Room To Breathe...

 

Hi!

So my hubby and I received the first shot of our vaccine!

Strange how one little poke in the arm feels so much bigger. It feels like the beginning of the end of this nightmare. It feels like a weight being shifted, on the verge of being lifted. It feels like we have a little room to breathe.

How lucky and privileged are we who live in places that vaccines are readily available and free, no less?

I watch the news and see what is happening in places like India and it's heartbreaking. Some lucky enough to make it into a hospital, get there only to find out there is no oxygen to administer. No oxygen?! They are literally suffocating. They are suffering a horrific shortage of vaccines, with no immediate access to more.

I can't imagine what a punch to the throat it must feel like when they watch the news and see people who have every advantage hold rallies protesting the very things they are so desperate to have.

Those who want everything to be back to 'normal', but also don't want to distance or wear masks or get vaccinated. The very things that have any chance of getting us back to how we used to be. Short of magic, the vaccines are what we have. 

I wish someone could make me understand the thinking behind all of these protests. 

What exactly are you protesting? Who and/or what is behind all of this supposed 'control' you're so afraid of? What is the end game for these 'controllers' exactly? Why are you so afraid of the vaccine? I have yet to find any legitimate data to support any of these fears. 

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of words floating around that, if based a bit more in fact than they are, would make a decent rough draft of some B version of a dungeon and dragons conspiracy movie. Words without merit do not data make. I've tried. I have followed links, researched those who share, and create them and what I have found is this. When you dive deep into these rabbit holes with critical thinking firing on all cylinders, what you discover is that those pushing these theories the hardest are not doing so with the greater good in mind. I really don't want to put names to paper, as I don't want to draw more attention to them or the lies they like to tell. 

A lot of the people behind these words have made a crap ton of money peddling fear. They've built careers out of it. Fear of immigrants, fear of government, fear of science, fear of social programs, fear of researching new kinds of energy, fear of LBGTQ+ communities, fear of masks, fear of vaccines. Fear. 

They like to say that those of us who have been doing all of the things, the masking, the distancing, the not seeing family or friends, the sanitizing, the staying home, all the things, are the ones living in fear. Let's just say the data doesn't support that theory either. 

It hasn't been easy for any of us. Any of it. That's why I'm all for getting to the other side of this as fast as possible. The only way from here to there is through vaccines. 

In the end, there will be some who refuse to get vaccinated. I just hope enough of us do so so we can send this thing down the road just like we did with polio, smallpox and so many others. 

The protestors say they are fighting for freedom. I'm still unclear as to what freedoms they feel are being stripped away? What exactly, specifically, are you fighting against? 

Safeguards surround us. They are inconvenient rules we all adhere to for the greater good.

Seatbelts. Speed limits. Impaired driving laws. Children's car seats. Not smoking indoors. Picking up dog poop. Littering laws. Capacity limits for venues for fire safety. Handicapped parking spaces. Traffic lights. 

Nobody is trying to take away any of your freedoms. Nobody is trying to control you. Nobody is trying to track you. All any of us are trying to do is get through this with as few casualties as possible. 

Too many loved ones lost. Too many dealing with long-term effects. Too many. 

The finish line is in sight. Let's just get there. 

We got this.

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May we all find our way to the other side of this.

May we, when it's over, get a taste of bliss.

May those who stoke fear find themselves screaming into an abyss.

May we soon be where we can safely, without hesitation, hug those we miss.

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Where Justice Is Impossible... Accountability Will Have To Suffice

 

Hi.

So Chauvin was found guilty. The fact that any other conclusion could have possibly been drawn with the mountains of evidence involved is astounding. The fact that there was even the most minute chance of an acquittal is sickening.

After seeing and reading the initial report that was put out by the Minneapolis Police department regarding the death of George Floyd, you know it would have never come to charges let alone a trial, and absolutely not a conviction, if it hadn't been for a seventeen-year-old girl having the presence of mind to film the whole thing. She sacrificed her innocence and suffered the trauma of witnessing a torturous 9:29. A 91/2 minute murder in slow motion. 

Her willingness to become involved, to sacrifice, is the only thing that made accountability possible. Justice can't exist for murder. But, where justice is impossible, accountability will have to suffice. Without her, this would have been a "medical incident wherein the person in custody passed away."

Chauvin would still be a corrupt cop free to do horrible things to people whenever the mood struck him.

Just like so many others.

Too many have died at the hands of so-called law enforcement. Too many without witnesses. Too many to count. 

