NOT an emergency!

In my arrogance I used to wonder how some of my co-workers could ever dial 911 (Canada's emergency phone number) by accident at work. Practically everyone in our office has done it once or twice. Our office's phone system requires us to dial '9' for an outside line before commencing the rest of the number which of course must be followed by '1' before the area code. How could they be so careless to let their finger linger too long on the '1'??

Then about a year ago I was the guilty party. It's a terrible feeling when you know you have just dialed 911 in error and they won't go away. You can't hang up. They will find you. And if you don't talk to them, you'll be seeing a fire truck, ambulance, and police on the scene, so you'd better fess up right away. At the very least, it is required that a cop come and visit you because it's their policy. I managed to talk the dispatcher out of sending the police, but I was just lucky that they broke policy that time.

Well............yesterday I did it again. I had to swallow my pride and despite my begging to the dispatcher, she said a police officer would be visiting me at the office shortly. While my co-workers snickered (oh they pretended they weren't), I slunk up to the front of the office and sheepishly greeted the 20-something cop who very politely poised his pen on his notebook and took down my name, my phone number and my birthdate. Why did they need my birthdate?? I figured that as he jotted it down, he was quietly surmising....mhmm...senility setting in....makes sense at that age. He kindly smiled and said, "Thank you ma'am. Sorry to have bothered you" (??), and I replied "No problem". (Tell me, what was WRONG with that conversation?)

I wish that was the end of my story. It's not.

Today.....yet again.....only hours later..........I stuttered on that '1' key again. Sick feeling. Dumb idiot feeling. I want to die feeling. Shouldn't they just fire me feeling. I pleaded with the dispatcher not to send the police, but somehow telling her that I did the same thing yesterday didn't seem the wisest thing to say. As I waited for the police officer, I hoped with all my heart it would not be the 20-something cop from yesterday. I went to the lone male co-worker whose too-thinly walled cubicle is surrounded by cubicles inhabited by menopausal women (that would include me) and told him he might as well just mock me now and get it over with. He was very kind. My phone rang. It was the police station verifying my location - the police would be there momentarily. I decided to head the cop off at the pass, rather than face a second day of humiliation in front of everyone at the front desk. I went out in the hall and met him there before he could enter the office. Thankfully it was not the same young fellow. This guy took no notes, just very kindly said he was so glad I was okay and that there was no emergency, and to my apology he replied not to worry - everyone slips up.

Three strikes and you're out? I am now paranoid. When I need to use the phone located to my left on the desk, I will stop using my left hand to dial which I just recently started to do (I'm right handed). I will pull my hand away immediately after the '9-1', even if I don't think the '1' quite got pressed.

It should be noted that several years ago I removed 911 from the programmed keys on my phone at home....after the dispatcher told me to......because I had pressed it while cleaning the keys of the phone. She wisely said it only takes 2 seconds to dial 911, so don't program it in!

I am resigned to count myself fortunate that our emergency system is well tested..... by people like me..... and we can count on patient, kind people to be there for us in the event of a real crisis!

Demise of the Money Plant

The whole world's talking about economic woes. I have a few of my own.

Back in the spring of April 2007, I posted this picture on a blog of a lush plant I bought and was so excited to find out it is called a money plant.

I was hoping to find tens or twenties growing on it within a year or so.

Well here we are a year and a half later, and I will tell you I'm a better outdoor gardener than indoor. Apparently the darn thing needed water or something. I'm ashamed to post the picture, but here's what that plant looks like now. Pathetic.

I'm afraid that may be a picture of some people's savings and pensions given the latest economic crisis, and I do not jest about that. It must be a terribly frightening time especially for seniors who had planned to live on money that has now dried up, just like my plant. Very troubling indeed.

Somehow I think many in our North American culture have come to believe we will always be secure and have plenty, and though there is poverty all around us in our urban centres, those of us with a paycheque and a comfortable life can find it easy to become oblivious to those with little. Hunger to us, is when our stomach rumbles after having had 2-3 meals that day, with snacks in between. Our spare time is taken in amusing ourselves, spending plenty of time and money on entertainment lest we succumb to boredom. Maybe we need a bit of a shakeup?

If you asked an average child/teen/twenty year old in our North American culture what their favorite activities are, what would their responses be? Video games, IPOD, cell phone, IPhone, MSN, MySpace, TV, going to a movie, hangin' out with friends.....?

This week I got an update from a friend who is 14 and she lists her 3 top favorite activities as:

1) sweeping,

2) fetching water,

3) washing clothes.

Fetching water.

