- Weather: High of 11c (51.8 F) Sunny little wind.
- Distance for today: 39.90 km (24.79 mi)
- Total Distance to Date: 6194.43 kl (3859.2 miles)
- Song of the Day: I was able to listen to the rest of "Bossy Pants" by Tina Fay. I highly recommend it. It is very funny. Don't listen to it while running. The belly laughing and the highway don't make great bed fellows.
My left leg has been bugging me a bit. I am increasing my stretches. It is, however, not really helping. The pain is acute and I am starting to dread moving. So I will be doing a shorter blog so I can spend a little more time stretching tonight.
I was able to listen to the news today and a friend of mine is keeping up to date on the "occupy Wall Street" stuff. How this has trickled over to Canada.
People are upset that the distribution of wealth between the rich and the poor has never been this big except during the great depression. I am listening to people Grease complain about needing more help. While Canada is doing pretty good, my friend was saying, there is still an issue of the vast difference between the cost of living and the very stagnant increase in minimum wage.
I get the numbers, I see the graft's, I understand peoples reasons for being upset. We have people graduation College or University only to be massively in debt, and unemployable. We have people in there 50's being downsized and unable to afford to go back to school and retrain themselves, while still paying there mortgage and sending there kids to school.
Then you have government boondoggles of Millions and Millions of lost money for the G8 Summit, the whole Canada North thing. The leaders of the country making over $140 000.00 a year and not having to pay for flights, gas, cars, insurance, etc.
I get it. I got in 2005 when I had my brain injury. I got it when my company outsourced me and I had to leave my apartment shortly after leaving the hospital. I got when at 35 I moved back in with my parents who were one year away from retiring. I got it when trying to explain to credit cards, Hydro, and cell phone contracts that I went from earning a decent wage to being on "welfare".
I get the anger, I get the frustration, I just don't get what you hope to achieve? What is standing outside these places going to do?
If you want to seriously send a message. I mean a real message. All those people heading out to protest. Don't pay your hydro bill for one month. Just one. Don't pay the late fee, just get back into paying it regularly like you do. You want to let the corporations know you mean business. Take one month from paying your bills. All of them.
You want to really make a difference stop buying what they are selling. Don't buy the new I phone 3G.
If we really believe the government and big business are to close. Then hit them where it counts. Standing down town with your Starbucks cup and you children with you as you take pictures of it with your phone to upload to YouTube is not going to get the message across. It's a street party. Your point is valid. I agree with you.
However if you really want to make a change, you need to sacrifice. You need to risk going out on a limb and taking a shot a making a bigger point.
I was so frustrated at the "system" after my injury. Life was not fair. How did this happen to me. I didn't understand, what did I do?
That is when I started to think about how can I make a change. What can I do? So I decided to find like minded people and head out on a very risky journey of running across the country. Talking to anyone who would listen.
What I am saying is "good for you" your standing up. Your trying to let people know your upset, that things are not being managed properly. I am just saying I have been there. I have tried that. You are going to be disappointed if you keep expecting them to 1) notice and 2) make a change.
You need to be the change. When your actions and all those around you change, then "they" will. Until then. Enjoy the weekend in the city with your kids and your latte and I will watch you videos on YouTube. As I run another marathon trying to make a change for those who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury.
Be the change you want to see. It took a brain injury and 2 years of feeling sorry for myself to figure that one out.
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