2010: Begin Again

2010: Begin Again.

Simple words with a simple rhyme. But there can be power in the words if significant action accompanies intent. It’s a new year and with it, new opportunities. In Facebook and Twitter postings a short time ago, I noted that this year I don’t want a resolution; I want a REVOLUTION!

It seems each New Year kicks off with people making resolutions; expressed desires to commit to change. But what happens to those resolutions? Do they last a year? Six months? A month? A week?

Some people can make the resolution and stick to it. Some. I’m not one of them. For me to change, I have come to understand it will take a personal revolution – an uprising against what I’ve allowed to govern my life in the past and a move towards greater personal freedom and responsibility. I don’t believe we can have true freedom without accepting the responsibility that must accompany it.

And so for 2010, at age 52, I embark on a journey of revolution to change my life. I have no expectation of immediate wholesale change. But step by step I will move in a new direction with an understanding that at the end of this year I will be a better person.

One goal I have is to share this journey through my blog. Everyday. I anticipate there will be times when I have a great deal to say and times when I may only have a sentence or two. But I am committing to writing every day. I will also be including a photo with each entry.

Through this blog I will share my steps towards spiritual, mental and physical growth. My purpose is simply to inspire myself . . . and force myself . . . to change my life. Making the commitment to blog brings some accountability to my plan. Maybe someone will read this blog, maybe not. I don’t know. But I will be making entries each day.

Best wishes to all for a prosperous and healthy New Year. 2010: Begin Again.

BTW, I prefer ’20-10,’ not 2,010. Do we say ’19-10’ or ‘1,910’ if we refer to that year from a century ago? Besides, it reads better as 20-10.

Photo:Jan. 1, 2010. I'm scraping off snow packed down on the driveway. Too cold yesterday to do it - -20C. Up to a balmy -4C today.

When is Assault not Assault

Racism is alive and well in Canada.

It shames me to have to say this, but what else can I conclude based on an incident reported in Thunder Bay, Ont., this week.

If you haven’t heard, a seven-year-old boy was growing his hair long to participate in traditional First Nations dancing. His mother says those at the boy’s school knew about his dream to dance and the reason why he was growing his hair.

What happened then sickens me. A teacher’s aide took it upon herself to sit the boy down and chop off 10 centimetres of his hair, then force him to stand in front of a mirror saying ‘look at you now.’

The Crown says there are no grounds for charges. No grounds for charges? Give me a break! What about assault to begin with?

The Criminal Code of Canada states:

“265. (1) A person commits an assault when

(a) without the consent of another person, he applies force intentionally to that other person, directly or indirectly;

So, an adult forces a seven-year-old boy to sit on a stool and takes a pair of scissors to him. That should qualify as “without the consent of another person, he applies force intentionally to that other person.” I think it’s safe to say that a young boy growing his hair with the dream of taking part in traditional First Nations dancing did not consent to having a teacher’s aide at school chop it off.

However, to clarify, the Code also states:
Consent
(3) For the purposes of this section, no consent is obtained where the complainant submits or does not resist by reason of

(a) the application of force to the complainant or to a person other than the complainant;

(b) threats or fear of the application of force to the complainant or to a person other than the complainant;

(c) fraud; or

(d) the exercise of authority.

Remember when you were seven years old in school? The adults in the classroom, whether teachers or teachers’ aides, were the authority figures. You were taught to listen and obey. You feared what would happen if you didn’t obey This teacher’s aide exercised her authority. So there could be no consent on the part of the seven-year-old boy.

What about her use of scissors? Are you allowed to carry scissors aboard a plane these days? Try it on your next flight and find out what happens. Of course you can’t. They are considered a potential weapon. So how about:

Assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm

267. Every one who, in committing an assault,

(a) carries, uses or threatens to use a weapon or an imitation thereof, or

(b) causes bodily harm to the complainant,

is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding eighteen months.

You are seven years old. An adult authority figures makes you sit on stool and attacks you with scissors. As far as I’m concerned, this person used the scissors as a weapon. Physical harm? Maybe not. Emotional and psychological harm? You better believe it. This boy’s dreams and pride in his native culture have been seriously damaged by a racist act.

