News August/September 2014

Looking back

Even when we are looking back time is still moving forward. Time is linear, forever moving in one direction. The future. The tomorrow. The past can not be changed. That time has gone. But with the knowledge of the past we can understand the presence and prepare for the future.

Many people have arrived on the shores of Australia, for a variety of reasons. Whether unwillingly being deported for crimes or other reasons, looking for a new and better life or searching for adventure, this far away land offers a multitude of options. People forced from their homelands for their beliefs, and also those who are looking for a safer country to bring up their children all arrive in this country with various, but big expectations.

Australia is a melting pot of different cultures, different stories, different backgrounds and different expectations. The beauty in all of this is the richness that comes from embracing the difference. We might not all want the same, but somehow we can embrace each others desire. This includes the Indigenous people with their vast and extensive history full of tradition and understanding of this land. A land they have been living in since thousands of years. A history and tradition full of knowledge and excitement.

Understanding that we can only go forward in time releases us from the bond of the past. We can never return to ‘what has been’, we can only live in ‘what is now’ and ‘what can be’. Embracing the past, the diverse nature of the people who have lived here forever, and the people who have chosen to live here since, we can add to our own history and background, learn from each other and experience a richness that comes from all the cultural heritages. Our children will have a different history to us. Rich, diverse – and full of colour.

‘We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.’  (Jimmy Carter, 39th US president)

Barbara


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