I’m writing this article for you. Seriously. You are probably wondering if I really do mean you given the enormous readership of Imprint each week so here is a test. Fill in the following sentence with the first word that comes to your mind, “I wish I could quit ______________”, Skipping class? Stealing my roommates food? I know it’s neither, because this article is about you and you want to quit smoking.
Most issues I tip-toe around with a certain degree of sensitivity but there is 100% no reason why anyone needs to smoke and since I know you have already thought of all the reasons why you want to quit I won’t give you any more room for excuses not to. I bet you want a cigarette right now don’t you? You are probably cursing me as you feel for them in your pocket. Go on take em’ out, light it up and read this while the guilt of what you know you shouldn’t do removes everything enjoyable from the experience. Are you the only one right now outside smoking up? If not, for every 2 people out there with you 1 of you will die as a result. Just saying.
I smoked once, I mean not just one cigarette but something like 32,000 of them. For 6 years smoking was my everything. You non-smokers laugh but smoking is more than a habit, it’s a best friend. When you are happy you celebrate with one and when you are angry at the world you take a moment with one to question everything in your life that isn’t helping you get to where you want to be. Smoking helps you calm down, contemplate and create that moment in the millions of moments in the day that is just for you. Well, wake up! Who hasn’t had a friend who lied to you, manipulated you, stole a few dollars from you and pretty much had nothing but selfish motives in being your friend. Marlboro, Players or Du Maurier, whatever you call them ditch them like you would a friend who slept with your partner after maxing out your credit card and deleting your hard drive.
.
This isn’t just about health this is about insanity. There is absolutely no rationality for smoking. Here are some of the excuses and conditions I know you’ve made for yourself. This is the last time you will read them because you are done making them as of today.
1. I only smoke when I drink. Do you drink every week? Day? Then you won’t quit smoking
2. I need to smoke to get ride of my headache/reduce my irritability. People get headaches and have bad days, that’s what Tylenol and real friends are for. Suck it up.
3. I’ll quit when I finish this pack. If you’ve said it once before you have already become accustomed to not believing yourself. Don’t wait. Break up those bitches right now and get over it
4. I’ll quit when (weak excuse with no actual time point). These are all ‘tomorrow’ excuses that never come because we all know tomorrow is just a day away and with it your last puff stays in a comfortable place in the future where you think you are in control but you never really get to.
5. I like it. You know what? Me too! I LOVE smoking and if I could smoke one continuous cigarette all day long and not be inhaling the fumes of chemicals used in concentration camps I would.
Let me create a scenario for you: You are walking through the grocery store and come across the chip aisle. Various brands, various flavours, some claiming less fat or less salt but they are all chips in one form or another. Now you pick up a bag, maybe because you like the label, maybe because it is significantly cheaper than the rest. You turn it over and on the back is a big fat “This product will kill you” label. Would you still buy it, eat its contents and even bring it to a party and share with your friends?
Where is the rationality then of paying money for something that has absolutely no benefit to your health or lifestyle in any way? Well, there isn’t any rationality and that is why you are going to quit. While you continue to hold on to all your excuses and conditions you are maintaining some level of rationality for yourself to continue to smoke. When I was in highschool at the end of each summer my best friend and I would have a campfire to set goals for the next year. For 3 summers in a row I’d throw each cigarette I had on me into the fire and with it a reason why I should quit. Even though I had enough reasons I didn’t have reason enough to finally make the break until a few years later when I reunited with an ex-boyfriend who had quit smoking. He was running 10k a day and far exceeded me in every health category I had until that time surpassed him in. This was a man who had previously smoked a pack a day and didn’t move far from the garage for anything but a beer or a joint. I didn’t quit for him but what he said to me triggered the rationality lever in my head, “If you care about your health you wouldn’t smoke”. I know right?! And this is EXACTLY why people never start in the first place or eventually quit. It is so obvious but we are illusioned to believe that we are invincible or that we aren’t strong enough to quit. The truth is there are millions of more people who have quit than are smoking today, they either chose health over death….. or they died. And so will you.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
We Are Not Immune to Global Issues: Facing the reality of poverty in our own backyard
Homelessness. Of all the social issues, homelessness seems to have the most stigmas and unwarranted myths attached to it. This is the one issue I feel we have all been guilty of settling assumptions on, whether from attitudes fed to us by society or by our own self-supposed reasoning. We’ve all heard (or perhaps thought) the following at some point; “Why don’t they just get a job?”, “Don’t give them money they’ll just spend it on booze or drugs”, and the most common I’ve heard, “It was their choice, no one has to be homeless”.
Most articles I write post-challenge but this is one I am looking for mass support on. This Friday, November 20 Volunteers on campus (VOC) club and FEDS will be hosting ‘Out in the Cold’ for the fourth time since 2007. Starting at 7pm and running until 7am Saturday morning students, faculty, and public members are encouraged to come out to support, engage and discuss issues of homelessness in the KW Region. The goal of the night is to bring about awareness to the inequalities that exist in our community in order that action can be taken to create opportunities of equal health, education, shelter, food and employment for those who lack supportive social structures.
Now, bear with me as I try not to let emotions dominate the remainder of this article. *Deep breath* They..them? As if they are another form of subspecies not capable of the same basic human respect and dignity the rest of us are! We well up when we see the bloated bellies of Ethiopian children on tv or when someone we watch weekly episodes of is struck with a terminal illness but when it comes to suffering here at home it becomes something to complain about.
Can you imagine spending nights alone and days ignored while fighting the pain of hunger and weather that you don’t have adequate shelter for? Me neither, but the thought alone makes me shiver and feel guilty for the variety of both I have a hard time choosing from each day. These are just the foundation of issues those without a place to call home deal with. Judgmental glares and overhearing whispers of “Ugh, I hate when they ask me for money” and “They freak me out when they try to talk to me” are just two of the phrases that make me want to disown the whole human race.
I am guilty of once assuming homelessness was a choice so I understand where these notions come from. I hope these following Myths reveal to you truths that provoke the humanitarian side of all of you so that you never step over another human being in the street and think of them as an inconvenience or a fault of their own.
