Respect for American Vietnam Vets. Canada how about respect for our own?

     I was sent this video from a retiree who has forwarded it from within.  I am tired of hearing people constantly telling me at functions and reviews, their disdain for the military.  I have heard it in undergrad.  I have heard it in grad.  I have heard it in internships and I recently heard it one week ago.  I am never quite sure if it is directed as an insult or not.  At times there is no doubt.

     The person who sent me this email, reflected that a Canadian retiree accompanied two American veterans south of the border.  What he deduced was that the American Veteran Affairs treated their veterans with respect.

     As I read the email, I contemplated the insults that our veterans receive.  Their veteran affairs offices are closing up, they are turned away from Sunnybrook Hospital Veteran Ward, unless they have been in a world war (really?).  They return from war physically and emotionally hurt but they do not get the treatment they deserve unless they return dead. That is a lot cheaper. 

      Imagine a country with no soldiers, no police; no authority of control.  What would happen then?  
      
      I can understand people not liking something or other. However, how about a little bit of manners?  I know that "manners" is not taught in the education system.  Perhaps it should begin? How about looking beyond ourselves? 

      I am very motivated to begin group therapy for veterans.  I want to offer a space where veterans can share their experiences and their readaption to a society that may not have the tools, or insight, to be able to help them.

      One veteran who kills him or herself, is one veteran too many.  There is no shame in getting the help you need.  Integrating back into civilian society can be difficult.  Help is there. 

   

       
        
     












*http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LemllfcAY8A&sns=em
<http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LemllfcAY8A&sns=em>*

ER Physician wants his dog back. Help him get his Shih tzu back. City Pulse and CTV news tell story…..

     I tape the news and watch it daily.  I switched from City Pulse when they moved locations. I thought that the news was too focused, on their move.  I switched to CTV News.  Recently however, I have been taping both.  I like the human interest stories that City Pulse provides and I like the Consumer reports that CTV provides.
     Last night my heart went out to the news of an Emergency Room doctor, who came back from a holiday, to find his little dog missing from the care facility he had been placed at.  I think that would be a nightmare for many pet owners.  I myself have not taken a holiday because my pets do not like people.  They are rescue animals and know how mean people can be.  One, however is becoming more bold in her mannerism. Not knowing anything but love for quite a few years she is getting more curious at receiving kindness from others.  They are a priority in my decisions.  I have accepted them as my responsibility for their life time.
   

    I  provide treats for the area dogs who come to visity me and a Shih Tzu is one of my favorites.  I also had a family member own a Shih Tzu and he broke everyone's heart when he had to be put down at the recommendation of the vet.  We can tell a lot of the owner about how well an animal is taken care of.
   Abuse of animals should be taken very seriously because they are so helpless and violence and atrocity against animals expand to people eventually.  That is why I have a special place in my heart for children and animals because they are innocent and vulnerable.

    The news revealed that people as far as the States are tormenting this physician who is trying so desparately to get his dog back.  They are phoning him and telling him horrible things that I shall not repeat because I am aware of copy cats too well.  I admire this physician whose ultimate goal is to reunite with his dog.  Here is a man whose job it is to save lives.  If I had to have a life and death situation to save me, I would want him to be my doctor because that same devotion and determination he has to get his dog back is probably the same intensity that saves lives.

    I think it is sad that people can be so heartless to someone who wants his dog back.  I hope he is returned.  I hope that the dog was taken in by someone who saw him in the streets and adopted him as I adopted mine.  The only difference is that mine did not have anyone who loved them or cared for them.  
Do what I have always done.  Ensure that the animal does not belong to anyone.  Losing a pet is painful at the best of times.  Trying to find your pet and getting horrible calls is another.  Toronto why not look around you today and see if you can find this adoreable Shih Tzu who belongs with his ER doctor who loves him and needs him so he can get back to saving your life.

