Showing posts with label Jack Layton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Layton. Show all posts

Monday, March 11, 2013

SOL #11 - March 11th Jack Layton



This is Day 11 of the Slice of Life March, a wonderful challenge organized by Stacey and Ruth of "Two Writing Teachers", as a way to encourage us to write daily.

Sunday night I watched the bio movie of Jack Layton. For those who don't know him, he was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party in Canada, and came very close to uspetting the Conservatives in the 2011 election.



   
Tragically, he died Aug. 22, 2011 after another bout of cancer at the age of 61.

Watching it made me more aware of his earlier life, but it also reinforced the great loss of this man to Canada. What he stood for, and what he represented, would have transformed Canadian politics.
Now we have a government that represents big business and has little concern for the average Canadian, let alone the environment.

On his deathbed  Jack wrote a letter to Canadians that should be posted in every household and read each day. We need to change the greed /profit is everything/ that pervades our society.

Here is part of it:




Oh, if we only would!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Wishcasting Wednesday






Today at Jamie Ridler's Studio, it is once again Wishcasting Wednesday and Jamie asks :





What do you wish to say NO to?






A very interesting question! I would much rather say "yes" to new things. But, as I have been reading "The Artist's Way" with Paula's group, saying no to negative affirmations is a constant theme. It is so important to say no to those voices that tell you you can't do it, or you're not an artist, or you will fail. So, I want to say no to those internal voices and replace them with positive affirmations.



I also want to say no to negative emotions that can drag you down: guilt, fear, and especially worry. Focusing on each day and looking at the positive will help banish those negative emotions.



I want to say no to procrastination and wasting time, and to clutter.





Last week, we arrived home from our vacation to find that Jack Layton had died. He had lost his battle to cancer too early. As someone said, he was the greatest prime minister we never had. As I listened to the wonderful eulogies at his funeral, I heard many of his words of wisdom.






"Don't wait for perfect conditions - you can wait forever. Make the best with what you have."


"Always have a dream that is longer than a lifetime."




"Be loving, be hopeful, be optimistic."




"Make time for what matters most."


"Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done."


"Dream no small dreams."





So, for this last wish, I want to say no to dreaming small dreams. I look at Jack and at 61, he lived every moment to the fullest. His was a life well lived. What a wonderful role model!


As Jamie says:


You can be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt above on your blog. Support wishes by visiting other participants. It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together.