We nally arrived.
Candles outlining our campsite and
the sounds of hand percussion.
Stranded in the middle of the desert.
A two hour camel ride sourced back
to civilisation.
Arabic music playing all around me.
Each and every soul admiring the
beauty of the culture in this moment.
As I lay, above me only sky,
momentarily lost within the milky
way, I thought of him.
I closed my eyes and admired
science.
Astounded how a typical star, dead
for billions of years, could still burn
through light in our night sky.
But I understood-
Our relationship may be dead, but our
re, our spark, was very much alive.
I couldn’t decide if I was completely
lost and afraid, or in the balance of
the unknown.
All I was sure of, was that in order
to achieve what I needed from this
expedition, I would need to empower
myself in the engagement of fear.
Longing freedom, in reach of
something more.
Consumed by the poverty and culture,
I found inspiration.
He went by the name of Cous Cous.
A man who came from nothing, had
nothing, but believed in everything.
Rich at heart.
He believed the value of life was in
the person you are, not what you
have.
So there I sat, riding camels into the
unknown.
Rationalising all the time spent
wasted.
Destroyed and exhausted.
Envious of a man less fortunate then
myself. Absorbed by the beauty in
nothingness.
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LIFE & LOVE
When I arrived back in Marrakech,
my vision was blurred by the freedom
I had felt in the middle of nowhere.
Nature agreed with me.
I saw more clearly than I ever had
when surrounded by millions of
people in the comfort of busy cities.
The ability to escape fear was to
challenge them -
And so I decided to truly lose myself
in order to be found.
I drifted along the paths that
surround Africa’s largest waterfall,
Vigilant yet admirable of those
who live amongst the poverty that
besiege such landmarks.
Tasting the forbidden fruit and
swimming within the gorges
outlining their homes.
A rare beauty -
Gazing upon a rainbow that seeped
down into the stream of the fall.
Recognising the amazement of this
sight without understanding where
the mystery ends.
Accepting the power within truth,
of never having all the answers but
admiring the journey.
With pure respect for Morocco, this
incredible growth I felt, came from
sacrice.
My love came from the
understanding that I would not
possess any of these things, and if
you can never possess them, you can
never lose them.
A memory never lost.
Image Credit: K. Felice
AD
32
It’s a cinematic moment where the
world slows down and anyone else in the
vicinity ceases to exist. The symptoms
of heartache return: you start to sweat,
it feels like you’re suffocating and the
sense of impending doom is palpable.
You’ve been waiting for this moment for
almost a year. Why now? What is the
signicance? It’s in this moment you
realise that some sort of a Poltergeist-
style door to the past is well and truly
open. But before you allow yourself to
be sucked into the vortex, you’ve got
two choices: sensibly slam the door
rmly shut, lock it and throw away the
key, or, loiter dangerously across the
threshold. For me, it’s a no brainer:
loiter dangerously. I know it’s
completely illogical but begs the
question, what is the universe trying
to tell me?
It appears that every now and then
we’re granted the opportunity to go
back in time and revisit and review
a chapter of life that seems to have
well and truly nished. It hasn’t been
easy, but for the most part you’ve
accepted this and moved on. Then
you’re confronted with an erstwhile
person and you realise that essentially,
things haven’t really changed at all.
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Image Credit: http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/55446741913
One day, out of the blue, there they are: The Ghost of Christmas Past,
Adam Webber and The Xenomorph from Alien, all rolled into one.
The situation is still so familiar, they’re
so close that you could even reach out
and touch them.
But remember, objects in rear-
view mirror appear closer than
they actually are.
However you can’t help but
acknowledge a peculiar phenomenon;
time seems to have healed those
excruciating initial esh wounds; the
ones that were inicted when things
changed dramatically or completely fell
apart. Suddenly, the chapter cliffhanger
doesn’t seem quite so nite anymore
and as of this moment, you’re merely
left with a dull ache that can easily
be ignored. It’s a forgive-and-forget
moment that gives you the condence
to try and reignite an old-ame and
maybe even pick-up where you left off.
But before you do that, let’s examine
both sides of the equation.
The end of a relationship is never
easy. It’s always going to be hard
when adjusting to a new way of life.
Ask anyone and they’ll tell you:
it just takes time.
