Then I moved up to a shack made of sheets of corrugated iron tacked to tree trunks. Homeless? Not really. I was in the opal fields of Australia digging for black opal gems. I did it for ten years, 4 to six months out of every year. Extended and extreme camping. Today we have American families doing extended urban camping called homelessness. I was on an adventure; they are fighting to survive. We all would like to help. I see piles of blankets and pillows and thick fluffy towels stacked high waiting to be distributed to the street people. I have watched tv coverage as the blankets and towels were distributed. Gaunt sooty looking fellow human beings had them clutched close as they staggered away with their burdensome booty. I do not want to discourage these honorable deeds, but I question if this is the best plan for all the homeless. Those I see have no bed, no cot, to use. They are transient, traveling light. I do not see them hauling their beds about. Many leave them at a "camping" spot under hedges, in abandoned buildings, and beneath bridges. Some are assaulted by others seeking to have that bedding. Having possessions of any sort often marks the homeless for attack. I wanted to help. I thought I could use what I learned about living under a tree without water, electricity, or modern comforts.For the past five years I have practiced a new Christmas tradition. I make up a Christmas backpack for the homeless. I shop over a couple months buying a bit with each trip to the supermarket. I look for lightweight and inexpensive nourishment, medications, and sundries to make life more comfortable on the move. Maybe this blog will spark others to do the same. Who knows. Cast a pebble into a pond...
To see what I do and why I do it go to www.ParchedEarthOpals.com and www.outbackgems.com
Major Opal Addict
Me shoveling 70 feet below ground into my rickshaw.
About Me
- Parched Earth Opals
- Mayer, Arizona, United States
- I hunt for treasure and I find it in wild, rough as guts, crazy places. The booty I have unearthed includes gems, gold, and big oil pipeline paychecks. I have worked with the crackle of the Aurora Borealis overhead and the crunch of Arctic ice beneath my feet. For the last twenty-five years, I have mined opals below ground and camped beneath the Australian sky. This considerably skewed my city girl perspective of life. Because I lived without electricity 6 months out of the year for so many years, I had plenty of time to observe, write, and cartoon the saga of the thrilling side of my dual life. I am Barbara McCondra, mother, teacher, commercial real estate agent, Arctic oilfield worker, Aussie opal miner, gem dealer, and freelance writer/lecturer. I live with one foot each in two hemispheres. When I am asked, “How did you DO that?” I always respond,” If I dress it, speak it, and walk it, I become it,” Simple and exciting. My life is a perpetual adventure. I love it.
