Know, Give, Hope

hope. change. do it.

2008-11-18T17:29:00.000-08:00

i'm in love with Barack Obama. dude is dreamy. i'm late getting on the Obama boat, but since i watched his acceptance speech following the election i've been hooked.

yes we can!

i had heard such leaders existed...

i need some inspiration right now. i think we could all use some.

here he is on 60 Minutes in his first interview since his win.

and here is his election night speech in Chicago:

amen:
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Life Always Finds A Way

2008-09-20T11:11:00.001-07:00

i saw this pic on facebook, and i guess i'm not really supposed to post it here... but i'm gonna anyway.

the caption for it is: life ALWAYS finds a way. i find that very heartening.

photo by: Markus Whitcombe

speak your truth

2008-07-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

David Levine... alphabet junkie with no hope of recovery... is currently completing a Master’s degree in creative writing at City College and MC’ng in several hip-hop projects.

i transcribed this poem from this track: Peter Munch feat Dave Levine - Made of Moments (Accapella Mix) from this Rich Hope mix.

I had just finished an overnight shift
Shuffling feet, food and drink.
Even the clocks were asleep.

I had no better place to be
So I decided to walk
Wandering these blocks around me.

The Lower East is a beast
But she’s sweet
Flushing graffiti brick cheeks
Thick Spanish lips
A wild head of hair
Like black fire escapes
And the sun was climbing
Right up the spines of buildings
Resting on shoulders of these steel prophets

Old women doing thai chi in the park
An ancient slow dance with no lover
It felt peaceful.

There was not a skateboard to be heard
Urban birds had a chance to chatter
I wanted that feeling to just keep juicing
My high tops were loose and unlaced
By the grace of this beating heart
I let them lead
The way

A tired smile hung from ear to ear
I realized that
I
I
I am in control
Of nothing

A miracle is no traffic in New York
I walked the middle of 1st ave
The world had a glow of gold
If you were there I would have said, hello.
This place is full of magic
That hasn’t even happened yet

Man is made of moments,
Bird feathers and heavy stones
I’m just happy that we’ve made it
That we’ve made it
This far.

Straight Not Narrow

2008-07-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

I was asked by the OPS Pride Network’s communication team to write about an organization I belong to called the Heterosexuals for Same Sex Equality (HSSE). This group was formed to quash the outdated voices who were and are trying to convince us that LGBT rights threaten the heterosexual way of life.

Funny, we thought, we don’t feel threatened.

The HSSE believes the right to love is universal and the right to feel at home in one’s own skin is fundamental.

When an irate (or hateful) group is so loud and determined, it’s easy to stand back and say nothing – who wants to get into an argument with someone who just refuses to understand? The truth though, is that most straight people are compassionate, loving, supportive and hopeful for the future. It’s time we stood up and said so.

As the HSSE grows, we hope to provide support to those who live in communities where open minded role models can be hard to come by. Our website, www.straightnotnarrow.ca, provides some resources for teachers, students and parents who want to offer support and an inclusive environment to LGBT youth.

The responsibility to stand up for human rights and equality belongs to us all. I hope you will visit the HSSE’s website to learn more about us and that you will invite your friends, parents, children and colleagues to do the same.

Other links of interest:
PFLAG.org: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
http://www.pflag.org/
http://www.pflagcanada.ca/
Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) is a national non-profit organization with over 200,000 members and supporters and over 500 affiliates in the United States. This vast grassroots network is cultivated, resourced and serviced by the PFLAG national office, located in Washington, D.C., the national Board of Directors and 13 Regional Directors.

Youth Pride
http://www.youthpride.org/
YouthPride is a place where you will become empowered as a LGBTQ youth. Our center provides you with a place were you will no longer feel alone, invisible, condemned, or unsafe simply because of your sexual orientation or identity.

Egale
http://egale.ca/
Egale Canada advances equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified people, and their families, across Canada.

Believe

2008-07-17T05:41:00.001-07:00

Last night in bed, I read the same paragraph of my book 20 times before realizing that I needed to just put it down and go to sleep. My mind kept wandering, I kept making these grand realizations...

I'm reading The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO by Robin Sharma. It's a funny book - not particularly well written, but so chalk-full of insight that every other page is folded over, so that I can refer to my favourite parts when I'm done.

This one page that I read over and over again will definitely be folded over:

"Keep believing that this universe is a friendly place," he told me. "The world really does want you to win. Let go of the control that most of us live the best years of our lives under, and choose to be curious instead. You'll find that if you live in this way, then a force more powerful than yourself will lead you to your best life on a daily basis..."

Keep believing that this universe is a friendly place. Huh. I often get so scared that things will go wrong. Keep believing that this universe is a friendly place.

I'll certainly try.

