People seek out the warmth of the sun. They bemoan their bad luck when it’s too hot, and hate it when an overcast sky blocks the light it emits. We don’t hide from the sun, but we have a respectful fear of it. The sun’s a lot like life. When it’s perfect, we revel in…
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Upon the genesis of this column, I expressed my hesitance about writing a column of this sort. I was afraid my metaphorical pen would reveal too much about me or disclose secrets too dangerous to give away. Disclose too much indeed. I am afraid we have long since crossed that line and are now…
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I’ve never been one for casual dating. I went to a Catholic, all-girls school for God’s sake. Boys were scary and for a long time the only interaction I had with the male species was being unwillingly squished up against them on the 3.39pm train all the way home. Save for a few close male…
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When I look back upon the arc of my life, I realise that my times in nature have led to moments of self-discovery. Through being outdoors, I have stumbled upon a few gems about myself – and this probably wouldn’t have happened within the confines of my home, office, or elsewhere in the built…
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I have been thinking about my former attachments – for want of a better word – and relationships, generally, in the past few weeks, which is the logical outcome of writing on the stuff. Every fortnight, as the black mist of the writer’s deadline approaches, I ponder the relevance, the meaning, the point – whatevs…
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Before I landed in Darwin, I knew I was going to love it. I have always been the kind of girl who rooted for the underdog and, when it comes to Australian cities, I think it’s safe to say that Darwin is the underdog. Maybe it hasn’t got the beaches that Sydney has, or the…
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Love Life is Lip’s new fortnightly column for all things love, relationships, and getting along, brought to you by Camilla Smith. I’ve heard that love is a disease, an extreme of feeling very much like madness. It blows in from some distant, tropical climate (I’m sure) and is infected by a germ of so deadly…
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In a recent study conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, dissatisfactions of the physical appearance of the body have been discovered to be evident in children as young as eight years old. These kinds of body image issues, affecting both men and women, are perfect representations of the impact of the media…
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In Lynn Coady’s short story ‘Hellgoing’, published in the 2013 collection of the same name, the protagonist unleashes on her friends a weekend’s worth of frustration after visiting her father. Her friend Ruth leans in, ready with a ‘discussion question’ as the conversation turns to men in general. A feminist and academic, she never…
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Join Camilla Smith for Lip’s fortnightly column on love, life and relationships! It’s funny. Just the other day I was sitting at a bus stop, freezing my teats off in this wintry Canberra weather, when I overheard the giggly, excited chatter of a young woman in her mid-twenties behind me. She was, apparently, ‘head over…
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Natalie’s Story Being diagnosed with cancer at just 23 came as a big shock to me since I thought I had years ahead of me to achieve my life goals… My cancer was discovered when my osteopath (who I was seeing for chronic neck, shoulder and back pain) noticed a small lump on my left…
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When I was younger, I used to think that being a perfectionist was a good thing. It meant that I knew the importance of working really hard and I could sacrifice the fun stuff for a higher purpose. Namely, getting good grades. Failure wasn’t an option. My ruthless study ethic meant I duxed high school,…
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For five nights last week, I had my own bedroom. My own bedroom. I’ve never really thought of myself as fussy when it comes to hostelling. As long as you give me a bed and a doona, I’ll be fine. But after three weeks (and counting) staying in dorms with at least six other people,…
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Mother’s Day weekend also doubles as Women’s Round in the AFL, where the players, officials and umpires recognise and honour the roles women have to play in all levels of Australian Rules Football. These range from female umpires and players, through to player’s mothers and the females who work around the club from day to…
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