My Letter to MP Gary Gray - On Supporting Gay Marriage

Mr Gray,

my understanding is that your role as MP for the Brand electorate region is to represent the citizens and the citizen's best interests within our voting region. From the internet based petition that Stacey Malacari and Aimee McDonald have produced in aid to show you a difference in opinion between yourself and the voters within your voting region, I feel disappointed to be living in an area with such a close minded person representing our district.

As far as I can gather, supporting two people who are in love who wish to formalise their commitment to one another through a traditional ceremony is going to do no harm to any other citizens.

We are not exposed to any couple's intimate relations nor asked to switch sexual preferences. The gay community do not wish us to convert to something we are not in order to support them; they're simply asking to be accepted for who they were born to be. If God exists, He has created each and every person to be a certain way, and as residents in Australia we are taught of equality and basic human rights. How can we deem what is appropriate in regards to the way in which a couple express their commitment to one another, regardless of their sexes?

Obviously being born into different generations has left your and my perception of the world to be rendered differently; but as a representative of not just your own generation but the ones before and after your own, should surely broaden your scope of political views and ideologies.

The Marriage Act was created in 1961 - Indigenous Australians were given the right to vote in 1967. Australians have accepted that laws, beliefs, politics and social discourses can change over time, and as someone who works within politics you should readily accept this notion.

Perhaps some way along the time line of Australian history there will be a national "Sorry Day" for gay people just like as the Indigenous people rightfully received.

We are created to live in harmony upon this land; whether God created us, biology or other powers unknown to us. We may all be tiny parts of this world, but together our beliefs for basic and well deserved equal rights will be the foundations for changing these backwards laws.

To use Nick Cave's words: "You're one microscopic cog in His catastrophic plan," Mr Gray.

We will win this one day.

Yours sincerely,

Abby Hutchinson.

Does Crime Produce Criminals?

"The act of educating a psychopath will only produce an educated psychopath."

Following my best friend's footsteps and passion, and armed with ample free time on my hands, I've spent the last fortnight reading. While I've always been a bookworm, and thumb my way through a decent amount of books I've devoured some gritty, sensationalised and guilty pleasure crime books to ironically, occupy my mind.

Reading all of these crime and murder stories ranging across a few centuries, I'm finding it increasingly hard to believe that so many criminals believe they have any chance of walking away innocent. It seems these (often) crimes of passion, the killer has already resigned themselves to being locked away, though it is the small price to pay for the torture and often death to their chosen victims that they have fantasised about.

These books argue that while the act of murder is a state of temporary insanity, many killers are not always psychopathic but sadistic, drowned in a deep anger or indifferent. The murders they chose to commit they have often carefully planned, and when the fantasy of torture no longer suffices do they bring their dreams to life, and then to death. For many criminals, every moment of torture, rape and murder is performed while completely sane and aware of the harm they are causing. The legal and moral implications may be nestled within their minds but their motives have merely clouded their conscience rather than rid them of their sanity.

My greatest intrigue with the idea of psychopaths is the notion that it could be anyone, as random and unbelievable as the people who become victims are. The tragedy of victims is that often you're so invested or trustworthy of a person that their sociopathic antics will go undetected, or you could never conceive there to be anything life threatening about your relations. The signs of their inner torment may be noticed, but not noted as irregular. Only when crimes are committed and we reflect on a criminal's past behaviour do the signs become glaringly obvious.

Opportunistic criminals find themselves upon a situation in which they predict a gain or a thrill. All criminals seem to depict someone who is either vulnerable or in a vulnerable situation and strike.

Murderers, rapists and people who are fueled by the torture of others may or may not be psychopaths, but all have discarded morals so helplessly that they do not deserve to be a part of this world. The deep hatred those who have suffered at the hand of torture should not be reciprocated by projecting their pain in the form of malicious acts to negate the past.

Pehaps those who have suffered should take their pain, anger and depression and let it be the pillars to their strength and resilliance for their future in this world, rather than join the beaten.

Unemployment Is Harder Work.

This is the longest I've been unemployed since I was 15, and I'm not handling it well. Thankfully, I've been offered two jobs so in a few days I'll be back to work. A friend suggested the dole, and while I don't see anything wrong in people seeking government assistance, I'm happy to have never stepped foot in Centrelink, and hope it remains that way.

Unemployed life is frankly, boring. While the best of us enjoy to indulge in a sickie every once in a while, the last fortnight of this has been torment. I've watched enough Foxtel to be more frustrated than usual with its constant repeats and I've been finding myself scoping websites for jobs for hours on end. While I've appreciated being able to see friends during this difficult time, I know I couldn't handle a life that was solely consisting of only socialising and not having much money to do so. (I blame you, asos.com ;).

