P.S. Think about it

I am continually astonished by the way I see people treat others, particularly those in service-type roles. Bus drivers, mail deliverers, kiosk workers, retail attendees, janitors, airline flight attendants and supermarket check out assistants are among the biggest targets for rude behaviour and this has to change. I used to commute to work by taking a train and then taking a bus service; It is a very popular bus (I worked at a university) and there were always lines of people standing - bored, untalking, unmoving, at the train station bus stop waiting for the bus to the university and, of course, there were always lines of people at the university waiting for the bus going back to the train. Day after day I commuted with dozens of passengers and day after day I watched most of them get on the bus without making eye contact or acknowledging the driver, and at the end of the trip they got off silently, as if the bus was merely an inconvenience, an obstacle in their schedule an...

Cancer. It's a horrible word, and a horrible concept linked to so much fear, uncertainty, heartbreak and loss.  Cancer is most likely the scariest bodily illness we face in modern western society, it scares us so much because it comes from within us, can strike anybody and can be so totally overpowering and have shocking ramifications on our lives. It is also notoriously difficult to treat, control and recover from and leads to a huge amount of mortality, morbidity and disability each year here in Australia.  Cancer is a dirty word  and rightly so. The methods we do have to control cancer are extraordinarily uncomfortable and difficult to cope with. We are all quick to join our friends and family and make it clear that we are against cancer and we want to help bring an end to it. Cancer-related charities are among the most popular that we raise money for here in Australia, which is fantastic! I myself shaved my hair off to raise money for a Cancer foundation in...

Background: Recently (from 17th-24th of June 2018) I undertook Act For Peace's 'Ration Challenge'. The challenge entailed  spending an entire week eating only the rations that a typical Syrian refugee in a Jordan refugee camp would be given. I always feel my best when I am helping others and I have a huge passion for helping those less fortunate. I was more than keen to sign up for this challenge to raise some money for this wonderful organisation that helps provide refugees with access to food, education, hygiene supplies, medical attention and counselling. My heart goes out to refugees because they've been through so much, they've had to flee their homes and endure terrible circumstances to eventually end up in a refugee camp where they will be essentially stuck for an elongated period of time, the uncertainty of that situation must be almost unbearable.    [1] I learned so much from doing this challenge, and my awareness of the plight of refugees ...