Historical Quotation

If you could be the author of any one quotation from history, what words would you like to have uttered?

I love quotes. Picking just one of the many, many favourites I have is a challenge. So I've picked two, one by Nietzsche and one by Dickens. First my all time favourite:

"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star" -Nietzsche

This quote hangs above my desk as a reminder that a little craziness is a good thing and the chaos that lives in my brain will contribute to the creation of something lovely. This quote inspires me to write.

And now the second, which i love for both the content and style:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." -Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities)

For the longest time I thought this quote was just "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." (Apparently I skimmed through A Tale of Two Cities!) When I recently looked it up I was delighted by the entirety of this exquisitely written quote. And struck by how applicable these words are in today's world, 150 years after it was written in 1859.

A Map of The World

If you had to be represented by an object in your home, what would you choose?

My map and my globe. Yes two objects, but really the same thing. There are so many places and parts of the world, just as there are so many different places and parts of me. The world is complicated. I am complicated. There are so many possibilities, so many places to go, and so many dreams to dream. There are so many options, so many unknowns. It creates stress and excitement but also calm and peace, just as my life ebbs and flows in these sorts of peaks and valleys. It is open and welcoming; while at the same time closed and menacing. The expanse of ocean covering the planet alone reminds me of the power of nature and how it cannot be controlled. It can only be respected, just as I experience this myself at times. A map of the world is full of life, ecstatic, but also sometimes able to bring you to tears. The world is so large, so vast; you look at the map and know you could easily become anonymous. Then again you could easily become a headline I suppose.

The large map and globe I have are definitely representative of me - at least the way I see it! I’m a complicated woman full of different bit s and parts. I think getting to know me is like traveling somewhere a little foreign…you know you’ll like me but you’re not too totally sure what to expect. Just as we can point on the map and then talk about where we pointed to, one could probably do the same with me. No doubt I am complicated, just as the world is. But I am also the ultimate dreamer, believing one day my dreams will come true…how can one not dream with all the options, possibilities and unknowns that float around in this world? My map of the world provides me with infinite dreaming, and a dreamer I am.

And well, finally, it just so really inspires the heck out of me to look at the world all laid out on a huge map that takes up my living room wall! (thanks again Michelle!!!!)

Worst Experience

If you had to choose the worst experience you’ve ever had, what would you pick?

Well I can easily think of a whole bunch of bad experiences, some of them definitely ranking as possible number one worst experiences. One that stands out as surely as one of the worst is what I will just call “The Dead Body”. Now, I feel like I have seen my fair share of dead bodies, in different situations, for only being 37 years old. This one is definitely the worst of them all.

A number of years ago my friend Michelle was staying with me as she started a new job in Vancouver and was waiting to move into her own place downtown. I was off work on medical leave (yet again!). She left for her third day on the job while I watched morning TV. No sooner had she left and I received a hysterical call from her, saying I had to come down the 6th floor, she had met an old lady in the elevator who was saying she thought her son was dead. So down I go to find Michelle on the line with 911, a dead body face down in a pool of blood in the corner of the dining room and a very dazed old woman. One look and I knew this large man, was dead. I’ve seen dead bodies and I knew that the dark sticky blood and blue face meant this guy was not coming back.

However, 911 were telling us to roll him over and do CPR. Firstly, there was no way I was going to be able to turn this guy over on my own; Michelle was on the phone with 911 and freaking out about the whole situation and this guy’s poor mother (who looked tiny and frail) was in shock. Secondly I was really not inclined to give mouth to mouth with all that blood. However, since 911 were insisting, I tried to roll his dead weight body over, with no success. I relayed the situation to Michelle who relayed it to 911. I had no doubt this guy was dead and saw no point in continuing to try.

So now that we were there, we couldn’t just leave this poor lady who was starting to become upset, agitated and confused. 911 instructed us to stay until the paramedics arrived. It seemed like we were in that apartment forever before the paramedics arrived, dead body in the corner, trying to comfort his mother, who was now starting to believe he was still alive. At this point Michelle escaped off to work while I was left to look after this woman who had no family or friends nearby. So, on request of the paramedics (who confirmed immediately that yes, this guy was definitely no longer a part of the living) I was asked to take the lady to my place while they waited for the coroner and the emergency services crisis counselors or whatever they are called. So, up to my place we went where I made her some tea and provided what support I could until the counselors arrived. This whole scene lasted an entire morning.

The worst part of this experience wasn’t actually being in it in the moment (which was quite awful), but rather the image I was left with of this person, lying face down, blue face with that dark sticky blood pooled around his mouth and this woman who was in a state of shock and confusion. In the moment I can just react but afterwards the images of it all are what make it so horrible. This incident probably happened about 7 years ago, but to this day I can still see that lifeless body laying there, all the details of the scene intact in my memory as if it just happened yesterday.

Last Thing You'll Ever See

If you could choose the very last thing you see before you die, what would it be?