Myth: People who are homeless are lazy and don’t want to get a job
False: We know ourselves how difficult it is to find a job, now maximize that by lack of education, adequate clothing, and an inability to be contacted by an employer because you don’t have an address or a phone. Employers are no less discriminatory of homeless people than the general public, even if they should be. Even more, what if I told you that 14% of people who use shelters actually are employed? Truth.
Myth: All people who are homeless are addicted to drugs or alcohol
False: Some people who are homeless do have addiction problems but studies show less than half have dependency on drugs or alcohol. In a survey taken in our local KW shelters results show that 37% of people say they never use alcohol and 66% say they never use drugs. Comparatively, you’ve probably met more people this year on campus that have problems with drugs or alcohol. The reason the majority of homeless people sleep during the day is because it is dangerous to sleep during the night, not as a result of alcohol or drugs.
Myth: Homelessness is a choice
A little bit of both: Homelessness may be a choice for some but that doesn’t mean it is easier than the life they had before. Published in “Understanding Homelessness in Waterloo Region” it was found that the most common reasons for homelessness were the breaking down of close relationships, inadequate income, insufficient housing and insufficient choices. Makes you feel a lot closer to the curb doesn’t it?
Now I want your help.
As I mentioned “Out in the Cold” is happening this Friday starting at 7pm in the SLC Courtyard (by Wasabi and Curry Up). Although this is a donation-raising event everyone is welcome to come out to experience a night you won’t forget, there is no time commitment but if you are up for the challenge why not try staying for the event. The night will be full of great discussions, food and games so get together your sleeping bag, warm clothes, musical instruments and don’t forget an open mind. At the very least, please display the “Out in the Cold” event as your profile picture on Facebook (poster can be found at www.outinthecold.com) but I would highly encourage you to make a point of coming out to the event to help support and learn more about the seriousness of homelessness in KW.
If you are heading home to Toronto for the weekend or know people that would be interested, the same event will be held for the first time this year at King’s College Circle,UofT. For more information on the event itself you can check out www.outinthecold.com.
Most articles I write post-challenge but this is one I am looking for mass support on. This Friday, November 20 Volunteers on campus (VOC) club and FEDS will be hosting ‘Out in the Cold’ for the fourth time since 2007. Starting at 7pm and running until 7am Saturday morning students, faculty, and public members are encouraged to come out to support, engage and discuss issues of homelessness in the KW Region. The goal of the night is to bring about awareness to the inequalities that exist in our community in order that action can be taken to create opportunities of equal health, education, shelter, food and employment for those who lack supportive social structures.
Now, bear with me as I try not to let emotions dominate the remainder of this article. *Deep breath* They..them? As if they are another form of subspecies not capable of the same basic human respect and dignity the rest of us are! We well up when we see the bloated bellies of Ethiopian children on tv or when someone we watch weekly episodes of is struck with a terminal illness but when it comes to suffering here at home it becomes something to complain about.
Can you imagine spending nights alone and days ignored while fighting the pain of hunger and weather that you don’t have adequate shelter for? Me neither, but the thought alone makes me shiver and feel guilty for the variety of both I have a hard time choosing from each day. These are just the foundation of issues those without a place to call home deal with. Judgmental glares and overhearing whispers of “Ugh, I hate when they ask me for money” and “They freak me out when they try to talk to me” are just two of the phrases that make me want to disown the whole human race.
I am guilty of once assuming homelessness was a choice so I understand where these notions come from. I hope these following Myths reveal to you truths that provoke the humanitarian side of all of you so that you never step over another human being in the street and think of them as an inconvenience or a fault of their own.
Myth: People who are homeless are lazy and don’t want to get a job
False: We know ourselves how difficult it is to find a job, now maximize that by lack of education, adequate clothing, and an inability to be contacted by an employer because you don’t have an address or a phone. Employers are no less discriminatory of homeless people than the general public, even if they should be. Even more, what if I told you that 14% of people who use shelters actually are employed? Truth.
Myth: All people who are homeless are addicted to drugs or alcohol
False: Some people who are homeless do have addiction problems but studies show less than half have dependency on drugs or alcohol. In a survey taken in our local KW shelters results show that 37% of people say they never use alcohol and 66% say they never use drugs. Comparatively, you’ve probably met more people this year on campus that have problems with drugs or alcohol. The reason the majority of homeless people sleep during the day is because it is dangerous to sleep during the night, not as a result of alcohol or drugs.
Myth: Homelessness is a choice
A little bit of both: Homelessness may be a choice for some but that doesn’t mean it is easier than the life they had before. Published in “Understanding Homelessness in Waterloo Region” it was found that the most common reasons for homelessness were the breaking down of close relationships, inadequate income, insufficient housing and insufficient choices. Makes you feel a lot closer to the curb doesn’t it?
Now I want your help.
As I mentioned “Out in the Cold” is happening this Friday starting at 7pm in the SLC Courtyard (by Wasabi and Curry Up). Although this is a donation-raising event everyone is welcome to come out to experience a night you won’t forget, there is no time commitment but if you are up for the challenge why not try staying for the event. The night will be full of great discussions, food and games so get together your sleeping bag, warm clothes, musical instruments and don’t forget an open mind. At the very least, please display the “Out in the Cold” event as your profile picture on Facebook (poster can be found at www.outinthecold.com) but I would highly encourage you to make a point of coming out to the event to help support and learn more about the seriousness of homelessness in KW.
If you are heading home to Toronto for the weekend or know people that would be interested, the same event will be held for the first time this year at King’s College Circle,UofT. For more information on the event itself you can check out www.outinthecold.com.
Sober is Sexy
Prospects of getting an entry in this week were looking bleak as I was struggling for a challenge to take when I was invited to a Facebook group titled “Sober is Sexy”. Bah! Hilarious, I couldn’t wait to see the stream of slurring comments and embarrassing photos to follow. I laughed, slammed back the rest of my beer, clicked ‘accept’ and then left my mind to blow in the wind for a few minutes. Was I not sexy? Scratch that, what I really thought was do I have a drinking problem?
