An Inconvenient Truth

"An Inconvenient Truth - watch it," I whisper.

Are you listening?

Life Update

"Life has been a little hectic these past couple of days. Today we took Phillip to Moncton for his last 6 week course of his apprenticeship. we went maternity clothes shopping with Sarah and found some sweet things. Fredericton has nothing in the way of maternity clothes so was glad to finally find some.

Last night just after midnight my mom called from Victoria. My sister who has breast cancer had just had to go to the hospital. She has been fighting an infection for the past 4 days and her doctor called and told her it was staph infection in her blood and if she didn't get antibiotics immediately she would be dead within 12 hours. She spent 4 hours on intravenous and then was sent home. There were 70 people in emergency that needed to be admitted and only 25 beds. She got home just after 1:30 in the morning and had to be back at the hospital for 7:30am to do it all over again. I just talked to my mom and found out she has to go back to the hospital at 8pm for another 4 hours of intervenous antibiotic therapy. This will continue until the infection is gone. Her next chemo treatment is in 1 1/2 weeks. If the infection isn't gone, that will have to be postponed.

I am finding all the stress of Sarah's pregnacy, my sister's illness and my mother's advancing age and subsequent problems to be very stressfull and it is causing me to have problems with my fibromyalgia. And that doesn't include all the stuff in my own life!! Well, I can never complain that I lead a dull life, that's for sure." I whisper.

Are you listening?

The Invitation

"Just finished reading a wonderful book called The Invitation that goes deeper into examining the poem written below. At the end of each chapter are some wonderful mediations. I love this poem.


The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

I wish I knew people to discuss these kinds of things with. Are you a person I could?" I whisper.

Are you listening?

Blah

"My cold is better. I just have that annoying nasel drip down the back of my throat. It has been a cold, snowy day. Now it is raining. Suits my mood. I am having a very down day. Feel all alone and don't know why. Well, that isn't exactly true. My partner and I are going through a rough patch again. Today is Valentine's Day. I didn't do anything for my partner because it is always up to me and I am tired of it. He forgot it was Valentine's day until he was on his way home, so he stopped at the dollar store and got me a card. Brought pizza home for dinner, but they made a mistake and instead of "the works", I got an all meat pizza which was cold and tasted bad. A perfect ending to my down day! There are times I just wish I could sleep forever." I whisper.

Are you listening?

Sick

"I'm sick. Somewhere, I caught a cold. My nose is stopped, my lungs congested and my throat hurts. I feel miserable, so I am going to bed." I whisper.

Are you listening?

Opinion Piece

"Here is a letter I had published as an opinion piece in today's "Daily Gleaner" Fredericton's local newspaper.

'Every other Friday I stand with Women in Black and various members of
the Fredericton Peace Coalition,in front of Fredericton City Hall.
We stand in vigil for the victims of war and all forms of violence
that are so prevelant in our world.

Lately we have been asked why we do not support our troops in
Afghanistan. We are opposed to this war and our involvement in
it,this does not mean, however, we do not support the men and women
who find themselves having to fight. We are very supportive of them,
we want them home, with their families alive and well, not coming
home wounded or in body bags. We want them to be able to contribute
to a world where violence is a thing of the past, something we
remember with shame.

Our government has involved us in this war, making it appear that by
being there we are improving life for the people of Afghanistan and
defending our way of life. However if one reads information from
groups within Afghanistan such as RAWA ( www.rawa.org), international
groups such as Amnesty International (www.amnesty.ca), the United
Nations and Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org) you quickly realise that
we have not made life in Afghanistan substantially better for the
people there, especially the women. Over 60% of the widows in Kabul
believe that suicide is their only option. Last year there were over
50 reported deaths of women who set fire to themselves rather than
continue to live under the conditions that exist in Afghanistan. The
news that we receive paints a completely different picture than the
reality of life in Afghanistan.

As to the arguement that by fighting in Afghanistan we are defending
our rights here at home, I cannot see the logic in this arguement.
How come there are only two options, fight or lose our rights?
Surely there are other options than those? And who decided that if
we refrained from going to war that we would lose our rights? If this
war is to stop terrorism and therefore protect our country and its
people then it is failing miserably. The incidents of terrorism
around the world have escalated since the invasion of Afghanistan and
Irag. We are now more in danger than we ever were
from "terrorists". It has been said that for every "terrorist"
or "insurgent" killed, another 15 takes his place. At this rate
Afghanistan is a war that we will never win and that will
increasingly put our soldiers and ourselves in jeopardy.

