Election Canada

If someone had told me that politics would play a large part of my retirement, I would say something intelligent like - Oh Pish posh! But the events of the last few years both here and in the U.S. have gotten my attention like never before. Not only have I been voting more enthusiastically, but I’m almost a political nerd! But only almost. This morning I cast my ballot in Canada’s federal election. Slings and barbs from a politician south of the border suggesting - no, calling Canada less than a country, and one to be taken over - to give up on itself - raised the ire of the population of this country. So far, the Liberal party has the largest share of the votes. All the results are not in, but it looks like we just may have an economist and a first time politician as our Prime Minister. Still lots of votes to count but there you have it!  Now just a word from a previous Prime Minister:

“Our old-fashioned system is better than any new-fangled voting machine. 

Not only is it guaranteed to work, but there is something I find 

appealing in putting a mark on a piece of paper for the candidate 

of your choice, as opposed to pulling a lever as if you 

were gambling on a slot machine in Las Vegas.

~ Jean Chretien

On a Whim

What to do with the chicken this time?

So I started to build a ‘recipe’ 

Chicken thighs - I’ll cook them in the oven but want something different.

Salt and Pepper - that’s usual, but a sprinkle of oregano sounds like a nice addition.

Hmmmmm……..sour cream! I’ll coat them with sour cream. 

Good. All in the baking dish but they do look lonely.

I know! Potato slices - looks too, I don’t know, boring.

A few slices of onion should help - flavour will be good. Just a quarter of one though. I’m not a big onion fan except for the flavour.

It really does need some colour!

