Having a bit of an off day

As usual I'm no doubt being hard on myself. So indulge me if you will. My chance to go blahhhh. I gave up full time work as a Social Worker on May 22nd this year. For many years I've had this inclination to work for myself. I have tried it previously but back then I was another person. Sounds weird but back then I hadn't really discovered who I was so I led a life largely directed by others. Nothing out of the ordinary but to give you an idea back then I was a radio announcer. Eventually I left because the industry is too ego driven and I didn't feel as though I fit in.

I got to a stage where I had the opportunity to go to university, or college as some say. It was more out of desperation! In Australia you can get "Austudy" which is a government payment to go to university or study. I'd quit radio (and an entertainment business I had - now that's another story!) so I was desperate for money. The interesting thing was I had always been keen on psychology from a very early age. Having come from a working class background, I was the only one to go all the way through school, graduating with a university entrance. But no one else in my family had accomplished such a feat so the idea of even more study was too daunting at the time so I quit study.

Then, 13 years later I thought "why not"? So I did it (for the study and the Austudy!). As an adult, divorced, looking after my then 3 year old son, I went to university to study psychology. Eventually I changed to Social Work. I prefer the broader outlook on things that Social Work offers. I studied for 5 years and graduated with an honours degree. After a couple of years of Social Working I must have been a a glutton for punishment because I went back to study and did a post graduate course in teaching and went and taught in schools. Hmmmmm too hard! That lasted 3 years. So then I went to work for the Justice Dept as a Social Worker, The Department for Child Protection, a youth centre specialising in adolescent mental health, hospitals and the Family Court. I also had my own counselling practice.

Fifteen years after those experiences here I am trying to 'gel' it all together with my entrepreneurial spirit. Well I guess it's entrepreneurial or I'm crazy! Why? Well I've had a couple of "bolt up out of bed" experiences since leaving work on 22 May this year. The first was after much research on the web. I did literally wake at some crazy hour of the morning and think that I wanted to form an Association that had something to do with mental health.

Well that was the beginning of this Association. Then I thought "how is anyone going to know about it"? Well I'm working on that with things like Twitter (by the way thanks for reading, potential fellow member of the Association!).

The next time I bolted upright was about 4 nights ago. I thought people might take interst in the Association if it becomes philanthropic (this is someone who does not have much cash mind you!). So I thought I would love to be able to offer someone or some mental health related organisation a hand. What better than $20,000 cash! So that is my current plan. I want to give away $20,000. I know how I want to do it but the organising of it is still in the making. You see I'm doing everything at the moment. Web design. Blog site. Everything. Why? Well I've heard some people pay thousands to get this work done by professionals. I don't currently have that kind of money.

Anyway. By 31 March 2010 I will give away $20,000 to someone or an organisation who has been affected by mental health issues or helps support such people. Ok I'll tell you how I'm going to do it. People just need to write to me about themselves, a loved one or a close friend and tell me how that person could benefit with the money. Of course an organisation could tell me how they could benefit with the money in further supporting people. You know as I'm writing this I think I will firstly give the $20,000 to someone who is suffering from mental illnes or a friend, family member, advocate acting on behalf of a sufferer of mental health. Then next year I'll do the same, that is give away $20,000 to an organisation. Yes I think that is how I will do it!

So where do I get $20,000? Well membership to the Association. It is $50US for a year for a sole membership. Of course people like you are going to ask what do you get for that money? Well one of the benefits is in being part of a community. It is doing things like supporting others in the ways I am talking about here. I, by myself could not giveaway $20,000 but as a member of an Association that had many members (power in numbers) yes I could. So that's why I'm doing it.

Another plan I have is to giveaway laptops with internet access. My brother Keith died in 2005, in part because of the distress he endured with schizophrenia and paranoia with psychotic episodes. Before he died, in the fact the couple of years leading up to his death, I would regularly talk to him. Or more listen. I'm getting teary writing this bit! We'd talk for hours about life. He was a gentle soul. Often confused. Sometimes not making sense but always gentle. He couldn't hold down a job because of his condition. Eventually he died. I went to his government assisted home and I felt so alone. That is how he lived. A tiny little place with very few creature comforts. An old television and that was about it and thank god the phone. You see live I live in another state so it wasn't easy to physically link up with him. We did it over the telephone.

I love the internet. I really get lost in it. My brother never had that opportunity because of mental health induced poverty. I would love now to give away a laptop a month with 2 years internet access to a member, so that they can enjoy communities like this. That's a goal of mine. That's what I see. People with mental health issues being part of the Association. Am I making sense here?

Yeh I know, how is someone like my brother going to be able to afford to join at $50? Good question. Any answers? The membership money is important. Without it none of this is possible. Perhaps I could include a donation section as well, for those who cannot afford the $50US for a year?

So my current goals are to giveaway (I guess you call it a grant - not needed to be paid back) $20,000 to help a person with mental illness. I want to start giving away a laptop a month with two years internet access included (we'll use the person's local internet service provider no matter where they live in the world - of course providing there is internet access, that's another issue!). Then there is my revised plan of giving away another $20,000 to a not-for-profit (NGO) organisation, that does good work in supporting, someway, people with mental health issues.

I also want to have at least 10,000 members by the end of 2010. So if you can help spread the word, please do so. I will be very grateful.

As usual I've blurted it all out! No secrets here. These are my plans. They will only grow and get bigger as the Association gets bigger. If you are tempted to join - wow thank you! Here's the web site to visit to join http://www.afbmh.org/public/sign_up.htm. Even if you just visit and give me some feedback I'd appreciate it.

Have you really read all this blog??!! You deserve a medal!!

Bye for now. Mark :-)