Mother Nature is a powerful force. Her influence in the west is best placed in the hands of a group of women with little to no connection, other than sharing the same sunlight beaming from the western skies over Melbourne. They focus their attention on the life-giving aspects and robustness of nature and in doing so, offer their fellow Wemales (females of the West) calm reminders about how to nurture themselves within their homes, backyards, and wider communities to weather the seasons, come rain, hail or storm.
You need look no further than the Westsider’s very own Ali Manns of Yarraville. Manns’ monthly write ups tick the box when you are seeking to liven up your immediate domestic surroundings with green offerings of the aesthetically pleasing and edible varieties. Manns’ simple advice and insights always inspire to get green thumbs busy and to get clean thumbs dancing with earthworms and adorned in rich soils to connect with the natural world.
If Kororoit Creek cuts through your neighbourhood, chances are you have been beckoned to tend to Mother Nature’s western water source by none other than Jessica Gerger, President of the Friends Of Kororoit Creek. This woman single-handedly calls forth a contingent of diligent volunteers, week after week, who beautify the creek beyond belief. The creek and its surrounds is teeming with flora and fauna thanks to her (and her devoted gnomes). Mother Nature’s pride must be bursting.
Then there is a little known, quiet nymph, Samantha Groves. Groves’ collection of indoor plants and nature-inspired books, nestled in the industrious precinct of Sunshine North at The Leafy Home Co, provides a welcoming space to browse and pick up a gift or two. Groves manages to instill a feeling of peace long after you have stepped beyond her tiny shop’s tranquil leafy walls into the thunderous traffic of McIntyre Road.
Recently, a Westie (thank you Daniel Brace) brought to my attention a resident of Deer Park who has bloomed in the form of a book. Alyssa Huynh’s debut, Safe Space, tells of her journey to combat racial prejudice. Huynh likens herself to a lotus flower, not only because it is her Vietnamese name, Mỹ Liên, but also since she seems to identify with its astounding resilience; it can survive being submerged under ice and can bloom in intense heat. Huynh knows all too well what it takes to endure the icy trials and fiery tribulations of speaking out against repeated microaggressions against people of colour. Huynh has been humiliated and pained by racial slurs from strangers and worst still, from friends and boyfriends, so much so that she de-identified herself as Vietnamese. The stigma was too prodigious.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Stop Asian Hate movement was brought forth, Huynh gently awakened a voice within to advocate for anti-racism. Huynh personifies the lotus with her delicateness. And her book’s soft pink hue gives the same impression. Huynh uses the guise of the lotus flower to tackle a thorny subject, one which may make you feel uncomfortable, ashamed or despondent. And so it should. Racism is a form of anti-social behaviour that arouses negative emotional reactions for perpetrators, victims and bystanders. No-one ‘benefits’ from ‘it’. (If you think you do, please share your views with Huynh.) Huynh chose to have an abundance of lotus flowers on the front cover to signify strength in numbers; change for a just cause comes from a united community. The lotus flower demonstrates Huynh’s personal growth as an advocate from bud to bloom.
A thing I learned about growing up in a multicultural suburb like Sunshine (West), was to listen to (or read) the stories of others to stamp out racist views. Simply interacting with peers of diverse cultural backgrounds throughout my schooling and with customers in my family’s little hardware shop sprouted anti-racism in me. We were different. We were the same. While Huynh’s cultural upbringing would appear vastly different to mine as a Greek-Australian, we have more in common than not. We grew up in the west. We both attended all-girls secondary schools. We love reading and writing. We use ink to colour our voices about social topics.
As youngsters, we visited a library hand in hand with a grandparent who encouraged us to keep our head buried deep in books. (Huynh has her late Grandpa Huynh to thank while I am forever grateful to my late Grandma Artemis.) It is beyond belief that in this day and age, racial hatred persists. Alyssa makes it crystal clear that we are more than the colour of our skin or the stereotype we are caged in. Huynh skilfully guides her reader to reflect, to join her cause and to take action in gentle ways, fighting overpowering hatred with just the opposite – delicate kindness. Huynh states boldly in her book, ‘This lotus flower deserves to bloom.’ We all do, as different as we are and always will be.
Connect with Alyssa Huynh at www.alyssahuynhwritings.com and @alyssahuynhwritings.
