Finding Our New Normal/NEW YEARS 2019 UPDATE

I think it is time to get real.

I know real can be depressing, and sometimes overwhelming but it is time to pull up our big kid pants and get a move on. By this I mean I almost stopped writing as I could not think of any solutions.

This was due to the fact that I did not want to fill you in on how dire the situation really is. Right now in my opinion the reality is exactly that, dire. Perspective is everything, but I have gotten a tad tired of pussy footing.

You could have noticed my last few blogs have directly attacked the issues in the forefront of my mind, leaving some of my habitual soft edges in the dust. Why? So we, or I can figure out some solutions. I am fully aware that I am not capable of solving the worlds problems. It does ease my turbulent mind, and gives my soul hope if some travelling Gypsy like myself can pearl up some gems that are solution based, though.

If I try to sugar coat things or tell you that everything is going to be alright all the time, I am doing myself, and my readers a disservice. I know life is not easy and we all want a little lift, well that is what Golf is for.

This here is about finding solutions, so we all need to understand the problems, like it or not.

How did that entrepreneur, that just invented that new "Whatcha Ma Callit", come up with that idea? He saw a problem and he came up with a solution. But he first had to really understand the problem.

The inspiration for this change of approach is out of sheer desperation. The disillusionment is even beginning to get to me, and I will not be having that.

Let us do a quick review of where we were when I started writing to you, and where we are now, and how that changes where we want to go.

Where we were, where we are and where we are going is all very different then where we were when I started this blog in the spring of 2014. Lots has happened in my life, and not much has changed.

My father had just died when I started this blog. Obama was still residing over our neighbors down south. Harper was still ruling The Northern Roost. Omar Khadr would be released at the end of the first summer, the year I started my blog. I then believed that there were people that wanted a home on this planet for their grandchildren, that the path we had taken was leading us towards a world where we would rise above and not see the color of another's skin, or judge another by the texture of the palm that you shake. I believed that we were on the way to defying the odds and that as a global society we would work together to ensure this.

The recent current events I have watched flash over the screen of CNN, CBC, CTV and Aljazeera have me feeling as though I am enduring the weeks precluding the first chapters to books I had to read in school about the dystopian future, that if we were not careful was lurking in the future waiting for us.

I can not remember which one, my mind is catching a whiff of, but there was a few if I do remember correctly. The Hand Maidens Tale, Margret Atwood, and of course the pessimistic readers favorites by George Orwell. Animal Farm and 1984. Chilling realities that have been lurking not far off in the shadows since the days they were written.

You may scoff and say that I am being dramatic. Scoff away.

The truth of the matter is that when Margaret Atwood wrote The Hand Maidens Tale, she did not want to be accused of being an "Ungodly Macabre of a Woman.". To thwart this potential criticism she ensured that all of the persecution, physical and emotional tortures, were sourced from the prevailing practices of the Christian Western World Culture in the time it was written, 1985. Group hangings, women's reproductive rights taken from them, lower and middle class women raped in ceremonial fashion by wealthy men, so that they may bear children for their barren upper class wives, "forbidding of literacy, denial of property rights, clothing caste specific.".

Well here we are December 29, 2018, and I am doing my best to keep my spirits up. Of course things are not as dismal and oppressive as the above paragraph, but I feel that we need to be careful and check ourselves. You see the extreme folks are doing fantastically. The super wealthy have had a hey day, with the short plays on the New York and Toronto Indexes, the alt right is mushrooming not just State side but through out the EU, the pussy grabbers have been thwarted by the #Metoo movement, yet one is Captaining the United States of America.

A new wave of general unrest appears to be growing from many American Citizens. Some that have had their voices heard at such venues that hosted the Pussy Riots, and kneeling Football Players. Then there is of course the almighty Commander In Chief, of our Southern Brothers and Sisters, The US of A, Donald J. Trump. Now he has used his voice to build up and tear down quite a few people over the last two years, but the following recognition he offered, surprised even me. He clearly and publicly stated that not all racists are bad people, after one of them ran down a woman at a protest in the South, with a car, leaving her, well.... dead. His voice was heard all over the world. (Side note for future reference Mr. Trump. I CAN say that "not all rascists are bad people", and more than likely have at some point said something along the lines of that, as it is a truth, everyone does have good qualities, but YOU MAY NOT, nor would I if I had the management position that you currently hold.)

Interestingly enough and not that surprising the true underlying scent of human rights seems to be fading as racism broils to the surface. By this I mean that the peaceful asking to have our human rights respected regardless of gender or race, is slowly becoming a fear based hateful scream of us against them.

This is not ok to me.