No, but I did, and unfortunately the ‘get a clue’ sign wasn’t so subtly put in front of my face. This challenge isn’t one that I took up for the week but one I’ve actually been taking since I was, wait for it, 19. As the Ben Harper song goes “Some drink to remember, some to forget, some for satisfaction and some for regret”, and with the addition of a few more this pretty much sums up my reasoning for picking up the bottle and holding on to it until I decided to put it down and see how long it would stay there. I was eighteen, without my high school diploma, living on my own and eating pancakes (the just add water kind) for most meals and on the eve of my nineteenth birthday and a voice from within finally came through my hand and slapped me in the face. Jenna-girl get a control on yo’ self! That was it! Well there was a little more but that was the last night I don’t remember.
But how do I feel this good sober? Sober driver and mother-hen can get pretty tiresome but I wouldn’t trade it for remembering the great times with my friends, a solid nights sleep and enjoying the hours before noon. I’ll admit, giving up bread would have been easier given the life I’d been living and the friends I’d accumulated. The first few months were the hardest but in all honesty I had a much better time experiencing the night in full capacity and not waking up to embarrassing stories and an inability to remember them all. Now I know when I go to the bar I’ve got a safe ride home, just as much money as I did when I arrived and I look the same as I did when I left the house.
The hardest thing is hearing my friends say they feel bad when they drink around me like it hurts my feelings or I’m judging them. Do I think I’m superior? Not at all. I learned that when it comes to drinking my limits abandon me, and I’m okay with that. I don’t look down on people that drink and in truth I wish I was a little more in control so I could share a friendly couple with you. It’s not always easy when you drop the ‘I don’t drink’ line to a strapping gent on the dance floor who wants to buy you one and the room quickly goes silent. Embarrassed? What for? Going to the bar is one of the healthiest things I can do for my body. Dancing like my life depends on it and hydrating it up with water, I have nothing of comparable rejuvenation. I hear the following every time I go out, so I’m assuming some of you are thinking it right now “But I can’t dance unless I’m drunk”. I have a secret, just because you aren’t drunk doesn’t mean people don’t think you are. Numerous times I’ve been at the bar dancing it up and people have asked me “how much I’ve had to drink” or if I “have any extra (insert drug of choice) to share”. The drink I’m drinking is on special for ‘free’ all night and I’m high on life if you want to join me. As someone who has seen her fair share of drunk dancing the only thing I notice changes from additional drinks is the room you take up and the ability to include bystanders as your bumpers.
Think you yourself have a drinking problem? Just as there are secondhand effects from smoking, not knowing your limits with alcohol can be damaging to others as well. I’m sure we’ve all had that friend who gets way out of control and before you know it you yourself are put in a risk situations that threatens your health, security or criminal record. Not only can you be a hazard to someone else but listening to you repeat yourself with stories and demands that make no sense is time consuming. And who hasn’t been the victim or witnessed someone else being insulted or humiliated by someone who’s mouth gets a little too loose after a couple. If your friends are becoming less supportive of picking you up something at the LCBO on the weekends or you get a few extra jabs the next day you may want to question whether you are really the ‘good’ time you think you are.
Maybe I’m a minority but my crew is growing as the number of University students who choose to ‘get their drunk on’ regularly (once a month) is shrinking across Canada. I’m 25 now and in the last 6 years have consumed less than a 12 pack. Do I think I’m better, not in the slightest, do I think I’m sexier....well…no. But I do feel healthier, more financial secure and in control of my own happiness. If you think that’s sexy then join the club.
By definition alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that results in ongoing alcohol-related relationship problems; the failure to attend to important responsibilities at home, school, or at work; drinking situations that can result in physical injury; and/or the experience of recurring alcohol-related legal problems.
If you think you or a friend has a drinking problem you can contact UW Counselling Service for free confidential counseling with qualified professionals. You can make an appointment by going to Needles Hall Room 2080 or calling 519 888 4567 x32655
Please, If you ever think your friend has surpassed their drinking limits or is in need of medical attention don’t ever leave them alone and never hesitate to call 911
No, but I did, and unfortunately the ‘get a clue’ sign wasn’t so subtly put in front of my face. This challenge isn’t one that I took up for the week but one I’ve actually been taking since I was, wait for it, 19. As the Ben Harper song goes “Some drink to remember, some to forget, some for satisfaction and some for regret”, and with the addition of a few more this pretty much sums up my reasoning for picking up the bottle and holding on to it until I decided to put it down and see how long it would stay there. I was eighteen, without my high school diploma, living on my own and eating pancakes (the just add water kind) for most meals and on the eve of my nineteenth birthday and a voice from within finally came through my hand and slapped me in the face. Jenna-girl get a control on yo’ self! That was it! Well there was a little more but that was the last night I don’t remember.
But how do I feel this good sober? Sober driver and mother-hen can get pretty tiresome but I wouldn’t trade it for remembering the great times with my friends, a solid nights sleep and enjoying the hours before noon. I’ll admit, giving up bread would have been easier given the life I’d been living and the friends I’d accumulated. The first few months were the hardest but in all honesty I had a much better time experiencing the night in full capacity and not waking up to embarrassing stories and an inability to remember them all. Now I know when I go to the bar I’ve got a safe ride home, just as much money as I did when I arrived and I look the same as I did when I left the house.
The hardest thing is hearing my friends say they feel bad when they drink around me like it hurts my feelings or I’m judging them. Do I think I’m superior? Not at all. I learned that when it comes to drinking my limits abandon me, and I’m okay with that. I don’t look down on people that drink and in truth I wish I was a little more in control so I could share a friendly couple with you. It’s not always easy when you drop the ‘I don’t drink’ line to a strapping gent on the dance floor who wants to buy you one and the room quickly goes silent. Embarrassed? What for? Going to the bar is one of the healthiest things I can do for my body. Dancing like my life depends on it and hydrating it up with water, I have nothing of comparable rejuvenation. I hear the following every time I go out, so I’m assuming some of you are thinking it right now “But I can’t dance unless I’m drunk”. I have a secret, just because you aren’t drunk doesn’t mean people don’t think you are. Numerous times I’ve been at the bar dancing it up and people have asked me “how much I’ve had to drink” or if I “have any extra (insert drug of choice) to share”. The drink I’m drinking is on special for ‘free’ all night and I’m high on life if you want to join me. As someone who has seen her fair share of drunk dancing the only thing I notice changes from additional drinks is the room you take up and the ability to include bystanders as your bumpers.
