I Love/Hate People

Cool Yin/Yang from txcowboydancer.files.wordpress.com/

For my 10th blog entry, I decided to offer a short reflection about the last nine posts. When I first started this blog, I really thought that I’d have more to relate about people’s bad behavior. I was surprised to discover that in terms of positive and negative observations, it’s been about equal. So far, I have 4 posts that display the darker side of human behavior and 5 posts that showcase people being benevolent. My mother likes to point out that I’m not as much of a curmudgeon as I’d like to think. She will be so pleased.

I Hate Healthcare Systems

The subject of today’s rant is healthcare; certainly healthcare in America, but don’t go away Canadians you aren’t off the hook. It doesn’t matter one iota if healthcare is privatized or socialized. Privatized systems (American) want your money, and your income can greatly affect the healthcare plan you choose, what illnesses are covered, and ultimately your quality of care. With socialized medicine (Canadian), not only can a patient’s choice of provider be greatly limited, but the wait time for care can be ridiculous.

With either system, the overseeing agency/government gets to decide the scope of a patient’s care. If you need something a little different, too bad. Which is not to say that doctors, nurses and caregivers don’t give a damn about their patients, but between the demands of the job and the limits of the healthcare system, their efforts are greatly hindered to say the least. The real problem is, in my not-so-humble opinion, is that the humanity of caring for other human beings has almost completely vanished. To put it simply, if you need medical care, you should be able to get quality care in a timely fashion and it shouldn’t make a difference who you are, where you live, or how much money you make. We can put a phone on a wristwatch, but we can’t figure this out? Really?! I realize that I’m using broad strokes here. I could go on and on about this honestly, but I won’t.

I Love mylasttie

Normally, I’d write about my own experience, but I came across a post yesterday that I feel compelled to share. When I first saw the link that read “Dying Man, 24, Leaves an Awesome Message That Everyone Should Read” I thought it might be a sweet little post, schmaltzy even. I had no idea how much of an impact it would have on me and I just can’t stop reading it. This is an excerpt from “Soon I Will be Gone Forever, but That’s Okay as Long as Someone Reads This,” by mylasttie. I found this on one of my new favorite sites, kindnessblog.com.

Here it is:

Before, there were so many things that occupied my mind. When I learned how much time I had left, however, it became clear which things are really important. So, I am writing to you for a selfish reason. I want to give meaning to my life by sharing with you what I have realized:

• Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come easily only when you love what you do.

• It’s stupid to be afraid of others’ opinions. Fear weakens and paralyzes you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day until there is nothing left of you, but a shell of yourself. Listen to your inner voice and go with it. Some people may call you crazy, but some may even think you‘re a legend.

• Take control of your life. Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier life. Find a sport that makes you happy. Most of all, don’t procrastinate. Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn’t.

• Appreciate the people around you. Your friends and relatives will always be an infinite source of strength and love. That is why you shouldn’t take them for granted.

It is difficult for me to fully express my feelings about the importance of these simple realizations, but I hope that you will listen to someone who has experienced how valuable time is.

You can find the post in its entirety here. God bless you, mylasttie, and Godspeed.

References

mylasttie. (2015, March 4). Dying Man, 24, Leaves an Awesome Message That Everyone Should Read. Retrieved from kindnessblog.com: http://kindnessblog.com/2015/03/04/dying-man-24-leaves-an-awesome-message-that-everyone-should-read/

I Love Simple Acts of Kindness

Yesterday, I stood in one of the longest checkout lines I’d ever seen. Apparently, everyone in my neighborhood decided to go to the store at the same time. It was one of those days already, and my allergies were killing me. Killing me. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere out into the pollen-filled air, but I had to get a few necessities; allergy medicine and coffee.

hartleyscoffeebar.co.uk

Yes, coffee is a necessity, you’re only fooling yourself, dear reader, if you think otherwise. I was not-so-patiently waiting my turn when the lady in front of me, who has a completely filled cart, glanced back at me. I was sure I was going to get a look of mild disgust, one that read “tough luck, we all have to wait you know,” but instead, she smiled and waved me in front of her. I smiled back gratefully, said thank you probably more times than was appropriate and awkwardly turned to face forward. I still had to wait in the longest line since the opening of “Lord of the Rings”, but it was at least a little more pleasant thanks to a stranger’s simple act of kindness

I (Still) Love Pet Adoption

Charley

My mother read my blog about Sweetie this morning and was a little miffed I didn’t mention our dog Charley and he deserves a shout-out, so here it is Mom:

Charley, or Prince Charles as he is known at the dog park, adopted my parents at the tender age of two, having been rescued from a heartbreakingly limited life by the local authorities and sent to the aptly named organization Grateful Paws. Charley had spent the better part of his early life subsisting on inadequate nutrition and living in an old van.