That's probably a clue that the other favorite...washing clothes... will be a chore done without a washing machine. If these are her favorite activities, does she know the meaning of the word leisure?

Picture yourself fetching water everytime you need some for drinking, cooking, washing, and growing your food. Kinda puts the Iphone on the back burner.

About a year ago we began to sponsor this teenager, Josiane, through World Vision. She lives in Rwanda and is in grade 4. Her parents died some time ago. She lives with relatives with a family of their own and they find it difficult to care for her. Here is the description from World Vision of Josiane's community:

"The social fabric of the community has been ravaged by Hutu and Tutsi genocide. Your child has survived the killing of thousands of friends, neighbours or fellow citizens. Unfortunately, many of Rwanda's families are headed by widows with no means of support. More than 85,000 families ...{can you grasp that number?} ... are headed by children - sometimes as young as 11."

I truly feel for people in our culture who are struggling financially through no fault of their own. Perhaps it's a time for all of us to take stock of all we have, be grateful for a roof, a bed, food and clothes, and give out of any abundance we have beyond that, to those who don't even have those basics. That said in a week when a complaint has been filed with the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission, declaring that high speed internet should be a basic human right, as opposed to 'suffering' with the misery of dialup. Oh my. Maybe we should make sure everyone has food first?

Amazing Autumn

These are a few shots I took on Thanksgiving weekend. But if you want to enjoy real photography....head on over to

nature55's photostream on Flickr

and enjoy this person's amazing slideshow!

Pie in the Sky

{ We interrupt this normally peaceful blogplace with an uncharacteristic rant }

I really dislike listening to negative people go on and on about politics and how the government is this and that....and yet here I am...at the end of an election campaign....ranting. I know I'm ridiculous with my pie in the sky wish for politicians to 'get along'. But really, why can't they? Or do they work together well behind the scenes and it just never makes it to the media?? Canadians would agree that politicians need to grow up...and in fact Rick Mercer gave an awesome rant on election night on just this subject. If you missed it, you can watch it here (Page 2, Rick's Rant).

At home, we teach our kids to be polite, to listen and respect other people's opinions. It's rude to yell at others, to interrupt them when they're speaking, to disrespect or dig up rumours and spread them to slander another person.

At work, we are taught team building and conflict resolution skills. We are assured that no idea is ever stupid but has merit and is worthy of consideration. And if there is a problem, you attack the issue, not the person.

So why, with issues so important as to affect our whole country, do we not embrace these skills to solve problems and bring solutions for the good of all Canadians? We entrust our money to politicians. And we trust them to make decisions and implement changes that affect our lives in so many ways. So why are many of them immune from acting like responsible adults, and degrade themselves in the House to everything I would hope they taught their children not to do and be?

I suppose Parliament has always been this way(?). Perhaps politicians view themselves as being 'strong' and nobly fighting for a good cause when they yell and insult each other. But it's really more often about the party and its leader surviving for another term in office, not the long term future for our grand children's children. I would say most Canadians don't care as much about political parties anymore as they do about having a job, food on their table, health care for their families, education, the future of the planet, etc. Is it any wonder many are just apathetic about politicians and trust few, if any of them? (This is NOT to say we should give up, not vote, or not be involved in the process. Apathy is just as bad as the politicians' behaviour.) There are many well meaning, wonderful MPs and MPPs and I commend them for the hard work they do for their constituents, but how frustrating must that job be when you are opposed on all sides in what you wish to achieve?

My pie in the sky political dream came about as I sat and watched the Debate between the leaders of the main parties. Remember that? They all sat around a table together. Check out these images. It may be the last time you see them for a while.

(Is Harper contemplating giving a kiss to Duceppe? Create your own caption.) So....if those people could be amiable for one evening (although they politely ripped the faces off each other in debate), what could happen if all of them put their ideas on the table and no one lit into the other about how stupid their idea is?

Be ridiculous with me. We're listening to The Debate. The opposition leaders attack Harper, pounding him on his record, calling him a liar, and spouting why their ideas are superior and his will never work. Harper turns and says, "You know Stephane and Elizabeth, you have some excellent ideas in your platform. We may not be able to afford some of them, but I'd like us to take a long look at what you've proposed and see what agreement we can come to. I realize we differ greatly in many areas but at the end of the day we all want Canadians to benefit from this. You've done a great job in detailing what Canadians see as important, your platform is strong, and I'd like to strive to reach a consensus on the more difficult issues on which we disagree. And Jack, I completely agree with the principles you're talking about. I see different ways in achieving those goals and we all know the areas in which we disagree, but I'd like to implement some of what you've proposed, and I'd like you to consider some of my proposals as well. And I think you've been doing an excellent job in this campaign informing the voters of the key issues." Then witness speechless politicians.

