The Human Race?

Having had one of those days when I'm disappointed with Humanity in general, I just need to rave a little while!!

What do we mean when we talk about the human race? What I really mean is why do we call it the human race. Dictonary.com defines the word race as a local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics. Of course, that's the original meaning. But I can't help but look at it in terms of the human struggle, the human test, the human "race".

We as humans are quite competitive in nature. We are hard-wired to be. It's always been survival of the fittest. We had to be the best or we didn't survive or attract the right mates. It's funny that even though we can now buy our food at supermarkets and find our mates online we still have to put our best foot forward and compete. Some of us have won battles for jobs, and mates too I might add. But have we forgotten that we need to fight for our earth? What about our dignity and self-respect?

Most people, myself included, have made mistakes. God knows there's a lot of times I've wished I'd acted differently or said something differently. Most times, pride prevents me from telling the person that I've wronged that I was stupid for saying or doing certain things. It seems we treat strangers or acquaintance better than we treat our families. I guess it's because we know that no matter what we do, our family will always be there for us. The concern that strangers may not like us drives us to chew our words and stroke these egos more carefully (when a lot of times these people need a smack up side the head!!) Case in point. How often do we make the first step and apologize to people even when we know we're right, just to end an argument. It's certainly a practice in humility, and it happens, but not nearly enough. Yeah, people might argue that you're spineless and you let people get over your time, but still, swallow your pride and just do what it takes to get along!

What I've found about the Human Population is that we are generally selfish and uncaring. Do people really care if you're under the weather? Do they care that you just lost a loved one? Likely they'll say the right things like get well soon or sorry for your loss but do they really feel your pain? No. Of course not. We never put ourselves in other peoples shoes. Someone once told me that before you make judgment, walk a mile in someone's shoes. Then you're already a mile away when you disagree with their point of view (and you have a new pair of shoes).

I think that's how we as humans really are. We think the way we want to think and we barely consider why or how other people have the opinions they have. We automatically assume they are wrong and judge them accordingly. But then is there any wonder? We have done some pretty despicable things in the history of the world. How many races were almost destroyed by hate, at least one was made extinct that I know of. (The Beothuks). No wonder we are filled with prejudices and fears. How do we get beyond these fears??

Do people really care that we're polluting our planet beyond repair or overusing our resources? Ok. There are a handful of people. But that's not enough. I truly do care. But do I care enough to take steps to stop the destruction? Well, lets see, I use more than my share of electricity and water, I always have 3-4 bags of garbage to put out a week (even though I recycle pop containers), and I waste food more than you can imagine (even though my parents always told me not to waste because there are starving children in the world.)

When will the race to become better people begin? When will I become better?When will social responsibility become as important as landing that new job? Eventually, it will be the most important thing in our lives because we'll have no choice. Can you see our future? A future that has our planet so beaten down, it will take nothing short of hard word and major lifestyle changes as well as a miracle to bring us back from the brink of total self destruction. I know this seems a little harsh, but this is the harsh reality.

When will being courteous, friendly and considerate become a priority in our lives. Looking around the news stations, we are filled with violent graphics of people who are so filled with hate and destruction, I can hardly fathom how they can breathe. Yet, each year there are more crimes, fuller prisons and people who are forever changed by violence. If someone wrongs us, what is our first reaction? For some it is revenge. Others could say "I'm not talking to them again!" or "I'd like to smack that person." Why can't we sit there and think! Use the brains God gave us. Think WHY did this person say this or do that. I think most of the time we'll find we ourselves have some sort of responsibility. If we find we don't, look at the person themselves. Have they had the kind of life where they've been raised and cultured to be confrontational and abusive? We need to understand our opponents and not be so quick to judge. One wise man once said

"But I say to you, Have love for those who are against you, and make prayer for those who are cruel to you;"

Matt 5:44. Jesus of course was right! If we all (and I mean ALL OF HUMANANITY) followed this, imagine the world we'd live in. The man brutally died on the cross for us and see how we repay him? By raping the world and hating eachother. Man I feel terrible for that.

Maybe this week, if we all tried not to judge people as quickly, if we were more thoughtful of the earth, it would make some small difference. If not a difference to the world, at least to ourselves. Maybe we can make this race about ourselves. Maybe we could all compete personally with our inner-self to be better people, make a better human race, a better population, and ultimately a better world. One person at a time!

Confederation and Resettlement

Join Canada?

Since tomorrow is the opening of the Off-Broadway Players' (OBP) play "1949" (a play about Newfoundland joining confederation), I've been really thinking about the pros and cons of being amalgamated with and assimilated by Canada.

Reaction to joining confederation was mixed in 1949, and apparently it still is. Still there are those who believe the referendum was "fixed." I mean really, with a race as close as 51 to 49 percent, you have to remember that half the people were "poisoned" (excuse me for using a newfie-ism) with the outcome, and the other half of the people were celebrating a victory. Some still are.