Time to Laugh

2008-07-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

I've been tired lately - too much fun in my life!! :) It means that I haven't been getting up as early as I'd like, taking the time, instead, to enjoy how comfortable my bed is.

A few of my favourite online comics... I love to laugh! And be inspired by these funny peeps!! So let your mind wander with me... there will be time for serious reflection another day:

Sinfest has been a favourite for a long time:

Questionable Content is, well, not quite questionable, but quite entertaining!

Butternut Squash doesn't get updated often enough... beautifully drawn and so funny!

Kukuburi is by one of the guys who also does Butternut Squash... it's fantastic!

And finally, Girls With Slingshots is one of those "classic newspaper" type comics... if your classic newspaper has dildos and lots of booze...

Seeing the World... and Keeping Hope Alive

2008-07-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

I get so depressed when I think about the world. Cutting down the rain forests for oil and wood (three cheers for magazines, toilet paper and phone books!), making plastic bottles from that oil so that we can drink "fresh" water, dumping garbage into the ocean, poaching and clear cutting in Africa for mining and commerce (mining for bits that are used in cell phones)... the more I learn, the sadder and more desperate I get.

Perhaps I've been watching too much TED. It's not like this is a new feeling of despair, but now that I know more, I'm more aware... which is why this blog exists - because with this awareness, I need to know that people are doing something. That I can do something and I can encourage you to do something.

I was really touched by this TED talk by Chris Jordan, an artist who tries to show us just how much we consume.

Think about a box of plastic bottles. The plastic bottles are garbage enough, but think of a bunch of bottles stacked and wrapped in more plastic and cardboard (oil and wood), wrapped in more plastic, put into a container and shipped halfway around the world... by boat, by truck... Suddenly we realize that these bottles can give us cancer and this is when we consider stopping... because it's bad for our "health".

There are alternatives to plastic bottles. Some of our water coolers at work are now glass. Cedar Springs makes glass water cooler bottles (although they promote them as "pretty" rather than environmentally friendly).

I ask you this: what are other alternatives? What biodegradable products could you be using instead of oil-based products??

Jane Goodall, famous for her work with apes and chimps, also gave a talk at TED where she talks about feeling shame and hopelessness. At the end she went on about helping children realize they can be part of the solution with Roots and Shoots.

She talks about how this is our responsibility: yours and mine. We can't wait for government, we can't wait for industry... it's up to us to help our planet. Each of us has the same amount of responsibility.

Do small things... do big things... do something.

photo credit welshkaren on flickr

Relax, Please and Thank You

2008-07-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

I have a funny relationship with memory. I've never had what I consider to be a "good memory". I'm fascinated by the things I remember and the things I forget. Remembering how I was taught to tie my shoelaces, but not remembering my first kiss, for example.

I stayed home from work yesterday. Me and my body are fighting right now. It's tired and grumpy, no matter how much sleep I give it. I was outside on my balcony, sitting in this really comfy chair we have out there, staring up at these glass towers and I suddenly found myself thinking of nothing else but what a nice day it was. Will I remember this moment? Is a moment where I am quiet and at rest more or less valuable than another moment? Could I spare a little space in my brain to remember that one moment I sat in a comfy chair and stared up at the city and took a lot deep breaths? Could I always live in the 'now' without thinking of the past or future?

Meditating is cool. It's basically the act of sitting still for 11 minutes (which seems to be an acceptable amount of time to start) and focusing on the interior stillness of your body, trying to watch and listen to the energy that's inside. Like being underwater and staying there for 10 minutes.

I've been coming up with a lot of water metaphors lately.

How often do we sit and wonder about how our bodies work? The brain, the blood flowing, the eyelashes, body hair in general... weird stuff, ... how many millions of things is our body doing at once? Producing new cells, flaking off old ones, growing nails, fighting viruses... I think that meditation is a nod to that effort, a reconnection to yourself. Using the body to focus the mind.

Think about your body today - how it serves you, how you use it. Think about the millions of things that it does and thank it - whether you are feeling well or not, thank it.

A Way with Words

2008-07-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

Erin McKean gave a TED talk on dictionaries, which lead me to her blog, Dictionary Evangelist. You see, Erin is a lexicographer, which sent my geek-o-meter straight through the roof.

My, I love geeks.

I also love the internet, and I love the wide world of blogs - you can click your way to oblivion, going from blog to blog to blog... links are the greatest, aren't they? Erin's got a great list of links - peruse away!! (She also writes another great blog on dresses!)

What I love most about what Erin has to say, is that words are not created by the dictionary, words are created and defined by the people who create and define them. So let's say you and I are talking about beaches and sandcastles, and I were to say, 'let's go castlin!' - woot! I just created a new word!

castlin: the act of making sandcastles.

Just because a word's not in the dictionary, doesn't mean it's not a word!! If you say it, if you use it, it's a word!! (Except castling is actually a word... boo!)

