I've recently been thrust into a position of enormous trust which was an intrinsic component to my decision in having some recent downtime on the blog.
I've been writing for years and years (and years) on the disturbing trends in increased corporatism, rampant climate change, the ongoing inequality of women and social classes, not to mention ethnic groups, the shrinking fixed incomes of private sector single retirees, the hellish marriage of church and state, oh, bloody hell yawn, I could bore for Canada on such matters. And beyond.
So where to begin. I mean the whining has to stop, the blood pressure has to be lowered. So then what?
Well, it begins where I live. I can only change me. And then it was down to a nutshell. Do I continue to piss into the wind or do I turn around and become part of the solution. Maybe a solution that is just felt in me and the small territory around me. Maybe sprinkle a little more awareness with a spice of:
"Will you look at that erosion on our seashore in front of our noses there".
"How about old Albert, is he getting extended home care, we don't want him leaving his house, he loves his bit of garden so."
"What do you think, we have that old trail winding up to the most gorgeous bird-rimmed fish-filled lake, maybe we can get together and clear off the bits of brush on the sides of it and put picnic benches by the lake and Joe over there would write the story of it. What a tourist attraction for our small outport and for us!"
So, yeah.
I'm becoming part of the solution. It's not the years in my life, it's the life in those years.
Wish me well.
Well said! So sad that many places have lost their sense of community, which to be healthy, has to involve the best interests of everyone, not just the business owners and the NIMBY crowd.
ReplyDeleteI am going to enjoy your change of focus and with your writing ability I suspect that the focus will be interesting and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteIrrespective how small the role is, to be part of the solution to the kind of problems that modern life imposes on us, is a highly satisfying state and I wish you all the very best.
ReplyDeletea whole 5 days gone before I realised your were back....so good to read you again, with a different slant on things.
ReplyDeleteI wish you well in this rebirth!
ReplyDeleteYou are right where you should be.
ReplyDeleteCarry on...
Indeed, writing about society's problems can easily be pissing into the wind unless we do something tangible to try and put things right. The projects you mention sound excellent. I should be doing something similar myself but I always find some dubious excuse for not doing so.
ReplyDeleteMaggie:
ReplyDeleteSo very true, and it's more of a battle than ever.
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GFB:
ReplyDeleteI sure hope so and thank you.
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Ramana:
ReplyDeleteThank you and it's a pretty big role.
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Pamela:
ReplyDeleteA whole 5 days!!
Head of the lineup for devotees like you:)
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Thanks GM!
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Thank you very much Ernestine, I'll carry you virtually!!
ReplyDeleteXO
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Nick:
ReplyDeleteOnly the tip of the iceberg do I cite. But it's a start.
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Good luck! I'm doing something similar myself (or will be if/when my application to join a specific committee gets approved) - I've spent two years complaining about something related to my career, and have realised that the only way to fix it is to become 'official' in the eyes of the professional body concerned.
ReplyDeleteThere's a wonderful Terry Pratchett phrase from 'Hogfather':
“The phrase 'Someone ought to do something' was not, by itself, a helpful one. People who used it never added the rider 'and that someone is me'.”
Perfect Jo!
ReplyDeleteWe both came to the same realizations. Serendipity indeed. Though a couple of generations apart as we are :)
good luck with your adventure into "doing".
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Always the better approach.
ReplyDeleteOops, that was me.
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