The West...I guess?

Going west after about 6 months has been an interesting experience. While only a 2 day trip, I feel the changes in my brain, making gears turn and my skin break out into itchy heatrash. Okay, so while my body completely disagrees with the notion of leaving the house, I'm glad I was brought out for work. With one interview in the bag as we head home tomorrow, I know that I've gotten a whole lot more from the trip.

dahhhh - mountaaaains!

First, I am glad I am freely able to access information or at least have people on hand if I need it. So many women have been raising their concern and confusion over the upcoming elections - unsure about protocol, how they're going to make it to one-day voting, how they get to pick someone to vote for or even where their vote goes.

Secondly, I am grateful, as always, that I get to do what I do. Sure, I dont fully support myself but hey, I get paid pretty damn good for a volunteer while doing work I love. I learned that people over the age of 70 do get social assistance but $30 a month... that's barely a dollar a day. It makes me worry about the quality of living for so many on the wayside.

Thirdly, I learned that I am lucky enough to be able to access private healthcare. While still relatively frustrating and useless, it basically means that I get prescribed more than just paracetamol and actually get a medical professional that listens to me when I relay symptoms and concerns. I also only have to spend a few hours at most before getting seen as opposed to losing a day at the hospital in the hopes of getting seen. That said, I have had a significant number of times in the waiting areas of the public hospital but I decided I didnt want to pick up more diseases waiting to get my initial one treated.

Lastly, there is hope. Women, especially women that we've been engaging with, are affirming their need to be heard, voicing their concerns to political parties while they come around to campaign, demanding real words and not empty promises. It's the kind of critical I like to hear about. One convener heard a woman recount a recent campaign visit where she stood up, challenging the political party's candidate's words. The convener then asked if the woman that shared her story of standing up and speaking if she was against the party. "No," she said. "I wanted the candidate to know that we won't stand for false promises." It made me smile to hear.

So. For additional reflections, there's a video about all of this! yay! face!