As the weeks and months pass by you
nd yourself thinking less and less
about said situation and focusing
on a more current one. But every
now and then something will trigger a
happy memory, so vivid that it’s hard
not to get caught up in the intoxicating
aroma of nostalgia for the good old days.
But just how good were these old-days?
It’s a dangerous game for someone
who is clearly still a little emotionally
vulnerable.
I’ve been told that one way of
cleansing yourself of these thoughts,
is to consciously tell yourself to stop
every time you begin to feel them
creeping in. Perhaps this is the rst
step in distancing yourself from the
past. However by doing this, are we
repressing our true feelings and
missing their signicance? And as
a result of this, are we thrust into a
perpetual life-lesson Groundhog Day,
where we’re continually confronted by
our past until we learn from it in order
to move forward? Or, maybe we do it all
by ourselves.
The laws
of attraction suggest that ‘like
attracts like’, which basically means
that similar energy is naturally
drawn together. If this is the case,
34 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
Image Credit: http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/20101708580
then merely thinking about the past
can manifest former friends, old
ames and past situations in your
current life. When it comes to people,
‘like’ attracting ‘like’ generally means
that some sort of mutual thought
pattern has been shared. They
say there’s no such thing as
coincidences, so maybe seeing your
ex was less inadvertent than it seems.
Unfortunately for us though, none of
the research suggests that the mutual
thought patterns have to be positive
or even conscious to bring the law
of attraction into effect. While this
theory is a little vague, it does serve
as a warning to be careful of what
you think about. While bumping into
your ex might not be a case of cosmic
conjuring, thinking about them less
could be a healthy way for you to move
on. Although, let’s not go cold turkey
just yet. Surely it’s okay to indulge
ourselves every now and then by
returning to the past, albeit briey and
only through rose-coloured glasses.
One thing is for sure though, in
reality you can never really go
back and even if you could, would
you want to?
Things are different now, whether
you’re willing to accept it or not.
The world has continued living, and
yes, you are physically still the same
person but things have changed
exponentially, wedging a great
dividing range of emotions between
you and your past. This makes the
transition between past and present
all the more complicated, particularly
where people formerly in a relationship
are concerned. The complicated part
is acknowledging that something
was the cause of this breakup and
what’s to stop this happening again?
And furthermore, another sobering
question to ask yourself: has the
situation really improved?
Now, what about the people who
remained in your life? When the
going got tough there was a fantastic
support network of friends and
family who were always there for you.
Don’t forget, that’s what got you
through the hardest times. Logically
they should support you no matter
what. However this is denitely an
us-versus-them moment and you’ll
have to make a choice; make sure
it’s the right one. It’s your life, you’re
in charge and you don’t have to listen
to them, but they’re denitely entitled
to an opinion. Hearing an outsider’s
perspective is an essential part of the
process. Maybe they’ll support you
and maybe they won’t. Either option
is completely fair and something you
would have to accept.
The change of circumstance, while
devastating, did give you the
opportunity to reassess and rebuild
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LIFE & LOVE
Image Credit: http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/29926765740
aspects of your life for the better.
And if you choose to return to the
past does all the effort you’ve put into
your current-self become obsolete?
Ask yourself: If the past hadn’t
happened would you not be the
person that you are today?
As hard as it may be to accept, things
did change for a reason. Maybe you’re
at a time in life where you’re unwilling
or unable to learn from your mistakes.
Fortunately for you, the universe has a
habit of drilling our life lessons into us.
Perhaps you simply haven’t learned
yours yet, which could explain the
sudden resurgence of that old
boyfriend or toxic ex-friend. So try
and learn those lessons rst time
round - trust me, it’s easier that way.
It was hard enough the rst time
without having to endure a round-
two, classic-case of history repeating.
And then again, maybe things are
genuinely salvageable; we’re all guilty
of making a mistake here and there.
I take comfort in the thought that
whatever is meant to be, will be.
Although for some of us, it’s
easier to hold on to someone
(or at least, the idea of
someone), rather than let
them go. However sometimes
the evidence to the contrary is
overwhelming, especially when
you come face-to-face with
said person. Think long and hard
about the signicance of the meeting.
Maybe a cosmic trip down memory
lane merely serves as a reminder
of the strong person you are today.
And would you really want to give that
up to revisit the past?
As for me, unfortunately, what
happened in the past happened
for a reason and is best left buried
alongside my Levi’s 504’s and
platinum blond hair days. We all
make mistakes, which can start a
chain-of-events leading to the end of
era’s, relationships and friendships.
