Attacker in the station

Have you ever seen something and turned a blind eye? Or thought someone else would interject on the injustice you witnessed? Or assumed another person would make that call to the police so you didn't bother?

Bystander effect.

We are all guilty of it. And it makes me think.

Our generation has access to more information than ever before. We know more than our parents sometimes. Our world view is being constantly shifted and challenged by the media and other peoples opinions.

So really, we can not blame ignorance for our inability to act or move because we know what is happening. We see and hear it.

I experienced this in a life altering reality that took place several days ago.

Myself, B and my friends G and A were running through Town Hall at 450 on a Sunday afternoon to get to a shop before it closed. Let me set the scene. The city, bustling with people catching the train home after a day of shopping. We had left our bags in the car with my friend, as we were literally running into a store and out again to pick up my phone. After a 1 minute run G and I realised A wasn't actually with us. Assuming she had fallen behind and would be waiting for us we got the phone and went back to find her. An hour and half and increasing panic later, we still couldn't find her. With no money, no phone and little knowledge of the city we had no idea where she was. Security guards in several shopping centres and train stations were looking, her husband hadn't heard from her and we had called in a group of guys to help us look. It was like an ugly thriller movie. The night grew dark and the sky poured piercing rain and my heart beat in my mouth as my knowledge of human trafficking and drug rapping ran unprotected through my mind.

Our last stop was the police station. They told us, as unavoidable tears spilt down our cheeks we had to wait another hour to file a Missing Persons report. I could not believe where my night had lead to.

We headed to sit in the protection of a fast food joint, with nothing left to do but wait and watch the streets. Her husband finally called, telling us A was OK. She had gotten on a bus and made her way to her restaurant where she called him. I wish that was the end of it. Unfortunately the ugly truth reared its head. While we were running, she fell behind and called out to me, but I didn't hear. Before she knew it, she had a hand around her mouth and was being dragged into an alley by a Lebanese man. Her panicked eyes scanned the sea of people, as they watched as she attempted to fight off her attacker before being shoved into an alley and his brute power forced upon her. I hate to think what the out come could have been, but thankfully one decent person was to be found in that see of bystanders. A man came and punched the guy and told her to run. Disorientated she found a cop and through sobs and panic begged to use his phone. He refused but offered compensation of a free bus pass. Rarely do I swear but when I heard this, every swear word I have ever known found my throat and like vomit to the stomach these words poured out and I wished they'd found that Dick Head cop.

What kills me more than anything though is not the cop or even the Leb who shamelessly attacked a girl in broad day light, but the people who watched this happen. How do we see something like this, and stay immobile? And would I have the courage to react in this situation?

It is not ignorance we will be punishable for. We are not longer ignorant because we hear and see whether we want to or not. It is our complacency to act and do something. Whether it be a girl being attacked in a shopping centre or a child dying of starvation in Africa, we forget to put legs on our words and knowledge.

The Art of Love

We are victims of our insecurity. Insecurity is translated into areas of our life we fail to place hope and love.

Does love flow out of life or does life flow out of love?

Love allows hope to transpire. It is a habitat for joy. An incubus for the impossible to believe again.

Love is the beauty of the soul expressed in action.

Our world will not see justice until there is peace. Peace will not be attained until love is placed as president about all other emotion, decision, or desire.

The opposite of love is greed. Greed hungers for power.money.influence. It annihilates opposing powers and rebukes love.

Such is the inconsistency of real love, that it is always awake to suspicion, however unreasonable; always requiring new assurances from the object of its interest.

Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, 1764

It has been said ones first love is perfect, until one meets one's second love. (Elizabeth Aston). Remember you first love? That feeling of infinite perfection. The waking at daybreak, and instead of the dread of another day stealing your joy, a smile creeps across your face. You remember their eyes, and their desire for you.

Why has love become a cliched word? How often do we write about LOVE. Our musings are constantly over this emotion. Our soul desire is to love and be loved in return.

postsecret creator says the most postcards he receives are ones fear and desire to find the one whom they can share their deepest secrets with.

Why do we search for a seemingly unattainable thing.