Charley leaving van life

Despite this rocky start, Charley is a good-natured gentleman who loves children, adults, other dogs, and a good game of tug. When my parents first agreed to be foster parents, they had no idea that they would soon be adopted by this sweetheart. It takes time for a human to adjust to a new family member, after all.

But Charley was patient with them, and soon my mother realized that she was “a failed foster parent” and the appropriate paperwork was filed. Today Charley happily trots about the house, goes on walks with the neighbor, and greets newcomers at the dog park.

Charley and Sweetie

I Hate Noisy Neighbors (Part 2)

Here’s how not to be a noisy neighbor part 2 (yes, more rules)

• Keep the music down after hours. Everyone knows, and often hates, this one. First of all, there is frequently a misconception about when after hours actually is. While it is understandable that some people think it’s 11:00 P.M, it is actually 10:00 P.M. In my experience however, if you’re playing music after 11, you probably don’t give a crap about your neighbors to begin with. The second issue is how low the volume should be. A good general rule of thumb is if you can hear your media a room away from the source in your own apartment, chances are your neighbors can hear it too. How low should the volume be? Low enough to not disturb your neighbors. Period. If that’s not a volume level you like, too bad. No one deserves to have their sleep interrupted because you need to be entertained at night. Wear headphones. Head. Phones.

• If you live upstairs, mind your footsteps at night. This doesn’t mean you have to spend your whole life walking on tippy-toe, just be more careful after hours. Take it easy on the stairs if you come home late. Step gently when you get up for that glass of water in the middle of the night. Honestly, it’s not that hard. Just stand up straight, put your shoulders back and walk casually like you’re taking an evening stroll. It’s better for your posture and your mental health anyway. And your downstairs neighbors will love you for it.

If you follow these four simple rules, you too can be a considerate neighbor. If you have no desire to follow them, just remember that tired, frustrated neighbors can make your life hard too.

I Hate Noisy Neighbors (Part 1)

I hate noisy neighbors. I almost want to say that I hate neighbors entirely, but I must give due credit to those rare few who actually are mindful and make some attempt to not disturb others. Sadly, considerate neighbors are hard to find. I have lived in a number of different apartments over the years and had the great misfortune to be well-acquainted with the noisy neighbor breed. I know I’m sounding like a grumpy old woman here, and who knows maybe I am, but after the many years of enduring noisy neighbors I have become somewhat jaded.

acoustiblok.com

No matter how hard I try, I can never understand why it’s so hard for people to follow even the most basic principles of apartment living. In case you, dear reader, don’t know them, here they are:

• Don’t slam doors/gates at all hours. Really, you shouldn’t slam them at all. No one wants to hear the sledgehammerlike sound of someone else slamming their door, ever. It’s far more acceptable to do it during the day, if say your arms are full of groceries and the door gets away from you a little, than in the middle of the night because you came home drunk or at the crack of dawn because you need to go outside for your watch-the-sunrise cigarette.

• Don’t run you dishwasher/washing machine/dryer late at night. Even if you think your machine isn’t that loud, most of the aforementioned appliances cause vibration and can make a neighbor’s apartment feel like there’s a train going by. This makes it very difficult to sleep and earplugs are useless for this. Sometimes emergencies happen, but have the decency to plan a little and do your laundry during the day.

Well, that’s the end of part 1. I didn’t want to overwhelm people with a wall of text, so I broke this rant up into two posts. More tips on how not to be a crappy neighbor coming up next.

 

I Love Pet Adoption

Sweetie

As I intend to present a balanced view of human behavior in these posts, this entry relates a happier “tail” than the last. After all, I shouldn’t be a complete Debbie Downer, right? And what could be more warm, fuzzy, and positive than pet adoption? Probably babies, but I don’t come across the tiny hordes regularly enough to justify an entire post about them.

more Sweetie

Sweetie, an adorable female Silky, was rescued from the nefarious puppy mills of sunny South Florida. By the time she adopted her new family, Sweetie had given birth to at least five litters of puppies. Sweetie adopted some of my favorite people; my sister in law Elizabeth, and her mother Renate.

