tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70557401839694011152024-03-12T20:16:32.188-07:00Free Spirited GingeA lifestyle, culture and current affairs blogMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05868551126604897501noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055740183969401115.post-54206792731865063002016-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:002016-03-31T09:26:56.153-07:00Prescribing the American Dream<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Prescribing
the American Dream<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="" name="OLE_LINK1">Wake up. </a></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Wash your face. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Brush your teeth. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Get dressed.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Eat your breakfast.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Pack your bag. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Take your prescription
drugs.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Go to school. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Sound
familiar? Maybe not to those of us who have grown up outside of the United States,
but to the millions of children living in the ‘Land of the Free’ that is
exactly what their daily morning routines consist of. CCHR International, a
mental health watchdog, reported almost 8,500,000 American children aged 0-17
were being prescribed with psychiatric drugs. 11% of American children aged
between four and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, with more than 6% taking
medication. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">It
is not only the quantity of children diagnosed that is alarming, but also the
rate of increase of those diagnosed. Go back to 1997 and only 3% of American
children had been diagnosed with ADHD, a figure in line with previous averages.
Between 1997 and 2003, the number of those diagnosed increased by 3% each year.
Between 2003 and 2007, cases increased by 5.5% each year. This increased to 16%
between 2007 and 2013. Clearly those drugs that are being prescribed are
working wonders…</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Now
don’t mistake my sarcasm for naivety. Before changing careers I was a youth
worker for 5 amazing years, working with young people from all walks of life.
My most sacred memories are taking disadvantaged youth from inner city Boston,
many suffering from mental health issues, and working with them in the
picturesque woods of Maine. I know from first-hand experience that sometimes
medication can work wonders in enabling a young person to battle whatever
demons they may face. In the right context I do not dispute that medication can
play an invaluable role in helping someone overcome his or her issues. But in
America it has become the easy option, the ‘go to’ for doctors when faced with
a hyperactive or distracted child. Prescription drugs now seem to be the number
1 option in helping young American youth fight mental health issues. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">The
inspiration for this article was a new song ‘Kevin’ by the US rapper Macklemore
(ft Leon Bridges), aimed at the dependency of American youth on medication, the
lyrics sung including ‘‘Can’t cure my disease, without killing me’’. Therein
lies the paradox, the necessity of using medication to help fight mental health
issues, yet you must then fight to rid yourself of the medication. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">It
is a thought-provoking line. What the billion-dollar drug industry doesn’t
mention on the stickers of those orange, white-capped bottles is the
classification the US Drug Enforcement Administration gives the majority of
their stimulants. Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse and Concerta among many others are
classified as Schedule II stimulant drugs which have a ‘’high potential for
abuse’’ and have the potential to lead ‘’to severe psychological or physical
dependence’’. Now combine the devastating potential these medications pose with
the knowledge that across America thousands of doctors are conducting short,
uninformative tests and subsequently prescribing millions of children with these
powerful and dangerous pills. It is nothing short of a drug-infused cocktail
for disaster.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKDiHHtEyu1NjFKGFs13Vt5CXHPdcPF7gdYwB87KVmikNSz14n1rdmvLpe5VV2n8A63OpAnUtDLp9SAnSixWAVsbqeE5k9ouOTt2ZxsfhPRviJ3Zyx-IEtUyif17YPmnDzCufQ1DO9GSf/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKDiHHtEyu1NjFKGFs13Vt5CXHPdcPF7gdYwB87KVmikNSz14n1rdmvLpe5VV2n8A63OpAnUtDLp9SAnSixWAVsbqeE5k9ouOTt2ZxsfhPRviJ3Zyx-IEtUyif17YPmnDzCufQ1DO9GSf/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">What
happened to children and adolescents simply exhibiting a range of behaviours
because they are mentally and emotionally developing? Do these pills really hold
the answer to all of these children’s ‘’behavioural issues’’? Our teenage years
are perhaps the most emotionally confusing years of our lives. In the past
society accepted this for what it was, an emotionally volatile and
unpredictable time. Forget for a moment the ridiculous numbers presented
earlier. You should see the jaw-dropping changes in a teenager’s personality
when they take medication like xanex. It’s truly heart breaking to watch their
personality literally slip away, their mannerisms disappearing, to be replaced
with a frighteningly placid, humourless shell of a human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the aforementioned song, Macklemore
perhaps again puts it best describing his friend as ‘‘walking around the city,
looking like a mannequin’’. This friend died from a prescription drug overdose.