I believe that a clear policy of non violence on our part is
essential for solving the problems of Afghanistan. That what is
needed is not more soldiers, bullets and tanks but help for the
people of Afghanistan to establish dialogue between the various
interest groups within their own country. I believe that the women of
Afghanistan need to be given the opportunity to play a much more
important role in the rebuilding of their country. Peace will not
happen as long as there is a war mentality directing the action or as
long as the warlords are seen as allies in the fight against the
Taliban. According to the Senlis Council there has been a 600%
increase in violent attacks in the last six months in southern
Afghanistan. This is where our men and women are going.

I would like to see the women of Fredericton who believe that
violence is not an answer to the worlds problems, and involving our
country in this war is an act of violence, stand up and have their
voices heard. Speak out; write to our politicians and the newspapers;
involve yourselves in the various groups working for peace that exist
in this community. And if you are able to, come and join us standing
in vigil for the victims of this violence, those innocents who have
no voice, who have no say in what happens in their lives. Do not let
those in power or those whose business is war ignore your voice.

Our next vigil is February 9th noon to 1pm in front of City Hall.'

What do you think?", I whisper.

Are you listening?

David Susuki

"David Susuki is on a cross country 50 city tour to talk to ordinary Canadians and hear what they would do to help the environment if they could. He is asking everyone to "Vote for the Environment" and is taking all the ballots to Ottawa at the end of his tour. He believes that Canadians want the environment at the top of the political agenda and is going to fight to put and keep it there. Well worth going to see if he comes to a city near you. One of the things Dr. Susuki said is that by the year 2048 all the major fish species that we consume will be extinct. Think of a future with no salmon, no tuna, no haddock, no cod, no . . . . . . Scary isn't it?" I whisper.

Are you listening?

Celestial Seasonings Tea

"You know the good feeling you have when you do something "good" for the planet and yourself? You buy something organic and you can feel good because it is better for you and isn't harming our mother earth. That is how I have felt for years drinking Celestial Seasonings Tea. This company is owned by Hain, which according to it's website "is a leading natural and organic food and personal care products company in North America and Europe." I bet all you folks out there feel really good whenever you pour yourself a cup of Celestial Seasonings Tea, don't you? Think Twice! According to Vandana Shiva Hain is owned in part by . . . . . are you ready? Philip Morris,Exxon-Mobil and . . . . . . . Monsanto!!!!! Now do you still feel so good about drinking Celestial Seasonings Tea? I know I don't and I won't be purchasing anymore. How can a company like Monsanto pretend to be interested in "organic" when all over the world it is destroying peoples' livelihoods and possibly health with genetically modified crops.

For a point of view other than that of the coporations listed above, here are a couple of articles to check out. Greenpeace - WANTED: Monsanto for crimes against the planet, Alive - Changes at Monsanto, Mother Jones - Does ExxonMobil Pay the New York Times a Premium to Run Ads Next to Global Warming Stories?, Guardian - The denial industry.

P.S. Hain also makes "Rice Dream"!" I whisper.

Are you listening?

Friday Musings

"Have had a lot to write about lately and haven't written a thing. Funny how that happens. So here goes.

Finished a fascinating book Trans Atlantic Slavery: Against Human Dignity edited by Anthony Tibbles. This is a book published in Britain so it has a completely different slant than anything I have ever read before. It helps you to understand, that contrary to what most North Americans think, slavery was not solely an American issue. It had a definite British beginning, which we here, have a tendancy to forget. Well worth reading.

As more and more Canadian soldiers are shipped overseas to Afghanistan, more and more pressure is being put on the ordinary civilians of this area to "support the troops". Unfortunately, the general public does not seem to understand that supporting the troops and supporting the war are two different things. If you protest, as I do, the involvement of Canada in this war in Afghanistan, you are seen as somehow disloyal, as not appreciating the fact that these "brave men and women" are defending our way of life and our rights. As I don't buy this arguement you can expect to see me standing in vigil with Women in Black for a long time to come.

I am enjoying these days with my daughter Sarah very much. She has not been feeling at all well lately, baby is moving all the time, disrupting her sleep and she is suffering from low blood pressure which makes her feel sick and dizzy alot. This means she spends lots of time curled up on the sofa, which means we get lots of togehter time. I am so proud of her, she is handling the trials and tribulations of pregnancy, school and work very well and I know she will handle motherhood equally as well.

And last but not least, Phillip is preparing to go to Moncton for 6 weeks for his last apprenticeship course. As of the last chat I had with him, he still does not have a place to stay, but he is a big boy and I am sure he will find something before we take him down on the 18th.

On a side note, have 3 different calendars telling me two different things - is tonight the full moon or not? Anyone know?" I whisper.

Are you listening?