So you recycle and compost, you turn down the thermostat on winter nights and turn it up on summer days and you've replaced your obsolete incandescent lights. You carpool, use transit, cycle or walk most places. You buy local organic food and eat low on the food chain. You can't remember the last time you used a plastic bag for your groceries.
So now what?
Beyond the basics, most people think going green must by default mean spending money--often a great deal of it--on fancy technology. And it is true that adding PV panels to your roof or a wind turbine in your yard or a geothermal well can be costly; as can a hybrid vehicle. Certainly these do pay back over time, but many people can't afford the initial investment.
So what can you do?
1. Never underestimate the impact of smaller actions. Bringing along your own cutlery and containers to fast food restaurants makes a difference (better yet, pack your own food from home!). Watch your water usage; it takes energy to treat water and pump it into your home. Challenge yourself to reduce your usage of gas, electricity and oil.
2. Buy less. Buy used. Learn to repair items, or find someone who can. Try manual versions of appliances such as a can opener, chopper, food mill, etc. (You'll especially enjoy the benefits if you have to prepare food during a blackout!).
3. Avoid disposable items. Diapers, bags, razors, wipes, cloths, dishes, cups, cutlery, pens, tablecloths--all have reusable versions, which are better quality and will save money in the long run. If you are female, consider using a Diva cup or other silicone menstrual device.
4. Let your elected representatives know how you feel about environmental issues. Keep correspondence brief, and provide evidence where appropriate. Remind them often!
5. Teach the children in your life the importance of environmentally sound practices.
6. Ensure the children in your life do not suffer from nature deficit disorder by providing many opportunities for outdoor play in various natural settings and in all seasons.
7. Share your progress with others. Peer pressure can be a positive thing too!
8. Keep up to date on new technologies that might apply to your circumstances.
9. If you cannot replace your old leaky windows, re-caulk the edges and during the colder months, add a shrink-wrap film "pane" to conserve heat (kits can be found at any hardware store).
10. Research raw food recipes for ones that appeal to your family, and have a "raw food day" once or twice a week to save on cooking energy. When you do cook, make a double batch to serve at another meal.
11. Have yourself take off of any or all mailing lists, and subscribe to magazines and newspapers online. View these on a laptop rather than desktop computer if that is an option for you.
12. Check your mindset: do you think as a consumer or conserver? Relatives who have lived through the depression may have some enlightening tips on becoming thriftier and reducing wasteful habits. My grandmother once suggested I use dark fabric for diapers so I wouldn't need to bleach them down to white. She also had a recipe for making her own soap and could darn socks, mend holes and re-sew buttons in her sleep.
13. Learn to up-cycle items: old worn jeans can become a new handbag or backpack; holey underwear makes a great dust rag. Many more great ideas can be found online.
With all the interest in solar energy, a Newfoundlander has invented the ultimate in up-cycling. The main component to his solar heating panel is aluminum soft drink cans. It may just be that many of the ideas we need will involve ways to use common items and/or technologies we already have in new and innovative ways.
Other innovations to look for: refrigerators with outdoor venting options, cars with carbon fiber bodies and cold fusion (hey, we can dream, right?!).
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Water-a Right or a Commodity?
Like so many things, my recent interest in water issues springs from my children; in this case my oldest son, who became interested in water issues in relation to a science project.
I am one of those people, who despite living in the Great Lakes region, where the world's largest supply of fresh water exists, and the tap water is treated and reliable, filtered my drinking water before consuming, even before the Walkerton incident.
While living on Lake Ontario, our family began to buy RO water from a local store. Even now, we have installed an RO system in our house for drinking water. This system uses a huge amount of water to backwash the filter, but that water can be captured and used for laundry and such. Still, it is a luxury, especially as we have ready access to what is arguably the best drinking water on the planet.
So I admit that I feel a little (though not a lot) guilty when I pass judgment on those I see with grocery carts loaded with crates of bottled water in individual-sized plastic bottles. Do those people understand how much waste they are generating with all that plastic? Even if it were all recycled successfully (which is rare, even if you do put it all in your blue box), do they understand that much of it is tap water (at best), and that none of it is regulated with the rigorous testing standards that our municipal tap water requires? Some, if not all of those plastic bottles also contain BPA, which has been shown to be toxic. Do consumers not understand how much less waste they would create by using their own reusable water bottle, in terms of energy, materials, health and money?