How many police reports read like the initial one concerning Mr. Floyd? How many are filed, holding so little truth they don't carry any resemblance to what actually happened? 

How many "officers" filled and filed these reports without the slightest guilt? Without remorse? Thinking they are untouchable, above the law, above consequence.

The truth is heavy. Heavy enough to break the backs of those who are burdened with it and choose not to set it free. Heavy enough to eventually crush the souls of those who try to deny it, or hide it, or change it. 

The blue wall of protection needs to crumble. Slammed by a wrecking ball of courage. If only those who seem so proud to wear the badge, the pepper spray, the baton, the taser, and the gun could summon the courage of a seventeen-year-old girl. She is who they should aspire to be. 

It takes all of 26 weeks to train to become a member of the RCMP.

Going through an American police Academy takes, on average 13 to 19 weeks.

These are people who show up at situations where life and death decisions need to be made at the speed of light. These are people who show up to situations that they are woefully underqualified to evaluate. These are people who show up, panic, and make horrible, life-changing decisions. These are people who show up every day and choose to do the wrong thing just because they can. These are people who suffer consequences so rarely, they have come to believe they are above them.

What happened to character? What happened to integrity? 

I thought the uniform was supposed to mean something. Stand for something. 

I'm sure it does for some. I have no doubt that there are good constables, officers, and troopers, but I can't help but wonder how many of them are carrying around a truth that feels heavier by the day? How many may not have done the thing, but saw it happen, heard it happen, or heard about it happening and say nothing? How many can't, or refuse to, summon the courage of a seventeen-year-old girl? 

So what needs to happen?

What are the solutions?

What are the answers?

There is no, one big thing. No single fix to perceived superiority. It will take a million different things to level the field. So much will need to change for real equality to have a chance.

Change can't begin without uncomfortable conversations, without honest reflection, without a collective passion to make it happen.

I can't believe it's impossible. I believe most of us want it to happen. Real equality for all, regardless of gender, sex, abilities, orientation, race, or religion. Not just words written at the feet of centuries' old monuments, but real, actual equality.

I don't know about you, but I want my grandkids to grow into a world where each of them has an equal chance to thrive. 

A world they can walk without fear.

A world where, for each and every single one of them, not even the sky is the limit. 

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Until next time...

May we get to a place where the delusion of superiority is dissipated, stench in a heavy wind.

May we do better, have the courage to not look away, see the knee on the neck, watch how he is pinned.

May we then be brave enough to speak of what we saw, scream it, then do what needs to be done.

May we be brave enough to stand up, call it by name, for the fight is long from over, as it has only just begun. 

May we accept that justice won't always be the outcome, but that by no means lay down, or play nice.

May we see that sometimes, where justice is impossible, accountability will simply have to suffice.

May we, as a collective, be reflective, get perspective, try on and walk some miles in another's shoes.

May we as a collective, do everything, do all of it, success is the only option, there is simply too much to lose. 

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Same View... Different Lens...

 

Hi!

If these past months have taught us anything, it's that two people can look at the exact same thing and see, absorb, and digest what is in front of them very differently.

Some see things through a lens full of soft light, void of harsh edges. A lens through which everything magically solves itself, and nothing is ever as bad as reality dictates. 

Others look at things through a lens filled with doom. They find it difficult to see the light side of any situation, always assuming that only the worst possible outcome is plausible, that only the worst possible outcome is possible. 

Yet others, see things just as they are. All of the colours, no matter how subtle, the shadows, the edges, the darkness, the light. They can see the light side, but understand that it can only become light by doing what you need to do to strip away the darkness.

The race to the end of this Pandemic is Vaccine vs. Variants.

It's not political. It's not about anybody controlling anybody else. It's science and math. Period.

This virus is obviously not going to go away on its own. We have lived through every season carrying this thing on our backs. Cold weather didn't make it go away, Spring didn't make it dissipate, Summer didn't kill it, and neither did the Fall. We are cycling through yet another round of seasons, basically at the same level of disease as we were last year at this very same time. Maybe even worse. 

I find it fascinating that the very people who are among the most vocal in complaining about how long this is dragging out are, inevitably, the very people that hate and in some cases, refuse to wear some sort of face covering, are the ones who protest the loss of freedoms. These 'freedom fighters' are the actual reason it has dragged out this long. They protest against what needs to be done to kill this virus, and in the same breath, complain that it's not yet dead. 

