Pamela King's Blog, page 10

How you can avoid those annoying telemarketers once and for all

I am reproducing this article from the Starts at Sixty website because I believe it is an important topic particularly for the aging
When Aussie journalist Adrienne Tam received repeated calls from one number, she began to feel “stalked”. 

Here’s how she turned the tables on those pesky telemarketers.
“Every day, be it a work day or the weekend, early in the morning or late at night, my mobile would light up with a number now stored in my consciousness”, Adrienne said in her newspaper column.
Complicating matters further, the telemarketers were in fact working on behalf of a charity. As Adrienne explains, “nobody likes saying ‘No’ to charities”.
“Images of starving children and trapped bears run through your mind on repeat”, Adrienne said. “But if we said ‘Yes’ all the time to every charity which calls us, we’d likely be broke”.Charities are exempt from the National Do Not Call Register, a secure database where people can “opt out” of receiving telemarketing calls.
This makes their phone calls harder to avoid. Apart from asking the charity telemarketer not to phone you again, sometimes it may be necessary to write a “Cease and Desist” letter or email.
Charities are obliged to respect your wishes, or else they can receive a fine from the Australian Communications and Media Authority. So keep a copy of any correspondence you send.
However, as Adrienne discovered, the easiest way is to donate to charities directly, cutting out the telemarketers. “That way, you’re sure your money is going to the charity, and not to a third party”, she says.
Next time telemarketers call Adrienne, she says she’ll “(simply explain) that I already donate to that charity directly”. Ahh, the power of saying ‘No’ hey!Do telemarketers repeatedly phone you? What actions have you taken to prevent pesky phone calls?
http://startsatsixty.com.au/living/how-you-can-avoid-those-annoying-telemarketers-once-and-for-all

There is only one problem I see with this advice 
 

What is this thing called aging?

Many years ago, after telling about his time as an operatic baritone, his beautiful wife and his experiences during WWI ago a dear old friend of 92, Ambrose Bourke, commented that when you get old you don’t have the future; you look forward to only the past to reminisce about.
As I approach 67, admittedly 25 years younger than Ambrose was at the time, I have begun to wonder how long it would be before I too would feel that way. Yes, it is true I can’t do the things I used to or even the things I dreamed of doing.
But as I reminisce I realise I still have things to look forward to as well as be grateful for.
There are always friends to chat to and new books to read.  I’ve seen my son happily married and there are grandchildren look forward to – one day.
I may not be able to travel beyond these shores or attempt exciting experiences but I’m grateful for the opportunities I have had and I enjoy experiencing distant lands through my kids. Last year they trekked to Mt Everest and soon they are off to Japan.
I have published two books. Something I never expected or even dreamed of doing. As I research the life of an amazing lady for my third book I am meeting new people, making new friends and learning so much more than I expected at this time of life.
At the same time yes, I reminisce about the past. I look at how life was and how it is today. Is it better or worse? I guess if I could choose I’d take a little of this from the past and a little of that from the today and just a dash of something from the future.
I enjoy my reminiscing and I enjoy telling young ones what life was like “back in the old days”.Just as I listened and learnt from Ambrose I hope my young ones will humour me and listen but I also hope they remember that there may well be a lesson to be learnt

Behind the Seen

No my grammar hasn’t slipped; I’ll explain and it will become clear.

About 15 years ago my son decided to join the NSW Rural Fire ServiceWhen someone becomes a member of the emergency services it opens up a new world to their family; a world they are often protected from. It can make it difficult for them to understand what their “hero” is going through. They change. Their family can see it, their workmates can see it but they are reluctant to talk about IT.

What is IT? IT is what they see and deal with in their job.

In Australia there is an organisation called Behind The Seen. They understand that all emergency services personnel see what others don't.

They understand that practical help is needed to deal with the horrors and prevent them from growing from and grim memory to serious depressions or post-traumatic stress disorders. They can cause nervous break downs and family break ups.

Unfortunately our governments here do far too little to support the men and women we consider heroes and I understand in many places around the world it is not much better; often less support.

Behind the Seen has created a series of programs developed to raise awareness of the unique lifestyle and incident stresses experienced by frontline emergency service providers and their families.

It supports first responders by providing some simple tools that will support and protect their fellow work mates and their families.

For more information on how Behind the Seen works please visit their website
http://www.behindtheseenaustralia.com/




For overseas readers the Rural Fire Service is a volunteer organisation in NSW trained to fight fires in rural areas of the state. As even some town on the outskirts of Sydney don’t have a full time fire brigade these volunteers are often called to house fires and motor vehicle accidents.

How important is a diploma or degree?