Oh well, in the oven at 350 F for an hour.

~~~~~

Now for the colour - frozen broccoli over it all with little

chunks of orange bell pepper. Back in the oven so they can thaw and cook. That’s better.

Afterthought: finely grated parmesan cheese. Yes, that seems just right.

Final taste test  (my supper)

It was delicious! The chicken was moist and flavourful. I would do something different with the sour cream though. It curdled and the look of the dish wasn’t up to snuff. 

**Note:  I am incredibly grateful to all the truckers that brought me the groceries for my supper. I do not know all the personal reasons for the convoys and protests that each trucker and individuals brought to the Legislature today. I am, however, annoyed - no, I am angry - that some have chosen to disregard the very real danger of the viral spread we are living with. That includes our politicians. If any of it has to do with just a whim, I am even more angry.

“Are you going to cater to the whims and prejudices of people 

who have no intelligent knowledge of what they condemn?”

~ Susan B Anthony Collection

Which One?

Elastic bands, if stretched too far, will thin and finally let go. Sometimes with a stinging snap, sometimes with intent. Watching the U.S. election results tonight on CTV, the elastic that is political discourse has been stretched back and forth, in and out for too long and in too many ways. As a Canadian citizen, the outcome should be a slam dunk for my choice. Accessible health care and respect for the common man truly that drives any economy seems a no brainer choice. But then that’s just my opinion. I can only keep my fingers, toes and maybe even my eyes crossed for the elastic just to be set down, quieted down and with respect.

“You have very little morally persuasive power with 

people who can feel your underlying contempt.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Sculpture

Understanding opinions 

has little to do with believing

words spoken in sound bytes

wrapped in rhetoric

Understanding opinions

recognizes the roots of life experience

forming any opinion

shaped with or without gratitude.

Understanding opinions ~

not necessary for good manners

“Everything that irritates us about others 

can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

~ C.G.Jung

A Kitchen Debate

A Kitchen Debate

“Respect for others opinions!! Respect for others opinions! You must be kidding. Did you not see the posturing, hear the rudeness and felt the ignorance that emanated from that speaker? It was absolutely revolting.” Harold was quivering with rage. His face was almost purple he was so mad. He had been stomping around the house for days since the last political debate. Milly, his wife of 39 years had dared to utter that maybe he could respect another’s opinion. 

“Oh, Harold, I didn’t mean we should agree with the man. I was just as revolted as you were. I’m certainly not going to get so mad I almost have a stroke. That certainly wouldn’t help any situation. Am I worried? I definitely am. But I can’t help but think of what my father would tell me long before you and I met. It was usually after some argument I had at school, sometimes after a debate. I would be so mad and just want to go to town on someone. Do you remember Billy White with his arrogant, entitled ways? Or another was Greta Compton who just thought her way was the only way to do anything. Anyway, dad would tell me…I fought in the war that let people have the right to their opinions. ‘But, Milly’….he would say…..‘Milly you don’t have to agree or even like anyone, and really you shouldn’t respect unsavoury behaviour and mean attitudes. Keep it all in perspective, honey.’ 

Harold was silent for a few minutes then said “Well, I’m still mad and I still just want to throttle the guy. I don’t even know why I kept listening. I’ll never respect that man’s opinions. I hate it, but I do respect his right to have those horrible, mean, and just plain rude opinions.”

“That’s good, dear. I really don’t like it when you get so upset. The steaks on the barbeque are ready, so get your plate and fill it up. There’s creamed corn and potato salad on the kitchen table. The patio table is all set and the wind has gone down. The sun is just lovely and warm with just a bit of breeze.”

“Barking at people earns their respect about as

 effectively as staring in the sun improves your vision.”

~ Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons

Without Judgment

Estimating the value of both sides

without judgment while

maintaining personal beliefs

is an incredible challenge!

Suspending personal belief 

to hear, and at least attempt,

to understand the other side of the coin, 

when diametrically opposed positions 

on controversial issues crash and clash

Suspending defensive ‘I’m rightism’

to hear past the personal passion 

of the flippin’ other side of the coin for

new information, different information or 

~ is it just opinion?

Estimating the value of both sides

gaining perspective

without judgment while

maintaining personal beliefs

requires humility 

~ and sometimes a very deep breath.

“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”

~ Desmond Tutu

[Address at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houston,

Johannesburg, South Africa, 23 November 2004]

To Name A Law

To be content
when all about you
is argument and dissent
is to be swimming 
against current opinions

To be content
when all about you
is disrespect and ridicule
is to step out of
power struggles 

To be content
when all about you
begs to have disorder and chaos
is to respect a universal law
The Law of Peace and Acceptance

To be content
while standing up for beliefs
can be more unbalancing than chaos
while opinions still differ
yet open the door for compromise.

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Donald Trump: My Opinion

I’ve just read a letter from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania regarding their concerns about Donald Trump’s statements throughout this electioneering. Prideful statements about his attendance and intolerant statements toward many marginalized groups.

I have limited my own discussions and tempered my opinions about The Donald because I did not want to give him any more attention. Not that my one small voice, in this corner of another country he may not even be aware of, would make a difference in the grand scheme of things. As I’ve listened to the rhetoric, keeping relatively silent, I have been curious about this stance of mine, not providing any more energy to this individual and his antics.

The letter I read was published in the GOPOCALYPSE, an online ‘newspaper’. “Standing by and not taking him seriously is what gave him the Republican presidential nomination.” 

