I am grateful for our little paradise.
In order to ‘comply’ with the medical directives of my employer whilst also respecting my own future health and responsibilities as a husband and father, I have not been permitted to attend work. Therefore, I have not been getting paid. For some time now as it happens.
There is nothing unusual about this, in as much as, I am not alone. Though the logic behind such requests erodes further and further as the months and years go by. The topic of my post is of course the global topic of the past few years, and it has taken me some time to broach it within the realms of my own blog. Partly because I have felt censored by my workplace, ‘friends’ and partly for compassion to those around me that have been caught in situations where they have not been able to see any other alternatives.
Censorship aside, such a personal situation is not a new concept to me. I could see something like this coming, though I thought it would be triggered by our tanking economy, fossil fuel reliance, natural disasters and the like. A swiftly moving, global wave of fear sparked by governments, media and corporate CEOs was not what I was expecting. Though some two and a half years into this – and from my reading and personal research over the past twenty two years – I suspect this whole situation is also because of multiple pressures, some of which I have already stated above.
At any regard, I am still behind in my plans, but daily I am grateful for being able to tread the water this long. My employer is endeavoring to paralyze my ability to earn an income, in so far as I remain ‘technically’ still employed – and thus apparently forbidden from seeking any other form of secondary employment to support my family and pay the bills. I am still regarded as being employed because I have not capitulated to their discriminating requests and there are legal consequences as a result. The irony has been to witness their tactics at play. The very same bullying they themselves felt compelled to write policies about and sanction against when it reared its head in the workplace.
It is something of a bi-lateral world I am living in. Fighting for my rights as an individual whilst pretending to my extended family that everything is normal, so as not to upset them or cause them concerns. There was enough grief for them when I left my job. All the reasons for them wanting me to go along with things were the very reasons why I couldn’t go along with it. For my own self-sustaining necessity I have chosen to use love as a means to get through, rather than anger and resentment. This has not been easy. I do not cultivate plants alone.
Maybe I was lucky to see the writing on the wall, or just better positioned through my own curiosity and a job that enabled me to see first hand some of the cracks that were showing. That have been showing for a long time. I think that integrity as a personal, moral compass, has been the victim of an incredible slippage in society over the last few decades. In many instances it has become quite accepted and normal. I’m not sure how this comes to occur, but I think as a community and society if we don’t speak up, it just becomes accepted. I think that largely, that is how it has occurred.
Western Australia has seen incredible profits over the last few decades as a result of exploiting our natural resources and Indigenous communities. There has been some good come from it. It’s also been detrimental to our current state of affairs. Such profits, I suspect, have fueled an intense greed and eroded honesty. The political speak that we are inflicted with on a daily basis is an example of this. If it isn’t name calling and trying to tear something or someone down, it is usually a dialogue of saying very much whilst saying absolutely very little of meaning at the same time. This ensures that the people are perplexed and parties and individuals remain in office. Remain to profit.
Though the global political landscape is overgrown with weeds, I am grateful that here in our own garden, weeds are actually useful. We eat them. We feed them to our animals. We feed them to our soil.
I do not think it is not right that I have felt unable to speak of my own personal matters for so long. Yet, here they are. If you have happened across this Message in a Bottle during your day, I would welcome your comments. Your thoughts and experiences. To know of the tools that are enabling you to negotiate around the rest of society at the moment.
Petit Paradis 
Great writing as usual! I admire you for speaking up about it, even at the risk of getting further marginalised. It is shocking how much the “world” has just accepted things and “gone with it”, without even investigating the impact on their health, never mind the greed and power hunger behind it. The last year especially has been really hard on our kids – they don’t see why they can’t go skating with their friends or whatever… (I heard the one say to one of his friends “But YOU are vaxxed, aren’t you? Why do you worry then?” when his mom didn’t want him to join some group activity.
Your employment situation sounds dire, and complex to navigate around. Fortunately my (ex?)employer, who stopped paying me, but on whose “books” I still am, allowed me to search for other employment while the mandates are still in place. I have accepted a full-time roll at a non-discriminating employer (after a short period of employment, which had its own stresses at home! instead of being a welcome break) But so it will be interesting to see how this all resolves when it (hopefully) comes to an end.
Best wishes and stay strong!
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Great to hear from you Martin. Thank you for your comments and perspective. Yes, interesting times and challenging as a parent also. There is much to be said for building resilience at home. My employment will sort itself out. The reality is, I was working within a broken system. I never realised just how corrupt and broken it was until the last six months. It may not surprise you to know it was a government job too. Thanks again. All the best to you.
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I am sorry for your predicament but I feel you have taken the right stance in the long run both for your health and your family.
Many of the results of all those who partook of the m*ndates are now paying the price, many with their lives.
Lucky enough that I am old and retired on a pension so I still had incomings. I know of only two other people in my sphere of life who are in the same situation. (Out of a family and sphere of hundreds). I could not believe that so many fell for the story and the experiment on their health.
I too am trying to make a small patch of country into an edible landscape. It is hard as I have arthritis so it is very slow going. My very old orchard is not producing so I am attempting to re-establish that, so luckily the infrastructure is still there.
I came across your site while searching tagasaste seed raising. I grew them with great success twenty years ago for my pet sheep. The tagasaste have all died off now due to no irrigation and they certainly have not self sowed. I am on a smaller property in the wheatbelt…..really hot and small rainfall.
So I guess the invasive part of it comes only if you have certain conditions.
So I have to start again and this time along with old man saltbush, moringa (not much success) , running bamboo, pigeon peas (experiment) and whatever else is a sustainable food for my animals. Have to re-establish my ch*ckens and get new bees. It is almost like starting again. Just trying to find solutions for the upcoming financial cr*sh and famine (be it for animals or people). My whole family thinks I have “lost it”.
I won’t be surprised when the powers that be, come for the ch*ckens or bees in the future. They have already started in the eastern states eliminating thousands of perfectly healthy bee colonies with the excuse of varoa found on one property.
https://zeeemedia.com/interview/zerotime-the-government-is-killing-millions-of-our-bees/
And of course “they” have killed millions upon millions of ch*ckens because of so call b*rd fl*e in other countries.
These are uncertain times but you have taken the right stance as history will tell. We just have to grin and bare it for now. Congratulations on your strength. You have done right by your family.
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Thank you for your comment Pamela. It’s been an interesting few years. I realise I have not done any recent updates, but just to let you know I have since returned to work. This caused a lot of mixed opinions and got people questioning what it was all about. My own personal experience has been surreal. I have been working closely with positive cases and I still have not had it myself. For weeks I was having to test myself regularly. Nothing. I don’t know why, but I have my opinions. My family also remain healthy and safe. Physically and mentally.
I am aware that there is a lot more media coverage currently on some of the side-effects, which is how it should be. So many who wanted answers to questions were silenced or shamed into being silent. So many who had answers were also silenced. My continued hope is that the general populace will start to use reasoning, rather than simply complying for convenience. The Truth will out. Common sense will prevail. All the best, J
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