And while with hindsight comes
regret, it also gives us the opportunity
to learn from our mistakes.
In most of these cases things
fell apart for a reason and it is
better to accept this now rather
than endure the same scenario
all over again.
And let’s face it;
the past wasn’t that
great anyway.
36 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
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40
41
Disney has really messed up our
idea of what a man should be.
Young girls have always listened to bedtime stories of chivalrous
princes who rescued the beautiful princesses, or watched
movies of kind and charming young men who saved the day.
The princes are always tall, handsome,
well groomed and are true gentlemen.
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
LIFE & LOVE
By Dawn Misso
42
No wonder little girls stay well
clear of boys their own age with
‘boy germs’, who look grubby,
smell questionable at best, and
are more often naughty than
nice. This image of the ‘one’
perfect man, a ‘one true love’,
never really leaves us as we
grow older. Some part of us is
always searching for that modern
day Prince Charming, who will
possess a strong likeness to our
fairytale ideal.
Recently, a girlfriend of mine -
let’s call her ‘B’ - was discussing
her current relationship of two
years. When I asked how things
were going with Mr. Right, she
shrugged saying, “Things are
good... but I’m not sure if... if he’s
‘The One.’”
What is ‘The One’?
I asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I don’t know
if he is it for me.”
Now, my dear friend B is
gorgeous, talented and
professionally successful. But
when it comes to relationships
she has, time and time again,
let a nice lad go because of
this fear that he may not be her
Prince Charming; her ‘one true
love’. What the bloody hell is
‘The One’ and how many nice
young chaps do you have to date
before you find him? How many
frogs must we kiss, until we find
that one slimy green amphibian,
who magically turns into our
Prince Charming and whisks us
away to his castle to live happily
ever after?
I really feel for the men of today.
They are under so much pressure
to be perfect and live up to the
unrealistic and fantastical images
of our childhood princes.
Dissatisfied with B’s answer,
I pressed her further.
“Are you happy B?”
“Well yes, I think so.”
“Then what is the problem
woman?” I had to resist shaking
her at this point!
“He’s not as romantic as he was
when we first met, I miss that.
And I refuse to settle for anything
less than what I want.”
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Image Credit: http://www.ickr.com/photos/39104473@N06/8477602458
43
Ah romance.
A feeling of
excitement
and mystery
associated
with love.
Really? So, to have romance
in our lives there must always
be excitement and mystery?
I don’t know about you but I
don’t want to spend my life with
James Bond or Maxwell Smart!
Moreover, it is problematic to
associate the word ‘romance’
with love. The two words are
not mutually exclusive, nor are
they inextricably linked. If I had
to choose between ‘romance’
and ‘love’, I would choose ‘love’
hands down. Why? Because
love, real love, is unconditional.
Romance can fade and blossom
at different points in a relationship.
But love is everlasting. When you
are with someone for a long time,
the ‘love’ in your relationship is
bound to change.
However, this doesn’t mean it’s all
downhill. On the contrary, after
the honeymoon period of about
four years ends, your relationship
deepens and the two of you are
on a completely new level.
Ok, so the love letters may diminish,
the flowers may only appear on
birthdays and anniversaries and
you may only hear “I love you”
on every other day, but this does
not mean romance is dead. As
my man likes to say, “actions
speak louder than words.”
If I’m tired after a long day, a
massage and a cup of tea,
relaxing watching our favourite
show is perfect. Letting me
sleep in while he takes care of
the kids and then making me
pancakes for breakfast is heaven.
Surprising me by taking me out
to do things that I enjoy, like
dancing or visiting exhibitions,
makes me feel so special.
Cleaning the house, especially
the jobs I don’t like, is thoughtful.
Writing notes straight from the
heart gives me butterflies, even
fourteen years on.
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44
This is real life romance for me.
These are honest and true signs
of affection in my mind because
there is no script, it is not
contrived and it is not a cliché.
It is something he, and only he,
would do for me. That’s romance.
Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t
always at this point of romantic
enlightenment. A decade ago, I
wanted the lovey-dovey gushy
crap because it is what I thought
I wanted and needed. It is what
I had read and believed was
real. Austen’s Mr Darcy, Anne
of Green Gables’ Gilbert Blythe
- these were my fantasies. I had
preconceived notions in my mind
of what I wanted out of a man;
largely based on the nonsense
that fills our heads from the time
we are kids dressing up as Snow
White or the Little Mermaid.