Love is a verb. Love is an adjective. It is an emotion. A knowledge. And yet it is rarely seen in the passing of a day.

We post 'Do not disturb' signs on our heads and proceed the day with not so much as a smile from our colleagues or strangers.

I often finish my conversations with my friends with 'love you'. Sometimes I say it to strangers on the phone by mistake. I hope they laugh and smile, and pass that smile onto someone having a particularly bad day.

Love. is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.

New Office Perve

There are about 40 people in our Head Office. Not one of them is good looking. All the men are old and balding, or young and pimply, or can hardly speak English through an Indian accent (the majority of the finance department). I often have drinks with two of the other working girls who are the same age, and we complain over the lack of office perving. Until Web Design Guy arrived.

Yesterday I was minding my own business, not looking nearly as cute as I usually try to in my outfits, (it was a Monday!). So I'm doing all my admin duties, and I see this gorgeous creature. I mean, if you think of Noah from the Notebook when he's got his scruffy beard and is all brooding and sexy, that is what you get. I know right, totally hot!

When I like a guy, my insides forget to behave and they morph into one, swimming from my legs, through my stomach and up through my throat and back again. My eyes shift with readiness to see him watching me out of the corner of my eyes, and my face goes the colour of the sun in the late afternoon.

When I leave my post at the front of office, I have a head set I place precariously on my head, looking not unlike Britney. So I march into the marketing department to retrieve some 'very important documents' and see Event Chick, and we proceed to sing 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' and shake our hips. OMG, what the hell am I doing? I got so awkward after that, (I could see him watching with reserved amusement) and I am now hiding down stairs. But I have also told him to be ware of the stationary room, apparently it's haunted.

Any suggestions in behaving like a mature 20-something working girl who isn't still stuck with the 8th grade crush syndrome?

Totally Awkward Workplace Tuesday

My Totally Awkward today, happened just last week. In the office.



I sit at the bottom of the office stairs, and often the business men mill around my desk and have impromptu meetings. So there I am, checking facebook sneakily as our President, Benefactor and Executive Director discuss acquisitions and other businessy stuff I don't understand.

On the middle landing of the stairs stood the ladies from Marketing, chatting aimlessly, and at the top one of the IT guys (thank God he isn't hot).



So I'm on my way up the stairs to deliver a letter to finance, when my new shoe catches on the stair, and I go sprawling, up, the stairs. Praise the god of wardrobe, I was wearing pants. But my pride was distinctly ruined for the rest of the day.



No one laughed, they all just rushed to my side and offered help. I would have much preferred the men to have belly laughed and the ladies to have giggled, so I could laugh at my clutsy-ness and escape to hiding behind the desk.



President still walks past everyday and asks how my knees are doing. Their bruised thank you very much.

Oscar Predictions

It is my favourite night of the year...the OSCARS!

Every year I would stay home from school or college and watch this blessed event, (it's during our mid morning here in Australia). Sadly today duty calls, and I can't really fake a head ache or period pain since I've had a few to many days off in recent weeks. So it's recording (the re-run isn't till 9:30 tonight) and I'm not looking at any news pages, turning any radios on, or speaking to anyone informed. I want to enjoy the anticipation!

So here are my predictions.

Best Picture

Definitely Slumdog Millionaire. I've seen 4 out of 6 of the films, and while they're great, Slumdog hits the spot! Incredibly cinematography, beautiful story, and heart wrenching truth. Critics rave it the feel good film of the decade, and being a massive feel good fan, I couldn't agree more.

Best Female Actor

Kate Winslet. She is phenomenal!!! I saw her in Revolutionary Road and OMG WOW! Best performance. I hope she kicks Angelina Jolie's ass!

Best Male Actor

I'm not biased cause he's hot, but Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamen Button is astounding. He proved himself as an actor and not just a god of hotness. If he doesn't get this award there is something wrong with the Academy.

Best Supporting Male.

No competition here. Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight . No one can disagree this performance re-wrote the text book villain of our acting colleges. Despite his tragic passing, he deserves this regardless. But what a privilege to honour such an incredible actor with an Oscar for his daughter!