Just maybe, if we had all followed the lead of say... New Zealand, we would be where they are right now. At concerts, attending big weddings, hanging out with unlimited amounts of friends and family without masks, because they are down to about one case a month, if that. Someone tests positive, they jump on it immediately, trace it, track it, and shut it down. Then life goes back to normal. Back to packed sporting events. Back to hugging. Back to doing all of it without putting people in danger.

They didn't get where they are by making the whole thing some political fight. They followed the science and collectively did what needed to be done to eradicate the virus. Not complicated. They took it seriously from the jump, understood the ramifications of giving oxygen to misinformation, and did what was necessary. Together. 

As a result, their economy hasn't had to take the prolonged, endless, hits that so many other countries have suffered. Their citizens haven't had to go through endless months of disconnect. Although they have been unable to escape death brought on by this virus completely, as of this writing they've lost 26 people in total, they haven't suffered the devastating loss of life that has plagued other nations. 

Well, we can't change the past. We can, however, change how we choose to move forward.

If you are still of the mindset that it's 'just' a virus, it's not that bad, it's just another flu, it's time to wake the hell up. This thing has killed and taken a long-term toll on far too many for you to live that fantasy any longer. In the beginning, this attitude was understandable. We didn't know. Now we do. 

If you are still thinking that this is some sort of conspiracy to control you, please explain how this is advantageous to anyone. 

Elected officials aren't garnering any brownie points from anyone throughout this whole thing. No matter what. If they implement restrictions, if they don't, there is nothing to be gained politically either way. No matter what you do or don't do, you are going to piss off a large faction of your voters. 

Dragging this thing out deliberately serves no one but the conspiracy theorists. They are the only ones that have expanded their platform through this whole thing. 

I can't help but wonder how many people who have been sucked into the vortex of misinformation will look back on this, ten years from now. Will they be able to step back at that point and see this piece of history for what it really was? A tragic Pandemic that stole so many more souls than was necessary. A horrible illness that wouldn't have had to do the permanent damage to humanity to the extent that it did. How things could have been different if the conspiracies had not been given oxygen. Will they be able to see all the colours? All the edges? I sincerely hope so. Not so they feel bad, but so if, god forbid, anything like this is ever thrown at us again, we can pull a New Zealand, without hesitation. 

The race now is Vaccine vs. Variants.

Let's win this race together, shall we?

We Got This.

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Until next time...

May we soon take a collective sigh of relief as we cross the finish line, victory, but not without victims.

May we get to a place of healing, mending, tending to the trauma by which we've been stricken.

May we soon get past the us vs. them mentality, for it serves no one, creates nothing.

May we, instead, work together, beat this, congregate, celebrate, something, anything, all things.

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Thank you so much for your continued support. These ramblings are being read in 

20+ countries on any given day, a pinch-me fact that is never lost on me. Thank you!

Spring Puddles And Frost Bitten Paintings...

 

Hi,

The days are beginning to warm, the nights, still laced in frost. Time for origami boats, and awakening to a car wrapped in diamonds. 

The puddles provide hours of free fun, if you don't count the extra laundry element of the whole thing. The diamond-encrusted car, though beautiful to look at, means it's still freezing pretty hard at night. 

Although we might be in for another snow/ice/rain situation over the next few days, making us rethink our decision to put winter gear into storage after the last storm, we are now but a few days away from the middle of April. So even if we accumulate a few more temporary snowbanks, we know this will likely be the last cold blast of the season. Right? RIGHT?!

Okay, that's wishful thinking wrapped in denial. Where I hang my hat, we have records of snowfall in every single month with the exception of July, I believe. Sooooooo, let's hope this will, indeed, be the final hit of snow and ice until after Halloween, and be optimistic. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that a giant dose of optimism is what we all need. 

Speaking of which....

As more of the world's population becomes vaccinated against the crap that has been plaguing the humans of our planet, or at least the Pandemic faction of what trolls the planet, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. 

With every passing day, with every dose that makes it into the arm of another human, we get that much closer to the end of this thing. 

In the meantime, we remain careful, vigilant, and as safe as possible.

We really seem to be in the home stretch of this nightmare. The finish line is in sight. We can't take our foot off the gas now, if we do, we could slide backward, and that would suck for everyone.

We got this!

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Oh, and another thing...

I've been keeping up with the Chauvin trial. If you aren't aware, Chauvin is the cop that killed George Floyd. 

I watched as witness after witness dismantled the defense, which seems to be trying to build from a foundation made of dissipating bubbles filled with the putrid stench of entitlement. 

In classic fashion, the defense continually tries to blame the victim for his own murder. Yes, it was murder, his autopsy says so in clear precise language. Homicide. Hard to misinterpret. 

