Politics and Toxicity

The other night I was listening to Talk 1010 radio as I was preparing to go to sleep.

The host was talking about women in politics and I could not have been listening intently as I did not quite get what he was saying. I think he was talking abut the role women play in politics and shy they were more men than women in politics.

What got my attention is his use of the work "toxic" several times in his monologue. Mind you, I only heard this for about ten minutes but in that ten minutes he used the word "toxic" several times to describe the political environment.

I wish these same radio announcers would acknowledge that the whole world has become toxic. Not as a metaphor when talking about politics but in the true sense of the word. I guess more importance is placed in using the term 'toxic' so that the listener could understand what he was referring to.

What about the toxicity of our world and the illness it causes?
What about the toxicity of our values and the effects on the youth who are going to be the leaders of the future?
What about the toxicity of the environment?

These are questions neither the media nor the politicians will ever tackle. If they do, they give a long term plan (by2050). By then, most of us will already be dead, becoming victims of toxic environment we live in.

Never say Never

As I disembarked the Norwegian Gem in Sydney Nova Scotia, in the Fall of 2011, I was filled with a meditative sense of peace and calm and instantly knew in my heart, that Nova Scotia would, someday be my home. I recalled feeling like this way once before. It was when I first landed in Canada in 1989. I knew then like I knew now, that I was home.

When would this happen?  That was just another one of a billion unanswered questions, in my life.

I was on a New England cruise with my parents and my caregiver. It was a surprise from my parents. We had travelled from Toronto, by Greyhound coach to New York and taken the cruise to New England, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. What was funny was that the trip to and from New York and the cruise, cost less than flying directly from Toronto to Nova Scotia. The airline companies seem to have gone a little mad with their prices! Not to mention we also received accommodation and food!

On returning to Toronto, I could not stop thinking about moving to Nova Scotia.  My research took me from looking for homes, exploring the various climatic conditions, the availability of medical practitioner and naturopaths and of course some proximity to an Ismaili Muslim mosque and community center.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006 and have been treating the illness without any prescription drugs but with natural therapies, diet, nutrition and the whole mind, body and spirit approach. My illness was not the focus in my life but even then, it seemed that everything else in my life revolved around my illness. I had to plan my days and my activities around my energy level and the ability to cope with the mental and physical strain of each task. A big part of my life was the community center where I was a story teller, a religious teacher and a teacher of English to immigrants. My doctor was only a thirty minute drive from home. The pharmacy was another forty five minutes away. These conveniences had become a big part of my life and any change would disrupt my otherwise well planned perfect routines.

The day I set foot on Nova Scotia soil, I was fully prepared to give up these conveniences. I was in love with the openness of the land, with the kindness and warmth of the people, and with the peace and tranquility of the life there. The difference was like night and day. I was to break free from being at the mercy of neon signs invading my sight, forcing my gaze to the ugly advertising and the billboards. I was never again to be a victim nor give in to road rage, I could drive the speed limit and would not be chastised or insulted and the best part of it all was that I would not have to put up with people who were in a constant hurry, who were in competition with the world around them as well as with themselves. Just this stress in Ontario was enough to give me an MS attack!

In the Winter of 2011, I drove to Nova Scotia with my caregiver and my mother, from Ontario, a mere 21 hour journey, to search for a home. Today, four months after I first set foot in Nova Scotia, I have put my house up for sale and have purchased a home that closes in a couple of months.

 The Annapolis Valley is to be my new home. Green pastures, fertile lands, the north and south mountains, the snaking Annapolis River, and clean air offer the right scenic and climatic and environmental condition (not to mention tranquility) suited for healthy, stress-free living, especially for me, living with multiple sclerosis. It offers the best climatic condition for living with MS Its peaceful setting made it an ideal environment for starting a new life in a new province I am soon to call home.

Now begins the arduous task of packing.. I was sure my previous home was to be my last home. Here I am once again, preparing to move to yet another home, in another province.

I guess, the idiom “Never say never’ really is true!