People who have to move to think

2008-07-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

If you have any interest in children, in education, in imagination, in life: please take 20 minutes to watch this video! I love TED.com so much. *swoon*

I LOVE what Sir Robinson says about University Professors and our educations systems... my soul has forgotten how to be the artist I was in school... I was lucky to participate in so many arts... but we had some great leaders and teachers who encouraged us to write, dance, act, ... be.

Thank goodness for them.

It's a Girl!!!!

2008-07-03T19:39:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Thomas and Nancy Beatie who had a healthy baby girl today. (Google)

Listen to the preview of Thomas and Nancy's interview with Oprah. They only show the "shocking ad teaser!!!ZOMG!" but you can read most of the interview.

Eventually (in her 20s), Tracy (Thomas) stopped wearing women's clothing and began dressing in men's clothes. "I'm a masculine person, and I preferred wearing clothes that made me feel comfortable," Thomas says. "It wasn't something that I analyzed. I woke up in the morning and decided, 'This is what I want to wear today.' Over time, people started calling me 'sir,' and that was an interesting concept to me."

After researching what it meant to be transgender, Tracy broached the subject with her first girlfriend. "She wasn't very supportive of the idea," Thomas says. "I was discussing having a surgical procedure of removing my breasts, and she just said, 'Why can't you just be a lesbian?'"

I was so touched by how smart and beautiful this couple was. So easy going, so fun! So loving and tender, ... they were so normal! She already has 2 daughters who were completely supportive of their new dad and his pregnancy.

On Oprah's page, you'll also hear stories from other transgender peeps. There are so many different kinds of awesome people in the world. My mind is open and humbled.

In a life when it's so difficult to know who we really are, I want to thank Thomas for standing up and saying, "I am not a woman." You can just tell that he is comfortable in his own skin. That he made this decision purely because it was what he needed to do. He's so jovial, so caring. He will raise beautiful children.

Bravo for being true to yourself Thomas! Bravo for the new baby. Je t'embrasse!

Amazing Grace

2008-07-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

I work for the Ministry of Education in the Government of Ontario. Whenever I'm looking for inspiration, I don't need to look very far - and yet, whatever the government does, it never seems to be enough. We love to complain.

Our new Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Steve Marshall, is trying to change the view of Ontarians about our publicly funded education system. The investments made over the last 5-6 years have been incredible and he encourages every public servant (but especially those who work in Education) to remember that they work to service the public - *important* and *valuable* work.

"When people ask you what you do for a living," he emphasized, "tell them you're at the service of every learner in Ontario, and then go into what it is that you do. Be proud of your work."

In this world, every child has the right to:
1) be themselves (whether that be an aboriginal student, french-speaking, english-speaking, immigrant, gay, straight, deaf, paralyzed, ill, etc.)

2) be educated

Whether or not the right to be educated should be publicly funded could be up for debate, but I'm proud and happy to be living in a province where the diversity of our population and their needs are taken into consideration and funded by my tax dollars.

Once I started working for the government, I started paying my taxes with pride.

I wanted to share this website, from the E.C.Drury Secondary School for the Deaf. They produce a morning show "Morning Annoucements" that is broadcast on cable TV and in each classroom in the morning. Totally student produced.

I am so impressed by the dedication of these teachers and the staff of these schools who insist: These kids are worth teaching, they have the right to learn and they have the right to be themselves. Because who they are is amazing and radiant - just like every child, from age 0 to 120.

I can't imagine not being able to hear or see. I hope I never know what deafness or blindness is like and it makes me wonder what kind of damage I've done when I come out of a very loud nightclub. I love my hearing and I am so grateful to optometry for my sight.

More on the Ministry of Education:
Our amazing Minister: The Honorable Kathleen Wynne (she deserves her own seperate blog post!)

Energizing Ontario Education: sets goals and talks to the initiatives currently in place to make Ontario's education system strong and productive. There's a summary available for those who kind-of have time to read it.

We need more than ever to look at the public education system as the primary tool we have to ensure that children are able to grow up to become citizens.
JOHN RALSTON SAUL

So what you're saying is...

2008-07-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Give to others what you would most like to receive.

The art of being smart is to be small, which can contain all. The art of success is to answer the call of duty with grace and compassion. The art of happiness is to serve all, and all shall serve you. - Yogi Bhajan

Collecting Data

2008-07-02T04:42:00.000-07:00

I think it's important to reflect. It's important to constantly think about the things we are doing and whether or not these things are enhancing our lives.

In an effort to understand what more I could be doing in this life, I'm collecting data:

What are others doing? What are others saying? What do I find inspiring? What is important to me? What should be important to me? What do I believe?

My friend Stu (so as not to say, "some dude who really impressed me who I met once") has a blog on his website and he introduced me to TED.

Make friends with TED. A good friend to have and a lot of stuff to be inspired.

www.ted.com