In world where parents stress the importance of career to their children I wonder if the methods or paths taken really lead their children to live happy and fulfilled lives.
I grew up at a time when expectations for girls were to get a job on leaving school then meet Mr Right, get married, have a family and keep a home. 
I am not saying this attitude was completely right or wrong. It was at a time when women could choose a career over housewifely duties but that choice was pretty much only available to the brighter ones who could compete with men for place at university and their parents had the money to support them. It was also not unusual for mothers to have jobs but they were often part time to fit in with family commitments.
We seem to have done a complete about face where today girls and boys are expected to think about their career; having a family along the way is fine because you can always make use of day care, grandparents, baby sitters or, if you can afford it, a nanny.
My question is how happy are those forced into choosing careers where a diploma or degree is required and why should those people be the ones seen as successful compared to those who don’t?
Let me give you some examples.
A friend of mine is a civil engineer, degreed of course. His father was a builder so I guess civil engineering was the next progression. What he got from his father was a passion for working and building with timber. He built his own home using trade skills rare today and realised this was what he wanted to; to build things, to work with timber. That’s what he did he ditched his civil engineering job and became a builder and happy doing what he was doing.
But there is more to his story. He also had a passion for trains with his model railway housed in a rebuilt slab hut. He enjoyed researching railway history and today he is a history resource manager and spends his days researching old railway photos. He couldn’t be happier – so much for his civil engineering degree.
Christine was a lady about my own age who became a volunteer at the information centre I managed. Our volunteers were mostly responsible for customer service and some were better than others. Some really tried your patience and regardless of how much training they were given just weren’t cut out to be serving customers; other jobs were found for them.
So Christine arrives and tells me she works part time on the front desk of the Bradman Museum. I knew the Manager there and that he had high standards so with some briefing on how, what , why and when put her straight on the front counter.
Christine had no qualifications at all and from memory left school at the end of year 10 but when I had a position to fill where the prime role was customer service I had no hesitation in offering the job to her. The Manager of Bradman forever reminded me I had stolen Christine from him.
Christine was a gem and the most patient person I knew. When a customer was being annoying she would smile her sweet smile and politely agree with them. She looked after the information centre a bit like a mother hen. She protected me and the other staff from unnecessary interruptions especially when there was an urgent job to be completed.
That was in 1992. If I was in the same position today, due to current local government requirements, I would have had to employ someone with at least a college certificate and I wonder if they would have been even a fraction as good as she was.
My last example is my own son, Clinton. I had recognised he was not the studious type and wondered what he would end up doing with his life. If he was passionate about something or was actively involved he would learn quickly. After a visit to a railway museum he became nuts about trains and one train in particular about which he read everything he could. That passed and cars were next. In later years his older step brother said Clint was like a walking encyclopaedia when it came to cars.
He would often come to the information centre with me and had opportunities to experience all the tourist attractions the area had to offer making him quite an expert and a useful customer service assistant when I worked weekends. One year we went to visit my father in Brisbane and I arranged the visit to coincide with a talk to the then Tourism NSW office there. The presentation was going well until I got to the railway museum part. Clint took over. It wasn’t planned but I could not have presented a more enthusiastic talk about the place. Years later I bumped into one of the staff at a conference who recalled the presentation and said they have never forgotten the railway museum part.
But all this wasn’t solving my son’s career options. His father and I agreed when he asked if he could leave school at the end of year 10.  We could not see him settling and putting in the effort needed for a higher education. He started work with his father as a labourer to the boilermakers and welders. He left and worked for a while as receptionist and office assistant at a vocational private college. He completed a Tourism Certificate part time but when the college folded and he went back to his father’s factory.
When he reached 18 he joined the local Rural Fire Service (a volunteer fire fighting organisation). He quickly learned the skills needed and I was told he was an excellent fire fighter.  I have never seen him so passionate about anything before.
After several attempts and hard work to get fit he became a retained firefighter with NSW Fire and Rescue. It is only part time but it is what he wants to do and hopefully one day he will achieve his dream of being a full time fire fighter. The important thing is that while his job with his Dad is not where he wants to be he is earning an income. This is balanced with doing a job, albeit part time, that he loves and having a loving and supportive wife. His Mum? I just couldn’t be more proud at what he has achieved.
Happiness in life if far more important than career status and the money it brings.

Random jottings: Is the ANZAC spirit dead? I don’t think so.

I wrote this blog in October 2013 when Australia was suffering due to bush fires across the country. I am sharing it here once again as a tribute to the thousands of volunteers and emergency workers we rely on when families and animals suffer due to the forces of nature.

Random jottings: Is the ANZAC spirit dead? I don’t think so.: I have often heard it said that the ANZAC spirit is dead but what is the ANZAC spirit? I believe it is still alive. In particular it is...

Until further notice

My apologies but this blog will not be added to until further notice due to commitments with the Dingo Lady Project www.dingolady.com.au.
I will however continue the Dingo Lady Blog  http://dingolady.blogspot.com.au/and write book reviews from those authors to whom I have made a commitment. http://pamferraribookreviews.blogspot.com.au/

Other commitments at this time

Due to commitments I have over the next six to eight weeks I will be unable to post to this blog.
Thank you everyone for your support and I expect to be back to routine by Mid June – July.


Kind regards Pam

In memory of a dear friend (with a smile)

A very dear friend passed away just before Easter. She was a great cat lover and had a wonderful sense of humour.

I am posting these amusing cat pictures in remembrance of Christine. She would have loved them!