What did joining confederation do for us? It made us lose our independent status as a country, but we gained so many benefits from being a part of this vast country. We spend the Canadian Dollar, we get all those amazing equalization payments (ha!) and we get to drink Tim Hortons coffee and wear the Maple Leaf on our backpacks!

In all seriousness, I am very proud to be a Canadian. But I'm first proud to be a Newfoundlander. I love our old flag, even though I had yet to be born when it was flown as our national flag, I still have these feelings of longing for something I've never known. What is that all about?

Perhaps it's the upbringing I had, to hear my parents talk of the "old days" fills me with memories that belong to someone else. Memories I've never experienced, but enjoy often. Not all those memories were good though. There were hardships. Lots of them. Who knew if you were going to survive the next winter without enough supplies or food, or survive the next epidemic of TB? This brings me to my next point.

Resettlement

How can a person understand exactly how it felt to be uprooted from the only life you've known and forced to live in a strange community. Maybe a child who has been forced to change schools can understand to a small degree. But these families who were uprooted paid a great price. They were told they were to gain so many other things like healthcare and education.

We certainly gained those things didn't we? There's hardly a soul around now who isn't complaining about long wait times for medical care, or the inability to find a family doctor; or run-down schools, full of under-achievers, or the creation of "Super Schools" when the problems with all these things are MONEY! Exactly what we thought were getting from joining Canada.

Maybe joining confederation and eventually resettling was the best thing. But it changed how we lived. It changed our simple lives of sustenance farming and fishing, to fast-paced lives; from working for what we need to owing for what we wanted; from having more children to having less time for our 1.2 children and our marriages.

Sure, life is so easy, just click the remote to watch TV and spend hours entertained. Click the mouse to pay a bill that gives us light with the flick of a switch. Was there anything wrong with dancing a jig for entertainment and listening to the radio by candlelight? Of course not. I'm not saying I don't enjoy my toilet and public sewer immensely, because God knows, when I go to Fortune Harbour for a visit, I long for that porcelain again. But we never would have missed what we didn't have.

Would progress have come about anyway? Or was it the way we merged to larger centres that brought this push on to become more modern. Who knows for sure. All I know is that there's something inside me that wishes for simpler times, a slower paced life. Something inside me that longs for the moon on the water somewhere that's not brightened by city lights. A part of me that yearns to be back there...our should I say back then. Somewhere I've never been.

Anyway, the following are lyrics to the song West Moon performed by Pat and Joe Byrne. Al Pittman had written a play entitled "West Moon" which actually toured to Ireland as well. That was an amazing show. The setting is a graveyard where the souls of the departed "have a great yarn" one night a year when the moon is just right. It really haunted me. (Just an aside, I think I'm going to be singing this song at the cocktail Hour at the A&CC Friday Night. What a song. The lyrics are amazing as is the imagery they show.) I hope they inspire thought provoking images in your mind as they always do mine.

West Moon by Pat and Joe Byrne
Oh, tonight the west moon hangs over the harbour,
Shines down 'cross the headland and out 'cross the bay,
Shines down 'thru the trees and rests on the graveyard,
The only reminder of a long ago day.

My mind takes me back to a time in that harbour
When stout boats at anchor dozed on the sway,
When the laughter of children sent glad cries to Heaven
And woman looked sea-ward from meadows of hay.

But no longer I see those fish-covered flakes now,
No green rows of garden stretched over the hill,
No punt in the beach gleaming red with fresh copper,
No fine sturdy stick freshly cut for a keel.

For the government men came bribing and preaching,
They convinced all the livyers to just move away.
Now they're scattered like dried leaves from Hell to high water,
But the wind and the west moon elected to stay.

So, tonight the west moon hangs over the harbour,
Shines down 'cross the headland and out 'cross the bay,
Shines down 'thru the trees and rests on the graveyard,

As if lookin' for the souls of the ones moved away.

I think that's enough for today. Thanks for reading! Until Next Time . . .

A New Beginning

Well, as some of you reading this are aware, I'm hardly a computer savvy person and I always assumed it took so much more work to create your own Blog, but hey, even old dogs can be taught new tricks. Besides that, this is SOOOOO easy, even I can do it!

Welcome to a new stage in my life. Congratulations, as you are the elite few who are catching this first hand!!! I am embarking on a new journey by creating this blog. A chapter which is filled with me being totally open and honest about my innermost thoughts and feelings. Something I always felt I could not do. I finally realized I have important things that I want to say, silly things I wanna share, and truly, I want to feel a real connection with people. I though this is the way to go!

I'm likely not going to be posting EVERY day, but I'm going to aim for once a week to put some small thing here. Even if it's got something to do with the children, myself, and topics of interest to myself and some of you.

I guarantee, you'll likely never be bored here. (With exception to this opening post!!) :) Absolutely no topic is sacred. I have such a broad range of interests and passions. Please feel free to agree or disagree with EVERYTHING you find here. Debate makes life so much more interesting. As you know, I have a very open mind. But when I know I'm right, I'll argue to the death.

That's all for now, I do need to get a decent amount of sleep or I'm unable to function properly! Until Next Time . . .