Seems the DEA were right about those drugs having a high potential for abuse
and dependence.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">This
is an issue the World Health Organisation reported as threatening the
achievements of modern medicine, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
classified as an epidemic, and killing more people than car accidents every
year. When are we going to stop taking the lazy, ‘easy’ route, and stand up to
protect our children and young people? Pharmaceutical companies need to be held
accountable, doctors need to be monitored and supported in providing
alternative approaches, parents need to be educated and youth need to be better
engaged and understood. America, it’s time to start rethinking your approach to
diagnosing and dealing with mental health issues, and to stop simply trying to
prescribe doses of the American Dream.</span></div>
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Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05868551126604897501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055740183969401115.post-49094345946830126582014-01-20T10:57:00.000-08:002014-01-21T10:03:12.761-08:00January blues, Resolutions and Bucket Lists<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">So the dreary grey of January has descended upon
us. People on the tube look even more depressed than usual, and the next
holiday seems an awfully long way away.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span lang="EN-US"></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwV3PX_QcpwgoUXq4W2aZdDnRqU6FwWhX96SUSPnzJlkkWmtHi6-bGWa2RvoymqJUnQw5Hbr10-z-29zJ9LFSraTtsJyZdToSSFFiLbp8P3k0CHyiG7i1xkVbgZyjYQaLQohNsxCQXNdka/s1600/January+Blues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwV3PX_QcpwgoUXq4W2aZdDnRqU6FwWhX96SUSPnzJlkkWmtHi6-bGWa2RvoymqJUnQw5Hbr10-z-29zJ9LFSraTtsJyZdToSSFFiLbp8P3k0CHyiG7i1xkVbgZyjYQaLQohNsxCQXNdka/s1600/January+Blues.jpg" height="191" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"> And as if to subliminally tell me that
I should be in the same mood, I've spent the last two weeks or so having my
butt kicked by some kind of gross virus.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">A consequence of that has been that my social life
nosedived for a little while, but not to be deterred I attempted to use my time
in bed to my advantage. I’ve spent a large portion of January mulling over this
idea of resolutions, and on a larger scale ‘Bucket Lists’. For those of you who
don’t know, a bucket list is a personal list people make of the top things they
want to do before they die. It’s normally 100 different things so it does take
quite a lot of work and effort. Now before you worry readers, I haven’t gone
that far (yet)…but I have mentioned it for a specific reason.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaup2Vark3p3uUD83pOadUV2XiEbqdWEdBlaSMY1lN7OiOc1M4CdBwdkE_pMQxguLBChKl6zLplZUdKn9D0mfdieYGfE6UfA5HPoOcBq_bS3An6H9ZK8S_BI8NmSM_d2GJHTqK2kYUjJdb/s1600/Bucket+List.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaup2Vark3p3uUD83pOadUV2XiEbqdWEdBlaSMY1lN7OiOc1M4CdBwdkE_pMQxguLBChKl6zLplZUdKn9D0mfdieYGfE6UfA5HPoOcBq_bS3An6H9ZK8S_BI8NmSM_d2GJHTqK2kYUjJdb/s1600/Bucket+List.png" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US">Bucket Lists and New Years resolutions are slightly
different concepts, but they are quite often greeted with a similar snort of
derision and a wry smile when discussed. Although I endeavor to be an optimist
and a ‘dreamer’ I’ll concede that in reality a large proportion of resolutions
will fall short, and I’m sure a number of boxes will be left un-ticked on
people’s bucket lists. With that clear though, why do we insist on looking at
these concepts as nothing more than pipe dreams or some sort of life crisis?