Often we women are so blinded
by these fantasies that we do not
fully understand or appreciate
what is in front of us - a hot-
blooded man.
A real man is so much more
amazing and exciting than any
fantasy we gals can dream up.
But how do you know? How can
you tell if the one you are with is
‘The One’? There’s no real formula
for this and every relationship is
different. This being said, there
are a few tried and tested signs
that I have found from friends
and my own experience:
He must be your
best friend.
Ladies, looks are gonna fade.
He’s going to get a wrinkly ass
and you will have stretch marks
and saggy boobs one day.
He has got to be your BFF.
You have to make
each other laugh.
If a man can’t make me laugh,
really belly laugh where I feel I
may pee my pants, then he’s not
a keeper.
You need trust.
Trust that he is no womanizer perv
and will tell you anything and
everything always. Trust must be
mutual; you have to be open and
vulnerable with each other.
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Image Credit: http://www.ickr.com/photos/matthewwu88/6376967213
45
Forgiveness.
This is a tough one at times, but if
you’re in it for the long haul you’re
going to make each other angry.
You will feel like killing each other
at times, and you’re gonna fight.
You need to be aware of each
other’s shortcomings and accept
them. And most importantly, never
go to bed on an argument.
Finally and possibly most
importantly, is that you
must accept each
other for who and what you
are. You need to embrace the
good, the bad, the smelly and
the annoying - all of it.
So what happened to my dear
friend B? She contracted influenza
and became really unwell
and was almost hospitalised.
And who do you think nursed her
back to health? Mr Right.
Mr Right was there, at her
bedside feeding her soup. He
was there to hold her hair back
as she threw up in the toilet.
He sat by her and watched
episodes of Sex And The City,
until she fell asleep, every night
for two weeks. After she had
made a full recovery and felt
like venturing out again, I asked
her if she was still contemplating
ending things with Mr Right.
Her demeanor had completely
changed and she no longer
hesitated at my question.
B had decided that Mr Right
may not be ‘The One’ and he
may not be her Prince Charming,
however he was a man who
loved her and that was enough.
So dear readers, do not dream
of a happily ever after. Do not
kiss a million frogs to find the
one that could transform into the
ideal Prince of your dreams.
Instead grab a frog, take
him home and remember
he may be just what you
were looking for all along.
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48 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
My journey may not seem as exciting as a trip to the
Bahamas, however the travel involved to get to my
destination happened to be both profound and benecial!
I had never before bothered with any form of diet, apart
from adopting my mother’s mantra of, “everything in
moderation nothing in excess.”
However, I made the decision to pursue this strict (and
often difcult) diet for six years, as a major part of a
lengthy health regimen I created to regain good health.
I was one of the unfortunate women who
developed ovarian cancer at what was
considered to be a relatively young age,
with children still at university.
Presenting at our medical clinic
in 2007 with a common story
pertaining to this often silent but
deadly disease, I had a couple of
vague symptoms my GP thought
most likely to be some kind of
digestive disorder. Fortunately she
took the precautionary path and
sent me off for scans, consequently
revealing my dire predicament -
an advanced stage of ovarian cancer.
I was in total shock. There was
no known family history, I lived
a healthy kind of life with a good
diet, walked regularly, enjoyed an
active kind of a job as a preschool
teacher, and was a non-smoker who
enjoyed a few sips of wine every
other month! At the post-operative
and chemo stage I was even more
shocked at the statistics put forward
by both my gynaecological surgeon
and oncologist. The major part I
took away from their conversations
with me during that time was that
the further I could distance myself
from this illness the better my
prognosis would be… ve years
was apparently the magic number.
So I gured I had nothing to lose
and perhaps a whole lot to gain in
researching and creating a new,
more organic lifestyle. I should
point out here that I was living in
a tiny country town at the time,
therefore made the decision to seek
the best medical specialists in city
locations. I should also mention that
sometimes symptoms of ovarian
cancer present more obviously than
in my case.
I was ignorant about the Blood Type
Diet, however a neighbour in my
little town owned a copy of the book
and kindly typed out a list of the
relevant foods for my blood group.
I was impressed as she was nearly
twenty years my senior!