But others have addressed this issue, so I will move on now.
In Kenya and several other African countries, the World Bank's policy of putting exports first has meant that areas that are drought-prone are being used to produce frivolous water-intense products, such as cut flowers for the European market, despite their own population's desperate need for water to meet their own basic needs. The wealthy prosper while the general population pays with their health, and sometimes their lives.
What would change were water to be added to the list of human rights? To be honest, I really don't know. There are other rights that did make the list that are largely ignored in many countries. Still, I suspect that governments and multi-national institutions would feel a greater pressure to ensure the availability of water to the people. This doesn't mean it would change much, but it might provide a starting point for discussion, negotiations, legislation, etc.
I've heard the argument over and over--"we have the same amount of water we have always had--it's a demand issue". Well, this is true, to a point. Rising ocean levels and aridation of land mean that while the planetary water level remains static, the amount of fresh water available is decreasing. Add to this the problems of shrinking glaciers and pollution, and you can see that while population is definitely a mitigating factor, there is much more to this than a simple demand issue. We live in a world in which more people have access to a cell phone than have access to a toilet. This is not a healthy situation, particularly in areas that have high population density. Outbreaks of cholera are becoming more common. The health of a population is dependent on the availability of a reliable source of clean water.
Yes, we need to run factories, refineries, industry, etc. We need to farm in order to feed the planet, but we need to do it in a manner that protects our waterways. Gone are the days when we can carelessly heap on tonnes of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers without experiencing the consequences within our own lifetimes. We need to care for the soil in order to preserve the land for future crops as well as regain the health of our waterways. We need industry, but we also need to find a balance that allows us to meet our own more basic needs.
Other threats to our water that I've read about recently include natural gas "fracking", over-use of large capacity wells that can cause water table imbalances leading to arsenic contamination (geologist types might be able to explain this better than I), nano particles which may cause problems we have yet to discover, GMO-based agriculture, factory farming (mono-culture farms, lack of soil maintenance/crop rotation, reliance on agro chemicals, poor livestock rearing practices, etc.), and invasive species. And that's before I've actually started any dedicated reading or research into the subject!
My own country's government recently voted against declaring water a human right. Since we have the largest amount of fresh water of any nation on the planet, and our country's economy has always been "resource-focused", it is perhaps understandable that some might be inclined to treat it as such. However, I do not need to consume a tree or an ingot of nickel in order to survive. None of us does. These are secondary needs; water is a primary need without which none of us can survive. It is my assertion that it needs to be treated as such.
I am one of those people, who despite living in the Great Lakes region, where the world's largest supply of fresh water exists, and the tap water is treated and reliable, filtered my drinking water before consuming, even before the Walkerton incident.
While living on Lake Ontario, our family began to buy RO water from a local store. Even now, we have installed an RO system in our house for drinking water. This system uses a huge amount of water to backwash the filter, but that water can be captured and used for laundry and such. Still, it is a luxury, especially as we have ready access to what is arguably the best drinking water on the planet.
So I admit that I feel a little (though not a lot) guilty when I pass judgment on those I see with grocery carts loaded with crates of bottled water in individual-sized plastic bottles. Do those people understand how much waste they are generating with all that plastic? Even if it were all recycled successfully (which is rare, even if you do put it all in your blue box), do they understand that much of it is tap water (at best), and that none of it is regulated with the rigorous testing standards that our municipal tap water requires? Some, if not all of those plastic bottles also contain BPA, which has been shown to be toxic. Do consumers not understand how much less waste they would create by using their own reusable water bottle, in terms of energy, materials, health and money?
But others have addressed this issue, so I will move on now.
In Kenya and several other African countries, the World Bank's policy of putting exports first has meant that areas that are drought-prone are being used to produce frivolous water-intense products, such as cut flowers for the European market, despite their own population's desperate need for water to meet their own basic needs. The wealthy prosper while the general population pays with their health, and sometimes their lives.
What would change were water to be added to the list of human rights? To be honest, I really don't know. There are other rights that did make the list that are largely ignored in many countries. Still, I suspect that governments and multi-national institutions would feel a greater pressure to ensure the availability of water to the people. This doesn't mean it would change much, but it might provide a starting point for discussion, negotiations, legislation, etc.
