@Appleblossom wrote:
I actually came to think it was an Australian female triat to be moralistic, without reflection and bullying by nature. ... I know that is not true but ... it still happens. After a lot of reading about our culture I came to believe it was because it was so hard to survive that people became hard hearted. I realise that is biased by me coming from the "bottom of the pile", where hardships were the norm. ..."
I am following what you are describing has been your lived experience @Appleblossom having risen rooted in the 'bottom of the pile' myself. When it comes to the traits of Australian females, my contact has only been with those from the Eastern states (excluding Tasmania) and mostly from small country towns and regional cities in Victoria. My mother and aunts grew up in a semi-desert environment where community revolved around the church - the flagship of authoritarianism and misogyny.
As my fertile life was coming to it's natural transition, the question rose in my consciousness: How do I understand myself as a white Australian female? Then as I peeled the onion, my focus became more specific, white Australian female, northern suburbs of Melbourne who is regularly misidentified as a migrant female from southern Europe. Now I live in a regional city in Victoria where I am regularly informed that my name belongs to another culture. (Clue: my name is not Jenny, Wendy or Fay)
It is a mystery as to the chronicity of how other people have issues with my identity and ancestry and think it's appropriate to keep accosting me with their intrusions that are, quite frankly, covert sexism. I now have the voice to call out the sexism rather than give a lesson on the true origin of my Christian name). A whole new generation of young males are learning not to get cute with an older white Australian female.
I ride at midnight; who is with me.......
It. Never. Sleeps.