Think you yourself have a drinking problem? Just as there are secondhand effects from smoking, not knowing your limits with alcohol can be damaging to others as well. I’m sure we’ve all had that friend who gets way out of control and before you know it you yourself are put in a risk situations that threatens your health, security or criminal record. Not only can you be a hazard to someone else but listening to you repeat yourself with stories and demands that make no sense is time consuming. And who hasn’t been the victim or witnessed someone else being insulted or humiliated by someone who’s mouth gets a little too loose after a couple. If your friends are becoming less supportive of picking you up something at the LCBO on the weekends or you get a few extra jabs the next day you may want to question whether you are really the ‘good’ time you think you are.
Maybe I’m a minority but my crew is growing as the number of University students who choose to ‘get their drunk on’ regularly (once a month) is shrinking across Canada. I’m 25 now and in the last 6 years have consumed less than a 12 pack. Do I think I’m better, not in the slightest, do I think I’m sexier....well…no. But I do feel healthier, more financial secure and in control of my own happiness. If you think that’s sexy then join the club.
By definition alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that results in ongoing alcohol-related relationship problems; the failure to attend to important responsibilities at home, school, or at work; drinking situations that can result in physical injury; and/or the experience of recurring alcohol-related legal problems.
If you think you or a friend has a drinking problem you can contact UW Counselling Service for free confidential counseling with qualified professionals. You can make an appointment by going to Needles Hall Room 2080 or calling 519 888 4567 x32655
Please, If you ever think your friend has surpassed their drinking limits or is in need of medical attention don’t ever leave them alone and never hesitate to call 911
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Are you still complaining?
In last weeks article I told you to get right pissed off about the injustices in the world and start using your voice to make them heard. By the emails I received throughout the week I am glad a few of you were angry enough to let me be the bearer of your frustrations. Guilty as charged for fueling up the hostility train I thought this week I’d bring you a handful of complimentary tactics to help support the arenas of our lives where people are already taking action and deserve praise for it.
It’s been well documented that the more thankful you are the happier you are and let’s be honest we could use a lot more people singing ‘Oh happy day’ then mumbling ‘Go suck a lemon’. Better yet, when you share the gratitude with those responsible you give them a deeper feeling of appreciation in this world and a desire to continue what it is was they were doing that caught your attention in the first place.
I think it is important to get angry in order to push yourself that extra few steps to get the issue in the spotlight and demand its recognition but why only act when you are angry? A personal practice that I exercise on issues I can’t change here and now is as follows:
‘When the day is trying and long, speak up for what is wrong.
But, when the sun is shining bright, be thankful for what is right’
Okay, so I’m not a poet but in practice what it means is when you are angry and having a bad day use your anger to promote change by challenging politicians, corporations and researching ways you can personally take action. When you are having a beautiful day share the sentiment with those around you that are fighting for the causes dearest to you. Note: I do not endorse behaviour or vocabulary that will encourage someone else to have a bad day, just the transfer of energy to something more constructive.
Here are some of my favourite ways to spread appreciation:
Writing Corporations: They are not perfect, I know, BUT some are trying hard to use their power and dolla billz to be better global citizens. Although they have money to spare, they don’t have to, so by writing to them and thanking them for what they are doing you can reinforce their purpose for doing it in the first place as well as slipping in other ideas they can implement. Bonus: Often times you’ll get more than a ‘thank you’ email in response. Free swag, an opportunity to offer more insight into changes and an invitation to a company party are just some of the perks I’ve received from taking a minute or two to give a quick pat on the back.
Notifying Politicians: I expect a great deal of rebuttal to this suggestion but stay with me. Can you think of anyone in our society that hears the brunt of all our complaints more than politicians? Sure we put our trust and pay checks in their hands and they most likely enjoy a more stable and luxurious life than us, but try having people send you hate mail daily. How easy do you find it to help or play happy-face to someone that you’ve heard slander you behind your back or laugh at your attempts to carry out your job? Since we need them to grant our desires why not thank them for what they are doing while slipping in a few more wishes.
NGO’s and Humanitarian Organizations: Since we can’t belong to every ‘save the world’ venture under the sun why not give thanks to those that are fighting for the causes that are near and dear to you. You think reading about humanitarian crisis’, environmental disasters and the millions who are on their death bed with AIDS is upsetting, imagine spending day in and day out fighting for these causes and feeling little to no gain in resolution. A sweet and simple letter to let them know you admire and support what they are doing can go a long way.
Random Acts of Positive Sayings: Do you have a saying that turns your day from level F-5 tornado to Hawaiian beach setting? Why keep it to yourself when you can chalk in on the pavement, leave little notes on the bus or on your seat before leaving class. My favourite is using my procrastination time at the library to change negative or profane messages in the cubicles into original motivational quotes. This suggestion isn’t directed at specific individuals but you never know who may read what you have to say and interpret it as a sign to take up a worldly cause. For those that want to spread the love in anonymous ways it can bring a great amount of motivation and warm fuzzies thinking about those whose days will be a little brighter because of your small attempt.
If you are reading this you are likely in the top 10% of the luckiest people in the world which means your complaints are probably shy of coming in among the top hardships of the day. You can’t save the world in one day so why expect anyone else to be able to do so. Alternatively there are those that have invested a great deal of their lives trying to and savin’ aint’ easy. A quick word of thanks can remind them of why they took up the peace stick in the first place or what drives them for promoting social change and keep them motivated to keep up the fight.
Note: If you are part of a student group or local community initiative that works to bring attention to an important ethical, environmental or social issue or you just have a creative idea and would like me to take it up as a weekly challenge, drop me a line.
