JacquieK-Humans and other earthlings

It's been a long time since I've visited this blog site.

It's not that I haven't been busy using my voice for animals, indeed that has taken up a lot of the last 3 years of my life. Years that have seen big change in setting up an organisation that advocates for marine conservation, particularly cetaceans; moving to South East Asia and becoming absorbed in the fight for dolphins and doing voluntary work with a local wildlife rescue organisation.

There have been a few personal landmarks too. Hitting the big five zero, advancing in my passion of underwater exploration and losing my Father after a very long illness and worrying time period. It's only recently that Dad left this earth but his passing has inspired me to once again record my perceptions on how we treat other earthlings and hope that in coming across this very humble site, even one soul might think twice about how their actions affect the planet.

I feel emotional right now. I guess that I'm still raw from not having Dad to speak to. Our family, like many others has had its share of dysfunction in that my brothers and I are estranged from our sister. Indeed her behaviour has been such over the past few years that she cut herself off completely from our Dad, not visiting him when he was diagnosed with leukaemia or even when she knew he was dying and had only weeks to live. Her final shot was not saying goodbye at his funeral service despite knowing it was taking place. I guess that she will have to live with that decision. I know that I could never have left any personal grudge or dissatisfaction that long without trying to resolve it. I'm thankful that this journey of compassion for other earthlings has opened my eyes in so many ways. It has truly made me so aware of the brevity of life. We only get one and love and compassion are our most treasured gifts.

I still get angry about some of the things I come across. Last night for example, I came across a horrific video of a whale shark that was being cut up at a fish market in China while it was still alive. I cannot comprehend the type of people who could do this but my evolution in animal activism has helped me move past the initial anger and instead of just being angry, actually trying to investigate with a view to educating and reaching out to contacts I have made to try and get some justice for this poor earthling.

I still get angry though when it comes to my life's work, and yes, being a voice for other earthlings is my life's purpose, I can remain quite calm and rational. The only thing I can think of recently that made me irrational was the treatment of my Dad by our estranged sister. Sadly this led to me being estranged from my Nieces but I can understand and live with this. I take quiet solace in the knowledge that had I acted in a similar way to this person who was my sister, my boy despite his tender age of 15, would most definitely call me out on it and still love me simultaneously. But there is a difference in a life led with compassion towards other earthlings and one lived solely concentrating on the small world around you. I won't judge them for that because everyone is capable of growth and who knows how someone's world or experience might change in the next few years.

My life in South East Asia is coming to an end and I'm thrilled to be returning to a place that I truly call home. I don't think I realised this fully while I was in Australia but sometimes you have to go away to realise where you truly belong. I have so many friends there and there are so many options for people who choose compassion in their lifestyle. My health has suffered slightly in this climate and place of limited compassionate choices but I'm doing my best and I know that soon I'll be home.

I've been lucky enough to work here with some amazing animal advocates and when I get back to Aus and set up my studio, I will undertake to translate some of those experiences into artwork.

I have only today finished the first piece of artwork I've ever concentrated on here. It's a piece called, "in her skin' and it's a portrait of a factory farmed pig but I have incorporated my hair on to the pig. It's my way of saying, 'I've put myself into your position and while I don't know what it would truly be like, I will never stop being a voice for you. I will never give up.'