Best Supporting Female

Anne Hathaway. Who would have thought this Princess Diaries star would be up for an Academy Award? Rachel Getting Married is not the happiest tale, but her performance is chilling!

Well lovelies by the time this is posted I'm sure awards have already been awarded!

Happy Oscar Day!

The Best Shoes I Ever Bought

In my lunch break, I wondered into the city, feel in love with two pairs of shoes, which were consequently on sale, with a buy one get one free offer. So I chose a black stiletto pair, very en vogue and a pair of gladiator flats. $300 worth of shoes for $110!!! I was giddy with excitement.

I'd mistakenly left my wallet in the office, so after work, I ventured down again. The 15 minute walk seemed hardly a deterrent. It was raining, my feet hurt from my boots, and it was peek our.

To get to the city centre, I walk past a bridge. There is a commune of homeless people who live under here. Every day they are there, rain or shine, drinking beer and smoking. I always think of taking some food to them, but I'm secretly scared of the old men. But this time there was a young guy. About my age. Lying alone on a sleeping bag, smoking. All around him was peak hour traffic and rain. He caught my eye and I looked away quickly. I felt like I was invading someones bedroom. But my heart was caught.

I bought my shoes, found a skirt on sale and felt as 'happy' as Carrie Bradshaw at D&G sale. And then it hit me. I want to 'save the world' and get kids off the streets. I want to see poverty ended and equality established, yet I was going to walk past that young guy tonight, back up to my nice car, and home to my warm house, without even a blink of my Mac massacred eyes.

So I bought a hot chicken, juggled 3 big bags, and my umbrella, and dodged the tooting horns and speeding buses back to the little island under the overpass.

I'll admit, I was scared shitless. What the hell was I going to say. I'm well aware that homeless people hate 'charity' and people feeling sorry for them. I scripted my intro;

my friends just cancelled dinner on my, and i have a spare chicken, would you mind taking it?

That didn't sound condescending right?

He jumped up, came over, with a toothless grin;

yeah! Thanks! What's your name?

missBee, what's yours?

Tim...

We chatted for a bit, and I said I'd come say hi soon.

I dodged traffic back to my car, and shoved my purchases in the car. To be honest, I don't even care about the shoes anymore. I was full of joy.

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone and loved someone. A stranger? It's so simple. Smile at the person serving you at the check out. Or the Afgan refugee at the petrol station.

everyone you meet is always fighting a harder battle.

Fire, Floods and Freedom

I hope my faithful readers haven't skipped out on my MIA-ness!



It's been apocalyptic here in Oz Land. At the top of Australia, we've had flooding all over QLD, resulting in a few deaths, including a little boy being taken by a croc swimming down a suburban street.



And down south in Victoria nearly 200 people have lost their lives in bushfires, most of which were lit by arsonist. Still there are 20 fires out of control with over 1, 000 houses completely destroyed. Australia is a place of great sadness as we contemplate the reality, we aren't as lucky as our complacency allows us to believe.



This has been a summer of record shark attacks, including one yesterday in Sydney Harbour. Scorching heat up to the 40's (that's Celsius, which is really, really hot) over the weekend which saw us in bikini's and nothing else, and now I am rugged up in wool pants and a scarf, as a cool change hit Sydney and sent us running to the boxes of winter clothes.



Today I received news, an acquaintance took his life, and my dear friend is still fighting a hideous cancer.



400, 000 people will soon be jobless, homelessness will double, at least.



The statistics are enough to make you give up.

In spite of it all, courage has risen in the weakest, and a perseverance is steadfast and unrelenting. Communities are coming together, and a Nation is groaning for justice. For peace.

How easy is it to find peace in our hearts and heads when we are confronted with uncomfortable truths and disturbing thoughts of other peoples worlds?

Sometimes I clear the plans for the day, leave the phone at home, and drive. Find a winding road where bush and nature cocoon me in their safety. I lie on a field of grass, where ants and caterpillars know no better and find peace on my bare skin, with the sun falling gently without condemnation.

Happy Valentines Day lovers.