This trial could drag on for another week or two. 

True justice is impossible. Let's hope for real accountability. Let's hope this is the first step toward actual change. 

Systemic racism is such a huge problem. Not just in the United States, but everywhere. It's huge, it seems overwhelming, it almost seems to be too big of a problem to fix.

It's not. 

It's going to take all of us. Everyday. Standing up and doing what we know is right. 

It's not going to happen overnight, but it can happen, it will happen. 

It has to.

We got this.

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Oh, and one more thing...

Matt Gaetz. Another Frat boy that has ridden into power on his silver spoon of privilege. 

With every drop of information that trickles in, it becomes ever more apparent what a morally bankrupt pile of blood and bones he is. 

It's like he's trying to put together an application for the Jeffery Epstein school of Child Trafficking.

It's like he's auditioning for the lead in the Bill Cosby/Harvey Weinstein production of "Pervy Child Molesters" the musical. 

Another privileged male ruining the lives of young girls for his own pleasure. To pump up his fragile ego. To feel powerful.

Hopefully, Gaetz gets intimate with some real consequences, probably for the first time in his life.

Here too, lies a problem bigger than any one of us. 

It might not be 'all men', but it IS all women. It's ALL girls. 

Big changes are needed. Big changes will happen. It will take all of us. Everyday.

We got this, too.

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Until next time...

May every puddle reflect a happy memory from your wildhood, your youngdom, the archives of the best parts of your soul.

May every frost-filled swirl make you think of crystal castles, icy magic, what is possible if we give breath to what makes us whole. 

May justice come to those who seek it, those who need it, those who deserve nothing less.

May consequence come to those who've earned it, those who need it, those who deserve nothing less. 

May humanity come together, all of us, every day, and stand up for what we know is truly and compassionately, right.

May we link arms, build strength, heads high, hearts in hand, souls shining, ready for the fight.

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You are but a few clicks away from one hell of a ride. Take a trip into the dark with Charlie, a kick-ass Mom who'll stop at nothing to save her family...

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https://www.amazon.ca/Once-Broken-Margy-Reid-ebook/dp/B071HTFTX6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2RCIYDF1I58NM&dchild=1&keywords=once+broken&qid=1618091773&sprefix=once+broken%2Caps%2C472&sr=8-2

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Thank you for your support!

Living Life In Unapologetic Colour...

                                       

  

 

Hi!

So, it's Easter. The second since this friggin virus has put a chokehold on the humans of this planet. Last year, we did a drive-by Easter, dropping treats at the doorsteps of loved ones. This year, unfortunately, it has to be a working Easter, because, well, running a small, service-based business during a year-plus long pandemic is no joke. 

Life has its regular storms, for sure, there will always be ups and downs in every aspect of life. That's one of a handful of things that are absolutely guaranteed during our time on this earth. 

This one, though, is tough. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not going to pretend we have had it nearly as hard as millions of people in other parts of the world, but I'm also not going to pretend like it's been a walk in the park. 

We are close to winning this war, but we aren't there yet. Please stay vigilant, be safe, keep each other safe, and get vaccinated. 

I don't know about you, but I, for one, am tired of living through the endless storm that has forced us into a life fairly void of colour. There is no magic. It takes us doing what we need to do. Period. 

So, until then. Until it's over. Until... we keep stepping. We keep moving. We keep going. We know that if we do, if we keep slogging through, keep putting one foot in front of the other, we get through to the other side. 

We know that soon we will be able to be spontaneous again. We will be able to blow up our bubbles with an explosion of suppressed hugs, and once again see the joy in unhindered smiles. We will attend big weddings, birthday parties, concerts, and sporting events. We will, once again, live lives in blinding, unapologetic colour. 

We got this.

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Another thing....

I've been following the trial of Chauvin, the cop that knelt on George Floyd's neck until he died. 

My take so far?

Chauvin is a garbage human who should have NEVER been allowed to become a cop. Never.

The fact that a person like him is able to make the cut proves beyond any doubt that the bar for making it into law enforcement is WAY too low. 

Mindboggling. 

I hope we witness some semblance of real justice in the end. I hope this sparks monumental change that so desperately needs to take place. 

This, by the way, is not a problem exclusive to the United States. Every country carries a level of racism, bigotry, and prejudice. Some are just better at disguising it as other things. 

We need to do better. We need to be better. 

And now, I gotta run.

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Until next time...

May our lives soon become saturated in brilliance, leaving the grey behind.

May we shake off the shadows that may want to linger, free any darkness entwined.

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