An English-Aussie expat, I spent 26 years based in Hawaii as an eco-activist composer, educator and freelance columnist. Every time I got on a plane to anywhere, the first thing I did was look for newspapers that deigned to mention somewhere other than the US with any kind of depth or insight.
When I returned to Australia with my American husband three and a half years ago, my longest surviving Aussie friend gifted us a subscription to the Guardian Weekly. It was a revelation! I can navigate the global situation on paper – this is significant since I am neuro-immunologically disabled by Wi-Fi, mobile phones and hence the 21st century.
So the move meant considerable isolation with limited opportunities to participate in a new community. I absorb the Guardian cover to cover as a lifeline to the world. I confine reading the first half to daylight hours, as otherwise I cannot sleep; the second half is a kind of rewards system for wrestling with the conundrum that my desire to stay informed is at odds with my desire to stay sane.
The Guardian is without exaggeration the only paper left in the English language that I trust. I dream of one day living under a government of which I could say the same. But in the meantime, please keep going. There are many of us worldwide who need you.
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