I've heard the argument over and over--"we have the same amount of water we have always had--it's a demand issue". Well, this is true, to a point. Rising ocean levels and aridation of land mean that while the planetary water level remains static, the amount of fresh water available is decreasing. Add to this the problems of shrinking glaciers and pollution, and you can see that while population is definitely a mitigating factor, there is much more to this than a simple demand issue. We live in a world in which more people have access to a cell phone than have access to a toilet. This is not a healthy situation, particularly in areas that have high population density. Outbreaks of cholera are becoming more common. The health of a population is dependent on the availability of a reliable source of clean water.
Yes, we need to run factories, refineries, industry, etc. We need to farm in order to feed the planet, but we need to do it in a manner that protects our waterways. Gone are the days when we can carelessly heap on tonnes of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers without experiencing the consequences within our own lifetimes. We need to care for the soil in order to preserve the land for future crops as well as regain the health of our waterways. We need industry, but we also need to find a balance that allows us to meet our own more basic needs.
Other threats to our water that I've read about recently include natural gas "fracking", over-use of large capacity wells that can cause water table imbalances leading to arsenic contamination (geologist types might be able to explain this better than I), nano particles which may cause problems we have yet to discover, GMO-based agriculture, factory farming (mono-culture farms, lack of soil maintenance/crop rotation, reliance on agro chemicals, poor livestock rearing practices, etc.), and invasive species. And that's before I've actually started any dedicated reading or research into the subject!
My own country's government recently voted against declaring water a human right. Since we have the largest amount of fresh water of any nation on the planet, and our country's economy has always been "resource-focused", it is perhaps understandable that some might be inclined to treat it as such. However, I do not need to consume a tree or an ingot of nickel in order to survive. None of us does. These are secondary needs; water is a primary need without which none of us can survive. It is my assertion that it needs to be treated as such.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
What Do Bright Kids Owe the World?
One of my teachers once told our class that we were responsible for developing our talents to their utmost potential. Since it was a Catholic school, this was part of a religion class, and the idea was that God gave us those gifts with certain expectations.
Now, whether you subscribe to any particular religious teachings or not, if you are gifted, bright or have a child or children who are bright or gifted, you will likely have encountered this same attitude/belief.
For some kids, this is carried to extreme and causes them untold stress as they try to meet the expectations of those around them. Some will decide not to play that game, and purposefully underachieve to avoid such problems. And some others seem to be able to cope with what comes their way.
I wonder though, if this isn't a dangerously flawed idea. We don't make such demands on other populations. We don't make other kids "perform" like circus monkeys simply because they are exceptional in some way. We don't make unreasonable demands on them, to the tune of "you're so bright, you fix it" with the "it" being "little" issues such as world hunger, peace, environmental degradation, national debt, curing cancer, etc. So why is it OK to do this with bright and gifted kids?
The answer is simple: it isn't.
Bright and gifted kids deserve to live the lives they choose. Their contributions to society are their choice. Only through nurturing and supporting them as children will they be able to learn to make choices and develop and grow. And only then will they be able to contribute in a meaningful way. They need time to play, to grow, and to just "be" kids like any other kids. Denying them these opportunities is irresponsible and will not enrich their lives in any way--including educationally. Study after study had shown that kids denied play opportunities have much lower overall academic achievement than those who play. Gifted kids need a childhood too. They need the freedom to try new things and make mistakes. And, being gifted, some of their mistakes might be a little bigger than most. It's from learning to take risks that true learning happens.
On the flip side, how many of us have been told "well, if you're so smart, then..." by someone? Now, how many were told this by an adult in front of a group of our peers? Not only does this ridicule the student, but it also sends out a strong message that intelligence and reflection--thinking skills--are not valued or even welcomed in that group. When this is a school group, it is especially problematic.
It is no wonder that many gifted kids experience depression.
We need to change this. We need to take the effort to better understand gifted children's needs, first as children and secondly as children with unique needs. We need to challenge gifted kids without overloading them. We need to encourage them to pursue their interests in depth, and provide opportunites, resources and contacts to enable them to do so. We need to allow them "down time". We need to support their social and emotional needs as much as we do their educational needs. We need to recognize that being gifted will mean something different for each individual, and that their needs will vary greatly from child to child and also over time.
Perhaps most importantly, we need to allow them to choose their own future. If a gifted child chooses a less challenging career choice in favour of freedom, less work hours, more family time, and/or the ability to pursue an interesting hobby, we need to accept their choice as we would any other person's choice. If they decide to pursue higher education and push the limits of human knowledge in some way, we also need to accept and support their choice.
