Canada finally grows some ***** and sets down a rule that makes sense despite some minor opposition. Niqabs, burkas and other veils will no longer be aloud when new Canadians take an oath of citizenship. The announcement came this week and I for one say “Hooray!”

I mean, really…does it make any sense to have a masked person take an oath? You can’t see if they are saying anything which makes it meaningless. Can you even tell that the person you have in front of you is the person who should be sworn in? I don’t know. What is the protocol for ensuring this is indeed the right individual? I’m a little ignorant about the pre-ceremony process but I have no problem with this rule being set in place.

The diversity of our country is amazing! Love it! Love teaching new Canadians about career options and even conversational English. Immigration, is not a bad thing. Though, it could use some work to make it a better system. (But, that’s for another blog post) What didn’t make any sense was this idea that someone can stand before our officials, participate in a ceremony and supposedly recite the words they must in order to become a Canadian citizen, without even showing who they are.

I also don’t agree with coverings in court or anywhere else where testimony or security is key. This isn’t anything against Muslims. Whether the women choose to where their coverings or not, is up to them. (if it is their choice alone) This is about the very fabric of our Canadian values, our laws and everything that goes with walking through our open door. You have to give up things in order to adopt a country as your new home. Things change and you have to be willing to bend a little to conform with policies and procedures that are built into a system that is designed to serve and protect.

Eventually, this may not be an issue at all. The use of these coverings may not be what future generations subscribe too; at least to the degree it is now. However, for right now we have a situation that needed to addressed and I’m glad it was. We have long been soft on so many issues that have cropped up to the point where it has caused bad blood between new immigrants and Canadian citizens. If we stand up for our heritage, values and laws we are called racist, intolerant and a whole host of other labels but this is not how it should be.

We need to protect the very things that attracted people to our country in the first place and we need to be diligent in taking in only those who are ready and willing to accept those principles. People may give up a lot to come here but that doesn’t mean we need to give up everything we have to make them feel welcome.

Do you know anyone who seems to be perpetually in a state of chaos? That somebody who constantly spreads their negative energy around; infecting everyone who comes within ear shot of their latest drama. Yes, there are drama Queens and Kings everywhere.

The following statement resonated with me the first time I heard it…“Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.”  I heard this through an interview Oprah was doing with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor who after having a stroke, suffered severe cognitive and motor skills damage. In the hospital, where she lay, she could not talk with others but she could feel peoples energy. Out of that experience and her subsequent eight year recovery came the realization of just how powerful our own energy is.

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In my column this month I decided to tackle another prickly topic… the use of the words “MERRY CHRISTMAS.” For those that haven’t been keeping up, saying those two words in some circles is taboo. There are groups or individuals that find all manner of ways to circumvent using this greeting that has been in existence since the 15th century. The philosophy behind this omission is that you don’t want to offend someone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas ie: Non – Christians or offend those that feel so strongly about inclusion that they have to find a generic way of greeting everyone. Either way you are scrooged!

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In response to a recent plea for donations my mother and I went to the Surrey SPCA with blankets, towels, newspaper and food. Upon arriving we saw several cars pull up unloading their contributions for the society. My mother had never stepped into a place like this preferring instead to go to her local pet store for a look and a cuddle of a puppy. Inside this building contained the hustle and bustle of dedicated staff and volunteers who make it their mission to aid in the health and safety of dogs, cats and other suffering animals.

Amidst the bundles of donations arriving every minute was the signing of an adoption of a dog named “Jersey.”. A man had come in and decided that this was the dog for him, with paperwork and leash in hand he left as a new pet  parent. Jersey had half a look of uncertainty and half a look of happiness with a wagging tail. Let’s hope their partnership is a loving and long one.

Meanwhile, a little Chihuahua who had been found was being cuddled by the front desk clerk. Too scared and shivery to be left in the kennel he was nestled in the jacket of the staff member. This temporary home was just right until they find his parent which might come sooner than later as a missing dog report possibly matches his description.

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How can I help? As an employment counsellor and consultant it pains me to see the suffering that befalls many people in the United States; in addition to our own unemployed in Canada. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics  over 13 million people in the US are unemployed; this has devastated families and communities alike.

We have all seen the reports about people who are now living in their cars, hotel rooms, shelters and on the streets. People who are desperate to find any work as well as a roof over their head. We watch as parents try to keep their kids in school and avoid any possibility of their children being taken away because they can’t provide as they once did. It is truly a helpless feeling and I often find myself trying to decide what can I do that would make a difference?

What I have decided to do is use this blog to offer free counsel to those in need:

If there is someone out there that requires help with career options,  job interview techniques, resume writing or cover letter development who resides in the United States, meets the criteria of unemployed or underemployed, who is struggling to find service in their community and has no other means of accessing these services, then contact me. We will talk and decide whether I can be of help with 3 free of charge consultations. (I  will extend this offer until March 2012)

I have been blessed to work with hundreds of people over the years and continue to believe that everyone has something unique to share that benefits our community. I also believe that it is not all about the money and I must give back whenever possible. By using our talents in the service of others without any thought of monetary compensation we give even greater meaning to our existence in the working world.

