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Category Archives: Inclusion
‘Gay’ as I’ve known it…
I must have been 14, when my friend June informed me that there were boys who preferred boys instead of girls. “They’re called ‘queer’”, she said. I still remember some of my mixed reactions: weird; interesting; and concern that this … Continue reading
Posted in awareness, causes, consciousness, education, friendship, gay, history, homosexuality, ignorance, Inclusion, love, modern life, personal growth, Reflection, reflections, values
Tagged community, consciousness, gay, gay radar, homosexuality, inclusion, love, personal growth
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Swing dancing 101*
On a recent Saturday night as I watched a crowd of mainly young adults dancing Swing to the strains of the Toronto Jazz Orchestra, I felt a surge of hope for the future. A regular Saturday night event, this dance … Continue reading
Posted in dancing, imperfection, Inclusion, reflections
Tagged choices, dancing, inclusion, political philosophy, reflections, social commentary, values
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There but for luck…#2
I’ll call him Mr. Suburbia because he had to move a long way out of the city to find an affordable room. At some point he developed brain damage – he believes caused by Paxil, though the frontal part of … Continue reading
There but for luck… #1
Not everyone has the good fortune to talk with people who “live the life” in the street or at a level of extreme poverty. I’ve had that opportunity on many occasions for reasons not relevant here. But every time I … Continue reading
Posted in causes, compassion, consciousness, education, Inclusion, personal growth, personal power, poverty, Reflection, schizophrenia, suicide, values
Tagged consciousness, feelings, ignorance, reflections, schizophrenia, street life, values
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Lost potential…
“R” and I sat glued to our conversation, astonished and excited that, by some amazing coincidence, we both had a passionate interest in what we were talking about: how mental distress tends to be handled by the psychiatric or medical … Continue reading
Posted in causes, compassion, consciousness, education, ignorance, Inclusion, personal growth, Poetry, psychology, reflections, schizophrenia, suicide
Tagged community, consciousness, ignorance, inclusion, reflections, schizophrenia, social commentary, suicide, values
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Imperfection welcome
I am wearing a simple ring that I made possibly 25 years ago. For decades it lay in the dark, unworn, because it was a failed, imperfect piece. It was hidden, in the same way I hid occasional creations – … Continue reading
Fear of so-called schizophrenia
Partly because of my friend “A”, and partly because of Mad Pride Week, I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of the label “schizophrenia”. There’s been so much discussion about it in recent years, and people are only just … Continue reading
Posted in causes, community, compassion, consciousness, education, fear, ignorance, Inclusion, personal growth, psychology, reflections, schizophrenia, values
Tagged community, consciousness, ignorance, psychology, schizophrenia
2 Comments
A moment, for mental illness…
Yesterday a friend emailed me a beautiful Powerpoint presentation about long-suffering women and how essential and precious their struggles are, everywhere and always. It was one of those things we’re asked to send on, and It would have been perfect … Continue reading
Posted in community, compassion, consciousness, fear, Feelings, Inclusion, personal growth, psychology, Reflection, reflections, schizophrenia, values, volunteer
Tagged community, compassion, mental illness, mental-health, opinion, psychology, schizophrenia, values
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Community vs ‘Ghettoization’
Community is the single most important social group in our lives. It can take us a lifetime to figure that out, because we are diverted and distracted by other social groups: clubs, religious organizations, political groupings, schools, gangs and so … Continue reading
Posted in community, consciousness, Inclusion, modern life, psychology, reflections, values
Tagged community, consciousness, inclusion, social commentary, values
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Thinking and Dreaming 
Hearing….
The point of acknowledging a ‘disability’, in my opinion, is to raise an alert, for a need for consideration and accommodation. So just as someone in a wheelchair needs a ramp in order to participate in certain events so does … Continue reading →