Mad As Hell

As a lifelong resident of Vancouver's Westside and the single mother of a teen and a tween and someone who is living with metastatic cancer and is part way through chemotherapy and until I began chemo went almost daily to Pacific Spirit Park with my fabulous mutt Sadie, I say "Enough!"

I am outraged at the murder of Wendy Ladner-Beaudry as she ran through Pacific Spirit Park on Friday, April 3, 2009. I was literally in the same woods with a friend and our dogs at the time that police were swarming the south-west corner of the Park. I am outraged that when I returned to the park on Tuesday that there were so few people in the park despite it being the warmest, sunniest day in since last September.

I invite everyone--each and every Vancouverite--to do something, anything in response to all the problems that hit us in the face every time we open a newspaper, turn on the radio, watch TV, walk down the street, or drive through the Downtown Eastside.

Inaction is no longer an option.

Pick up a piece of litter, check in on an elderly neighbour, smile while you walk down the street, be courteous when you drive, hug your kids even when they are driving you bonkers, make a donation to your kids' school, volunteer...just do something. Anything.

If enough people stopped minding their own business and started looking out for their fellow Vancouverites, we can dramatically improve the quality of all our lives in our city.

Be the Change You Want to See in Vancouver

If you want to actively participate, please make a comment and add what you are doing or are inspired to do to "Be the Change You Want to See in Vancouver."

p.s. the quote "Be the Change You Want to See in the World" popped into my head a couple of nights ago. I said to a friend yesterday, "I know I didn't make that up. I know that I've seen it on a greeting card but I don't know whose quote it is." Well late this afternoon, after spending the morning at the BC Cancer Agency having lab work and an appointment with my oncologist and doing four media interviews (the last one, on CKNW, I had to leave my son's volleyball game, go to my car, talk live on the radio and go back to watch the end of the match and drive my son and one of his friends home) I had a chance to google the quote and discovered that it is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. A fine example and inspiration to be sure, and with due respect, I am tweaking his quote and making it local.