Oh, you want to argue it wasn’t racism? What do you suppose would be the chances of the teacher’s aide committing the same act if the boy was blue-eyed, fair-haired and the son of local country club members? I doubt it would have happened. But what if it did? I suggest if it did, there would be no question as to whether this would be considered assault. The Crown prosecutors would be all over it.

So, what about potential hate crime charges, then?

Criminal Code of Canada: Hate Provisions - Summary

Section 319(1): Public Incitement of Hatred

The crime of "publicly inciting hatred" has four main elements. To contravene the Code, a person must:

* communicate statements,
* in a public place,
* incite hatred against an identifiable group,
* in such a way that there will likely be a breach of the peace.

Under section 319, "communicating" includes communicating by telephone, broadcasting or other audible or visible means; a "public place" is one to which the public has access by right or invitation, express or implied; and "statements" means words (spoken, written or recorded), gestures, and signs or other visible representations.

OK, then. This aide has communicated either her dislike of First Nations people, or a total lack of cultural awareness. She’s done so in a public place, a school. In doing so, she’s demonstrated contempt against an identifiable group in a way that could incite further hatred from the student’s classmates. She as done so in a way that is likely, and rightly, going to outrage First Nations people in the area. I’m not suggesting it could lead to a breach of the peace, but the possibility exists when a people’s rights and beliefs are trampled.

Furthermore, the Code states:

Additional Hate Provisions

The courts may define the motivations of hate, bias or prejudice as aggravating factors when sentencing an offender for other offences, such as assault, damage to property, threatening, or harassment. The result is usually a more severe punishment (section 718.2(a)(i)).

This aide’s assault on the boy could easily be interpreted as being motivated by bias or prejudice. So she should be charged and faced a more severe punishment.

But the Crown in Thunder Day advised police, according to a police spokesman, that “there were no grounds for criminal charges, and it wasn’t in the public interest.”

I am disgusted by this entire incident. This is not a proud moment for Canada or Canadians. It’s bad enough that a teacher’s aide would even think this was acceptable. The lack of outrage over the act is even more deplorable.

If this person were charged and found guilty, I have a suggestion for punishment. Do not jail the aide. Instead, under court order, have her head shaved bald. Then have her attend some form of cultural sensitivity training. I would suggest she have to live on a reserve for a month. Some may say that wouldn’t be safe for her. I would like to think a progressive reserve leadership would take her under their wing and educate her on the traditions and culture of First Nations people.

Maybe, just maybe, this sentence would serve to open the aide’s eyes to the reality of life as seen through the eyes of a visible minority that has suffered greatly at the hands of people who held beliefs similar to her own.

At the very least, it would show such hateful actions against children will not be tolerated in Canada.

Passion in Politics

History is being made as I write this message. Barack Obama is about to make his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention. The first African-American to ever be selected to lead his party into a U.S. presidential election. It's a key moment for the United States.

As I watch the packed stadium and all of the excitement, I can't help but be a little jealous. Oh, I'm not jealous of Obama. I'm thrilled to see him leading the Democrats. I'm jealous of the passion I see in that stadium. People are involved. People are excited. People are hopeful.

To my American friends, I'm standing on the outside looking in. From the perspective of a non-American, Obama is the best hope for the U.S. As a Canadian, I can't imagine such passion ever being elicited by any of our federal leaders.

Admit it my fellow Canadians. Can you see anyone dancing and cheering for a speech by Stephen Harper? Or Stephane Dion? Or Jack Layton? Or Elizabeth May? No way, no how! If U.S. voters do the right thing and elect the Democrats, there will be positive change for not only their own country, but for the world. I don't know if the majority of Americans understand that.

Here in the Great White North, is there even a chance to vote for real change? Conservatives or Liberals; what's the real difference once they're in power? Very little seems to differentiate the two. Although, I must admit, I'd rather support Dion than Harper. The Conservative stance against things like gay rights and abortion scare me. Those are personal issues that a government should leave alone.

And I like the importance Dion places on the environment. But I don't think that's enough to really win me over to spark the passion I'm seeing in Denver this evening.

For real change in Canada, there needs to be a massive paradigm shift away from the two leading parties. I make no bones about my choice. I voted Green in the last federal election and I will do so again. Elizabeth May may not be the most dynamic individual, but when she speaks of her concerns for society, for our well-being, for the future and for the environment there is a sincerity that I do not see in the other leaders.

