Category Archives: consequences

One war souvenir with blue eyes…

The guy sitting in the underground path to the Manulife Center, just after our lovely lunch, had obviously been in a horrifying accident – perhaps something like an  “IED”* in Afghanistan, I imagined; or a car accident that involved a … Continue reading

Posted in accountability, anti-war, compassion, consequences, injustice, war | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

That moment…

That moment The moment that affects all others That choosing of a different shade of life. The hair, a filament, That splits before and after. The root Of hesitation.

Posted in change, choices, consciousness, consequences, moments, personal choice, Poetry, reflections | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The People of the Kattawapiskak River

I sit here in my large, comfortable, well-heated home, almost trembling with reverberation from seeing Alanis Obomsawin’s film, “The People of the Kattawapiskak River” at the ImagineNative film festival in Toronto. Every Canadian needs to see it. It’s late, and … Continue reading

Posted in aboriginal, accountability, child abuse, consequences, exploitation, heritage, history, indigenous, loss, reflections, residential schools, Restitution, social justice, suffering, trauma, values | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Omar

Omar.   He spoke English, French, German Arabic and Russian well, and a few others passably.   Born in Jordan of ‘ethnic Russian’ parents, he was my ‘exotic flame’. Omar’s passion at the time was writing plays, and he supported himself as … Continue reading

Posted in consequences, education, experience, food, friendship, history, Insight, love, Memories, reflections, relationships | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Look who’s voting!!

Voting without doing the ‘homework’, and then not watching what they do in government, is like handing a stranger the key to your house, and going for a walk.  It’s risky.  It’s naïve.  It’s irresponsible.  And it’s damn lazy. A … Continue reading

Posted in awareness, consequences, education, history, ignorance, privatization, reflections | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

My own ‘story of stuff’

I think it must have been in my twenties that I first became aware of the-problem-of-stuff; probably listening to conversations about “Silent Spring” – Rachel Carson’s consciousness-raising book that sounded the alarm possibly for the first time. I remember in … Continue reading

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The sins of our “fathers”…

There we sat, in the café, a lot of Canadian history between us.  Her ancestors indigenous Canadian and holocaust survivors, mine ‘Scottish Presbyterian’ and English settlers who imposed themselves on land that may never have belonged to them. If my … Continue reading

Posted in causes, community, consciousness, consequences, education, heritage, history, ignorance, Inclusion, indigenous, Reflection, values | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Legalize drugs? Duh!

A lot of people I know smoke cigarettes. Most drink alcohol. Yes, some have problems resulting from these activities. But for the most part, they know what they are consuming. And above all, no one is being murdered over it, … Continue reading

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Are we inclusive… or excluding?

Long ago, when neighbours fought any large development, I joined in the fray. When Doctors’ Hospital was proposed in the Kensington Market area of Toronto, I jumped on the bandwagon of fear and loathing, anticipating some horrible, overcrowded, crime-ridden scene, … Continue reading

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Headlines that sell “news”

We are all potential victims of those who make a living at others’ expense.  They might argue that they have a right to profit regardless of consequences, that if you are a victim, it’s because of your own ignorance.  I’m thinking … Continue reading

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