TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Tuesday, June 8, 2004

7:19 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Sometimes I wonder why. Anything. At all.
Today there seems to be an ever increasing list of totally urgent things to get done. Back late at ABC, making audio cd's from all my interviews so I can listen and log them at home tomorrow. Mountains of admin to get on top of, and oh yes that's right then there's the creative work. Hmmmm. I've been trying to step back and get some perspective on it, find space to write and explore ideas. They're all milling around somewhere, between my head and bits of paper but bringing it all together is the challenge.
Worrying that the program will be crap, nothing like the poetic, musical, evocative, wonderful piece in my imagination. But then, is anything ever as good as you imagine? The jury is still out on that one. Some things are, don't want to come over all cynical.

On Sunday night I went with Lisa to the premiere of Helen's War, a documentary Anna Broinowski made on her aunt Helen Caldicott. She is an inspiration, one woman on a mission, to achieve a nuclear free world in the next five years. She says it's possible. Although, she says this is the most dangerous time to be living. Famous for her comment in the 80's cold war, that you can only kill a human once. Having enough nuclear capability to kill the world many times over is redundant. We need to stop killing each other, is her basic message. So simple, and yet the machines of power and war seem so irrevocably in place throughout the world. It gets crazier every day. The next morning I heard on the radio that Howard has agreed to set up joint training facilities for US troops in Australia. Great, just what we need. Bob Hawke was quoted in the Herald, saying that sycophancy is not leadership. indeed. It's very troubling and deeply disturbing to be living in country where the leaders pay no attention to the wishes of the people. And they call this democracy.

Anyway, I am exercising my democratic rights by choosing to dedicate my life to the pursuit of... what is it, beauty? no, truth? not exactly.... the unsayable. The moment of wonder in everyday life that takes you beyond the mundane into another state. Through bridges, or poetry, whatever it takes. The gaps in the fabric of society, they fascinate me. Not having to be productive and successful and beautiful or powerful. More yoga, more time in the country, more getting the work done regardless.