Being born with a greater intellectual potential isn't something people choose. Sure, we would all prefer it over other options, no doubt. But it should not become a lifelong debt to repay to society. In the end, the only thing a gifted child owes to themselves and society is the freedom to live the life they choose.
We have come a long way in our understanding of the needs of the gifted, but we still have a long way to go.
If your child is bright and/or gifted, you can obtain additional support from your local chapter of ABC:
ABC Ontario Chapter: http://www.abcontario.ca/
ABC Alberta http://www.edmontonabc.org/aabc/
ABC New Brunswick http://www.sjfn.nb.ca/community_hall/A/asso4180.html
International Agencies:
NAGC UK http://www.nagcbritain.org.uk/
AAGC USA http://www.aagc.org/
NAGC USA http://www.nagc.org/
Now, whether you subscribe to any particular religious teachings or not, if you are gifted, bright or have a child or children who are bright or gifted, you will likely have encountered this same attitude/belief.
For some kids, this is carried to extreme and causes them untold stress as they try to meet the expectations of those around them. Some will decide not to play that game, and purposefully underachieve to avoid such problems. And some others seem to be able to cope with what comes their way.
I wonder though, if this isn't a dangerously flawed idea. We don't make such demands on other populations. We don't make other kids "perform" like circus monkeys simply because they are exceptional in some way. We don't make unreasonable demands on them, to the tune of "you're so bright, you fix it" with the "it" being "little" issues such as world hunger, peace, environmental degradation, national debt, curing cancer, etc. So why is it OK to do this with bright and gifted kids?
The answer is simple: it isn't.
Bright and gifted kids deserve to live the lives they choose. Their contributions to society are their choice. Only through nurturing and supporting them as children will they be able to learn to make choices and develop and grow. And only then will they be able to contribute in a meaningful way. They need time to play, to grow, and to just "be" kids like any other kids. Denying them these opportunities is irresponsible and will not enrich their lives in any way--including educationally. Study after study had shown that kids denied play opportunities have much lower overall academic achievement than those who play. Gifted kids need a childhood too. They need the freedom to try new things and make mistakes. And, being gifted, some of their mistakes might be a little bigger than most. It's from learning to take risks that true learning happens.
On the flip side, how many of us have been told "well, if you're so smart, then..." by someone? Now, how many were told this by an adult in front of a group of our peers? Not only does this ridicule the student, but it also sends out a strong message that intelligence and reflection--thinking skills--are not valued or even welcomed in that group. When this is a school group, it is especially problematic.
It is no wonder that many gifted kids experience depression.
We need to change this. We need to take the effort to better understand gifted children's needs, first as children and secondly as children with unique needs. We need to challenge gifted kids without overloading them. We need to encourage them to pursue their interests in depth, and provide opportunites, resources and contacts to enable them to do so. We need to allow them "down time". We need to support their social and emotional needs as much as we do their educational needs. We need to recognize that being gifted will mean something different for each individual, and that their needs will vary greatly from child to child and also over time.
Perhaps most importantly, we need to allow them to choose their own future. If a gifted child chooses a less challenging career choice in favour of freedom, less work hours, more family time, and/or the ability to pursue an interesting hobby, we need to accept their choice as we would any other person's choice. If they decide to pursue higher education and push the limits of human knowledge in some way, we also need to accept and support their choice.
Being born with a greater intellectual potential isn't something people choose. Sure, we would all prefer it over other options, no doubt. But it should not become a lifelong debt to repay to society. In the end, the only thing a gifted child owes to themselves and society is the freedom to live the life they choose.
We have come a long way in our understanding of the needs of the gifted, but we still have a long way to go.
If your child is bright and/or gifted, you can obtain additional support from your local chapter of ABC:
ABC Ontario Chapter: http://www.abcontario.ca/
ABC Alberta http://www.edmontonabc.org/aabc/
ABC New Brunswick http://www.sjfn.nb.ca/community_hall/A/asso4180.html
International Agencies:
NAGC UK http://www.nagcbritain.org.uk/
AAGC USA http://www.aagc.org/
NAGC USA http://www.nagc.org/
Friday, 7 January 2011
Food, Kids and Cooking
I will admit that I am one of these people. The other day, as I was making lentil salad, I realized I have no idea what the plant form of lentils looks like, despite the fact that I eat a fair quantity on a regular basis. Like many of us, I suffer from a disconnect between the origin of my food and its appearance on the grocery store shelves.