If I were to die this moment, I would like to have the ocean before my eyes. Wide open ocean, the sound of waves lapping against the shore, the smell of sea salt in the air. Not only is the ocean a world of stunning beauty, it is also an amazing force of Mother Nature. The ocean can evoke a sense of chaos and turmoil while at the same time produce feelings of peace and tranquility. I find the ocean to be a sort of proverbial rock in my life. It’s presence a necessity, knowing I can reach out to it for calm, relaxation, inspiration and stability. I can stare at the ocean for hours and never tire of its beauty. The rhythm of the waves - be they rough white caps or almost still as glass. The way the sun reflects off the water, giving the illusion of glitter shimmering atop the surface of the sea. Looking out into the horizon, seeing only a great expanse of water that is ultimately connected to every other body of water on earth. I find this all very peaceful and tranquil. It is a place that feeds my mind, body and soul. Yes, there is something incredibly calming to me about the ocean. I am drawn it and I can’t think of anything else I would rather see in the moments before I die.

A Life Lesson

If You Could Teach Your Children Only One Lesson in Life, What Would it Be?

Let’s all put aside the fact that I have no children, have no desire to have children and well, really don’t like them all that much (with the exception of my fabulous niece and nephew of course) before I answer this. Flipping through my “What If” book, there are a plethora of questions I could have chosen to answer, none of which have to do with children. So why choose a question that doesn’t technically pertain to me or my life? I guess I figure all children grow up to be adults and there are certainly lots of lessons that many adults out there could learn. Maybe I was drawn to this question after talking to my mom last night about the values that I believe she instilled in me growing up, values I possess today. Maybe this question intrigues me because I believe that what we learn in our childhood environment shapes us as adults. Maybe I just wish there was a little more good in humanity as a whole.

So, back to the question. I always have an initial response to these questions but then as I think about them they become harder to answer. There are many important lessons that a child should be taught…love, respect, responsibility, kindness, esteem, courage, strength, independence….the list goes on. But if I were to teach a child one thing I would teach him/her compassion. Compassion is defined as the “sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it”. I think compassion goes even further than this. Having compassion requires the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes. It requires one to have respect for any human being based solely on the fact that they are human. It requires one to reserve all judgement. It requires the ability to accept and embrace differences. To have compassion one must have love in one’s heart. Having compassion can inspire action for change. It may educate. It may simply be a gift given to someone in need of love, respect and understanding. As someone who knows what it is like to perhaps be a little different than the general population, I know firsthand that compassion can be a very welcoming warm hug. It is something that everyone should consciously practice. Yes, I think the world could use a little more compassion.

A Permanent Stamp

If you had to go tonight to be tattooed, where on your body would you have it done and what image would you select?

I only wish I was getting a tattoo tonight!! I have played with the idea of getting a tattoo for about 10 years now. I finally became certain of the image I really wanted imprinted on my body forever a couple of years ago and knew I was ready to actually get it done. Getting a tattoo is something that I am doing for myself, and not something I want visible to the world. So...the word "Serendipity" will tattooed on my lower back (Call it a “tramp stamp” if you want, I don’t care!!!!). Serendipity because it is my favourite word, both for its meaning and how it rolls off my tongue. After much pestering to get Dave to design my tattoo, I finally vowed (in some sort of ultimatum to get Dave on designing my tattoo for me!!) last January that I would have said tattoo before my 37th birthday. As is Dave's style, I FINALLY received my design for Christmas. I absolutely love it and can’t wait to get it. Too bad I didn’t realize how bloody expensive it is to get a tattoo! So it will have to wait…hopefully it will be on my body before I turn 38.

Making The World A Better Place

If you could make the world a better place, how would you do so?

(This question comes in response to my posting “The Seven Deadly Sins”. One reader suggested I pose the question “How am I making the world better?” )

I felt compelled to answer this question not only because our world needs a little TLC, but because I think it is important to stop and think about how we can all contribute to making our world a better place. All sorts of issues arise here, but I believe making the world a better place begins with ourselves and extends out from there

So what would I do? I would continue to live my life as I do. Perhaps not perfectly, but with the good intention that my actions do contribute in some small way to the good in our world. I would continue to practice tolerance, kindness, compassion, empathy, and respect for all my fellow human beings. One cannot judge another until one knows where that persona has come from. All human beings are to be valued simply by virtue of the fact that they are human. Differences are to be respected and are what make our world a better place. I would try to educate those whose ignorance leaves them unable to practice those virtues mentioned above. I would pass out smiles freely. I would step less over the many homeless people I pass on the street and would instead more often meet their eyes. I would continue to practice random acts of kindness, not only because they give me pleasure, but because I think they give the receiver both pleasure and the idea to practice the idea themselves. I would hold myself accountable for my own actions, both good and bad, in hopes that by doing so others would follow. I would not hesitate to speak out against those things which I believe harm our society (ideas such as intolerance and disrespect, as well as larger issues such as violence and war). I would respect our earth and continue to do my very small part in reclaiming its greenness –not only by recycling, turn off my energy efficient lights etc. but by educating myself about what is happening to our planet. I would like to say that I would eradicate war, poverty, homelessness, genocides, disease and all other major afflictions occurring in our world today. But that is not the job of one person. No, making the world a better place starts with how we as individuals lead our lives and if we all choose to be kind, compassionate, respectful and value our fellow human beings the status of our world as it currently sits would increase tenfold.