Oct. 25th, 2007

Hard Day

Oct. 25th, 2007 08:28 pm
laura_seabrook: (Default)

I was feeling a little off after getting caught in the rain last night, and of being up until early morning. And it got tougher as the day went on.

Trans Murders

First up, I did research for this year's  Transgender Day of Remembrance Web Comic Project. The theme's a bit different this year, but requires a bit of research into how my trans brothers or sisters have been murdered in the last year. The relevant starting page is Who are we Remembering - there seems to be less reported murders in the last 12 months, though that might just be an artefact due to poor media coverage. For example, Keittirat Longnawa in Phuket was beaten by a gang of nine youths and then had her throat cut; Michelle Carrasco from Chile was found in a pit with her face completely disfigured (further research showed that she'd been a sex worker and that this was done by a client who paid the equivalent of $US 4 for her services beforehand).

These are all real life horror stories that induce great sorrow (and also great anger) within myself. It's difficult to research these for any length of time without seriously getting depressed. Then, later I took Peggy for a walk to the chip shop for lunch and we were attacked by some dogs in the middle of the street!

Dog Attack

A couple of dogs who always bark at Peggy and myself when  we go by went spring at the gate of their front yard and it sprung open. A blue healer then came out and attacked Pegasus, and then bit me on the arm before the women next door was able to put them back in the yard and close the gate. I checked Pegasus and he seemed unharmed, and though I'd been bitten, decided to continue on to the chip shop.

When we got back home Kevin had a look at both of us. Pegasus had a gash in his front right arm (leg?) pit and I had a puncture wound. I phoned the council to report the attack, and they said I should see a doctor. Kevin said I should as well, so I ended up going to a "Family Clinic" I'd never been to in Edgeworth.

As I went to catch the bus the family that lived at the dog's house drove back into their drive way. I pointed out that I and my dog had been attacked and described how they'd got out. They suggested that I "tormented" their dogs by having Pegasus wee on their fence, and that I left his poo on their verge! I just try and walk Peggy as quietly as I can, but like any dog he leaves his mark, and I pick his poo up afterwards.

School Kid Badgering

I had a 4pm appointment. Kevin suggested that I ride the scooter to Edgeworth but I wasn't really up to that. I should have remembered that the 3:40pm bus is full of local school kids going home. I sat in the front seat next to the driver and ignored most of the comments I heard shouted from behind. It was stressful all the same. I swear though, that one more kid had made a comment as they got off the bus I would have chased them and demanded an apology (which I've done before) and bugger the appointment!

I'm not going to put up with this crap any more and will probably contact their school about it.

Got to the clinic. The staff were quite nice, and the Indian doctor efficient. I had the wound cleaned and dressed, and a technis shot as well. I also have a course of antibiotics to take for a week. Did a bit of shopping and then came home.

It's been a muggy awkward day, and I look forward to tomorrow.

laura_seabrook: (Default)

One of the things my current counsellor has been suggesting to me is making mindfulness part of my coping with life. Not always easy. Today on the bus it helped dealing with bullshit comments, though clearly I clearly have much to learn. And what the fuck is mindfulness? The home page of http://www.mindfulness.com/ says:

You are not your thoughts. Our thoughts take us away from being here now. If I am thinking about the past, or worried about the future, I am a prisoner of my thoughts. When I take a moment to observe myself having thoughts, I am no longer the thoughts. I get to be and observe at the same time. That's why if I continue to come back to my breath which always occurs in the here and now, it draws me into the present. And from that vantage point I can observe as past and future attempt to draw me away from the moment. This paying attention to the here and now, to the breath, to the observing one's thoughts without being critical or judgemental is what many people call Mindfulness.

Cool, eh?

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