Have our lives shackled us to the point that anything out of the ordinary is
unobtainable or unrealistic? One friend of mine went as far as to say that she
didn’t make any New Years resolutions simply because she already knew she
wouldn’t follow through with any of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I personally could never live my life with that
kind of outlook, but granted some people are just inherently pessimistic. That
isn’t the problem though, it’s the total apathy a lot of people have towards
broadening their horizons. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAHHZrHBxkCTr0UeEM_u9fOpNb8nUeZNV8i1xTuel78YeV_ShCJQOxV7MNgwQwYUMDUjwEN-0uITpZkTOewaNhav4k5t7bii-qg9hUOO3rWdUSBYAbAuwpd4uDZbmK_UgyqwimbaDFTIu/s1600/Apathy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAHHZrHBxkCTr0UeEM_u9fOpNb8nUeZNV8i1xTuel78YeV_ShCJQOxV7MNgwQwYUMDUjwEN-0uITpZkTOewaNhav4k5t7bii-qg9hUOO3rWdUSBYAbAuwpd4uDZbmK_UgyqwimbaDFTIu/s1600/Apathy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US">Maybe I’m on my own in this and at the risk of
sounding horribly clichéd, but the opportunities this world has to offer are
endless and not only that, there are so many personal goals that each and
everyone of us can achieve. Scrap that obvious image of jumping out of a plane
from your mind; I’m talking about any type of goal you want. Even if it’s
something mundane, it’s still something that you may have harbored a desire
for, anything from getting a pet, to getting in shape, to saying ‘I love you’
more to the people you care about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div>
<br /></div>
Once you’ve conquered some smaller goals, then set
yourself more challenging ones. Move abroad and experience a different culture.
Sack in a job if you hate it and pursue something that you love. Compete in an
Ironman. Whatever it is, it really doesn’t matter. Even if you are a pessimist,
that’s ok, but just give something a go. Break the mould and open yourself up
to new experiences and new memories. Above all, anything is better than pure
apathy. To be scared or to lack belief is ok, because you’ve already taken the
first and biggest step in taking the challenge on.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span lang="EN-US">So not to be labeled as a hypocrite, while I was
lying in bed sporting some very stuffy sinuses, one thumping headache and with the traditional January blues, I
thought about what I wanted to take on as a challenge. I decided I wanted to
challenge myself to get fit and to motivate myself I decided to sign up for
something slightly daunting…a 10k Assault Course run. </span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US"></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGw37lfmZpQl22TbSnxD5_VO0QzejddxUz844U5af4feeMs8OnI2KxZ0L0usDlhgKEKQZ3J_87kKgv0VVavArHy7Fec2U8lHl_wz1NZLtC7JCE9sIkHNmrhzVFZBmRU8S-4VkwZv0mYcC/s1600/Back+to+the+Trenches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGw37lfmZpQl22TbSnxD5_VO0QzejddxUz844U5af4feeMs8OnI2KxZ0L0usDlhgKEKQZ3J_87kKgv0VVavArHy7Fec2U8lHl_wz1NZLtC7JCE9sIkHNmrhzVFZBmRU8S-4VkwZv0mYcC/s1600/Back+to+the+Trenches.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YF_1NI2bPyOkMkLkJLKZkib0S3VBx5lXg9WOdBsSR5iA3_qgpjjQZF1eYY_Y5M0IvIXFVBK3kXgcTS1xYQ-jsMNvNm5gYVdMTV9wKsonVdM1QEnTOWt-jVD4NaHZ8_UIWYkpTtX9C4lM/s1600/X+Runner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YF_1NI2bPyOkMkLkJLKZkib0S3VBx5lXg9WOdBsSR5iA3_qgpjjQZF1eYY_Y5M0IvIXFVBK3kXgcTS1xYQ-jsMNvNm5gYVdMTV9wKsonVdM1QEnTOWt-jVD4NaHZ8_UIWYkpTtX9C4lM/s1600/X+Runner.png" height="133" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">So now I’m steeling
myself to be covered in mud, drenched in ice-cold water, burnt, cut and
electrocuted around a 10-kilometre course. And as if that wasn’t enough I
decided to try and do two in 2 consecutive weekends. A quick thank you to Jonathan
Friedman for being as crazy as me and joining me on this!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">But this is just me, and my weird obsessions with
challenging myself physically and mentally. What about you? Don’t be that
apathetic person who reads this, thinks about it for a minute and then glides
serenely back into a comfort zone devoid of any real heart stopping experiences.