Meanwhile my daughter’s response -
along with the grief experienced
from hearing such devastating
news about her mother - was to say,
“Oh mum haven’t you heard of the
celeb diet?” Admittedly my husband
and I watched non-commercial TV
channels by choice and skipped
the Hollywood gossip mags, so
obviously missed some important
happenings in the ‘real’ world!
After initial reservations about
following in the footsteps of celebs
such as Demi Moore and Miranda
Kerr, I ploughed on regardless and
read the book cover to cover.
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To be honest, I found it a revelation
and to me it made absolute sense.
Since my early twenties I’d read
many books and articles on
health topics and attended natural
practitioners of one kind or another,
so was denitely open minded and
up for trying something new.
With such a dire health prognosis
I felt it was in my best interest to
take some positive actions to aid
my cause. I felt comfortable in the
knowledge that the U.S. author,
Dr. Peter D’Adamo, was both a GP
and a Naturopath, as well as his
father before him, therefore decided
their combined and extensive
experience warranted my attention,
though of course there are medicos
who disagree with his theories.
Having attended GP’s who were also
trained as Naturopaths at various
times of my life, I considered
this style of medical care to be a
brilliant combination of health
expertise.
The best part about my decision
to follow the Blood Type Diet was
that it gave me something concrete
to focus on, rather than letting my
distressing situation overwhelm me.
With little choice than
to board the medical
merry - go - round it
also gave me a sense
of control amidst the
madness.
Noting in the early weeks after my
operation that I was naturally drawn
to loads more leafy greens and little
or no meat, it was relatively easy
for me to adjust my diet according
to the recommended food list for
my Blood Type A. Interestingly,
I had always been a huge fan of
vegetables, so ramping up my
intake was not a daunting task.
After reading that Blood Type A’s
function best when vegetarian or
better still vegan, I believed my
body was steering me in the right
healing direction. I gured that
my body had served me well at
other times when there were extra
demands placed upon it, such as
knowing that dairy was not going
to work with a stomach upset, and
craving a bit of extra protein etc
when pregnant... and perhaps
even the times when I needed a bit
of endorphin-producing sweetness
50 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
in times of stress or with a dose of
PMT… so I went with my instincts.
One funny memory in early post-
operative days is sitting at the
kitchen table feeling weak and
forlorn and certainly not feeling
hungry, as is common with post-
abdominal surgery. My brother
had travelled from interstate to
assist in my care at this particularly
critical stage of recovery, as
well as to support my husband.
I scrutinised the meal my brother
set before me one night, one that
in normal circumstances would
have been devoured in a matter of
minutes. I checked out the small
offerings… a little portion of lamb
and some carefully presented
vegetables. Without hesitation I
scoffed the greens, followed by the
other vegetables, stealthily hiding
the meat under a bit of pumpkin
skin (naturally I was found out!).
Strangely enough and true as I ‘sit’
here, I then started eyeing off the
largest and greenest of our indoor
plants! It was at this point that my
brother upped the quantity of leafy
greens on his shopping list and I
decided that vegan was the obvious
dietary choice for me!
Once my brother returned home
and my husband was back at
work I set about replenishing my
fridge and pantry with the right
vegetables, fruits, grains, cereals,
dairy substitutes and beverages etc
for my Blood Type A… I was weak
so it took me a while to organise
things, with my husband doing all
the shopping. I was fortunate to
have access to high quality organic
fresh and dry food supplies, while
wonderful neighbours topped up
my already extensive fruit and
vegetable larder with fresh,
chemical free produce from their
gardens. A kind friend, who ran
a local café, also brought organic
supplies back from the coast each
week, prior to the availability of
more local produce and goods.
At breakfast, I created my own style
of porridge with oats and a large
variety of grains.
I grew strong enough to cook lunches
such as wholegrain rice or quinoa
with lentils topped with enormous
piles of parsley (including the thick
chlorophyll rich stalks), a seaweed
soup or vegetable and barley stew.
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Dinner was often a delicious dhal
with vegetables and a grain, a tofu
and vegetable stir fry, vegetable
spring rolls, cannellini bean curry
or whatever else took my fancy.