It’s been well documented that the more thankful you are the happier you are and let’s be honest we could use a lot more people singing ‘Oh happy day’ then mumbling ‘Go suck a lemon’. Better yet, when you share the gratitude with those responsible you give them a deeper feeling of appreciation in this world and a desire to continue what it is was they were doing that caught your attention in the first place.
I think it is important to get angry in order to push yourself that extra few steps to get the issue in the spotlight and demand its recognition but why only act when you are angry? A personal practice that I exercise on issues I can’t change here and now is as follows:
‘When the day is trying and long, speak up for what is wrong.
But, when the sun is shining bright, be thankful for what is right’
Okay, so I’m not a poet but in practice what it means is when you are angry and having a bad day use your anger to promote change by challenging politicians, corporations and researching ways you can personally take action. When you are having a beautiful day share the sentiment with those around you that are fighting for the causes dearest to you. Note: I do not endorse behaviour or vocabulary that will encourage someone else to have a bad day, just the transfer of energy to something more constructive.
Here are some of my favourite ways to spread appreciation:
Writing Corporations: They are not perfect, I know, BUT some are trying hard to use their power and dolla billz to be better global citizens. Although they have money to spare, they don’t have to, so by writing to them and thanking them for what they are doing you can reinforce their purpose for doing it in the first place as well as slipping in other ideas they can implement. Bonus: Often times you’ll get more than a ‘thank you’ email in response. Free swag, an opportunity to offer more insight into changes and an invitation to a company party are just some of the perks I’ve received from taking a minute or two to give a quick pat on the back.
Notifying Politicians: I expect a great deal of rebuttal to this suggestion but stay with me. Can you think of anyone in our society that hears the brunt of all our complaints more than politicians? Sure we put our trust and pay checks in their hands and they most likely enjoy a more stable and luxurious life than us, but try having people send you hate mail daily. How easy do you find it to help or play happy-face to someone that you’ve heard slander you behind your back or laugh at your attempts to carry out your job? Since we need them to grant our desires why not thank them for what they are doing while slipping in a few more wishes.
NGO’s and Humanitarian Organizations: Since we can’t belong to every ‘save the world’ venture under the sun why not give thanks to those that are fighting for the causes that are near and dear to you. You think reading about humanitarian crisis’, environmental disasters and the millions who are on their death bed with AIDS is upsetting, imagine spending day in and day out fighting for these causes and feeling little to no gain in resolution. A sweet and simple letter to let them know you admire and support what they are doing can go a long way.
Random Acts of Positive Sayings: Do you have a saying that turns your day from level F-5 tornado to Hawaiian beach setting? Why keep it to yourself when you can chalk in on the pavement, leave little notes on the bus or on your seat before leaving class. My favourite is using my procrastination time at the library to change negative or profane messages in the cubicles into original motivational quotes. This suggestion isn’t directed at specific individuals but you never know who may read what you have to say and interpret it as a sign to take up a worldly cause. For those that want to spread the love in anonymous ways it can bring a great amount of motivation and warm fuzzies thinking about those whose days will be a little brighter because of your small attempt.
If you are reading this you are likely in the top 10% of the luckiest people in the world which means your complaints are probably shy of coming in among the top hardships of the day. You can’t save the world in one day so why expect anyone else to be able to do so. Alternatively there are those that have invested a great deal of their lives trying to and savin’ aint’ easy. A quick word of thanks can remind them of why they took up the peace stick in the first place or what drives them for promoting social change and keep them motivated to keep up the fight.
Note: If you are part of a student group or local community initiative that works to bring attention to an important ethical, environmental or social issue or you just have a creative idea and would like me to take it up as a weekly challenge, drop me a line.
Friday, October 30, 2009
I Hope this Makes you Angry
My initial aim for this column was to participate in personal challenges that literally put myself in the shoes of another in order to reflect on how good we have it and the actions we can make in order to relieve a few burdens on the world. Eight weeks into it and the challenge I now face is to find something I can commit to that doesn’t entail running the risk of extreme pain, illness or death. In the past 2 months I feel more in touch with the rest of the world than ever before but the issues that really break my heart seem far away and without a corresponding personal sacrifice I am able to make.
I don’t feel my sentiment that ‘what the world needs now is love, sweet love’ is one I feel alone. I am confident that there are more people, probably even you, who wish that more could be done and feel the same levels of frustration when hearing about thousands of refugees forced to leave their homes or see children on television with sunken eyes and only a thin layer of skin over their bones. Makes you feel a little helpless right?
What good is helpless when you can get angry!! Take forty seconds right not to think about all the things you think are wrong with this world. Go on, get right pissed off about it! Furrow your brow, grind your teeth and get all sweaty mad about it. I know a certain level of Canadian makes you feel you should remain compliant and hush yourself on issues that might make others feel uncomfortable. Think discussing other peoples trials and tribulations is uncomfortable, try imagining what it would be like to live in fear of being raped in the middle of the night, living in a country where you face imprisonment for standing up for right you should inheritantly be granted, watching your family massacred in front of you or watching as your entire country slowly becomes engulfed in water with no one willing to take you in. I wonder how it would make them feel to know you are too reserved to speak up for them when you are living comfortably on the other side of the world most likely using resources and buying things of unnecessary material value at their expense?
We are just one on our own but together we are a vital force that can challenge even the most trying of global issues. This doesn’t take an overwhelming amount of energy or time from each of us but it does take a little bit of anger and willingness to use the privelages we have to carry the rest of our global family. So here are some ‘parts’ I suggest as alternatives to keeping quiet and waiting on the world to change:
Petitions: Level of difficulty: Can you sign your name? There is literally a petition for every cause that makes your heart beat.
Rallies/Marches: Level of difficulty: A little more than a signature but allows you to physically connect with others that are passionate about the same issues as you while making those around you take note. Bonus: Who doesn't love an excuse to walk and chant?
Write to politicians/corporations: Level of difficulty: If you can put your thoughts into words and have access to a computer or a pad of paper and stamp you are golden. They are dependent on our demands for support and paychecks so tell them where to put your dollar and their practices.
Educate yo’ self: Level of difficulty: It is what you make it but for the love of humanity don't play the 'ignorance is bliss card'. Ignorance is not bliss....it's ignorance.