I started thinking seriously about food a number of years ago, when I was in teacher's college. I had a sudden inspiration in the grocery store about an integrated unit related to the grocery store. Integrated units were the rage at the time (if you're in education, you will see that I am clearly dating myself here!). The idea was to combine subjects in order to show their relevance to the real world. For example, my grocery unit combined math (costs/budgeting, measurement and proportions), geography (mapping food origins, comparing growing regions/climates), history (comparing older and newer recipes), language arts (writing the recipe, following directions, reading labels, etc.) and so on.
The general idea of my grocery unit is as follows: on the first trip to the store, take a general survey of the different places foods we regularly eat come from. Return to the classroom and plot the items on a map.
Next, the class votes on 2-3 popular food recipes to make together in groups. Once the recipe is recorded, there is a second trip to the grocery store to purchase items. Older kids are encouraged to budget at this stage and to read (or calculate) the value of the ingredients on a cost per unit basis.
Back in the classroom, the kids prepare their foods and share them. They also plot out (on a new map) the origin of each of the ingredients. Older kids are asked to calculate the total (minimum) distance their ingredients had to travel in order to reach them. The recipes are shared with the entire class.
An extension to this that I've tried to do with my own family as a homeschooling parent is to grow some of the ingredients, and visit farms (we joined a CSA) and farmer's markets to see the entire process of food production. We have been fascinated by brussel sprout trees, enchanted with the baby cows, and learned that there's a lot more to soil than meets the eye. We also learned that there are different farming philosophies, and that we have some strong feelings about where our food comes from--something which just a few years earlier I'd never really thought much about.
The kids have also learned to cook, which is a skill that I believe will help them maintain healthy eating habits throughout their lives. Some of their favourite recipes can be found here.
So now my new mission will be to figure out just what lentils look like from start to finish.
Monday, 3 January 2011
Creating Special Moments
This post is inspired by a story by Stuart McLean called "The Mystery Book" which can be found here: http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?44#ref44
Have you ever secretly done something that you expect, or perhaps just dare to hope, will profoundly touch another person's life? Something that they are sure to cherish as a special memory for years to come? Something that takes a little extra thought and imagination, but once you find the idea, you know deep within your being that this is something that is Special?
Sometimes I have had that feeling, and I recognized it when I first heard that story a little over a year ago at the Vinyl Cafe Christmas Concert. When I heard that the story was being aired this year, I was especially glad as it is one of my favourites.
Yet, having recognized that feeling, I was hard pressed to come up with the examples of when I've actually experienced it first-hand.
Since I've had a year to reflect on it, I did come up with a few that I'd thought were sure winners, but upon reflection, didn't actually work out that way.
There was a hand-knit sweater I made from hand-spun designer yarn that cost more than I'd ever consider investing on a project for myself, but was perfect for the woman who would wear it. I was excited about the project--I researched pattern after pattern to put together something especially suited to her in colour, texture and form. I knit and re-knit parts until they met my satisfaction. It was perfect. Except she started menopause and didn't wear it due to hot flashes, then lost weight and it didn't fit her. She no longer has it--I think it went to Goodwill. I would have re-used the yarn and knit something else had she given me the chance.
Then there was the year that my parents were invited to a getaway with a group of friends and asked me to babysit for them that weekend. I was taking a double course load at university, and that weekend fell in the middle of exams. With 6 exams and 4 major papers, plus the demands of work, I just couldn't swing it. They were disappointed to say the least. So I saved up, eating Mr. Noodles for supper and taking on extra shifts ushering at the theatre and serving coffee at a campus coffee shop, and bought them a weekend getaway. I planned it when exams were over and watched the kids for them. I picked out concert tickets, booked them a reservation at a nicer restaurant, and bought them a suite at the hotel along with champagne and brunch. My dad said he slept through the concert I sent them to, and although they enjoyed the brunch, the rest was essentially a flop.
I did buy books for my own younger brothers, and often. I chose a variety, particularly favourites from my own childhood and classics. While they tended to ignore them for a while, eventually they both found the Lord of the Rings series inspiring and are now avid readers. Maybe that wasn't a total flop, but they weren't "sparkly special" the way I always hoped they'd be. I also tried to share my passion for nature with them by taking them along with my boyfriend on camping and canoe trips.