Slowly over that rst year or so we
established a sizeable, bountiful herb
and vegetable garden so I could walk
out the door and virtually pick my
meal! My thought was to oxygenate
my blood as much as possible
and keep it in a desirable alkaline
state, with a simple pH balance
test kit ensuring things stayed on
track. Loads of fresh vegetables and
herbs (especially of the leafy green
variety) really helped the cause, as
did as our daily ‘kick-butt’ green
juices. My naturopath mentioned
that Herb Robert was a fantastic
cancer-ghting herb so we planted
a heap and I ate copious
quantities…
fortunately it sprouted everywhere
in shady cracks along our rock
pathways. I had many varieties
of herb teas to cleanse the blood,
strengthen immunity and provide
high levels of antioxidants, so a
good teapot with a
quirky tea cosy was
essential in order to
enjoy my indulgent
daily Tea Festival!
I found it useful to take on board
all kinds of information from books
and articles, Internet research on
reputable sites, as well as snippets
from doctors and specialists,
naturopaths, family and friends.
I felt my chosen diet was gentle,
supportive and healing, which
played a major role in my daily
health regimen and contributed
signicantly to my psychological
well-being.
Another funny memory from
this time is when I felt so
damn hungry a week into
commencing the Blood Type
Diet that one day started
eyeing off the chair legs
wondering just how
delectable and crunchy
they would be (alas, sad
but true!).
52 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
Image Credit: Connie Lambertl
Eliminating foods such as dairy
and meats really can leave an
appetite less than satised until
you work out the best foods for
your new diet. I soon overcame this
problem by ensuring I had an even
larger supply and variety of nuts,
seeds, crackers, spreads such as
almond butter, and other assorted
healthy snacks… not too much
fruit as I was prone to Candida
after treatment upset my digestive
system. I also had an ample supply
of organic, dense, high quality
breads (mostly rye), containing the
most minimal ingredients and well
suited to my blood group. For the
rst couple of years it took ten slices
of this bread (toasted) daily and
rubbed with loads of fresh garlic
and heavenly olive oil to ll me in
between meals… a total addiction
it seems! Although the quantity
decreased over time, garlic toast is
still one of my favourite daily snacks.
I was fascinated how Peter D’Adamo
categorised his diet into Good/
Neutral/Avoid foods. I think
those three simple words struck a
chord and inuenced my decision
to follow his Blood Type Diet.
As a seriously ill person I was
desperate to recover for the sake of
my family and of course myself. I
had such a rich life potentially ahead
of me, therefore it made sense to put
foods the doctor described as
‘medicines’ into my body and to
avoid the foods he labelled as
‘poisons’. I took weeks to absorb the
knowledge of my Type A food lists
without the need to refer to the book
or the columned sheets, however I
was soon following his diet without
too much thought. Meanwhile my
husband, as a Type O, revelled in
his meat-lovers/coffee connoisseur
foodie fest, which fortunately for
him concurred with his blood group
food list!
The only thing left to tackle after
conquering the home front was the
difculty in eating out. As we lived
in a tiny town away from family
and friends it was relatively easy to
live a healing life in our own little
bubble. Eventually we were invited
to neighbours’ homes for afternoon
teas followed by occasional dinners.
Those who invited us took on the
challenge and prepared simple self
serve dishes.
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It was a credit to them as most were
retirees and yet didn’t blink an
eye at having to provide a snack or
meal for the ‘weird vegan’ down the
street… and believe me many people
still view vegans as rather odd or
perhaps even attention seeking.
Mind you the neighbours who
invited us into their homes were
the very ones who also had a keen
interest in healthy eating, therefore
it helped being on the same wave
length and not having to explain
yourself each time you declined a
plate of tasty morsels.
It was more of a challenge when
eating out at restaurants, however
there’s a way around everything!
I devised simple lists of ‘can eat’ and
‘can’t eat’ foods that I emailed to
chefs in advance, as suggested
by a couple of understanding
restaurateurs. I even included meal
ideas such as risottos, which helped
the less imaginative or unhelpful
types! I only did this for special
occasions, as found most cafes
could provide a suitable sandwich
or toast with avocado, herbs and
olive oil, which does ne for a
breakfast or lunch, while others
were happy to do a stir fry vegetable
or suitable pasta dish. Another
strategy (I became quite the ‘food
strategist!) was to ensure I went to a
café less than devouringly hungry…
that way I was always satised even
though I had eaten much less than
those around me munching on big
brekkie platters of eggs, bacon and
all the trimmings! The reality was
that I just wanted to blend in and
avoid a fuss, so by some simple
preparation my diet didn’t become
the focus of attention… well perhaps
just a little!
