I’ve welcomed the challenge that is Project 365.

For those who don’t know, Project 365 is a commitment to publicly chronicle your life DAILY for an entire year.  It can take the form of a photo-a-day blog, or a micro-blog-a-day (like twitter), or an essay-a-day blog.  Some are organized with a group and some are solo projects.  I’m working with a group, and as such there are certain parameters I must constrain my posts to.

I have to admit.  There are days when posting is a trial.  When I haven’t taken the time to fully immerse myself in the wonders that surround me, then I struggle.  When I do though…  when I do take the time to find little things worth watching, worth studying, worth engaging…  then the trouble is not coming up with something to post.  The trouble is deciding which of the many things I’ve done should be shared.

Recently I had laser eye surgery.  My eyes still give me some discomfort, but overall the results are amazing.  Truly amazing.  Going so many days without using my good camera though has resulted in a bit of fear… and now it’s almost become an avoidance issue.  It’s nonsensical, of course, but the nerves are there none-the-less.  So today I’ve made a decision.  It’s time to pick up my camera.  To go about capturing life, as I’ve loved to do for so many years.

Why am I writing about this?  Well…  I believe that’s what we need in politics.  A willingness to push beyond ourselves.  An ability to delve into areas that may be, on occasion, uncomfortable.  To see the things that need addressing that we might otherwise never notice.

I’m always the first to tell people, I don’t have all the answers.  What I do have is a willingness to listen, and an eagerness to learn.  I want to know what matters to you, and I want to ensure that YOUR voice is heard.

So there you go.  That’s what it’s about for me… and I wish that more folks involved in politics (in it’s many incarnations) felt the same.

I’m going to go pick up my camera, and enjoy the experience that is today.  I hope you’ll join me.

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http://td365.wordpress.com/ - my project 365 blog

The fact of the matter is that a nuclear reactor is not needed to produce medical isotopes.  It makes for good media to say that we need a reactor for medical purposes, but the truth is just the opposite.  The radio-isotopes needed for medicine, scientific research, and industry can be produced inside a particle accelerator, such the cyclotron.  And projects like the cyclotron do not pose the staggering high-level waste associated with nuclear plants.  The Government of Manitoba has put in a proposal to the federal government to produce medical isotopes with a cyclotron at a cost of $35 million.  The Government of Saskatchewan has also put in a proposal, to produce these same isotopes using a small nuclear reactor at a cost of $750 million.  In addition to the problem of cost, the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses has said that even a small 25 megawatt research reactor for the purposes of medical isotope production is not worth the health risks that would accompany it.

A nuclear reactor is simply unnecessary, in any capacity.

Sitting at a table, knowing the goal of everyone there is to out-do the person next to them.  It hardly creates a scenario of respect or mutual engagement.  The issues become secondary to the ability to snap out a quick insult, or to hurl a disparaging remark about political affiliations.

I love a round table discussion, or a chance to hash-out the arguments for or against an issue of importance.  I love the laughter and insight that can come from a sharing of information, and a true dialogue on any given topic.  I love the sense of respect and even admiration that can come through cooperation… and that rarely seems to happen in a debate format.

So I’ll go.  And I’ll share my vision, my hopes, my goals for our beautiful province and her people.  What I won’t do is hurl insults at, or seek to disparage my fellow candidates.  So I hope you’ll come out.  And I hope you’ll listen.  And I hope a quiet respect reaches farther, reaches more of you, than a loud criticism.

A couple of years ago, I was defined by my position.  As a dog professional, I lived and breathed my work.  I trained, photographed, handled, groomed, boarded, transported, fostered, and wrote about dogs.  I’m a recognized expert in the field of canine behavior.

While I’m still involved in the world of dogs, while I’m still a specialist in canine behavior, I’m not so defined by that work.  I still train service dogs for people with disabilities.  I still photograph and handle dogs.  I still offer consultations on canine behavior.  I will always write about dogs.  But I consider my roles as mom and President of the Green Party of Saskatchewan far more important.

So I scribed the requisite Canine Behavior Specialist in the multiple spaces requiring profession.  But I’m more than that.  So much more…  and as I grow, and as I learn, I change.  My priorities change.  I’m a dog professional, but like many professionals, my title doesn’t define me.  People should not be put in boxes.  And no matter the label, I refuse to be boxed in.

Everything I do in this life is for her.  If I want her to grow up as a strong woman with a social conscience, I need to model those things for her.  Where is she going to learn it, except through the example I provide.  I want her to be able to look beyond herself, into the world, to see what needs mending and to do what she can to make things better.  How else will she learn this, except through me?

We all need to be the change we wish to see in the world.  It’s not enough to complain about a broken system, to complain about what’s wrong.  We need to take action, to get involved, to make change happen.  So that’s what I’m doing.  I’m not just talking about it, I’m getting out there - putting myself out there… making change happen.

I can only hope you’ll all be there with me.