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One year until the US election

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“Although we engage in various activities, nothing quite ignites interest like US domestic politics,” according to Jared Mondschein, the Director of Research at the United States Studies Centre in Sydney.

With just one year until the upcoming election, he hosted a talk, “The Insider’s Guide to the 2024 US Presidential Election” tonight at Sydney University, which I attended. The speakers were the seasoned political journalists (and life partners), Ryan Lizza (Politico) and Olivia Nuzzi (New York magazine).… Read the rest “One year until the US election”

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Show Some Leg

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Someone commented the other day, ‘You need to show some steel.’ They had noticed my sock almost completely covering the very visible steel part of my prosthetic leg. Even though my ‘leg’ is constructed from fiberglass, it could easily pass for a ‘real leg.’

I was sharing with them the significant change that has taken place in the last month regarding my public visibility as someone with a disability. When I used to get around in a wheelchair, with or without the prosthetic leg, it was immediately obvious to passersby that I had specific accessibility requirements.… Read the rest “Show Some Leg”

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Surry Streets

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In the weeks following the devastating floods that struck Lismore last year, impacting thousands, including my own family, I had the opportunity to contribute some meaningful words to a public art installation in Surry Hills known as “Village Voices.” This public art project has been ongoing for approximately six years and showcases short pieces of text from locals, each reflecting on various aspects of their lives. Today, I joined other contributors in revisiting those words as part of the “Surry Streets Festival.”… Read the rest “Surry Streets”

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Party For One

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As Noah, my support worker, and I strolled earlier today, we got into a conversation about how drastically life changes when you move at a very slow pace. For Noah, this isn’t a choice; he needs to match my walking speed. Although I’ve become more independent in my walking, I still proceed at a rather leisurely pace. What might have previously taken 5 minutes to walk can end up taking close to 30.

During our morning commute, we found ourselves being passed by a whirlwind of people in a rush, most of them absorbed in their mobile phones.… Read the rest “Party For One”

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My First Day

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While I maintained a composed exterior in public, today brought a few moments when I found myself unexpectedly overwhelmed by the emotions accompanying my return to work.

It’s been a span of over four months since I fell seriously ill, narrowly escaping death, enduring the amputation of my lower right leg, and being diagnosed with diabetes. Following several months spent in the hospital and rehabilitation, and more recently, recovering at home, I decided it was time to rejoin the workforce on a part-time basis, with the agreement of my doctors and colleagues.… Read the rest “My First Day”

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