One thing I observed during this
period was the propensity for chefs
to serve a vegan the same size meal
as those eating off the normal menu.
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At home I ensured my plate was piled
twice as high as others or I would
feel plain hungry a good deal of the
time. I soon learned that it helped
to quickly mumble something along
the lines of “dietary restrictions
due to health issues” and kitchen
staff tended to be more helpful
rather than thinking I was a ‘try-
hard-fussy-vegan-type’! Meanwhile
I didn’t dare mention the Blood Type
Diet with further restrictions on
top of the vegan diet, as it became
way too complicated!
Sometimes chefs rose to the
occasion and created superb 3
course dinners to suit my needs…
Mondo Organics and Two Small
Rooms in Brisbane were memorable
dining experiences. The ip side to
this was a lunch in a city restaurant
one day with the waiter becoming
increasingly exasperated with my
polite requests, stating: “Why can’t
you just choose something off the
menu?” Eventually (I’d become
quite the negotiator by that stage)
she spoke with the chef and I
enjoyed a ‘me-friendly’ meal, which
was a good thing as by that point
I was close to tears and ready to
walk out. While you may be thinking
that an occasional non-vegan/
Blood Type diet meal wouldn’t
matter, my diet was a positive and
dominant force in my life, one that
I believed to be making a signicant
difference in my recovery. I was also
plain terried to deviate from this
diet until I felt condent I was in the
clear, imagining that one mouthful
of capsicum or a tiny square of
sugar-laden chocolate would have
me right back where I started.
I had also read about the risk of
the cancer returning in the early
stages, so that was enough to keep
me on the straight and narrow. As I
could feel myself growing stronger
and healthier bit by bit, day-by-day,
I just simply didn’t want to rock the
boat. I had the conviction that this
diet was working in my favour and
wanted to ensure it continued to do
its gentle healing work on my body.
It should be noted that alongside
this diet I decided to take
supplements recommended in
the Blood Type book as well as
continuing with vitamins that I
had been taking for many years.
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I also consulted several naturopaths,
therapists and a dietician, had
regular lymphatic massages,
enjoyed daily walks and got rid of
anything remotely resembling a
chemical. I was still aware of how
stress could signicantly impact
the body and weaken the immune
system, which can lead to a variety
of illnesses. So, realising it would
take more than just a change
in diet, I decided to undertake
several individual meditative yoga
sessions. This practice could be
slotted into my regimen and helped
me understand the importance
of treating the body holistically and
a more mindful existence.
As well as strict adherence to
the Blood Type Diet I completely
eliminated sugar, as had read more
than once that ‘cancers feed off
sugar’ and I was determined to rid
my body of this highly addictive
white substance. I replaced it with
various other healthy alternatives,
however got to the point where
I wasn’t looking for a sweet x.
It might be now that
you’re wondering how
on earth someone
can be so disciplined
(or boring!) as to
make such tough
food choices.
56 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
An exciting future beckoned…
maybe a future was attainable with
a good deal of effort. Though it can
be an incredibly difcult challenge
to abstain from sugar in all its
forms, craves for sweet xes wane
over time. Somehow I even became
used to seeing others devour sugary
delights, though was incredibly
difcult in the early months.
I am aware that without the
motivation I had to regain good
health, the task would have proven
a lot more difcult. Though I
am unable to prove whether any
of the changes to my diet have
made the slightest difference to
my recovery, I rmly believe they
helped enormously. I was doing so
well early in my recovery to simply
dismiss the fact that dietary and
other lifestyle efforts were not
making a difference. I couldn’t help
but wonder how my body would have
felt had I tucked into copious high
fat and red meat meals during this
time. It made sense to me to keep
things ‘lean and green’ and simple,
so my ailing body could digest
foods easily. Meanwhile, further
reinforcing my belief that diet and
a supporting health regimen was
playing a signicant role in my
recovery, I remember my specialist’s
surprise each consultation when
informing me of another low blood
count… he had warned us the score
would uctuate during recovery.
They dropped low during the early
stages of chemo and stayed low and
that’s all that mattered to me.
Five years later, in June 2012,
my gynaecological obstetrician
congratulated me on my ‘clear of
cancer’ status, avoiding the word
‘recovered’ as is probably the way
these days with the complexities
of this disease. With a history of
ovarian cancer this increased my
risk of getting other cancers, so
I gured if I kept doing what I was
doing, my risk would be reduced.
