Teen romance, mindless gang violence, underage sex, and youth suicide: What's not to love about 'Romeo and Juliet'?

Having started a year or two ago with Hamlet and King Lear, and now with the added incentive of being able to take advantage of student/youth-rate theatre tickets*, I am trying to take my sons to as many Shakespeare plays as possible while they still agree to come (one is in year 11, and one is a new English/ESL teacher, so it makes sense!). Last night it was Romeo and Juliet. Strangely, all the themes resonated exactly with my current assignment on young people and mental health issues.

'no shelter' - pastel drawing and watercolour

Its been a tough week - or should that be fortnight? (I am losing track of when I last posted, always a bad sign). The image above is in relation to one particularly difficult client situation, with the sense of hopelessness I am feeling about the possibility of change, and below is the detail, which in fact, turns it around to focus on the four of us (me and the client's family) standing under the (inadequate) umbrella during a very violent storm...

detail of 'no shelter'

Changing the colour electronically changed the mood somewhat - if only it were that easy in real life! 

This week I left my phone at work, lost my keys (found them later), missed a train, and left an assignment at home that I was supposed to bring to class. On Friday, my I-Phone blew a fuse when I tried to charge it, and it died, along with it four months of 365 Project photos, and all my phone contacts. Then I went to the gym with only one new orthotic to correct my posture/cure my plantar fasciitis (need one in each shoe or feels very lopsided) - so I did Body Pump with no orthotics and no insoles - very weird (you have to take out the insole to insert the orthotic). 

'enough is enough' - pastel and watercolour

I did this (above) in class with my art therapy students, looking at cognitive approaches, and thinking about Affluenza, which I have been reading this week. Its about having enough, which according to the authors, is never enough...but it was written before the GFC.

So, in  a week in which I 'had to buy' a new phone and shoes to fit my new orthotics, I have been reading about overconsumption. 

 

'on Goodwill Bridge'

However, there is a happier ending. Turns out that buying the phone was relatively easy, and I didn't have to wait for 25 minutes to be served, as I didn't go to the Telstra shop. The sales assistant was a very personable engineering student (I know!) who even gave movie recommendations when I told him I was a social work student. And the phone was 'free'!* 

Actually, I have to pay another $10 a month, but no upfront fees, and it includes more calls than I will ever need to make. I am sounding like an ad, argghh. And speaking of Urgghh boots. Allelujah. Ugg boots accept orthotics! The next few months are suddenly looking much brighter. 

And cycling was fabulous today, in the bright sunshine, chilly, but made the coffee on the bridge that much more wonderful. May is a beautiful month in Brisbane. Now if I can just get my assignments done by the end of the month...

more later.

Ugg boots accept orthotics!

*This bizarre logic derived from the 'save by spending' philosophy outlined in Affluenza.