In the end, none of these was particularly special as it goes, at least not to the receivers. And maybe that's not the point. Maybe it's all about the sharing, caring, planning and just plain thinking about the person that really matters. Maybe these sorts of acts of sharing, although intended for others, are really for ourselves. And maybe that's not such a bad thing, if it allows us to continue giving, sharing, planning, spending the time and considering others despite the setbacks. Maybe it's one of the things that makes us alive.
Who knows--maybe Sam tossed out the book Stephanie bought for him. It's possible that he missed the point altogether. It would be quite likely that he would have a completely different experience than the one she had had with her book. Perhaps for him it was just a book and nothing more.
But the caring and sharing that came from that act, I believe, is what it's all about. And like some kind of twisted Karma of giving, I have to believe that it made a difference, a positive difference, even if it might not have been the one intended.
Sometimes we need to be Santa, in order to feel real and alive. We need to share in order to truly appreciate the beauty and joy we've experienced in our own lives. It helps us remember the important things. The outcome is only a part of it; as with much in life, it's often the journey matters most.
Have you ever secretly done something that you expect, or perhaps just dare to hope, will profoundly touch another person's life? Something that they are sure to cherish as a special memory for years to come? Something that takes a little extra thought and imagination, but once you find the idea, you know deep within your being that this is something that is Special?
Sometimes I have had that feeling, and I recognized it when I first heard that story a little over a year ago at the Vinyl Cafe Christmas Concert. When I heard that the story was being aired this year, I was especially glad as it is one of my favourites.
Yet, having recognized that feeling, I was hard pressed to come up with the examples of when I've actually experienced it first-hand.
Since I've had a year to reflect on it, I did come up with a few that I'd thought were sure winners, but upon reflection, didn't actually work out that way.
There was a hand-knit sweater I made from hand-spun designer yarn that cost more than I'd ever consider investing on a project for myself, but was perfect for the woman who would wear it. I was excited about the project--I researched pattern after pattern to put together something especially suited to her in colour, texture and form. I knit and re-knit parts until they met my satisfaction. It was perfect. Except she started menopause and didn't wear it due to hot flashes, then lost weight and it didn't fit her. She no longer has it--I think it went to Goodwill. I would have re-used the yarn and knit something else had she given me the chance.
Then there was the year that my parents were invited to a getaway with a group of friends and asked me to babysit for them that weekend. I was taking a double course load at university, and that weekend fell in the middle of exams. With 6 exams and 4 major papers, plus the demands of work, I just couldn't swing it. They were disappointed to say the least. So I saved up, eating Mr. Noodles for supper and taking on extra shifts ushering at the theatre and serving coffee at a campus coffee shop, and bought them a weekend getaway. I planned it when exams were over and watched the kids for them. I picked out concert tickets, booked them a reservation at a nicer restaurant, and bought them a suite at the hotel along with champagne and brunch. My dad said he slept through the concert I sent them to, and although they enjoyed the brunch, the rest was essentially a flop.
I did buy books for my own younger brothers, and often. I chose a variety, particularly favourites from my own childhood and classics. While they tended to ignore them for a while, eventually they both found the Lord of the Rings series inspiring and are now avid readers. Maybe that wasn't a total flop, but they weren't "sparkly special" the way I always hoped they'd be. I also tried to share my passion for nature with them by taking them along with my boyfriend on camping and canoe trips.
In the end, none of these was particularly special as it goes, at least not to the receivers. And maybe that's not the point. Maybe it's all about the sharing, caring, planning and just plain thinking about the person that really matters. Maybe these sorts of acts of sharing, although intended for others, are really for ourselves. And maybe that's not such a bad thing, if it allows us to continue giving, sharing, planning, spending the time and considering others despite the setbacks. Maybe it's one of the things that makes us alive.
Who knows--maybe Sam tossed out the book Stephanie bought for him. It's possible that he missed the point altogether. It would be quite likely that he would have a completely different experience than the one she had had with her book. Perhaps for him it was just a book and nothing more.
But the caring and sharing that came from that act, I believe, is what it's all about. And like some kind of twisted Karma of giving, I have to believe that it made a difference, a positive difference, even if it might not have been the one intended.
Sometimes we need to be Santa, in order to feel real and alive. We need to share in order to truly appreciate the beauty and joy we've experienced in our own lives. It helps us remember the important things. The outcome is only a part of it; as with much in life, it's often the journey matters most.
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