Consumer Outrage

Bell and Telus announced last week that they would begin charging for incoming text messages. Customers where rightfully a wee bit upset. National and local media picked up on the story with tag lines such as “Wireless Companies Bad…But Just a Little Because These Same Companies Own Us”. I don’t know…maybe Telus and Bell thought they would get away with a new charge, hoping that negative Rogers/iPhone press would blanket their mad money making decision. Who knows.

Major companies and corporations often choose to take advantage of consumers (workers as well). RD called it a “money grab”. I see the young minds of Emma and Landen taken advantage of as they are exposed to commercials while watching an episode of SpongeBob. I spend much time explaining to them the difference between wants and needs. We are made to believe that we need a new Barbie doll or Batman costume, but really it is just a want. Kind of like an iPhone. Kind of like a lonely pair of Keds, rotating on a display case and basking in a ethereal glow from above, just waiting to be purchased.

Extra charges really fired people up. Honestly, how can one possibly control texts received? In this case backlash included signing petitions, venting in blogs, ranting to and through the media.

I was impressed with consumer outrage against company outrageousness. That’s good stuff and I wish there was more of it. I really hope there is more of it. I hope in the future a wide scope of consumers are outraged by money grabbing antics: how our clothes are made, the working conditions and poor wages suffered by the hands which made them, how the fruit/vegetables we eat are picked, how the cocoa in our chocolate is farmed. And from a discussion had earlier with my sister, how the coal gets to Cape Breton these days. There are many consumer issues in which we should share outrage*, not limited to cell phones or lead infused toys.

*I often regret the use of the word outrage as it sometimes evokes an image of violence, in this case I use the word to suggest passion.

Instrumentals

Tonight I regaled in a time of reading and thinking…thinking/dreaming.

I was once told that you think better lying down and I fully believe this to be true. Moments of pure genius occur as I lay in bed, before my eyes lazily close…intentions of moments become hours and mornings. I have learned to always keep a pen beside my bed in case of inspiration. Honestly I most often fall asleep before jotting down my “great” ideas. Come 8am my notions are but a shadow of triumphant eureka! emotion. I hardly remember them.

While Emma and Landen sleep this evening I read and pray. I think mostly of peace. My most adored Swahili phrase learned in Kenya was “Lala Salama”. I believe this translates to “peaceful sleep”. I love to say these words, which to my ears are very beautiful. A true good night blessing.

I contemplate my actions, considering whether peace is being translated through them. I am trying hard. It is an uphill battle. AskOxford tells me that peace means “freedom from disturbance; tranquillity.” Sounds almost simple. Perhaps we make things difficult for ourselves. Where can I go where there is freedom from disturbance…where there is tranquility? Imagine those words as the Cheers theme song. I suppose I could head to the mountains on my quest for peace. I wager that in some full fledged moment of complete absurdity I would be eaten by a black bear.

Peace is so much more than our surroundings, more than an escape to the countryside. More and more I believe it is a conversion of thought…translating into action. Traditionally it is said that St. Francis prayed:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen

A powerful and humbling prayer to pray and meditate upon.

This evening, and of late, I think of peace. Though I have not come to any extraordinary conclusions or solutions, I do pray this prayer, that I may be an instrument of peace.

Helium and Artificial Waves

Last night I attended a Canada Day church bbq. Once a month the church which I attend (as well as many others) host Inn From the Cold (http://www.innfromthecold.org/) and last nights annual bbq fell on the same evening as hosting privilege. We all celebrated together, 141 years…whoot! It was great fun. Met some super people and again my heart was reminded of the affordable housing crisis here in Alberta. I am more then aware that if it were not for the support and generosity of family, I and my children could be struggling in the same way.

Tables were adorned with festive white and red balloons, rigidly hanging about in mid air. Universally children love balloons. I was given a couple to take home to my wee ones. After a risky drive home due to the collage of white and red plastic covering the rear window, I presented the precious orbs to my kids. Really children love balloons.

Now as an adult I have seen the death of the helium balloon a many time. I don’t really understand why…but I know that it happens. My little ones are still not expectant of the balloon demise.

Landen upon seeing the balloons hovering lifeless/helium lighter than airless centimeters above the floor stated “That’s sad. The balloons died.” It was sad…like a scene out of some European art house film, trying to relate human emotion to something abstract. Maybe thats funny.

There may be nothing more sad in the world of party decor than a deflated balloon.

After our incredibly emotional morning we headed to the wave pool. It was great fun. Emma and Landen had a splashing good time. haha! SPLASHING!

The artificial waves made me long for the ocean. Though there is some kind of rhythm in those affected waves…there is no harmony. Ocean has both, which is very admirable.

Summer = so far so good.

Kind of not a big deal

It is interesting where motivation comes from. Like nothing will get me on the treadmill faster than eating an entire cake…and nothing will make me write a 2000 word paper faster than a looming (2 hr) deadline. This perhaps is only an issue of extremes which I struggle with…and perhaps above mentioned “motivation” is merely my humble desire to survive (avoiding heart disease and class failure must be big on my survival list).

In life there are those people/friends/distant relatives and saints that motivate our actions. I like Dorothy Day. She rocked the boat back in the day and helped loads of folk living on the margins. There are many others who’s words and actions I greatly admire, as well as those whose actions of pure crud-tacular-ness simply motivate me not to be…well crud-tacular.

The big influence, the number one influence…the motivator of action in the walking life of a Christian is Jesus. He is pure, He is King, and He is God. In our mostly affluent lives (I am speaking for the about 85% of us in Canada who are above the so called poverty line*) it is often discussed how we are to act among the marginalized. How we are to treat those of us who struggle day to day, for food, for shelter, for survival, with addictions. I am thinking locally here…as well as globally. Seems an odd topic to discuss sometimes. Shouldn’t we treat others as we would our friends our family? I suppose it comes down to the fact that sometimes we do not treat friends and family very well either.

Today I got to thinking about the passage in Matthew where the Pharisees question Jesus eating with tax collectors and other “riffraff”. The Pharisees wanted to know what kind of Teacher would keep such company. Jesus’ response…”Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”

A few times I have heard above mentioned scripture used to teach/motivate action towards those who we would consider outsiders. Today this could mean our neighbour…who washes their car outside with soap and lots of water a couple times a week. (Maybe just my issue again)

It is a great story and by golly it should make us act. But why should it make us act? I got to thinking a bit more and I thunk, the most amazing part is that Jesus, perfect and sinless, was sitting and eating with them. I mean if anything he was the outsider right.

I think we are all beautifully and wonderfully created…yet regardless, we all have a little bit of that riffraff in us. We are no better then anyone else…and for us to reach out and touch the life of a person who we consider outside of our world, its just not that big of a deal. Its outsiders hanging out with outsiders. We all have lots in common.

*this may be obvious to most…but no one should live in poverty.