Over the weekend I had my first shifts with the service calling isolated elderly people. I absolutely love it. I love it. First of all, I think it is an amazing service, and after talking to the clients and hearing their feedback — how grateful they are for the calls — I feel like I am part of something so much bigger than myself. I love being able to reach out to people and be that person who can confirm that someone is alive and well. I love checking in on people and feeling like, even if they don’t get to speak to anyone else on that particular day, I called to say hi.
I'm not usually someone who is at a loss for words, but in my first couple of calls I really struggled to know what to say. There’s no script — it’s simply a matter of asking how the client is and having a light conversation for two to three minutes. Once I got into the rhythm of things, I felt more at ease and the conversations became more organic. It was good because on Sunday I had the same call list as I did on Saturday, so I spoke to the same people. I was later told that I would be calling the same clients every week.
One man I spoke to made me really sad — he asked if there were any services where someone could come out for a longer conversation. I actioned that request as I was trained to do, and I really hope they are able to help him.
As well as the calls, there is an online chat area which is open for SA volunteers and, I believe, some paid staff. I had a few questions and when I put them in the chat, they were quickly answered.
I feel passionately about this service. I will do this for as long as I live. It’s why I love Live Aid and the Red Cross. Because we are all connected, and we should all look after each other as best we can. And we should implement a Universal Basic Income.
It’s 3:37am on Tuesday, 29 April. I’ve got TAFE and uni starting in around three months, and I am going. I’m not going to let this sleep issue affect my studies anymore, so I am going to get up and go even if I haven’t slept. I’ve worked and studied doing that in the past, and it can be really hard, but I am absolutely determined to get a degree and just do something. Even if I have to walk around like a zombie, at least I’ll be doing something. More important than the degree is the idea of learning everything that the Visual Effects degree has to offer and developing a skill set that will give me the ability to express myself and also to earn a living.
I think I’m going to feel ridiculous doing this degree with what I am 100% certain will be a bunch of 18-year-olds. I know people who just don’t give a fuck about those sorts of things. My dad wouldn’t have cared. He did not care what anyone thought of him. The same goes for my mother. They had, and have, a very healthy confidence in themselves. And then there’s the perspective that it’s actually relatively arrogant to think they even care about me at all. I’m just going to go about my business and try not to draw attention to myself.
Over the long, lonely nights I’ve been watching Married at First Sight. I taped the whole series — there are 40 episodes — and I’m nearly finished them all. I think I’m on episode 34. It’s pretty trashy, but I became invested in it and now I actually care how it ends. As well as MAFS, I watch a lot of Al Jazeera reports on YouTube. When I’m at my computer, I keep it playing through their live stream. There’s a lot about Gaza on there, and I physically react to so many of the stories. I want to scream, or get angry, or tell a higher authority — but then I realise no one cares, and there is no higher authority.
They never printed my letter to the editor, which really annoys me. It was a good letter. I am certain they would have a directive not to print that kind of thing. With the election coming up next weekend, a couple of human rights groups I am involved with have been calling out for people to protest and draw attention to Palestine — to make it an election issue. I have wanted to get involved, but seeing as one of their focuses is my local member of parliament’s office, I have felt that if I participate in that kind of thing, I would be the ultimate hypocrite. That’s because I am still a member of their party.
I need to not be a member of this particular party, but I have remained a member for sentimental reasons. I’m not going to resign from the party — I’ll wait for my membership to lapse.
On Saturday night, Mum and I watched the Pope’s funeral. There was a whole stack of world leaders there, like Trump and Macron. Zelenskyy was there, and whilst he was a little more dressed up than usual, he still wasn’t wearing a tie. I think he has shown a lot of courage, and in so many ways he has proven himself to be a good leader. But he is rude. He is definitely rude.
A couple of people have told me that the casual get-up he usually wears is some sort of military uniform. If that’s the case, I can empathise with why he wears it, but just because your country is at war doesn’t give you permission to be an arsehole. It is rude to be so casual when everyone else is wearing a suit and tie or formal ladies’ wear. At Pope Francis’s funeral, it was unacceptable of him not to wear a tie. I'm not a snob, and I'm not trying to play fashion police — but dressing casually at moments that demand reverence carries a quiet kind of arrogance. Someone like Emmanuel Macron should have a whisper in his ear and give him some friendly advice to step up to the plate. Rise to the occasion.
Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t there. If he had attempted to attend, he would have been arrested, but I am sure Israel had representatives there.
The service itself was very formal, full of pomp and ceremony. Lots of cardinals, bishops, and priests. All men. The front-seated section opposite the world leaders was all men, which simply goes to show the lack of regard the Catholic Church has for women. There was a group of clergy — who I am guessing were bishops — who were wearing sunglasses, caps, and had their mobile phones out taking photos. But when I looked at the various types of clergy there, I was struck by their costumes. I was struck by the whole thing, really. While Pope Francis had some good and some bad qualities, I feel like I can honestly say he was an appropriate successor to Saint Peter. I also think Pope Francis would have understood that a funeral like that does not fit the representative of a lowly fisherman.
Pope Francis was against the war in Gaza. Not that it’s actually a war — it is an assault on Gaza, and the Palestinians don’t have an army. Apparently, he used to speak to the Catholic parish in Gaza very regularly. He spoke publicly about the senseless loss of life and called for an immediate ceasefire. I like that about him. I also liked how, at his funeral, they called him Papa Francesco. Not His Holiness or the Supreme Pontiff, just Papa, just Father. I’m still confused about how I feel about him, but I do know he will be a hard act to follow.