Challenge the monotony, I dare you. Tick off the first box on your bucket list,
complete your first resolution…because once you do you’ll soon see that life
just becomes that little bit more breathtaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Ginge<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05868551126604897501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055740183969401115.post-49544152609230793622014-01-03T15:28:00.000-08:002014-01-03T15:28:53.035-08:00A week of bizarre occurences<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The period of time between Christmas Day and New Years Day is somewhat bizarre in my opinion. It's filled with an extraordinary amount of leftover food, a large amount of alcohol and for 95% of people a work ethic that, if discovered the other 11 months and 3 weeks of the year, would leave you looking for another job and signing on to the dole. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No-one really seems to know what to do with themselves during this time. And so, to help create more madness we have the ever indulgent and slightly ludicrous Boxing Day sales. Now don't get me wrong, I understand the premise, but I just cannot for the life of me fathom why people put themselves through this shopping gauntlet. Suzanne Collins, I'm certain, was using the Boxing Day sales as the basis for her Hunger Games franchise. A bloodthirsty sport, with little room for remorse or compassion, people in one day turn from selfless and generous human beings to discount price obsessed zombies. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why on earth do people sacrifice more of their time off work to battle the queues and store assistants caked in makeup (again akin to the Hunger Games if you have seen either of the movies). The shopping gauntlet is now undertaken over the Christmas period, and for the January sales as well, surely we can find better things to do with our time on this strange week?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My week between Christmas Day and New Years Eve started with a family visit to London's West End and a genuinely hilarious production of Jeeves and Wooster (from P.G. Wodehouse's iconic double act). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stephen Mangan and Matthew MacFadyen are fantastic as the upper class buffoon Wooster and his faithful and ever patient butler Jeeves. Slapstick comedy and a theatre setting mesh incredibly well in this memorable piece and I couldn't recommend this production highly enough. A visit to Joe Allen's, a restaurant in the West End steeped in theatrical history with a classic American feel polished off a great night. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the London West End I headed up north to Newcastle for a reunion with my Agassiz Village family. Never to do things quietly, or sensibly for that matter, a week of drinking, partying and general stupidity ensued with friends from far and wide. Anchorman 2 was much enjoyed after many long months of waiting (yes I am a big Anchorman/Will Ferrell fan) and I rediscovered for the 100th time just how bad I am at bowling! New Years Eve was celebrated with a large amount of alcohol, a number of drinking games and a large amount of singing and hugging.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a week that is most definitely out of the ordinary in every way, it can be a fantastic opportunity to catch up with old friends and family and eat & drink until your heart is content. If you aren't proactive, however, then be careful. You might resort to duelling with the shopping addicts of the high street in a bid to find something entertaining and productive to do with your time...and as we've established there are many better avenues to go down.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy New Year to you all!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ginge</span></div>
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Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05868551126604897501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055740183969401115.post-16366598588799786592014-01-03T15:23:00.002-08:002014-01-03T15:23:15.771-08:00<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11469089/?claim=net2fuat2mg">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05868551126604897501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055740183969401115.post-18946971665418129232013-12-26T14:45:00.000-08:002013-12-26T14:45:29.502-08:00Christmas: What does it mean to you?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christmas is known the world over as the ''the season of goodwill''. It is a time of year that many people hold dear in the hearts, it's a time for family, it's a time for giving thanks and it's a time for generosity.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That being said it can also be a desperate and lonely time for many people.