For the record: This man, Donald Trump, frightens me. His rhetoric, his blustering, and his appearance that he is stupid. I do not think for one minute that he is stupid. I am afraid that his performance is flash that covers his real opinions and intentions. It is so unbelievable that anyone running for the highest office in the United States could be so full of himself in such an arrogant, crass and frightening manner. Being accepted by any political party!

So there is my opinion about Donald Trump. He is a very, frightening man. I am afraid of the powerful relationships that he has formed given he is running for an even more powerful position!

“Don’t judge a man by his opinions, 

but what his opinions have made of him.”

~ Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Read the full article at: www.gopocalypse.org

Always Qualified for More Knowledge

“You’re overqualified 

    for this job.”
I didn’t know what that meant.
I didn’t agree.

“You’re overqualified 

    for this job.”
Years later, I know.
Today I do agree ~ in a cynical sort of way.

Not curious enough then to question.
Another’s opinion is only that.
Another’s opinion.

Curious enough for occasional reflection
Years later, ‘overqualified for this job’ 
Makes sense? ~ I had higher education about addictions.

Policy and procedure sets limits of time and task.
Today, expanded knowledge outside such a box
Also makes sense

Working well within policies and procedures
Requires artful expression of expanded knowledge
Not an empty box.

“Your mind will never be dull, if you remember 

there is never enough to learn for it to be too full.”

~ Benny Bellamacina, Philosophical Uplifting Quotes vol. 2

Author's note: Edited January 21, 2024

Orlando Tragedy - Opinion Piece

Cross Country Checkup on CBC Radio this afternoon, hosted by Asha Tomlinson, posed the question ‘what are your thoughts about the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida’, a tragedy costing 50 people their lives and putting 53 more people in hospital with injuries. The issues raised throughout the two hour call-in show were terrorism, homophobia, and the lack of gun control in the United States. All are valid issues that our society discusses regularly. This most recent tragedy brought them all to the forefront of our daily lives once more.

While I listened to each of the well voiced opinions and observations, one thread seemed to underlie each of the issues. That thread I recognized is the ability and practice to hate what humanity seems to have mastered. There is no legislation that can stop or alter hate that is 

already a part of any individual’s life.

So what can be done? What can I do?

I confess, I am not going to pretend to feel the anger, the devastation or the fear that I heard many voice today. Stepping into those burning feelings on a continuing basis, leaves me unsettled, with the potential for paranoia to creep in. Hate can follow closely behind, clinging and convincing me that hate is necessary - when hate is completely counterproductive. Hate is divisive.

Terrorism is global, unpredictable and frightening
Homophobia, a great danger to the LGBTQ community, is immense, dangerous and frightening.
Lack of gun control is political, bound in generational beliefs and, again, frightening to the children and adults alike.

To be aware of how we treat all people on a daily basis, and then change what needs to be changed, is the beginning of addressing each of these issues. Sounds simplistic? Naive?
Maybe it is. 

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

~ Confucius

Coming Home to Apathy

I was going to write an essay tonight about the Homelessness Forum I attended this evening. The evening was lovely - 800 people in a grand old church listening to the Mayors of three cities - Victoria, Medicine Hat, Alberta and Eugene, Oregon discuss the challenges they have encountered. Solutions were entertained for housing for those without homes or the resources to get one.

But, I’m tired tonight so I’m just home from work, door locked with my feet up on my sofa while the dishwasher cleans up my dishes for me. Television is my companion - enjoyable and predictable. 

“People can be so apathetic. They continue to ignore the real people 

trapped in poverty and homelessness. It’s almost maddening.”

~ Daphne Zuniga

Harm Reduction in Canada

My posts have been poetic, story, musings and my opinions. My opinion pieces have been about epilepsy, addictions and the state of affairs in the world. I have offered book reviews, movie reviews and an occassional play review. My life is pretty full and interesting.

Today’s post is inspired by an hour long seminar about Suboxone maintenance and Opiate addiction. Both topics can fill much longer than an hour, but for today a small group of health care professionals gathered to listen to a presentation about Suboxone, the medication we use for opiate withdrawal at the Detox where I work.

So much has been learned about the brain and still there is more to learn. For this nurse, brain function and the brain changes that occur in any addiction is the most important part of any level of addiction care. From those that work in street clinics and community teams to those of us employed in withdrawal managment or hospitals to the counselors, social workers and nurses that work in treatment centers across this continent, we are all working with individuals with varying levels of brain dysfunction. Although neuroplasticity can rebuild some of the damage, that rebuild will take years to complete and only with long term life stability. 

Long term opiate abuse has increased in Canada by leaps and bounds with the development of a variety of narcotic pain killers. The advent of the drug Suboxone (buprenorphrine/naloxone), has allowed those addicted to the longer acting opiates, to complete a withdrawal process, because of how it works in the brain at the level of opioid receptors within the brain. Brain changes also occur in long term abuse of any of other drugs whether prescription, illicit drugs, or alcohol.

Possibilities for pharmaceutical assistance in aiding those with opiate addiction were expanded. Problems arise with matters of funding for continued therapy, availability of clinics and pharmacies that manage Suboxone and the stability of individual life styles. These problems occur far too frequently, barriers yet to be addressed effectively. I continue to hope that these barriers are recognized and addressed.

“The hard things in life, the things you really 

learn from, happen with a clear mind.”

~  Caroline Knapp, Drinking: A Love Story

First World Problems

First world problems crop up every day in this part of the world free of bombs, armies, destruction, water limitations and hunger. I haven’t experienced travel to any such areas so have to trust media reports.

