Today was a typical Monday. Actually, only part of it was typical.
I started off the morning feeling like crap. I went to bed last night not feeling well and awoke feeling the same way. Thank God Ellie called me this morning or I wouldn't have gotten up since I was sleeping hard and didn't hear my alarm go off. She called at 8:30am which gave me about half an hour to get ready for work. El and Morgan went to breakfast which left me to get ready. About 15 minutes later Morgan came back up to inform me that they were leaving because someone needed to get to the office so that Helen and Helene knew that we were coming. After this, she asked if it as okay that they went ahead. Well, you just told me that you were going so I guess it's okay. And that fact that you don't want to wait another 10 mintues for me. I was miffed because I had woken up feeling dizzy and lightheaded and had informed them of this. I don't think that it is safe for someone to walk a mile to work in the heat by themselves when they feel like that.
[An exert has been removed from this blog. We have since cleared up the miscommunication that had occurred on this morning.]
Anyway, I journeyed to the office by myself. I arrived in the middle of devotions. We ended up talking about different work wages and how they compared here versus the US. So after that we piled into the car and were off to Blair Athol. I was slightly taken back in the car ride because Helene was talking about how it was okay for me to talk to her or Helen if things didn't feel right and about what I wanted to do. It felt like it was coming out of the middle of no where and I just kind of let it pass. I later found out that the girls had discussed communication issues with Helen and Helene. I just hate when everyone else knows what is going on and you're the person left out. Which seems to happen quite a bit here. But whatever, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
So we arrived at the op shop and I decided to have a cuppa (translation: cup of tea) with Mel, Carl, Merrilyn and Morgan. I was wearing the Wartburg BSU shirt from last year that has Nelson Mandela's face on it with a quote from him as well. Carl was trying to read it and this sparked quite the interesting conversation. We discussed racism in elementary schools, and how by the time kids are in 8th grade they've been socialized to be racist. I found Carl's arguments interesting and somewhat true. Then we discussed where people are buried when they die and what happens to your body when we die. I don't think Morgan enjoyed this topic, but it's something to think about ya know? Worms or cremation? Take your pick!
Then we discussed how religion is basically geography. If Carl was born in Afghanistan then he'd be Muslim, but if he were born in India he'd be Hindu. This launched us into the topic of how Australia really isn't a "churchy" country, but that America is a Christian country. I just find this humorous because most of the time I don't associate Christianity with America since we have Muslims, Hindus, Christians (conservatives and crazies), Jews, atheists and whatever else. Mel said that most people think this because of the way that the US is portrayed in movies and the media that is shown. But I hear this comment about US being a Christian country a lot. Just something to think about. Which got me thinking, if I lived in Iraq would I be a Sunni or a Shiite? Or if I was born in China - what would I believe in? I pondered my conversation with Carl for the rest of the morning. And again even as I am writing this.
After this, I worked sorting clothing and other odd items in the back of the op shop. We started with a MOUNTAINOUS pile of bags and boxes and got it down to nothing, when ANOTHER huge mountainous pile was formed. I found some 70s clothes which I might wear for the 70s dance night at FUEL which is a young adults retreat that is coming up. After a couple hours of intense work, it was time for my ritual of eating peanut butter and butter sandwiches that I had brought for lunch. El, Morgan and I had eaten outside. It is here that we discussed the conversation that they had had earlier that morning when they went to work ahead of me. We discussed how we are being defensive a lot. Not only with each other, but other people as well. I will admit that I can get defensive. [An exert has been removed from this blog.] I don't appreciate being talked to in a manner or tone that is condescending. Also, the way things are worded to me have a big impact on how I take them. I was verbally abused a lot as a kid by my biological father and so when people talk to me like that, I get defensive because it is one of the only ways that I know how to protect myself. [An exert has been removed from this blog.] So yeah, I get defensive. Take it or leave it. So we discussed this and ways that we can deal with this. We are ALL defensive, [An exert has been removed from this blog.] and we all have different communication styles so it will be a struggle to try and meet in the middle.
After lunch I worked hard again until about 3:30 which is when the op shop closes. Then the three of us caught a bus into the city where we did some afternoon time shopping. I bought a pink and white summer dress. I need to find an occasion to wear it now. I then got to see the infamous "balls" at Rundle Mall. Adelaide's got balls! Haha. We've seen 'em now Jeremy and Simon!
Here are the balls which can be found in the middle of the street at Rundle Mall.
(Photo by Hilary Wieck)
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