I’m ashamed to say that I almost never interact with poor people. I like to think that I care, that I humanise the issue in my mind, that I don’t ignore it like so many do. But the truth is I am guilty of not caring — of failing to be touched by the humanity at the heart of the problem.
About a month ago I was invited to attend a screening of a documentary called The Lucky Country. A project of a single mother, the film was about the drastic cuts to the single parent payments made by the Labor Government earlier this year.
With little publicity other than a Facebook event page, it was shown to a group of around 50 people at a small cinema in St Kilda in Melbourne’s inner south-east. It was produced with literally no budget, a triumph made possible through favours, hard work and the volunteered time of university film students.
After the screening, as I sat in the audience listening to the stories of those involved in the film’s production, I felt immensely humbled. I was struck by how removed I am from this world of people who struggle to pay for things I don’t give a second thought to. Continue reading.
Source: Eureka Street
Image: disibilitymessage.com
Megan Graham is a Melbourne based writer, journalist and occasional blogger.
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