Embrace Yourself by Taryn Brumfitt

Author:Taryn Brumfitt
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780143787068
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

When I was invited to be keynote speaker at the annual Channel Country Ladies Day event in Jundah, Queensland, there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to speak at such a memorable event. And when I say memorable, my gosh it was – and not for the reasons I thought it would be.

The first annual Channel Country Ladies Day took place five years ago. Started by two women who recognised the absence of opportunities for the ladies of remote Queensland, the event aims to reduce social isolation and increase emotional wellbeing. It’s an event where women of all ages come together and enjoy an uplifting break from the demands of everyday life in the bush. It’s a big event in the calendar of women across the region, and many new friendships are formed. The event also, in some cases, gives women their only access in the year to health and recreational services including massages and manicures!

Prior to attending, I imagined that women living in the bush must find it difficult to let off steam without the outlets that we city-folk take for granted. When I thought of people living in isolation, the city slicker in me twitched ever so slightly at the thought of not having a local yoga studio or gym to move my body in. The thought of not being able to browse shelves at the local shops or meet friends at a cafe or bar for a burger and a laugh was a very foreign concept for me.

When I thought about the event, and how these women would behave when they came together, I imagined it would be a pretty wild show, like a circus coming to town or a new kid joining the class midyear. I imagined that the novelty of such a big event would unleash booze drinking like it was constantly happy hour, and that I’d see women doing the worm across the d-floor!

Yes, on the Friday night I did witness some pretty epic moves and fun times, but on the Saturday night I noticed the dance floor was a little less busy.

I overheard one of the event’s committee members asking another where everyone had gone. After a short while, we noticed a market stall in the distance that was ten-people deep in women all vying for a peek at the wares for sale. As we walked over, I tried to imagine what goods they might be selling – what was appealing enough to clear a dance floor and be worth queuing for that long in the heat? Surely lavender soap and scented candles couldn’t cause this much commotion . . .

As I moved closer, I saw a woman talking passionately with what looked like a kitchen utensil in her hand. ‘Fuck me,’ I thought to myself. ‘A cooking utensil demonstration? It’s Saturday night, for God’s sake, people. And there’s not a kid to look after in sight!’

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