The American government has been shutdown, now we are into our 8th day, because the Democrats will not allow Mr. Trump to build a wall dividing Mexico and The United States. Just before Christmas we had major riots in Paris. People angry with the cost of fuel, and energy. 60,000 serious rioters, and 80,000 French Police. I say that 'we' had major riots because as this planet hurls through space at 107,000 km/hour, we are all on this rock together, so we better start practicing those manners we learned in Kindergarten and not forget that we have some really serious jobs to get on with in the next decade if there is going to be a safe place anywhere on this majestic planet for ANYONES grandchildren.

It wont matter if we are purple, green or orange, if the PH levels continues to rise in the Arctic Ocean as it has in the last 2 years due to the great thaw of the shore line, we are in for some serious trouble. Are you aware that within three years the science in Yukon Territory, Canada, is suggesting that the Cretaceous and Arthropod of the Artic, well their shells are going to begin a disintegration process due to the high acidity levels. Acid rain, redefined.

I hope I am not the only person noticing these social, burps and farts. I am not exceptionally worked up about the ocean, no more than I was ten years ago. We have always had environmental issues to deal with and always will but this school yard bullying, and down right hateful behavior makes my toes curl. The other morning I heard a young homeless man screaming to no one particular "How could you side with that Niger?!?!"

Yeah not the kind of behavior I will tolerate or be around. He was not directing the comment at me I am sure, but for the record, I side with no one. Mind you if there is someone who is an underdog, or still has not had their turn, chances are regardless of the cost, you will hear my voice calling their name.

As always though, I still side with the whole of us, all of us. It is just a larger effort these days.

As I said earlier, this last year I have not written as much as I would have liked too. I have paused, so to speak, slowed my creative process, to the equivalent of Molasses in January. I really wanted this blog to be about solutions and as the tides slowly shifted I found it tougher and tougher to keep my head afloat. Especially all by myself. Me and the news. Ugh Fun. Could use a dog to bounce some positive solutions off of.

So what am I going to do about that? Besides get a dog.

What I going to do about this sinking skull is I am going too, with great bravery, and a fearless disposition start focusing on the problems.

It is not all about me sitting here in my fifth wheel trailer on the shores of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, watching the news, cross referencing on line, doing my research and then problem solving. It is all about the people that do not even live in Canada, or have any idea who I am, or have an inkling that they and their families really matter to me. I know I need to get a life. Regardless it is not and can not always be about me coming up with the solutions.

I guess what I am trying to say is I could use some help. I feel like this last fall LNC Lavalin and this month with the US Government shutdown, and the Yellow Vests of France. I know it sounds like I am complaining but I am not....I am screaming out to the World, "What are WE going to do?" How are WE going to hold this amazing planet together, when all of the people that I care about so much have all gone nuts, or at least they are not the reasonable, debatable folks I remember? Is this human evolution? Is this where we are going? Hateful, mean spirited school yard bullies? Is this our future? The kids that are paying attention are either laughing, or just shaking their heads.

For the record I have not been perfect either, hence I feel that I have earned a spot in the line of taking ownership. I guess that is one place to begin. If everyone stopped putting up their hand to point at someone elses faults, and the change I want to see begins with me.

I guess all that I can do, is to ensure that I understand what I want to contribute in my life to the situation that we have been presented with. I have a big check on that box already, so that is a bit of a relief. Then I can provide enough information about the global, social, culture and environmental solutions waiting to be born.

If I do this correctly and diligently it could be a possibility that my readers may come up with some pearls of wisdom, share them with their friends, do some brainstorming, and with any luck do some growing. Heck, if you, the readers feel so inclined, well shoot those pearls back at me. We could all get in on the good stuff, the saving of, or are we trying to create a global culture; and possibly give a hand regarding environmental issues.

The World is the baby that North America was in 1913. Do we have it in us for one more revolution, or should I say evolution? Revolution of thought, evolution of soul and spirit.

Instead of rushing forward into the future, do we have time to look over our shoulder at 1913 and see how they were doing things then? They managed to make the world last another 100 + years.

Wow! I hope I have not bored you with my pseudo blog/journal post, but you know what? I have actually felt a little bit of the weight lift. If you managed to make it to this point in your reading of my scribbles today, then Thank You. I hope it was informative, wringing the facts out of my emotions. If nothing else I gave you some cud to chew, grass to burn, stuff to think about, a little weak entertainment.

Has all of this been getting you down as well, then find that thing that you can do to help. Walk the old ladies dog next door, and when you do that take a garbage bag. Not one single person alone can save the world, but a whole bunch of folks doing small kind gestures just could make the difference.