Tribute to my Postmana as promised (Published)

TRIBUTE TO MY POSTMAN

It was the Christmas season and the previous year I had left a gift for my postman on a decrepit old chair, inside my small porch. When the day had passed and I received my mail, I noticed that my small gift remained though the card that said “for my postman” was gone.
Not disheartened, I left the small gift there for a week where it remained.
The following week, I replaced the small gift with another. I left a note, “For my post man.” Again, the gift remained, though my mail was delivered promptly each day.
I did not give up and on the third week after placing a bigger gift on the tired chair, I came home and was excited that the gift was gone. My mail waited eagerly for me. I marveled that finally my post man was pleased with a gift that I had left. You see they were all wrapped so that the interior could be seen.
A year has gone by and Christmas is creeping up. It has not snowed and I am weighed down with school work so I am not in the holiday spirit. But I have not forgotten my postman so once again I left a small gift for him with a card and placed the card and the small gift on the same decrepit old chair. Only this time I placed the chair directly in front of my door which he would have to move or lean over to put the mail through my letter opening, on the old door of my old home. I then promptly focused on my exam question and forgot my mail and mail man.
I heard a loud knock at my front door. I climbed down the tired stairs and rushed to the front door opening it. There stood my postman, all rosy from the cold. He looked at me and I thought he would cry. He must have hated my gift, I thought. Instead he looked at me solemnly and thanked me. “You have no idea how much this means to me. Even a card makes me very happy. Thank you so much.”
I looked at him in surprise and thanked him. Like a fool I babbled about last year leaving different gifts which I thought he had dismissed because he did not like them. He assured me that he appreciates any gift or card but since he moves quickly when he delivers the mail he may have missed his gifts. He kept thanking me for his small gift and I felt dumbfounded.
You see my postman delivers the mail into the letter opening of my door at all times. He does not save time doing this for he could easily just leave it on the decrepit old chair in my small porch.
I have watched my postman walk or run in the rain during intense suffocating heat, during storms and with snow so deep it makes one wonder how he does his job at all. Yet, my postman always has a friendly smile and shouts out a greeting whenever he sees me outside.


So you see, though I left him gifts, outside my door which I thought he did not want, I kept replacing them because he more than deserves a gift that he wants.
And when my post man was so appreciative with my small gift yesterday it was I who fought tears as I shut the door.

I am now a Pastoral Counselling Specialist as well

     Another qualification!  Now I just have to wait for the college of psychotherapy to be set up and running and this is it. I do not normally write in my blog on Sundays.  However, these five years of post graduation work and internships is finally over.

 

     Where do you find yourself now in your life?  Where do you want to be in five years?
What are your options?  What do you need to do to get you there?  What is important in your life right now?  What kind of obligations do you have?  Is your life balanced?  Who are you and what do you really, really want?  Why are you not doing it?  What do you think?

Finished writing my second book today

     What a day!  What a week!  I have finally finished my second book.  This one is a handful.  My friend Chris has agreed to edit it.  I am so pleased.  His degree is in creative writing and I think he is a much better writer than I could ever be.  He and I were in the same creative writing class when I was taking a break from psychology.   He could bring pastries and smells to life.  Yes sireeeee.
     
     This cold, storm, and power failure has provided me with an unexpectant holiday.  It gave me the opportunity to write and to study.  Saturday I shall have my oral.  I hope my car makes it.

      I owe you one poem about the postman and I owe Chris a reposting of a paper on evolution.  I shall post one each week.  As soon as I get a breather I will continue my third book.  I have one chapter done.  That will be fun to write.  That will be definitely fiction.  No confusion there.  In the meantime I will try to wrap up with everything that is happening.

      Over 100 books of "Hey Guy Buy Me"  has gone missing so if you see a copy being sold aside from where I have indicated they should be selling from please let me know.   The price is 9.95 and I have never reduced the price.  Should you want a copy, send a cheque to my office and I will mail you a signed copy anywhere in the world for free.  Postage has gone up 40% so that is a deal.  I haven't been to the post office since the power failure and hope that what I heard is inaccurate.  I am still annoyed that they want to lay off so many posties.   They work so hard and deserve much more respect.  The posties were still working in this freeze.  Even the airport knew that their employees should not be working out in the cold and they were protected.

