With much excitement, I received an email this morning from the folk at www.mamamia.com.au notifying me that an article I submitted back in September of 2011 was to be finally published.
The article can be viewed by clicking here.
Not sure how long the link will be valid for, but the excitement of seeing some of my words published, and then seeing the number of comments (101 to date - 8.46pm, 10.01.12) the article generated will live with me for a long, long time. I think this could be considered one of those Mastercard moments.
I would love to include each and every comment in this blog, as I feel genuinely excited that my article elicited such a response. Many of the comments thanked me for raising the issue and 'putting it out there', and I guess that is one of the aims of my writing about the subject. Many social stigmas have been removed or at least ameliorated by being pushed into the public domain and challenged. And I feel I have joined the ranks of those who have pushed through a great barrier, forged a new path, saved some souls...... and I'll stop there and come back to reality.
It is a good feeling though, to know that something you feel so strongly about really resonates with others who share a similar struggle.
Even more exciting was being asked to do two radio interviews on the back of the article. I was seriously nervous, but really happy to be talking about one of my favourite subjects on the radio - with lots of people listening.
The first interview was with Perth ABC lunchtime show, and the second was on 2UE in Sydney. The 2UE interview was particularly exciting as I was interviewed by Ian 'Dicko' Dickson. With the legacy of those thoughtless comments directed at 'Paulini' on Idol in 2003, I was feeling a tad nervous. However, he couldn't have been friendlier or funnier.
It was all good.
So today I feel as though I have trumpted the message of separate sleeping from one side of Australia to the other!
(103 comments - 9.10pm. Yay!!)