May honestly believes what her party stands for. It may not be enough to rev up my political passions, but it's the kind of honesty and outlook I can appreciate and support. I'm going Green for the federal election. If you're undecided on a party to support, or if you'd to see a change in Ottawa, I urge you to consider being radical and vote for the Green Party.

Perhaps it can be our opportunity to make history as the Democrats make history in the U.S. this evening.

No Gold in my sights

It didn't take me long to scratch Gold's Gym from my list of fitness centres worth considering.

Last week I was discussing personal goals with a life coach who is helping me sort some things out. One goal is that always popular "shed a few pounds."

Sidebar: Please note the language here. I'm not out to lose weight, but to shed pounds. The difference? It's mental. Think about it. If you lose something what does your subconscious start to do? It starts thinking about ways to find what you've lost. So, do you want to lose weight, or shed pounds?

I'm working at creating a vision board to help develop my focus on the future. That's when the gym issue came in. One of my activities this week is to locate a gym I can join to work on the physical aspect of my self-improvement project. So, on Saturday I popped into Gold's Gym in Lethbridge.

I'd been here a couple of times before and I don't really know why I want again. Don't get me wrong. I hadn't been here to work out. Once I had to pick someone up and once I had to drop something off. This time I wanted a closer look at things. So I walked in through the front doors.

It's a bit of walk from the entrance to the front desk. I went about 15-20 paces in, stopped, turned around and said to Lynda; "Forget it. This isn't the place for me." And we left. I didn't event make it to the front desk. Why not? That's easy.

Blaring music pounding into my head. Music that would have me hitting the 'seek' button on the car radio if it ever showed up on a station I listen to. Perhaps I should qualify this by saying I'm 51. I have no interest in rap (not really music, anyway) or hip-hop. Especially at volumes that could puncture the inner ear if exposure times lasted the duration of a workout. Even with my iPod playing, it wouldn't drown out this racket.

So it was out the door, back to the car and scratch Gold's Gym from my list.

Honestly, where do baby boomers go for fitness? I don't think Gold's Gym is alone in this approach. I have a feeling I'll find similar environments in more fitness centres in town. I sure wish someone would create a small facility catering to those 40+ only. Ideally, something like a circuit training similar to Curves . . . only something that allowed men.

Hey, here's a radical thought . . . maybe something that was for men only. It almost seems like there is a gym for women only on every other block in town. I can respect that. Women don't necessarily want to be somewhere that can have guys checking them out. Guess what, though? There are likely more than a few guys who would prefer not to have to show off the old pot belly in front of a bunch of women.

So the search goes on. I'll likely check out the YMCA. I hear it's fun to stay there and that you can hang out with all of the boys.

Walking in Lethbridge

One of my goals is to shed some weight and start to live a healthier lifestyle. I must admit I haven't actively pursued this goal, but I'm feeling motivated now to do so. Why? I don't know why. But it's a good thing.

A couple of weeks ago I picked up some good running shoes and a pedometer at my in-laws' shop in Calgary the Tech Shop at 2415 - 4th ST SW. If you're in the area and looking for quality gear, check it out. Say hello to my nephew, Nolan, if he's there. The shoes are good for my feet. Sorry, I'm not going to tell you the brand or model. Shoes are different for different people. What might be right for you may not be right for some. (Isn't that from a sit-com theme song?) Go see Nolan. He'll look at your feet, how you walk, your current shoes, check to see what you need them for, then set you up with some options to consider.

As for me, I'm finally starting to put them to use. To loose weight, I'm watching my diet and starting to walk more. I have a goal to use my pedometer to track the number of steps I take each day. My goal is 10,000. To a runner or serious walker, that may not sound like much, but if you're just starting out, it's a good goal. Right now I'm at 10,665 steps, thanks to two good walks with my dog, Max today.

I'm also going to be adding a clinically proven product to my regime. Double-blind trials conducted at the University of Connecticut show that when used following the same diet and exercise plan as control subject using a placebo, this product helped people lose up to 90% more fat. And that's really nice.

So I'll let you know how things develop.

Ciao for now.

Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again

The title certainly seems appropriate right now. Here in Lethbridge, Alberta, the rain is pounding down right now. There's a little bit of thunder and lightning, too, but not enough to make it interesting. Let's face it, if you're going to have a storm, you might as well have a good one. Not damaging, but with some noise and light.

Here I am, a baby boomer at 50, and I still love a good thunder storm. I don't know why, but if I go to bed to the sound of rain and thunder, I'm out in a flash and sleeping a deep and restful sleep. Perhaps a psychiatrist would say Mom's tummy must have rumbled a lot when I was in the womb. I don't know about that but it sure is relaxing.

I'm waiting for a web conference to start so I thought I'd take a moment to write a quick post. I'm likely writing for myself as I suspect there aren't very many people reading the blog just now. But that's OK. Readership will grow.

Not many people in southern Alberta share my appreciation for the rain. Oh, the farmers will be happy for awhile . . . unless we get too much. But that's not the kind of appreciation I'm thinking about. Most people here love the sunshine and Lethbridge does get a lot of it. I like the sun, too, but there's something about an overcast or even rainy day that is special. Maybe that's one reason I'm attracted to the West (Wet) Coast in Canada. I do have a friend at work who seems to share my appreciation. Others just think we're weird.

Like rain, there are so many things we must face in life that people do not appreciate. Thinking about the people I know, this can include certain forms of animal life, everything from spiders to birds. It can focus on weather, work, the past, present and future. So many things that can bother us. One of the biggies is other people. I know because I speak from experience. Following my stress leave and what I like to call my spiritual reawakening, I have come to believe that I need to appreciate things more.

My spiritual beliefs are centred on the teachings of Unity Church. If you want to know more about that side of my life, please check out some earlier posts. But my understanding and acceptance of God is very much in line with Unity and some other New Thought teachings. Boiled down to its essence, I guess you could say I do not believe God is separate from us. God is not an individual spiritual being who lives in the clouds and waits for the End of Days to judge us and determine our eternal fate.

God is one with the universe and we are one with God. The spark of divine is found within every person and the earth itself. I find wonder in this belief. And through that wonder, a growing appreciation of all things. Oh, I'm not a saint. Hardly. I get frustrated by people. Let a mosquito land on me and it's dead. Lots of things still vex my spirit.

But I'm growing.

Appreciation for all things continues to blossom within. A deep, cleansing breath and silent meditation goes a long way to strengthening that appreciation. But please don't think less of me if I allow myself to get angry or upset. I am a spiritual being experiencing a physical life. It takes some getting used to.

So do overcast skies and rainy days. But they're worth it.

The Long Way Home

Six months.

It's been six months since I wrote for this blog. That's awful. But that's also life.

Those of you who are close friends know that half of that time was spent away from work. Yes, I took a three-month stress leave. I never thought I'd be someone who would need to do that, but when extremely negative thoughts about self start to become the order of the day and a counsellor and doctor both tell you your health is at risk if you don't take a break . . . you take a break!

So there were three months when I was essentially incommunicado. I saw my doctor. I saw my counsellor. Occasionally I met with friends for coffee or lunch. Thank to those individuals. You'll never know how much you helped by keeping me grounded and challenging me to think about life. During this time I also met someone who has had a great impact on my life. Pat Varley is a retired nurse, spiritual director and wonderful human being. Her role in helping me get back on my feet cannot be understated.

During the past six months, I've gone through some lows and some highs. Right now, I'm feeling more positive about life than I have for a long time. I've started feeding my spirit again, finding a home in Unity. There isn't a Unity fellowship in Lethbridge . . . yet. But I've made vital contacts online and in Calgary.

I have also examined what I'd really like to accomplish in life. My passion is really to help others see the potential life can hold for them. I guess having gone through some mental stuff myself, I want to follow a path that will allow me to step into the life journey of others and share some ideas and concepts that can help make a difference to them. Watch for that tendency to start showing up in this blog.

Oh, I haven't forgotten the intent to share the ups and downs of life. Heck, I just shared about a three-month stress leave. Mentally, I'm feeling great. Physically, I need to work at some things. I have shed a couple of pounds, but there are a lot more to go. I've purchased some great shoes for walking and a pedometer to provide some record of achievement . . . if I can figure out how to make it work!

But it's all good.