Some of you may have skills that would benefit these individuals and their families too so I encourage you to see what you might do. Maybe there is a partnership of  services we can provide. No matter what transpires here in this offer I felt compelled to throw it out there. It doesn’t hurt to extend a hand regardless of whether it is needed at this time or not. There are no guarantees either, just an offering of support when its needed most.

Please feel free to reach me either on this blog or through private email located under the Contact icon at the side of this post. Also, you can see more about my services at Jennifer Chandler Consulting.

Today, was the day my husband and I chose to put up the Christmas lights. I can tell you first hand that next to gardening, hanging Christmas lights is my husbands least favourite job. Still, he indulges my need to string up festive lights across gutters and along the deck fencing, accompanied by fake bows.

Having found that some of the bulbs were burnt out he was back up on the ladder replacing them with new ones. As he made his way up the ladder I could distinctly hear some rumblings, grumblings and expletives that will not be repeated in this post. Of course, there are two sides to a house and so once completed on the front we proceeded to pack up the ladder and commence decorating in the back.

First, was the large shed that meets you at the end of our driveway. Here it was quickly discovered that the blue LED lights were not enough to make their way fully around. One more string, that’s all I need and it will be perfect! Next, set of White LED lights on main house, also was not enough! So, first I improvise with another set of non-matching lights in the middle to see if I could use what we had.

Husband – “Yes, that looks fine.”

Me – “I don’t know if I can live with it.”

Husband – “Why don’t we just live with it tonight and see what it looks like.” (Code for I don’t want to take these things down, hopefully she won’t say anything and will just learn to accept it)

Me – “No, I just can’t do it…I have another idea.”

Up hubby goes again to replace the mix-matched lights with a string that doesn’t quite make it but looks better than the alternative. He quickly plugs everything in and says,

“See, that looks OK lets just put everything away now and have some lunch”

Noting that I may be pushing my limit especially when dealing with a man with an empty stomach, I agreed it’s time to quit. However, now that I think about it…if I just go out tomorrow buy more blue lights for the shed and more white for the house I should have just the look I wanted. “Oh, husband I think I solved our lighting dilemma…”

I just can’t support Occupy Vancouver, plain and simple. I really believe the whole thing started out with legitimate empathy for the plight of people in New York and solidarity with worldwide movements for change. However, weeks in, everyone is still in the dark as to exactly what the the agenda and plan is for Occupy Vancouver.

Most likely, hijacked by the same groups and individuals that trash our city during summits and events, it has become a frustrating mess! Hardly inclusive and safe for anyone who dares to question their intention or legitimacy. The same heavy-handedness and disrespect they say they hate in our Government/agencies is exercised in their dealings with fellow citizens who oppose their action, media and all those trying to uphold laws. They complain about the establishment not listening to their concerns but they aren’t listening to the citizens of Vancouver who want their art gallery back and would prefer peaceful protest.

I would submit that the majority of the people camping out there will never be able to fully identify what their agenda is nor come up with a comprehensive and inclusive plan for action. They are certainly not representative of the 99% and I’m sorry but I have to question how much they contribute to our communities beyond their personal agenda.

Are they concerned where their hard earned tax dollars are going? If they themselves are homeless, was it the governments over- taxing that caused them not to have a roof over their head or was the affordable housing just not in the chosen area?  How much of their money is going back into helping their fellow 99%? Because, I know mine is going out weekly and that is on top of  donations of money, service and goods to charities.

If they are unemployed, did they walk into their local employment agency and not get the service necessary to in order to secure employment? If they can camp out for days on end and stay up late into the night hatching plans and developing strategies for their comfort and protest then I would say they have a lot of skills worth exploring for paid employment. Is it also an environmental cause as indicated on site and media coverage? If so, what’s the environmental impact on a portion of our city with this temporary housing? Now, that the city has paid out close to million on this occupation, how is that benefiting us? If it is against the takers in our society who through their wealth have failed to be honest about their dealings, how far back to do we go in the pursuit of justice?

I agree that we are definitely not getting treated well by our government all of the time; I have lost confidence in so many of them. I also believe that our utility companies are really helping themselves to our wallets. Greed abounds on some many levels. However, I find it funny to complain about Big Business, Corporations and Government in general when you think about what we use day to day. For example: Occupy Vancouver themselves are utilizing services while sitting in their tents on public property.

Last I checked it was the utilities that kept lights on around that encampment …corporation. Police, Fire and emergency crews, city workers responding to health crisis, death, bylaws, clean up and peace keeping….municipal/government. If  any of these individuals are on social assistance or employment insurance….government. Is Occupy Vancouver participants using cell phones, Twitter, Facebook or any other techno/social media communication? If the answer is “Yes”…big business/corporations. For all the things they purport to despise they sure don’t seem to mind using them.

Here’s my bottom line:

Occupy Vancouver has been hijacked!

What started out as movement of support has turned into individual agendas and vendettas.

If you want housing for yourself or others than do what the rest of us do – educate yourself in something of interest, get a trade, save money, move to a more affordable location, find roommates to offset cost,  build your way up from renting to ownership and spend the rest of your life trying to pay it all off.