Speak up: You have a voice, use it! Angry that your grocery store doesn't sell local strawberries when they are growing from grates all over Ontario in the summer? Mention it to the cashier at the check-out. Disappointed that your favourite restaurant still uses styrofoam for take-out? Ask if they want help looking into alternative packaging solutions. Ever wonder what conditions your shirt was made in....ASK! It may surprise you to know that people in business are people too and inside their hard exterior they are just as concerned about the issues you are or at the very least want to make you happy so you will return.
Next time you see something that makes you angry or you know is at the expense of someone else just as worthy of life, love, safety and freedom as you are don't calm yourself down. Pick up a pen, a sign or a book and do something to express your frustration in a way that challenges the current state.
Note: If you are part of a student group or local community initiative that works to bring attention to an important ethical, environmental or social issue or you just have a creative idea and would like me to take it up as a weekly challenge, drop me a line.
Resources:
365 Ways to Change the world: http://www.365act.com/
The Petition Site: Look up thousands of petitions or start your own www.thepetitionsite.com
I don’t feel my sentiment that ‘what the world needs now is love, sweet love’ is one I feel alone. I am confident that there are more people, probably even you, who wish that more could be done and feel the same levels of frustration when hearing about thousands of refugees forced to leave their homes or see children on television with sunken eyes and only a thin layer of skin over their bones. Makes you feel a little helpless right?
What good is helpless when you can get angry!! Take forty seconds right not to think about all the things you think are wrong with this world. Go on, get right pissed off about it! Furrow your brow, grind your teeth and get all sweaty mad about it. I know a certain level of Canadian makes you feel you should remain compliant and hush yourself on issues that might make others feel uncomfortable. Think discussing other peoples trials and tribulations is uncomfortable, try imagining what it would be like to live in fear of being raped in the middle of the night, living in a country where you face imprisonment for standing up for right you should inheritantly be granted, watching your family massacred in front of you or watching as your entire country slowly becomes engulfed in water with no one willing to take you in. I wonder how it would make them feel to know you are too reserved to speak up for them when you are living comfortably on the other side of the world most likely using resources and buying things of unnecessary material value at their expense?
We are just one on our own but together we are a vital force that can challenge even the most trying of global issues. This doesn’t take an overwhelming amount of energy or time from each of us but it does take a little bit of anger and willingness to use the privelages we have to carry the rest of our global family. So here are some ‘parts’ I suggest as alternatives to keeping quiet and waiting on the world to change:
Petitions: Level of difficulty: Can you sign your name? There is literally a petition for every cause that makes your heart beat.
Rallies/Marches: Level of difficulty: A little more than a signature but allows you to physically connect with others that are passionate about the same issues as you while making those around you take note. Bonus: Who doesn't love an excuse to walk and chant?
Write to politicians/corporations: Level of difficulty: If you can put your thoughts into words and have access to a computer or a pad of paper and stamp you are golden. They are dependent on our demands for support and paychecks so tell them where to put your dollar and their practices.
Educate yo’ self: Level of difficulty: It is what you make it but for the love of humanity don't play the 'ignorance is bliss card'. Ignorance is not bliss....it's ignorance.
Speak up: You have a voice, use it! Angry that your grocery store doesn't sell local strawberries when they are growing from grates all over Ontario in the summer? Mention it to the cashier at the check-out. Disappointed that your favourite restaurant still uses styrofoam for take-out? Ask if they want help looking into alternative packaging solutions. Ever wonder what conditions your shirt was made in....ASK! It may surprise you to know that people in business are people too and inside their hard exterior they are just as concerned about the issues you are or at the very least want to make you happy so you will return.
Next time you see something that makes you angry or you know is at the expense of someone else just as worthy of life, love, safety and freedom as you are don't calm yourself down. Pick up a pen, a sign or a book and do something to express your frustration in a way that challenges the current state.
Note: If you are part of a student group or local community initiative that works to bring attention to an important ethical, environmental or social issue or you just have a creative idea and would like me to take it up as a weekly challenge, drop me a line.
Resources:
365 Ways to Change the world: http://www.365act.com/
The Petition Site: Look up thousands of petitions or start your own www.thepetitionsite.com
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Save the Last Drop
MMMmm…..good morning world! Can’t wait to grab a housecoat and head for a nice steamy…..bucket-bath? Before I tell you about an experience that has left me feeling cleaner than the day I was born (post-birth cleanup) let me first make a somber dedication of this weeks article to the 25,000 people who died yesterday and will die by the end of today due to waterborne illnesses or dehydration. I’m not an expert on water sanitation but I don’t think you need to be to sympathize with the fact that we have it and 1 billion people on the planet don’t.
This past week I took a challenge to live out my daily routine while limiting my water consumption to that of the average citizen in a developing country. What was most striking was not the difficulty in achieving this task but how obviously wasteful and glutinous it all seemed. Although research varied, the average person in a developing country uses only 12 gallons of water per day whereas the average North American uses a striking 160 gallons. That’s more than 10 times the amount of water!
The most wasteful of all: the shower. Every minute in a shower uses 5 gallons of water, so in an average 15-minute shower you have already used 6 times the water of our less-fortunate brothers and sisters without even having a sip. The challenge of having a shower in 2.5 minutes and risking the chances of dehydration for a week seemed unmanageable so I took to a bucket and sponge and was able to use a mere 2 liters (just under half a gallon) for a full body rub down. Minus the cool breeze of an open room the experience left me feeling pampered and cleaner than I’d ever felt.