Though none of us know what our
future holds, one thing I do know
is that I feel most fortunate in the
life I have led since the dark days
of diagnosis. I have had the thrill
and pride of seeing both my
daughter and son graduate and
form loving partnerships, and one
cannot describe the overwhelming
joy of being a grandparent to two
gorgeous little boys!
57Independent Media Inspiring Minds
LIFE & LOVE
58 Independent Media Inspiring Minds
Image Credit: Jillian Bogarde -
http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/35258333200
http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/32643803647
I’ve also experienced just how
supportive a loving partner and
family are in a time of crisis and
just how wonderful friends can be -
even acquaintances and people
you’ve never met, like the everyday
bloke at my husband’s work who
kept a pocketful of St. Christopher’s
crosses and sent one home for
‘the missus’! You really do learn a
lot about yourself and the
endurance of the human spirit.
I also have a greater appreciation
of life, nature and the little things.
I know that the whole Vegan/Blood
Type experience was a positive one
as I felt great, believed I was making
a difference and achieved the
results I had worked so hard for.
These days I still mostly adhere
to this benecial diet, as I actually
enjoy it and feel best eating such
wholesome food, however I now
have the exibility to occasionally
eat a little chicken or sh or slice
of dairy… even an eency slice
of dessert on Christmas
Day! This has made eating
out much easier… though
I’ll still always go for the
greens on the plate rst!
*Please note: I consulted a dietician and
naturopaths before and during my
dietary journey as was important to have
an adequate supply of nutrients from
all food groups to maintain good health.
A vegan diet requires supplementation
such as Vitamin B12.
For further information check
out the following websites:
List of Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo’s books
including “Eat Right For Your Type”
www.dadamo.com/books.htm
Ovarian Cancer Australia
www.ovariancancer.net.au
The Vegan Society of Australia
www.veganaustralia.net
The Australian Vegetarian Society
www.veg-soc.org/
Australian School of Meditation
and Yoga Meditation and Yoga
Melbourne/Adelaide/Sydney/
Brisbane/Gold Coast
www.asm.org.au/
63
By Samantha Why
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74921684@N00/8372010144
Jillian Bogarde - http://jillianelenaphotography.tumblr.com/post/76818222662
64
Numerous people told me this
as I moved to Melbourne for
University. And it wasn’t until this
last year or two that I started to
believe them.
It was my best friend’s birthday
last weekend. She has hit 26.
Yes, we all teased her that it was
the wrong side of 25. But we all
joined in the celebrations whole-
heartedly.
There was a day rave planned
in the Melbourne CBD, however
for some unknown reason it was
cancelled at the last minute. We
were all warming up and having
pre-drinks at the birthday girl’s
abode when we heard the news.
Not one of us cared. We were
all more content to stay in this
warehouse apartment drinking
and dancing the day away
in our small group, rather than
mingling with hundreds of others
in a park in the CBD.
It was some point late in the
afternoon, when I looked around
this group of ridiculous people
and realised that each person
filled a certain role within the
group. It was also the moment I
realised that when you reach your
mid-twenties, your relationships
and friendships change. You no
longer have the patience for the
people you don’t want in your
life. Instead, you look to the ones
that improve your life, make your
day better and make you feel
wanted. You shouldn’t apologise
for not being able to hang on
Tuesday - they know they’ll see
you over the weekend (probably
while ingesting custard after a
big Saturday night). You don’t
need to message them or see
them every day; weeks could
pass by and nothing will have
changed.
Each friendship group is different,
however the core ingredients (or
people) all have their purpose.
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
The friends you make
in your twenties will be
your friends for life…
65
This person is the starting
ingredient who brought the
group together.
The one that combines you all,
organizing date nights, dinner
or celebrations.
The nicest person you could
ever meet. The sugar is the
person who is always up
for anything
fun and
will be
your mate
forever.
The one that only needs a few
drops to create good times.
This is the person that makes
a normal night chaotic fun!
The ones that always want to
join in, up for anything, and
always there when you need
them.
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
LIFE & LOVE
Once you have
found this group,
don’t let them go.
They will be your
family, your mates
and the people that
keep you sane.
Or, when you want
to go crazy, they will
go crazy with you.
