Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from Australian Community Media, which has journalists in every state and territory. Today's is written by The Wimmera Mail-Times contributing journalist Yolande Grosser.
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![What R U OK? Day means to me What R U OK? Day means to me](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/mD2CAtAW6YCRaRgZjfziq9/2314037f-4472-4b2c-9ff6-49ce1e3a927c.jpg/r0_34_640_394_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
I had the honour of hosting lunch for the school's awesome Year 12 students recently, as they continue counting down the remaining weeks of wearing their school uniforms ... it's only five!
We each played our part at lunch; I cooked up 14 pasta and rice bakes, and the Year 12s came along with teenage-sized appetites to eat, thank goodness.
Even though I nearly burnt the whole lot at the last minute, these beautiful humans made a point of thanking me, each one quietly or loudly as they left the room - and they didn't have to, I was happy just giving them a gift, then they gifted me right back with a kind word and it really made my day.
![What R U OK? Day means to me What R U OK? Day means to me](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/storypad-ZpRP8fwbpaRL9yjjZYUJXf/0e20bced-ad7d-4cb6-baf4-3c7bba150d3e.jpg/r0_0_3168_4752_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
With R U OK? Day today, I'd organised a bit of post pasta bake fun posing behind a gigantic photo frame.
Holding thought and speech bubble props, dressed in feather boas, hats and sunglasses in the signature colour of yellow, so many good sports jumped in for a photo, holding quotes like, "You don't seem yourself, what's up?" and, "I'm here if you need to chat."
These teenagers, one of mine amongst them, are well aware of what the challenges of 2020 and 2021 can lead to.
![The Wimmera Mail-Times contributing journalist Yolande Grosser. The Wimmera Mail-Times contributing journalist Yolande Grosser.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ben.fraser/2f4ee56d-11e4-429c-a0b4-2c2112efa120.jpg/r0_0_1440_1920_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's almost ridiculous to ask, "Are you okay?" in 2022 because nobody is, I mean, how could you be? The world's in a bit of a mess.
I'm only fine because I'm sure we're living in the last days so I don't see things as falling apart.
I see them as falling into place, but for most normal humans, the relentless connection to everything in the whole-wide-world has left them feeling pretty darn isolated, because they've gone comparison crazy, living in fear of not measuring up, or just good old-fashioned fear of death.
I accepted my brokenness and the cure years ago, so I'll be heading off to a meeting at church for R U OK? Day, alongside other people who understand we need to be saved from ourselves. Like a hospital, a church is full of people who need healing in their mental, physical and emotional health. And sharing in community is an ingredient essential for thriving.
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