A Promise

Every generation seems to find an identity for itself; a name that sticks and is quoted in the media for all to remember.  I often wonder if history will look back and call this millennial era 'The Last Crusade.'  

That scares me.  It scares me a lot.  So this is the last thing I'm going to say directly about the violent dilemma the world seems to find itself in right now.  

The Bible and the Torah and the Quran as well as the holy words of Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and all the world's many religions, were all written by mankind trying to interpret inspiration from "beyond" or "within" (however you choose to interpret that).

All were written within the framework of the wants and needs of a culture in its time.  

That's important. 

And there are things to be learned and discussed thoughtfully from the good parts and the bad parts and all the parts in between. 

What one finds is that there is an intrinsic, shared morality that we all, unfortunately, violate regularly:  Treat others as you wish to be treated.  

Sounds easy.  Sounds practical but, in practice, it's not.

It's actually quite complicated.  

We are, by nature, an aggressive and territorial species.  The peaceful message at the root of religious dogma worldwide is one way of trying to placate and control that nature.  We don't always succeed.  I don't always succeed.  

So, from now on, I'm making a promise to myself in this public forum, such as it is.   

To begin, I want to apologize to my friends and acquaintances of all cultures, faiths and belief systems for any of my past words or actions may have offended you or those you hold dear.  

Sometimes an opinion no matter how strongly felt, is best left unspoken in the interest of others', as well as one's own, peace of mind and well-being.  I have often been guilty of forgetting that.

I'm not going to get drawn into a conversation of hate (however veiled or blatant) anymore.   Whenever the news of the world bothers me or makes me angry or otherwise upset, I'm going to channel that energy into something productive and helpful and hope it is a move towards positive change on some small scale.  

Maybe I'll write a letter to one of my foster kids instead of ranting on Facebook.  

Or maybe I'll decide to give more of my time or resources to help those less fortunate either here or abroad.  But I promise to channel that energy into something that reaches out instead of slapping down. 

I'm only human.  I can't guarantee this is how I will feel tomorrow but this is how I feel today and I'm taking my life one day at a time, hoping every day will be a step forward towards mutual understanding, solidarity, community and hope.

Feel free to pass this on if you wish.  Or not.

The more people reminding me and holding me to this promise, the better.

Counselling and Psychotherapy services in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton Psychotherapy.
The shingle is out and I am open for business.

After almost 6 years of study and practical training I am now a practicing psychotherapist.  This is the culmination of a long and circuitous road for me.  Counselling and support services, as well as the study of psychology, have been a part of my life and career path for over 25 years and I've finally taken it to the next level by completing the required course work for a post-graduate diploma in psychodynamic psychotherapy.

The Fire Service is behind me, gone but never to be forgotten; a quarter century of hard work, good memories and life-long friendships as a result.
But now it's time to help in another way.
I'm looking forward to this career change and continuing to help bring about positive change in the lives of my clients.

PIZZA. Nature's perfect food!

Well, something I have long suspected has, in fact, turned out to be true.
Pizza, long recognized as nature's perfect food, has now been proven to save lives.

Face it, regardless of what you may have heard, it is indeed, the perfect food.
All the major food groups are represented.
No animals were used in testing
and no rainforest was destroyed to produce it
(discounting the takeout box which I never eat although I have been known to lick off the excess cheese).

And now it seems that pizza can save lives; at least one so far.
Apparently, there is an elderly lady right here in my home province who has, for the last few years, ordered a pizza to be delivered from the same establishment every single night at the same time.
A few weeks ago, she did not put in her regular telephone order.
An erstwhile employee, recognizing that her usual phone order had not yet come in, contacted the authorities.
Upon investigating they found that the woman had taken a fall at home and was unable to call for help.
Thanks to pizza, she was found in time and rescued.
Thanks to pizza she is alive and well today.

I am overwhelmed by a sense of vindication.
All you diet fiends and naysayers move aside.
Like red wine, the double short espresso and dark chocolate before it
pizza has finally joined the ranks of true health foods.

Bev Oda Scandal "finally" being brought to light.

Once upon a time Canadian Conservative MP named Bev Oda signed a document saying "YES" to funding for an ecumenical charitable organization. A couple of other people signed it too.
A few months later, this document turns up saying "NO" (or, more precisely, "NOT") instead.

Changes like this are made in legal documentation all the time.
Any one who has ever negotiated a contract (New Car? New Mortgage?) knows this.
What stood out for me was that the changes were neither initialed nor dated.
I will not debate the merits of the decision.
I don't know enough about the agency in question or the reason for the change and nobody seems forthcoming.
It does warrant mentioning that the agency in question, Kairos, has been a regular recipient of this funding for charitable work that it does on the international stage.


What is obvious is that somebody changed their mind; not the end of the world.
The problem is that somebody changed their mind and did not want anybody to know about it.
That is a big deal.
There is something else I find equally unnerving.
This situation was brought to light last April (at the latest). That's almost a year ago.
So why are we just beginning to see this barrage of media attention now?

Let's see...
How many people on Parliament Hill have an agenda?
Go figger!

PARDONS CANADA AND THE CONSERVATIVE PLAN TO RAISE THE COST

WHO WILL REALLY PAY?

coming soon