</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those without families, for those who have lost loved ones, or for those without homes among many other things, Christmas can be the most painful time of the year. This particular post isn't aimed at making you feel guilty, I'm merely trying to remind myself to be incredibly thankful for what I have. It is incredibly easy to get caught up in the corporate Christmas spectacle we are surrounded in, and even easier to forget the moral compass and beliefs that underpin to many what Christmas actually stands for.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked a colleague at work before Christmas what he was doing over the holiday period, fully expecting a stereotypical answer of 'seeing family' or 'eating too much'. Quite the opposite he turned to me and said he had organised to work in a shelter and soup kitchen, and that it was something he had made a habit of doing. Now I'm not for a minute insinuating that everyone should or will go out and do something along these lines over the holiday period, but it did motivate me to do something similar, if not at Christmas then at some point soon. It was warming to find that people of my age could still be selfless and compassionate, as lets face it, our generation gets a lot of stick!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It could be argued that Christmas has lost it's meaning to many people, it's religious origin has now evolved into a completely different being, driven forwards through advertising from large corporations encouraging increased expenditure over the holiday period. To many it has become almost tacky. One of the kids at the school I worked at asked me before we broke up for Christmas if I told my children (I am not a father by the way) that Santa didn't exist. Ignoring the fact that the kids at school think I'm about 15-20 years older than I am, probably with grandchildren, let alone children, it was a question I found particularly interesting. I asked why I would tell 'my children' such a thing, and the child retorted by saying 'Sir what's the point of not telling him, your son or daughter will find out in a few years anyway!' To be fair to him, it's a point well made but in my opinion he's missing the crux, which is to a child Christmas is the most magical time of the year, full of mystery and wonder. There's enough in the real world to deal with that I'm sure all of us would jump at the chance to be thrown back into the world of elves, Santa Claus and Rudolph just one more time. That innocence is what makes the Christmas period so beautiful. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The spirit and compassion that it brings out of so many people, such as my work colleague, is what makes it so special to anyone over the age of 12. I guess the point of this blog was to see past the shop windows and the glossy TV adverts, to what Christmas really means to me. It's this idea of goodwill and of giving, the spirit of humanity and companionship that makes it so special. As a Londoner I can truly say the city changes at Christmas, people are more friendly, generous and happy. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No matter what companies do, they can't shatter the ideals and meaning of Christmas, we'll just have to start looking a bit harder for the meaning of the festive season to each one of us, how we can act upon it, and for us to be thankful for what we have.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A belated Merry Christmas!</span><br />
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Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05868551126604897501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055740183969401115.post-18931816594871683122013-12-26T11:59:00.000-08:002013-12-26T11:59:53.320-08:002014 Project: A year in the life of<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My 2014 Project:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've decided to make a New Years resolution a few days early...I'm going to make a second attempt at writing a weekly blog. Admittedly my last blog was verging on pathetic...I managed to post 3 blogs from my travels, and had another 3 pending in my draft box. Now considering my travelling/living abroad spanned roughly two and a half years, that is very embarrassing. I could throw out a number of poor excuses, but I won't. Instead I'm going to give the whole idea another attempt.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I'm back from travelling I can't pretend that my life is nearly as exciting on a daily basis, so I'm going to base it on a number of topics:</span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daily life in London - a blog for a year of my life</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Current Affairs (Foreign and Domestic)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Films and Sporting Events</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anything else that really comes into mind!</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoy my blogs as I put them up, please feel free to post comments and follow me for the rest of the year. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matt</span></div>
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Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05868551126604897501noreply@blogger.com0