Grossly exaggerated but you get the point. But no, it's about winning votes, even if it means slandering the other guy and his ideas. Not about consensus or agreement. At least not on the campaign trail.

Each platform has something salvageable in it for everyone. So why can't politicians lay it all out, pull out all the pieces from each platform that have workable, achievable ideas right now; begin the work toward give-and-take compromise to bring solutions around the table, instead of attacking each other. Yes, there's a party 'in power', but why can't all ideas be respected from all parties and the 'no one is stupid and every idea has merit' principle be in affect? I've always found it interesting when a great political leader dies - all of sudden the opposing leaders, who had so viciously attacked the deceased when they were living, now have the most wonderful things to say about the person. So why not recognize strengths in leaders now while they're living, and utilize them all to build a great country of Canada?

Never mind. How ridiculous! I'm stupid and my idea doesn't have merit.

{ Rant is complete. We now return you to our regularly peaceful blogplace. }

Addendum: I drafted the above blog during the counting of the ballots on election night. I'd had enough of the campaign and tired of the rhetoric. Last night I listened to each of the leader's speeches when it was all over. Jack, Stephane and Steven all spoke respectably of each other (even though nobody had died yet!) and talked of working together in this Conservative minority framework to achieve similar goals for Canadians. Here's hoping they remember their words and sit down around a Boardroom table again with the good of Canadians first and foremost. And just maybe it's our job not to slander the politicians in return, lest we be just as guilty of the behaviour we despise...... but to cover them with prayer... now there's an idea with merit!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

today, don't focus on

....your circumstances

....how you feel

....how you wish things were

....your disappointments and hurts

....your fears for the future

...these things change from moment to moment...

focus instead on the Unchangeable One

...and give Him thanks

you won't always feel it.....

but He's got you covered on all sides with His love.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1 - The Bible (New Living Translation)

Eyes of Respect (or what I learned at a Catholic church)

It's been another one of those months....too many visits to funeral homes. Today was like deja vu as many of my work friends gathered at the same Catholic church for funeral mass that we did over a year ago for another co-worker. Today we honoured the memory of a woman who left work four years ago with breast cancer and over the last few weeks she had enough of the fight and passed away. She was seven years older than me.

I find it interesting to visit churches of other faiths and observe. The Catholic church is, of course, steeped in traditions and rituals that are very old. I sat beside a co-worker who is Catholic and I asked her to nudge me if there was something I should be doing. I stood when everyone stood. I couldn't respond with the appropriate phrases because I didn't know when. I didn't kneel at the bench or take communion as I was not allowed to. And I really didn't know what to voice to God when the priest asked us to bow our heads to pray for the deceased. I recognized the Scriptures and the gospel and the reflections on the place Christ was preparing and that He was coming back for us. And I wondered if God was comfortable here.

As I walked back to work with my co-worker I asked her if she could clarify something I've always been curious about. I asked her if it was okay for Catholics to pray directly to God, because in a moment of crisis, doesn't everyone (including atheists!) cry out to God for help? If so, what was the purpose of the priest and confession, particularly since they also believe that Christ is the Saviour and therefore, is He not the one who forgives us and is the mediator between us and God? She stated emphatically that they can pray to God themselves, but that they go to the priest for the stuff you need forgiveness for. Then she said that actually things have changed a lot over the years and now you really only have to confess the big stuff to the priest. I asked how you draw the line at 'big stuff' and she clarified that it would be mortal sins, like killing someone, and things like that...I think her voice trailed off. Then she said, 'But I really think it's just because the priest wants to know what you've been up to!' to which she broke off in peals of laughter. She did go on to tell me of a monk she enjoyed who told everyone they need to 'lighten up', have fun, and enjoy their Christianity, and that the church must be relevant to the current generation. On that point we totally agreed.

I'm still contemplating one thing the priest said when talking of the care the family gave during this woman's illness. He stated that compassion is not something that can be done from a distance. It takes your involvement in time and effort, your continual care and love, setting aside your own agenda for the need of another. And it means giving respect to that person. Respect comes from the same word as spectacles (glasses) - think of it as a pair of glasses you put on - you look out through the eyes of respect at the person, not back at yourself and your needs. (It's not all about me).

With the needs of people all around us, the gift of compassion and respect to others can fill up an entire lifetime. I was reminded again today that life itself can be far too short. Let's leave gifts wherever we go!

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.

The Message Bible, II Corinthians 1:3,4