When it came to the toilet I was able to follow the ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow’ rule and saved 3 gallons of water every time I chose not to flush with the exception of an automatic flush at Laurier that I couldn’t control. Thanks for taking ¾ of my daily supply! As the days went on, sponge in one hand measuring cup in the other I began to wonder just how it was that they managed to use 12 gallons a day when I was sitting at about 2. Then it hit me like a World Politics class with Bill Moul, I WAS using 12 gallons of water…but it wasn’t mine. Let me provide the following for a direct and dramatic explanation:
14 gallons of water is necessary to produce one orange
20 gallons for 2 slices of bread
25 gallons for one serving of rice
And for my omnivorous friends: 5,000 gallons for a pound of beef
There is a trend that has started to emerge from these weekly challenges and it isn’t helping to decrease my overbearing guilt. Everything I was eating had an attached water usage that I didn’t have to pay for and far exceeded my allotted water usage for the week. Continuing to connect the dots revealed an even dirtier truth; my food is grown in a country where the people don’t have their own access to clean water, have very minimal water in general to start with and are starving while they toil and slave to produce something for me to eat. Bucket baths, unflushed toilets, washing my hair with baby powder and washing essential clothing by hand still left me feeling worlds away from the issue.
We can’t create more water but what we can do is change the way we use it. We are not immune to water scarcity threats although the way we live our lives would reflect otherwise. With the influence of climate change, varying geographic locations all over the world are going to be facing issues of water shortages, including our neighbours to the south. For our already struggling who are living out of sight, lets keep them in mind when we turn on the tap – because we have that luxury.
For information on global issues of water use and ways to save water check out:
Water.org: http://water.org/
Water Use it Wisely: http://wateruseitwisely.com/
UN Water http://www.unwater.org
This past week I took a challenge to live out my daily routine while limiting my water consumption to that of the average citizen in a developing country. What was most striking was not the difficulty in achieving this task but how obviously wasteful and glutinous it all seemed. Although research varied, the average person in a developing country uses only 12 gallons of water per day whereas the average North American uses a striking 160 gallons. That’s more than 10 times the amount of water!
The most wasteful of all: the shower. Every minute in a shower uses 5 gallons of water, so in an average 15-minute shower you have already used 6 times the water of our less-fortunate brothers and sisters without even having a sip. The challenge of having a shower in 2.5 minutes and risking the chances of dehydration for a week seemed unmanageable so I took to a bucket and sponge and was able to use a mere 2 liters (just under half a gallon) for a full body rub down. Minus the cool breeze of an open room the experience left me feeling pampered and cleaner than I’d ever felt.
When it came to the toilet I was able to follow the ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow’ rule and saved 3 gallons of water every time I chose not to flush with the exception of an automatic flush at Laurier that I couldn’t control. Thanks for taking ¾ of my daily supply! As the days went on, sponge in one hand measuring cup in the other I began to wonder just how it was that they managed to use 12 gallons a day when I was sitting at about 2. Then it hit me like a World Politics class with Bill Moul, I WAS using 12 gallons of water…but it wasn’t mine. Let me provide the following for a direct and dramatic explanation:
14 gallons of water is necessary to produce one orange
20 gallons for 2 slices of bread
25 gallons for one serving of rice
And for my omnivorous friends: 5,000 gallons for a pound of beef
There is a trend that has started to emerge from these weekly challenges and it isn’t helping to decrease my overbearing guilt. Everything I was eating had an attached water usage that I didn’t have to pay for and far exceeded my allotted water usage for the week. Continuing to connect the dots revealed an even dirtier truth; my food is grown in a country where the people don’t have their own access to clean water, have very minimal water in general to start with and are starving while they toil and slave to produce something for me to eat. Bucket baths, unflushed toilets, washing my hair with baby powder and washing essential clothing by hand still left me feeling worlds away from the issue.
We can’t create more water but what we can do is change the way we use it. We are not immune to water scarcity threats although the way we live our lives would reflect otherwise. With the influence of climate change, varying geographic locations all over the world are going to be facing issues of water shortages, including our neighbours to the south. For our already struggling who are living out of sight, lets keep them in mind when we turn on the tap – because we have that luxury.
For information on global issues of water use and ways to save water check out:
Water.org: http://water.org/
Water Use it Wisely: http://wateruseitwisely.com/
UN Water http://www.unwater.org
Friday, October 16, 2009
Fuck Plastic! Challenge #5: Give up plastic
You know that feeling you get when you put the last of your change into the vending machine and what appears to be a 5th corner gets stuck on the spindle and you kick and throw your body into the machine with frustration but to no avail? That pretty much sums up the frustration I get when I see every other peer in my class with a one-time use plastic water bottle and proceed to watch as they all chuck them into the garbage can after class.
There are not many things I hate, I mean flat out wish everlasting death upon. On a spectrum with puppies and random acts of kindness at one end, plastic would be sharing the opposite end between cancer and animal slaughter. My original prospect for this challenge was something along the lines of “One month with no plastic…how about I make it the whole year!” until I quickly realized their were zero alternatives to a plastic razor blade that didn’t also include some other form of plastic. I’ll admit the cold mornings we’ve been having created a tempting rational to ban the blades for months to come, but out of consideration for my partner I am writing this article tonight and giving in to a brand new post-consumer plastic razor tomorrow.
Why the hate? Here is a 20 second debrief on the reasons plastic makes me question whether humans set out to challenge if they could create a product so environmentally catastrophic and intertwined into our daily lives that its removal seems next to impossible:
* It is intended to NEVER breakdown! Seriously? SERIOUSLY!?! *Bangs head *
* Made of oil. Choose your related issue.
* Do we really need to ensure that our cancer-causing everything’s are packaged in cancer-causing packaging?
For years I’ve cursed about it as more and more renewable and reusable products turned to one-time use disposables. So this past month I set out to see just how far I go without IT.
Fail one: my computer. Fail two: the desk my computer is on. Fail three: the chair I am sitting on. Fail four, you get it, the challenge was a lot less of a challenge and became more of an impossibility as I realized EVERYTHING (wait you’ll see) not only is made of plastic but has barely any alternative options.
Let me take you through my experience in two of the most frustrating of plastic-infested areas of daily life.
Personal Care
There must have been hygiene before plastic! First attempt at a plastic free shower leaves me with a lone soap bar. No shampoo, no conditioner, no cleanser, no razor and post shower no toothbrush, no moisturizer, no deodorant and no makeup. Lucky for me my hippy friendly Tom of Maine toothpaste comes in a metal tube and I was put together enough to leave the house. As I scavenged local health food stores and online ‘eco-malls’ I was met with further aggravation until the clouds parted and in the key of angels I heard “LUSH”. Based on the premise that words like natural, eco-friendly and ethical should be at the foundation of cleanliness this company stole my heart in 30 seconds. One visit and I was giving the old ‘dust off my shoulders’ to my longtime plasticized friends bottled shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and cleanser.
