Live Your Life Be Free!

Let’s get back to basics. I used to believe that deep down, people were good and they did things that made sense. But, lately I have been thinking that was naive.

Capitalism prevailed because it understood a very basic part of human nature – that we are all looking out for ourselves. It is a system where people compete against each other, with the winner creating the best product or service. And – I wonder if believing that people are not necessarily good inside is just a better way to go. Having this understanding of people is not based on a hope. It is based on reality – thereby creating a belief system that makes sense.

This question gets to the heart of another moral dilemma – is there evil? I used to close my eyes at the scary parts of movies. I used to give people the benefit of the doubt. But, now I am in the process of a forced-truth process – watching the news, especially with countries with crazy people in charge. I have been studying war and other chaotic times in history. I am reading about environmentalism and social inequalities. I have been thinking about what happens to everyone I know who has become a soldier, a cop or a social worker. That staring into the face of humanity, you start to become very jaded.

Some people I have shared this with have said that “I am saying that people are crap”. But, that is not it. Denying the bad in the world makes you blind to what is really going on. It makes you naive and confused. So – is it very negative to believe this about people – or does it relieve the sadness associated with being so frequently disappointed by them? A belief that people do things that don’t make sense all of the time. That people are confusing. I am not saying that goodness does not exist. It just makes it more amazing when you realize where it is coming from.

Hello, I know I have not blogged in a while, I am spending way too much time in RL .

I wanted to introduce my boyfriend’s new business, Living English. It is an English Language school with a focus on interaction and expression, instead of a focus on passing tests or reading textbooks.

I am in Washington DC right now, on the last few days of a summer holiday with my boyfriend. It has been great. We drove down to North Carolina’s Outer Banks from Toronto, then drove back to Washington DC to spend the 4th of July here and see some of the sites.

The days in North Carolina were amazing. Along the way we met a lot of friendly southerners, who were nice and helpful. We spent Canada Day there, and some people with New Jersey plates yelled "happy Canada day!" at our car. How sweet.

And – the whole thing got me thinking. In Canada, we watch American TV, use their products, eat at their chains, follow their politics, read their books, work for their companies, get mistaken for them when we go to foreign countries, so in a way, we really think that we know about them. But we don’t. I have always had a positive view of Americans (and my own American heritage with having an American grandmother). But, I can’t help but feel that my view is even more positive now after this trip.

In general, I really don’t think you can see a whole country as a concept you create through products, politics etc. But we just can’t make conclusions based on that. You may think that you never do that (I know I did), and nothing about others filters your view of them. But next time you are someplace new, meeting someone from another place, see if anything surprises you. 

I found this touching video about buffalo saving their calf from lions and alligators. Never, ever, ever give up .

A friend recently sent me this interesting site: http://www.walkscore.com/.
It allows you to calculate how good your neighbourhood is in terms of
walkability. My neighbourhood (High Park) faired okay and the
neighbourhood I lived in when I went to high school (Kanata Lakes)
rated at under 10% – which seems about right since it was pretty much
as suburban as you can get. As oil prices go up, I imagine Walk scores
will become more and more meaningful in terms of real estate value.
What does that mean for the ‘burbs?