I Come From a Land Down Under

Fall leaves (or Autumn as we say in Australia). Image made October 2019.

Happy October! Can you believe we’re into the last quarter of 2020? Thank goodness!

I’ve been busy researching and studying of late, so this is just a quick update today…. no book chapters this week!

Here in Memphis, it’s now officially Fall, and the Halloween decorations are out in full swing. It’s one of the things I love about America, and Americans - their passion for celebrating the season, despite adversity. With their President sick with COVID, millions infected, and hundreds of thousands dying; ongoing protesting and riots, and living through an election campaign like no other, their resilience is impressive!

Halloween and Fall ideas via Instagram @houselarsbuilt

Image via Instagram @houselarsbuilt

Image via Pinterest

As Australians living in ‘The South’, our family are a bit of a novelty. It’s not like LA or New York where Australians are plentiful, here there’s a lot less of us. Thankfully Americans seem to love Aussies. Crocodile Dundee really did make an impression! I’ve been asked a multitude of times since moving here, my thoughts on living in America, especially during 2020. I have many, but what I’ve been particularly interested in lately is why people vote a certain way - specifically why they would vote for President Trump. Many outside of the US can’t understand why, so I’ve made it my mission these past weeks to find out. The post is almost complete but needs a little more tweaking. Watch this space.

I’ve also recently had the pleasure of meeting the Publisher of Storyboard Memphis, Mark Fleischer, and discussing all things Memphis and America. Like myself, Mark was new to Memphis - he moved here 5 years ago from his native California. He started blogging about the city, and then turned it into a community newspaper and podcast. He too found something special about Memphis and the surrounding Delta that many locals couldn’t understand - an energy that can’t be described in a travel brochure. I may have been just a tad excited when I discovered he’d found my blog posts, had read them, and then asked me if I’d like to share some of my observations on Storyboard Memphis! Now it seems those observations may be shared a little more widely than my Facebook friends.… again, watch this space. Blatant self-promotion I know, but I really just wanted to share my excitement! It makes this ‘Trailing Spouse’ who has continually had to reinvent herself after having children, pretty happy indeed.

I get a little mention below, ‘the Aussie’ obviously:

October 2-4, 2020

Your StoryBoard Weekend

From your community connections at StoryBoardMemphis.org

EDITOR'S NOTE

Tearing down to restore, revitalize

This morning I attended a press conference to witness a house demolition.

Two houses actually (see our story below). But what would normally have been cause for concern, the demolitions of the two houses in question are the first steps in revitalizing the parcels in the Alcy-Ball neighborhood. In their place will be a community garden.

The idea of tearing down to foster new, healthy growth echoed in our featured stories (see our SoundBoard album review below) and a few conversations I had this week: one with a friend and colleague about the breakdowns the last few years in our respected institutions and our civil discourse; another with a native Memphian-now-developer hoping to restore a historic property; yet another with an Australian now living in Memphis who shared with me her numerous and layered thoughts on this place called America.

You'll be hearing more from us about the Memphian-developer and the historic property in the coming months, as well as the Aussie in the coming weeks. And how refreshing it has been to see things from a foreigner's perspective, to break down the current national discourse into meaningful and educational conversation, to, you know, talk.

Here at StoryBoard we've been giving that - fresh perspectives - a lot of thought lately, on what and how we can foster restorations and new healthy growth here in Memphis and, who knows, nationally as well. Stay tuned for what we have to share in coming weeks and months.

Meanwhile, enjoy your weekend reads, and be sure to prepare yourselves for voting! Again we have included a link below where you can check on your voter registration.

Thinking of mailing it in? Start the process now. Planning on standing in line on Election Day? Plan ahead. Plan now.

And vote like your life depends on it, because it very well may.

Be safe out there, and please consider giving to StoryBoard, cuz one way or another, we plan on stickin' 'round.

~Mark Fleischer, Publisher

There is a term they use here in Memphis - not a coincidence, or a synchronicity, but a ‘God wink’. I love it! Meeting Mark feels like one of those. The year 2020 is delivering surprises in every way!

And speaking of Aussies in America, I have never heard ‘I Come From a Land Down Under’ by Men at Work as many times in my lifetime as I have in my 20 months of being in the US. The radio stations LOVE the song. I heard the Aviccii / Men At work version today, so I thought I’d share it here as it makes me smile. Although you would be forgiven for thinking Sydney was the only city in Australia in this ‘Tourism Australia’ film clip (don’t worry, we’re used to it), it still made me a little homesick.

Stay safe everyone, and stay sane, particularly all my Melbourne and Victorian friends and family. What you’ve achieved in saving lives in your ongoing ‘stay at home’ measures is to be commended, and I’m extremely grateful for what you’re doing for the rest of the country. Sadly, it’s a different story in the US.

Keeping spirits up, here are a few Halloween ideas for your own dress ups and decorating….

My very own ‘car yard blow up arms wavy thingy’

Next up on the blog, ‘Why Vote Trump 2020’, from the perspective of, well, some Trump supporters!