Food
Without even looking I knew that my cupboards and fridge were stocked with plastic sins so I skipped the tally and headed to the grocery store. Having just about finished the 100-mile diet I was sure that there was no food challenge that would steal my smile. A couple single apples, a cantaloupe and a head of broccoli were the extent of produce as everything else seemed to be either in a plastic container, wrapped in shrink wrap or held together by plastic mesh. Fresh made bread in paper bags, yippee! Except for the fact that each bag had this pointless window of plastic by which you can see your bread through….because the open end isn’t enough? Moving on through the store I met pasta all in bags (or boxes with windows), crackers in bags inside boxes and juice in the one thing worse than plastic; tetra packs. Well not to worry, three rows of canned food and I’m going to be laughing in plastics face. Except that behind that beautiful renewable-for-life tin can is a liner of BPA plastic. Grocery store fail.
This space will only allow for so much ranting but by having a look around you I can guarantee you will spot about another dozen of my frustrations this month. It seems our every day interactions with plastic products are made up of things that seem impossible to live without. Somehow though we were able to do it before and there are 3 billion people that still do. Maybe if we lived like the 3 billion people who below the poverty line we wouldn’t have a plastic mass floating in the ocean that is twice the size of the continental United States.
Look, maybe when our parents were our age they could share the mentality that the damage that is created won’t be experienced in their lifetime but we don’t share that luxury. We’ve inherited the plastic disease and we won’t be able to cure it unless we make the conscious effort to. I don’t have the solution to a plastic-free existence….yet! I’ll be working on it and I encourage you to do the same.
For additional information check out:
EnviroWoman http://plasticfree.blogspot.com/ - the journey of a woman that goes three years trying to live without plastic
Ithinkihateplastic.com – a forum to raise awareness and bitch
Lifewithoutplastic.com
There are not many things I hate, I mean flat out wish everlasting death upon. On a spectrum with puppies and random acts of kindness at one end, plastic would be sharing the opposite end between cancer and animal slaughter. My original prospect for this challenge was something along the lines of “One month with no plastic…how about I make it the whole year!” until I quickly realized their were zero alternatives to a plastic razor blade that didn’t also include some other form of plastic. I’ll admit the cold mornings we’ve been having created a tempting rational to ban the blades for months to come, but out of consideration for my partner I am writing this article tonight and giving in to a brand new post-consumer plastic razor tomorrow.
Why the hate? Here is a 20 second debrief on the reasons plastic makes me question whether humans set out to challenge if they could create a product so environmentally catastrophic and intertwined into our daily lives that its removal seems next to impossible:
* It is intended to NEVER breakdown! Seriously? SERIOUSLY!?! *Bangs head *
* Made of oil. Choose your related issue.
* Do we really need to ensure that our cancer-causing everything’s are packaged in cancer-causing packaging?
For years I’ve cursed about it as more and more renewable and reusable products turned to one-time use disposables. So this past month I set out to see just how far I go without IT.
Fail one: my computer. Fail two: the desk my computer is on. Fail three: the chair I am sitting on. Fail four, you get it, the challenge was a lot less of a challenge and became more of an impossibility as I realized EVERYTHING (wait you’ll see) not only is made of plastic but has barely any alternative options.
Let me take you through my experience in two of the most frustrating of plastic-infested areas of daily life.
Personal Care
There must have been hygiene before plastic! First attempt at a plastic free shower leaves me with a lone soap bar. No shampoo, no conditioner, no cleanser, no razor and post shower no toothbrush, no moisturizer, no deodorant and no makeup. Lucky for me my hippy friendly Tom of Maine toothpaste comes in a metal tube and I was put together enough to leave the house. As I scavenged local health food stores and online ‘eco-malls’ I was met with further aggravation until the clouds parted and in the key of angels I heard “LUSH”. Based on the premise that words like natural, eco-friendly and ethical should be at the foundation of cleanliness this company stole my heart in 30 seconds. One visit and I was giving the old ‘dust off my shoulders’ to my longtime plasticized friends bottled shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and cleanser.
Food
Without even looking I knew that my cupboards and fridge were stocked with plastic sins so I skipped the tally and headed to the grocery store. Having just about finished the 100-mile diet I was sure that there was no food challenge that would steal my smile. A couple single apples, a cantaloupe and a head of broccoli were the extent of produce as everything else seemed to be either in a plastic container, wrapped in shrink wrap or held together by plastic mesh. Fresh made bread in paper bags, yippee! Except for the fact that each bag had this pointless window of plastic by which you can see your bread through….because the open end isn’t enough? Moving on through the store I met pasta all in bags (or boxes with windows), crackers in bags inside boxes and juice in the one thing worse than plastic; tetra packs. Well not to worry, three rows of canned food and I’m going to be laughing in plastics face. Except that behind that beautiful renewable-for-life tin can is a liner of BPA plastic. Grocery store fail.
This space will only allow for so much ranting but by having a look around you I can guarantee you will spot about another dozen of my frustrations this month. It seems our every day interactions with plastic products are made up of things that seem impossible to live without. Somehow though we were able to do it before and there are 3 billion people that still do. Maybe if we lived like the 3 billion people who below the poverty line we wouldn’t have a plastic mass floating in the ocean that is twice the size of the continental United States.
Look, maybe when our parents were our age they could share the mentality that the damage that is created won’t be experienced in their lifetime but we don’t share that luxury. We’ve inherited the plastic disease and we won’t be able to cure it unless we make the conscious effort to. I don’t have the solution to a plastic-free existence….yet! I’ll be working on it and I encourage you to do the same.
For additional information check out:
EnviroWoman http://plasticfree.blogspot.com/ - the journey of a woman that goes three years trying to live without plastic
Ithinkihateplastic.com – a forum to raise awareness and bitch
Lifewithoutplastic.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