Each time I am in the midst of a worry or complaint about how things are run, my personal health or financial security or, dare I mention, age, I also think about my good fortune for being born and raised in Canada, with the added experience of living and working in the United States. This morning, standing in line in the early morning brilliant sunshine waiting for the Medical Clinic to open, all of these things flooded my mind at the same time as I was about to jump into another pity party. The line-up? Not to see a doctor, but to make an appointment to see a doctor in an hour. But would be seeing a doctor to answer questions that this nurse had spinning in her head. And the physician was one of several at this Walk-In Clinic. I don’t have ‘my own’ doctor, but doctors that are well-trained and confident in their training.

Is it right that in this so-called country of ‘free’ health care, which often does not seem really free, that we are not better served? That was the question that interfered with the sunshine.

I not only had my appointment, brief and efficient, but had my questions and concerns answered so I could relax into my life once more. And then, I walked to the lab for a blood test. Which I can access on line and then return to the doctor if there are more questions.

Line up in the spring sunshine? First world problem.

“The huge problems we deal with every day are 

actually really small. We’re so focused on what bothers us that 

we don’t even try to see our lives from a clearer perspective.”

~ Susane Colasanti,  Something Like Fate

What?

What?
Not my usual question.

Why? 
My words of curiosity.

What do you want to learn?
If you want to be a student.

What outcome do you want?
If you have a longterm goal.

What is your preference?
If your taste is different.

What do you believe?
If your belief goes against the grain.

What is the purpose of why?
If all it answers is with opinion.

What ~ not a usual question,
Yet it informs next steps forward….or back.

“Life is what you make of it. You have to decide what you want in life.”  

~ Lailah Gifty Akita

Author's Note: Edited January 16, 2024

Article Review: I Knew My Daughter Smoked Pot - Stigma Magazine

I saw the magazine Stigma at work today. I read the interview with Clara Huges, flipped through the pages and came upon this article I Knew My Daugher Smoked Pot. Looked interesting, it wasn’t long and as I was on my break I had time to read it. There has been much controversy, opinion and research about marijuana and cannabinoid: the benefits, the dangers and the legality of marijuana. In the light of all of this, this article was a brave one and so well written with a surprise - it was written by a colleague, Sharlene Law, a driving force in the Umbrella Society. 

I Knew My Daughter Smoked Pot by Sharlene Law was a very clear and poignant look into one of the risks involved in marijuana use:  Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome. Symptoms of this syndrome are recurrent nausea, vomiting and severe crampy abdominal pain, very confusing and difficult to diagnose if a physician is not aware of this Syndrome.

Thanks for this Sharlene!

Find this article and previous magazine issues online at www.stigmamagazine.com.   

“Be wise enough not to be reckless, but brave enough to take great risks.”

~ Frank Warren

Contact Umbrella Society - An Addictions & Mental Health Resource at:

www.umbrellasociety.ca

Contact:

Info@stigmamagazine.com

Purpose: A Slippery Fish!

Practical
Utilitarian
Robust
Phantasmagorical
Overdrive
Slippery
Effervescent

“The circumstances of the world are so variable that an irrevocable 

purpose or opinion is almost synonymous with a foolish one.”

~  William Seward

Marijuana - Therapeutic or Intoxicant?

Only a tomato plant - (see the little tomato?)

This is one issue where my opinions clash with the experience of others, and with medical research and treatment, leaving my opinions in tatters. Marijuana, specifically THC and its use for medical purposes, vs marijuana, when over used or abused, is so frighteningly life altering that it has come under the fire of opinion with developing research. I have known this drug, cannabis, specifically THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the isomer found in the plant to be used for chronic or cancer pain, for severe intractable nausea, in some cases of dementia and most interestingly in the treatment of some forms of epilepsy. I have cared for clients in withdrawal from excessive amounts of cannabis who experience extremely high levels of anxiety, bordering on psychosis; disturbed sleep and one condition labelled Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. This last syndrome is unremitting, unpredictable nausea and severe episodes of vomiting. Aside from plant chemistry, what is the brain chemistry involved in this divisive issue? And I would be remiss if I did not mention the effective use of THC in veterinary care.

Throughout my life and career, many medical issues have shifted and changed as research and experience mesh. This issue also is a thorn in the side of the police, the courts and all levels of the legal system. Given all of that is there a right and wrong? One side or the other? I know that many that have settled in one camp or the other. 

As a nurse, working in addictions care, this puts me in a bit of a bind. And as an individual that has epilepsy, it creates another area of questioning and concern. Concern for the child that may have an effective treatment withheld ~ a child with uncontrolled seizures that has had unsuccessful trials of numerous other legal drugs and finally success with marijuana ~ which may be illegal. Concern for the individual that has the potential for addiction to cannabis. The vitality of the arguments and opinions in the media and at an individual level seems to be mounting with little sign of agreement or acceptance.

I have read articles from Twitter, Google and the online Time Magazine, as well as listening to an interview on CBC radio regarding the toxic nature vs medical value of marijuana. At an International Nurses Society on Addictions conference several years ago, one of our members discussed at great length the endocannabinoid system and the value of marijuana in nursing care. And I have also seen the many memes that have carried the message of marijuana as an intoxicant, sometimes with the words and face of Bob Marley or Jimmy Carter in the background. If this drug, from a plant, is used as an intoxicant, I disagree with it’s use; if it is used for medical managment of a health condition, I may have to rethink my ‘all bad’ opinions. As a nurse, I will just take care of the individual that, because of cannabis abuse, arrives at the door of detox.

“All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, 

sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others.”

~ Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt

December 30, 2023

Author's Note: THC is the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.

                         CBD or cannabinoid has no psychoactive effect.