      Anyhow, I am looking forward to another exciting year.

Happy new year!!!!!!!!!!
 

New Years Resolution

     The beginning of the year is full of promises and opportunities.  We can discard the previous year and become more motivated for change.  Mine this year is quite simple.  Have more fun.  Work smart and not hard as my favourite grad professor, Ovi Mohammed likes to say.  Of course I felt that being his student was working more hard than smart in my case.
     The power failure we had in Toronto made me aware of how much I do have in my life.  I do not starve, I have a home and I have love.  What more can one ask for?  How many of us want a bigger house, a bigger car, a bigger lifestyle?  How many of us want to reach out to the sky?  Is there anything wrong with that?  I say no, unless it consumes to the point of no return to common good.  Why not spend some time reflecting how last year has been for you?  Were you happy, sad, inspired, devestated?  What motivates you?  What does not?  Are you happy in your present situation?  What can you do to start changing this year to make your life a bit better, more peaceful, more rewarding?  Sometimes one small step is all that is needed, before you take the next small step.  Why not draw up a list and take a look at the good things in your life.  Do you have enough to eat?  Do you have enough to drink?  Is there anything you can do to make your life healthier?  What is it that you can change this year?  Take a look at the mirror.  Do you like what you see?  Why or why not?

     Take a look at your partner.  What can you do, to enhance your relationship?  What can you do to ignite lost passion?  What can you do for your partner?  What do you get back from your partner?  Is there a balance in the relationship?  Why not?  What can you do about that?

     Life is a precious moment!  What can you do this year to recognize that?  I wish you a happy new year.  I wish you a peaceful New Year.  I wish…………………………

My power is back on. Michigan and Manitoba is coming to help us.

      Last night my cable and phone came back on.  There is still much of my city powerless.  I was able to watch the news and recharge my computer and phone.  I watched the news and smiled at the acts of kindness these conditions bring.  People are worried about their sick neighbours and the elderly.  People are trying to be patient but concerned.  People are coming together, helping each other.  I kind of enjoyed not having a phone for a bit.  I am not much of a talker on the phone and would rather meet up with a person if it extends two minutes of discussion.
     They have stations throughout the city to help with people who still have no heat.  They also have food for them.  I think that is very nice and it demonstrates that our city is prepared for emergencies.  We also have crews coming from Manitoba and the good USA Michigan coming to help us restore power to the rest of the people in Toronto.  I am feeling more confident that I can retain my heat.  I have learned from this.  As soon as I pay off all tuition and other expenses that have accumilated because of my education, professional etc…….. I will get myself a fireplace where I do not need power to start it and keep it going.   They have a name for that in psychology but I cannot recall it at this moment.  I will eventually go through all my notes and place them on my blog before discarding them all.  This power failure has kept me grounded.  I read half a book yesterday and watched a CD.  I am really resting though there is an element of stress wondering how much longer I will be warm.  Today I am feeling more confident knowing that help is coming to our city.  Our American neighbours and ourselves help each other consistently.  That is what neighbours should do.  How many countries can brag about that?  Well today I am bragging.  I appreciate that people are giving up their holidays to help others, even in a different country.   Soon the rest of our city should be up and running.

     Because of this storm, I started my holidays a bit earlier and took the time to just sit and read in warm clothing and not even thinking about going outside.  Now I will deliver the rest of my Gifts and prepare for Christmas.  I will visit those I need to visit.  My family will be warm.

    Merry Christmas.  Thank you USA for helping us.  Thank you Manitoba for helping us.  Thank you Ottawa for helping us.  Thank you for reminding us what Christmas is all about.  It is about reaching out to others with acts of kindness.  It is about the affairs of the heart and soul.

                                                    Merry Christmas!