A Normal Woman's Diary.

Date 2009

The middle aged woman sat in her bedroom and reached for her diaries that she kept on her bookshelf, the year printed on the cover was 2009          

“Do I really need to look into that year?” She asked herself.

 Memories flooded back of what that year had given her. The year had started with the understanding that she wouldn’t get her heart’s desire of winning a place in the writing competition. It was just another disappointment that she had to accept that her writing wasn’t good enough, and just not commercial enough, like her art.

“I am trying again and keep trying until I manage to see my dream as a published Writer, and artist.” She mumbled to the empty room.

 She sat there on the edge of her bed that she shared with her husband and partner of 29 years.  January’s highlight was the circus. “Dralion” performed by Cirque Du Soleil.  She sat and thought back to that time.

‘It was pure magic and maybe the best present that we had ever been given. To experience this spectacular troop of performers was a one off for us. The cost of the tickets was beyond us and it was something that was classed as a luxury but even if it was to be this one time a luxury had been classed as well worth the experience.’

 She looked at the writing of the entry and realized it wasn’t her hand writing, but her daughter’s. She turned the page to the next entry. February came with the youngest starting high school and the middle aged woman heading off to chip away at the Visual Arts Diploma course with Southbank. This course had kept her alive as she had force herself to prevent deep clinical depression. The house work was done around her studies and art. Writing took a backwards step. The busy mother, student and wife had no time for diaries.  Most of the pages were blanks as if nothing had happened, as if she had lived but not been understood, even by her. That year which had proved to redefine this Brisbane woman was a Blank.

She picked up other diary dated the same year and opened to February pages this one had more entries but on second look they were only when the family were booked into dental appointments and the like. One entry did help her recall something that was of more interest.

            Started classes Diploma Year 2009, Figurative sculpture. Date Monday 9th February

Started classes and meet fellow students most will finish before me and head off to new horizons. These fellow students have been with me since Morningside the old stamping ground of that campus is now destroyed to be made into a housing development, or so we have been told.

            “I can’t believe that I lamented over that run down campus!” She put the book down and pick up the original diary somehow it was like looking at two people. One who could afford luxury and the other a struggling student, wife and mother?  March entries were non existence.

“Why didn’t I find time to write about the lead up to the biggest event of 2009?”

At this she throw the useless diaries down and got up and walked out of her bedroom and went to the kitchen to make herself a drink.

            “I have only my memories; no diary can help me now.”

Sipping at the coffee she tried to remember the blur that 2009 had now become. She began to write down the good things of that year she could remember. I achieved distinctions in traditional painting and art history studies.

“What else happened? That year changed me.” She started to write again, as the morning sun pooled over her scribbled pages on the table.

‘I meet an Indigenous lady who was in my classes. From the very beginning we became friends.  She filled in some of the pieces for me as to how it was to live her life and what it meant to her. Walking in her shoes was difficult but it taught me a lot. Unfortunately I have lost contact with this brave lady. She has returned to her tribal areas to help her own people. It is the Aunties that are working the hardest to save their language and culture. I hope she looks at the little figurine of the earth mother I made her. ‘