This is how we are feeling

These fires are unprecedented. Nationwide. Creating their own weather like some Marvel Movie. a political shitstorm. Extraordinary generosity. And no end in sight. There are a number of intersections we’ve not really seen before, and this is provoking a collective anxiety. It almost fits what we call a collective trauma event, where the very foundations […]

This is how we stay safe

The situation remains dynamic, the fire threat is ever present and this will shape actions in the days, weeks, and possibly months to come. There will be good days, and bad days, anxious days, and relieved days, exhausted days, and fun days, clear days, and fuzzy days. For many clean up begins, decisions on where […]

This is how we get ready.

The sweet sound of rain this week has given many people a few days of welcome respite from the harrowing days and weeks of before. We know that the pause though, is short, and increased fire danger will return, threatening new communities. Despite all the warnings, we still hear of people getting out just in […]

This is how we manage

There’s a plan. From the household, right up to the Federal Government. No plan is perfect, disasters by their very nature throw up surprises. But people all across the country, spend a lot of time working through scenarios, and working out what to do, and planning for it. And when it happens, they “do”. But […]

This is what people go through

The whole range of human emotion is on show, right now, sometimes all at once. The very nature of emergency or disaster both takes away some of the boundaries, and sharpens the focus. It is an extreme rollercoaster ride for those caught up in the midst of it, those helping out, and those looking on. […]

This is how we help

Many people feel helpless in the face of the unfolding nationwide bushfire crisis. This is entirely normal as what we are seeing is outside of our control, and as much as we want to be better for the people, the communities, the animals, and for firefighters to not have to die, or be exhausted, or […]

This is what we are seeing

We are being immersed in extraordinary imagery as the nationwide bushfire crisis unfolds. People sheltering, animals fleeing, masked kids steering their families to safety, normally blue skies an eerie orange, or worse still black during the middle of the day. In our hyperconnected world, we have constant exposure to the unfolding emergency. We are in […]

This is what we know

When I look at how current national bushfire crisis is unfolding, apart from the intense partisan debate around the cause/denial of cause of the bushfires, it fits a well worn pattern. Much of the commentary is framing a narrative about heroic near misses, tragic losses, and stoicism about picking up and moving on. We see […]

Love you to the moon and back

This was one of the refrains that often bounced around the house with our girls, when we were asked how much we loved them. It’s a wonderful statement. And today is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon (warning, I am a bit of a space tragic). The “back” part of […]

High up in the homeland

I’ve just finished reading Nick Brodie’s terrific book, Kosciuszko an account of two skiers who were lost in the wilderness near the summit of Mt Kosciuszko in 1928. Similar to fifteen young men, the book shines a light onto a tragedy that has been largely forgotten, and also a window into the times. I was […]

Sastrugi

Author: John Richardson