Tag: citizenship

Re: Organization

As a principle I like to be organized. When my thoughts are well structured I can get more things done. I try not to obsess about details but I can get anal when it comes to things being a certain way. The proverb, everything in its place and a place for everything has a lovely symmetry but it’s sometimes hard to keep in practise. I don’t feel organized being disorganized. Hence the conundrum.

Stepping outside my personal preferences, community organizations are built on plans, mottos, precepts, manifests, etc. The ways to shape a collective of interested parties start with a desire to belong to something bigger than the individual members. The goals maybe short term, like raising money for a cause, or long term, like challenging government policies. I’ve been involved to a lesser or greater extent in both durations of execution and been unpaid in all situations, unless you count the gratification found in helping others as being the reward. Volunteering must be valued for making any organization a success. It’s one thing to have lofty aspirations to inspire a collective of eager souls, it’s quite another to maintain the energy to fulfill the outcome.

A government is an organization. I’ve canvassed for political parties or for candidates whom I admire for their personal philosophy. Municipal government comes in many shapes and sizes; from the formally elected Council to local neighbourhood associations. There are opportunities to get involved. I get curiously attached to groups that step away from protocol when their governments aren’t listening to their needs. During the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 an alternative governing mandate was created. The Black Panther Party founded in 1966 was a structured attempt for more community control by disaffected citizens.

Some organizations wish to maintain their status in time and place. Heritage groups for example, hold firm to tradition. Religious groups see themselves as separate from populist ruling structures. Many organizations are interested in action, even revolution. I was fascinated to learn of The Janes and their determination to circumvent existing birth control laws in the U.S.A.. An organization is only as good as its principles, mandate, or banner headline. Successful labour strikes by labour have strong organizing committees. A well executed plan brings confidence to the members. Communication is key for an all hands on deck response. For longevity it must have people with an ambition to make things better. In marches everywhere you may hear a similar cry: “Where do we stand? What do we want? How do we get it?”

Social media and .org websites have been a modern way to stimulate involvement in organizational frameworks. This applies to those who work for good or evil. Currently we are witnessing the rise of trumpism. This modern form of fascism has been wrapped in a clever disguise of lies, deception, obfuscation, and virtue signalling –– As well planned and executed as a Las Vegas magic show.

The Untied Nations, founded and organized to prevent WWIII, has been left with only words. This is entertaining for the few, while a tragedy for the many.

Re: Park

A park is a lovely place to go on a summer’s day. In Canada we are blessed with policies that require governments to recognize the need for natural spaces and recreational parks where citizens can go to revitalize their tired urban spirits. Some neighbourhood parks are so small they are called parkettes. When I was raising a family my young boys would pace by the door asking to go to a small patch of grass containing one small climbing apparatus, directly across the street. It’s freeing to go to a park.

Now, finding a parking spot is a whole different scenario. How one word can carry two very different connotations is an example of the confusion found by some in the intricacies of the English language. And getting a parking ticket is the height of insult to me. My sister used to just stuff her parking tickets into her glovebox, avoiding paying until they came with additional fines. When I walk by a parked car with a ticket under its windshield wiper I always feel sorry for the owner. I’ve had so few I remember the circumstances in detail, but I’ll keep it short: One was in Toronto where I had parked on a street that was signed ambiguously (I almost got towed that time), another time in Toronto was on a quiet residential street where I had parked a large moving van, once in Vancouver’s Stanley Park I parked unknowingly in front of the  ticketing agent sitting in his unmarked vehicle and lastly in Victoria B.C. I had parked my tiny moped in what turned out to be a construction zone (I found the ticket neatly rolled and taped around my handlebar). Have a nice day!

Even when I am sure I am parked legally I am anxious until I can get back to my vehicle and gaze at the clear windshield. On street parking comes with the additional risk of being broken into. A city parkade with its multiple levels is also a source of stress for me. Even though I like the security and the friendly gate keeper the tight spaces make me fear scratches. And finding the car on return is easier than when you park at those huge Box Store parking lots. My wife is a whiz at navigating the tight corners of the ramps in downtown parkades and doesn’t seem at all concerned that the traffic control bar might come crashing down on the car’s hood before she has made it safely back onto the street. I find it best to close my eyes when I’m her passenger.

Once I tried to fight a parking ticket at city hall. I had to make an appointment with the mayor’s assistant. I came early and parked outside, near a municipal park, feeling calmed by three Garry Oak and a memorial fountain. I presented my evidence and supporting documentation, but the parking authority bureaucrats politely disagreed with my assessment of the situation. I drove home listening to Joni Mitchell. It helped.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwUJH70ubM

Re: Promise

“I’ll keep you posted.” A familiar promise heard as two people part ways. Like other promises that may or may not be kept, this one signals an intention. Politicians’ promises are really statements of policy. These promises are intentional too, at least to the extent that candidates want people to know where they stand on the issues. And then hopefully you will vote for them.

When I was a parent of young children my wife and I tried hard not to make promises to them. Any politician will tell you that situations change and decisions must be made with the currently available data. Tell that to a six year old who has been looking forward to going to the beach on Saturday. “But you promised!” Their tears matching the rain that started falling that same morning. Sometimes factors align in such a way that promises can’t be answered in the fashion we would have liked. Yet a promise spoken can also be a signal for hope, showing a direction we would like to go.

“Now that is a promising development.” Might be something said after countries align in their commitment to combat Global Warming. The climate crisis demands that we don’t settle for what looks promising. We must put words into measurable action. My cake making grandmother would comment that the proof will be in the pudding and if there is a failure to act then someone is going back on their promise: The time for ‘half-baked’ ideas is over.

When a promise isn’t kept I feel let down. At every meeting of my Boy Scout pack we promised to ‘do our best’ and I took that seriously. Repeated disappointments, causing erosion of trust, can lead to cynicism, anger or worse; apathy. Every election cycle I get excited (there’s the Charlie Brown in me). I hold out hope that policy & action will be seen. I’m careful to match the incumbent’s rhetoric with his/her record. I try to interpret the validity behind a candidate’s promises. My vote is a response to those promises, but it can’t end there. As a citizen I also promise that I will do what I can to support the programs designed to fulfill those promises.

Financially, a promise can be called an IOU. A contract has been made based on the funds being returned on a given schedule. Depending on who you borrowed the money from, there could be very severe penalties if you default. When it comes to money, I’ve tried hard to stick to the advice of Polonius, ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be.’, with varying degrees of success.

On my wedding day I made one of the grandest of all promises. A promise so big it is called a vow. It’s a good thing that I wasn’t the only one making a solemn vow that day. With two lovers working to keep their promises, ideally each partner is committed to making the promise a continuous reality. Here is a true example of actions speaking louder than words.