“There she was, climbing her cage, not responding to anyone, desperately afraid, I thought that no one would adopt her, so we took her in.” – Renate Valenti

Renate, wonderful woman that she was rest her soul, chose Sweetie not on the basis of how cute she was, nor how affectionate, but on the basis of the dog’s need. And she was certainly not affectionate, Sweetie barely even barked much less sought out human attention, but the terrified little thing desperately needed a home. A prime example of human selflessness. By the time Renate had passed away, Sweetie had lost most of her fear and became Elizabeth’s constant waggily-tailed companion.

I Hate People Who Block/Park In Handicap Parking Spaces

It’s bad enough when “able-bodied” people park in handicap spaces. Usually the logic, or illogic as the case may be, is “I’m only going to be here a few minutes.” As if that matters. As if parking in a handicap spot should ever be an option. This is unfortunately part of the misconception among many of the population that handicap spaces are “extra” spaces. Quite the contrary. If anything, there are often too few handicap spaces at any given location.

Imagine if the reverse were true. You go to the store and out of 100 parking spaces there were only 2-5 spots that were marked for able-bodied customers. Worse yet, someone who is not supposed to park there has taken the space for whatever their selfish, inconsiderate, and downright anti-social reasons are. So you park in a spot that is not designated for you, but the space is either too small for your car, you don’t have the room to get out of your vehicle, or is so far from the store’s entrance that by the time you get there you’ve used up much of your energy and you are in pain. This is the challenge that people with disabilities often face just to be out and run errands like everyone else and it should never happen.

Walmart parking lot

Just as bad, when the spot is partially, or entirely blocked by carts. This one drives me bananas. The painted area, usually marked off with diagonal lines, is not, once again “extra space.” It is room for a wheelchair to come out of a vehicle and safely navigate between parking spaces.

Same Walmart, different day

It is all too common to see anywhere between a few to a whole row of carts in this area. People need to stop doing this.Yet again, this is NOT extra space, so please be a little more considerate of your fellow human beings. Thank you.

I Love Proper Protesting Attire

Two words: naked activists

The Naked Seven in Speaker Boehner’s office in DC

 

I realize that some readers may not be as amused and delighted by this approach to activism as I am. In which case, I bid those readers a not-so-tearful adieu, and welcome those brave souls who are still with me at this point. Stick around, there’s going to be more stuff like this.

I have to say it again. NAKED ACTIVISTS. Not only is it extremely funny, and it is hilarious, but naked activism has proved to be a very smart and clever way to bring much needed attention to an almost completely forgotten cause. Funding for federal AIDS programs has recently been threatened by budget sequestration and a group of scantily clad activists want to bring attention to the issue. And they have. On November 27th the group staged a protest in House Speaker John Boehner’s office in their usual non-attire, wearing only the words “AIDS cuts kills” on their backs.

The activists in question call themselves the Naked Seven. Three of the Naked Seven have been arrested for the stunt, and all seven face charges for indecent exposure. The Naked Seven are asking for help in covering attorney’s fees and court costs. You can help them out on Indiegogo. Kudos and a hearty wolf-whistle for the Naked Seven and their brave stand for a good cause.

 

Men in Skirts

Another take on what to wear when protesting comes from the Kindness Blog. The headline reads “Men Supporting Women’s Rights…by Wearing Miniskirts” and features lots of pictures of men doing just that.

Men in skirts

Fashionable plaid skirt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not surprisingly, the skirt-wearing trend started on Twitter and took flight as hashtag #ozgecanicinminietekgiy, which translates as “wear a miniskirt for Ozgecan.”
Özgecan Aslan, a 20 year old university student, had been murdered after being beaten and raped by a bus driver and his two accomplices. Her body was later discovered in a riverbed in Mersin, Turkey.

Protesters hold a banner reading ‘Ozge, we have suffered with you’ during a demonstration in Ankara.

According to Turkish lawyer and activist Hulya Gulbahar, quoted in the article, “The protest shows that a short skirt is not an excuse for rape.” After such a troubling and sad event, it’s good to see real efforts for change. Bravo to skirt-wearing men.

 

 

References

Mulholland, M. (2015, December 5). We’ve Got You Covered: Raising $ for Court Fees for the Naked Seven. Retrieved from Indiegogo.com: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/we-ve-got-you-covered-raising-for-court-fees-for-the-naked-seven

Men Supporting Women’s Rights…by Wearing Miniskirts. (2015, February 23). Retrieved from http://kindnessblog.com/: http://kindnessblog.com/2015/02/23/men-supporting-womens-rights-by-wearing-miniskirts/

Girit, S. (2015, February 15). Turkey rallies over murder of woman who ‘resisted rape’. Retrieved from bbc.com/news/world-europe: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31476978