If you want a job there are plenty of agencies willing to take you through from career planning to job search. Plenty of employers who need help. If we are hiring so many people from outside the country to do certain jobs I’m sure you wouldn’t mind filling some of those positions to complete the goal of housing.

If you want a better government then vote and make sure when you vote you are informed.

If you want to send a message to the powers that be and inspire others to join in, we need focus and manageability. It can’t be so chaotic that the message gets lost in multiple translations.

If you want change then peaceful protest is your right but OCCUPATION is very militaristic… don’t you think? And militarization ‘control exerted by group action’ is something you oppose. See, right now it looks like a you are trying to exert your control over our city and I have to say that isn’t good.

If you want respect than demonstrate the respect to others around you!

___________

Of course, this is only one woman’s opinion but I believe I have a right to speak as a tax paying citizen and a card carrying member of the 99%.

It is the 11th day of the 11th month in 2011 and it is on this day we salute our veterans and troops.  As I watched the coverage of this event and saw the faces of young and old I am warmed by the thought that we really appreciate the sacrifices these individuals make.

Across the miles our troops still serve and I want to let them know we remember you! As we have supported our allies in wars we didn’t start we have paid dearly but the souls that passed did so with great honor. It is through their dedication to our country, their selflessness and commitment to the greater good that all of us can be proud. It is not that anyone wants war but when conflict arises it is these men and women that step up and say “Yes” to defend freedom and democracy. Sometimes the reasons for going are not fully understood but because of long-standing friendships our troops extend a hand in the hope of stabilization and reconstruction.

For those that have come home and still deal with the scars of war I wish you healing. There is a need to offer men and women the best post combat care upon arrival home. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is real and there has been a steady increase in veterans experiencing the often complex and debilitating effects of this condition. Today, I think deeply about those veterans. I offer an empathetic plea – Please try to find the appropriate support that will help you talk about what you saw and how you feel. Your mission is to release the pain, anger and helplessness that encompasses your days right now. Find the strength to tap into your true spirit again; let peace, love and laughter come back into your life and the lives of those around you. We await your full return home.

We, as a nation and a people, are so lucky to live where we do and as we do. Very few could say they have the richness of life that has been bestowed upon Canada. When we gripe about so many things that bother us from politics to weather we do so because we are free minded. There may be times when we question the role others have in our existence but ultimately we move throughout our days with the ability to exercise choice. We stand on solid land that was defended on our behalf along time ago. The names of all the people that made this possible are not etched on our minds but their energy exists all around us. We pass by them on the streets, we step on the soil where once they trod, we gather once a year to honor them and that my friends is how their legacy lives on.

This is only a simple post to say “Thank you” to all those who served and continue to serve our country. Support the troops and support the Royal Canadian Legion.

Moving toward healing -

Are you in a place where the questions are greater than the answers?

Are you feeling depression is slowly taking over your life?

Are you dealing with a fear that won’t let you go?

Are you reliving a trauma with seemingly no escape from a stream of memories and feelings?

These are only a few of the reasons why people seek the help of professional counselling and most people, from my experience, use this resource as a last resort. It is in our nature to want to fix things ourselves and we often have learned by example what techniques we might use. Employing supposed coping strategies that seemed from the outside to work quite well but when the same feelings or experiences return we are left to realize “this ain’t working.” We are all good at finding distractions, blaming others, believing we are strong enough to handle this alone or we simply pull the sheets over our heads and ride it out. Some people use alcohol, prescription and illegal drugs or other forms of abuse in order to divert temporarily from reality. All of these things are short term fixes to a larger problem.

There comes a time when we need to realize we are too close to the situation and that the counsel of someone who is objective will be valuable.  This person may be a Counsellor, Psychologist, Specialized Therapist, Psychiatrist or Social Worker. No doubt, it can be a very uncomfortable or fearful prospect; calling someone and saying “I need help.” However, it really is about feeling the fear and doing it anyway because making that call is our first step toward freedom. By releasing ourselves from the burden of carrying the problems on our own and clearing the clutter, there is far more greater chance that the answers we seek have room to surface.

Within in my own life I have used the services of others to help me make sense of the seemingly impossible tangle of thoughts, situations and memories. I also refer clients, friends and family members to counselling resources when I feel it is appropriate. This is an important gift to give someone because as much as we would like to be the sounding board, sometimes issues are outside of our expertise and we could cause more harm than good.  Whether personally or professionally our egos can make us think we can fix the issue but what most often happens is that we take the proverbial same actions expecting different results.

We all have times in our life when we have to take a leap of faith that someone may be able to help us see something we can’t. All that we need to learn is stored away and it is a counsellors job to help you get to the answers and move toward healing. Check with your doctor for referrals, phone a health center in your community, check directories or associations. Counselling BC offers resources for people living in British Columbia. Also, I have recently met through networking a wonderful woman by the name of Karen Laskey who offers Counselling and Hypnotherapy services. Check out her website for further information.

Finding the right person to work with you may take time but it’s worth it. Free yourself and let your story rise to the surface to guide you through all the trials and tribulations of life!