Considering the reasons to which I had to vacate my last job, having too much time available to think isn't appreciated. I'm trying to keep my mind occupied with future plans but it is often difficult to do so.

I have been trying to get fit though. I've always danced, and my dancer background has always discouraged running for the damage it can cause to your knees and ankles, but I've been attempting to run. So far my speed has been increasing and my stamina is getting better. It is true that you feel better and refreshed after exercising.

Easter is upon us and it's really not a huge event for my family. I'm more looking forward to the ANZAC day service. Being a navy brat I've grown up to watching my dad march and it's always an emotional day. While last ANZAC day I ended up in my ex-boyfriend's bed after a few too many with some Air Force boys, I think this year's ANZAC day will be much more different, for the better.

I'm going to attempt to nurture my last few days off work with books and seeing friends and keeping my gym visits up.

"You'll Laugh When Something Is Really Funny."

Mowgli's Brothers

Now Chil the Kite brings home the night
That Mang the Bat sets free -
The herds are shut in byre and hut,
For loosed til dawn are we.
This is the hour of pride and power,
Talon and tush and claw.
Oh, hear the call! - Good hunting all
That keep the Jungle Law!

- Rudyard Kipling.


What this last week has taught me is that you can't ever be entirely certain of future plans, or even the present you're living within. I believe, or perhaps used to believe that everything happens for a reason, and life deals you events to test your character and strength. Thrown the most horrific, beyond awful of events to deal with, the ferocious fighter I've always been has questioned my ability to stand tall again.

This past week has also taught me that people are without a doubt the most important parts of our lives. My amazing family and friends have shown a love and support I couldn't have even dreamt of, and handled what most can't handle with sincerity and loyalty towards me. Flowers, phone calls, visiting and small gestures are all helping me feel better, or rather, feel anything at all. I am eternally thankful. You've even made me laugh, and with every smile I'm feeling myself creep back.

While I know this will take time, and maybe after some of my numbness wears away and it all sinks in, perhaps the worst is (hopefully not) to come, knowing I've had such help already is preparing me for this difficult and torturous battle ahead.

Life has thrown us all horrific times to see how we cope, and maybe I thought I'd already had my fair share of hardships. Perhaps with each hardship I've handled and not let destroy me, a worst one has been cast my way. But I promise that this will not define, nor defeat me.

I've read, I've listened to music, gone to a gig, visited friends, watched movies and desperately searched for a job. I hope it is all working its way to finding myself again.

So amongst the pain and the recovery, I find myself smothered in support and maybe, in moments where innocence floods its way in, I can lose myself to the enveloping electricity of a live band or the funny joke we're all laughing about.

What Next?

I need a break from writing.

I need a break from thinking.

I feel numb.

Neither Here Nor There.

I was blessed with a great childhood that showcased more than one culture, and country. I was born in the hometown of both my parents and where all of my family lived, in a close knit English community. When I was 9, dad's work took us to Portugal for 3 years where I attended an amazing school, met friends from around the world and began to have a much greater knowledge of the world than I ever could have had I not moved. Once we moved back to England, my parents decided their dreams of moving to another country after retiring should be done sooner rather than later, and applied to move to Australia.

I moved to Melbourne when I was 13 and then onto Perth at 14. In some ways I've grown up in Australia, along with successfully settling into school and becoming Head Girl and then onto university. I love the Australian lifestyle, the people and the friendliness. Though there will always be a part of me that will have a strong connection to the British; their ways, their ways of conducting life and especially their sense of humour.

After traveling around Europe last year, I made a few decisions. One was that while I adore my hometown in regards to visiting, and loved seeing my family and friends I've never lost contact with and still got along with amazingly well, I doubt I'd ever live there again. Perhaps because I haven't grown up there through my teenage years I feel as though there will always be a panel of glass disconnecting me from my attachment to it.

What I also learned was that I without a doubt adore London. I visited when I was 13, but when returning last year I didn't want to leave. It has a rudeness to it that strikes me as embracing; there is no judgment on you for the city that has already seen it all. There is an anonymity like no where else, and a sense of boundless places to go and things to do. I quickly made the decision to move there.

I've now come to the point that my talking and planning that sometime this year I'll move there have been pinpointed to a date. I woke up the other day feeling determined that I'd feel more motivated if I did so. I've booked my leaving party, started to save more money and make plans to sell my car and book my flights.

In some ways, going to one of the largest capitals of the world to live is an intense thought, but I feel I owe my adult self the equivalent life and experiences that my parents provided me as a child. I was lucky to go to where I have been, and I want to carry on that ability to travel, adapt and embrace my surroundings. London may not be a permanent move (to my parents and best friend's hope), but it's something I feel I need to do now, while I'm young and while I can.

I'm excited to be young, be daring and lead a crazy exciting life while I can.