Jewish, Christian or whatever - 'Tis the Season To Be Selfless

It is the time of giving and spreading joy and we have done so in a few ways this year.
We donated to a couple of charities, we gave money and food to the food bank. And twice every year we have donated cloths to the Salvation Army (there is no Jewish charity organisation taking cloths as far as we know but then who cares as long as it goes to the needy!!)

Yet, why do i feel it wasnt enough? Why did a homeless person make me feel ashamed for not having given enough?

Let me explain. Christmas Morning we stopped at 7-11, my wife ran in to do her lottery and I waited in the car with the baby. Near the entrance sat a young man, probably in his mid-20’s, wearing a light parka over a early fall jacket/sweater, ragged jeans and worn boots and covered in a dirty old blanket, obviously cold and suffering from slight hypothermia (he kept nodding off which is a sure sign of hypothermia). Just based on my observation of his appearance he hadn't showered nor shaved in days and I am sure food had been a rarity as well.

So while M was inside the store I watched the young man and the parade of people walking by. Most folks just looked at the man with pity in their eyes but walked on. A couple of people gave him some coins.

Then a couple of charitable events happened that made me think about giving and ashamed for not having done so.

A young woman came out of 7-11 and gave the man a large cup of something hot. Just like that. And she did it with purpose, having known she would buy him a hot drink. His eyes lit up for a moment and he grabbed the cup between his dirty hands with a thankful smile for the woman. It is really strange but a SAW the dirt and the worn hands but all I could SEE where his long, dirty fingernails.

Anyway, a minute or so later I looked left and there this little old lady walked by, and while she walked and saw the young freezing man she opened her purse and pulled out some money. Not just coins – no. She gave him a $5 bill or two (only saw one)!

What made me even more ashamed was that the actually talked to the young man,
asking him how he was doing and if he was keeping warm. He said it wasnt easy right now with the cold weather and snow but he kept warm as best as he could.

This little old lady not only provided the man with a hot meal and shelter somewhere by giving him more then just a coin but actually took the time to talk to him, find out a bit about him and how he was fairing.
I was sitting in the car thinking „why doesnt he get a job?“ and „Should I give him $2 or not?“ – she was concerned about his well-being! Shame on me!

All the way home I was actually quietly upset at having to make a decision, should I or shouldnt I have given this man some cash or take him to the Falafel place next door and buy him lunch. I was debating helping a human being survive because I had already given so much this season.
$2 more would not have harmed me nor my family but would have given this man maybe some more warmth through hot food, warm drink or safe shelter.

How can I say that I want my daughter to learn about charity and helping others, when I am debating doing so. How can I teach my daughter to be a decent human being without prejudices, when all I thought was „if i give him $2 will he go tot he liquor store and get beer!“.

Because of this little old lady I know that next time there won’t be a discussion in MY head!

A Warm Welcome to my Baby Girl

Tayleigh Paige was born Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 11:46pm at Victoria General Hospital.

She weighed in at 6lbs 6oz and measured 19 inches.

Welcome to the world, pipp-squeek.

My hometown - Vancouver, B.C.

Pan Pacific
The West End

Downtown Skylline

Can you believe this sunset???

I LOVE Vancouver sunsets! We have some of the best ones in the world! Trust me - I have seen a lot of the world and BC ranks WAY high up there for its natural beauty!

Taken from my balcony

There's been a reason why I haven't posted lately

And here she is :-)

check out http://www.ahistoryofaveryspecialjourney.blogspot.com/ for more info :-)

Published one of my photos.....yeeeaaaaaa!! LOL

One of my recent shots of Vancouver was published in an online map service.


I know its only a small picture and only a small contribution overall but heck - any positiv news right now is uplifting! (i have been really tired mentally and physically - time for a vacation!)

well....here it is (somewhere in there)

www.schmap.com/canada/panorama/p=64395/i=64395_2.jpg
(look for Ambleside Park, West Vancouver)...

its this one:

On top of that I sold another at a charity event:

All in all - GOOD TIMES :-)

We had one of those days where all the weather GoD's were in agreement to make it a special day! Brilliantly cold and sunny day, no haze, and a dream sunset. I had to go out and shoot some pix. Here are the results - Enjoy

Looking for some justice!!!

The other day, two men were gunned down on an open street, in front of one of Vancouver’s most sought after restaurants, right after the Canucks game ended, gang-land style. The two men, one of which was just a guy out for a stroll, were victims #21 and #22 in what is being described as gang wars (according to the papers, radio, TV and police). 22 deaths in one year. At least 3 of which involved innocent bystanders who happen to be at the wrong spot at the wrong time. That does NOT include domestic, vehicular or other homicides that occur every year like in every other city. No – these are premeditated slayings, executions of men and women who are or were active in any kind of crime you can think of.

Two days later, Vancouver’s police chief, Jim Chu, was a guest at our local sports radio station and stated some numbers that make me want to cringe (amongst many other topics i forgot because I got so riled up):

The Vancouver Police has apprehended a few known criminals with over 100 convictions!!! NUMEROUS TIMES!! Two months or less after their last convictions!!!! AND, according to the Chief, with every conviction their sentence goes DOWN!!

The Vancouver Police has to put up to 4 officers on ONE MAN’s CASE because THEY have to proof beyond doubt the felon is a criminal even if there is hundred of witnesses to the crime committed.

On TV a few months back I also saw a story about a boy who was viciously attacked and left a paraplegic. His attackers, juveniles who drank to much, were sentenced a few weeks ago to probabtion and laugh in front of rolling cameras about their sentence!!

Most gang members in BC are (if I read the papers right) immigrants. Before I say anything more let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am NOT talking trash about immigrants here. Thousands of immigrants arrive in Canada each year to find a new, better life from that which they came from. They are honest, hard working folks who seek a better existance.
I am talking about a bunch of lunatics who wield guns, feel tough because they do so, and have nothing better to do with their lives then live it in crime. That seems to be their culture, not the Canadian one they SHOULD embrace, love and combine with the culture of their homeland. I did when I came here 20 years ago!!

Chief Chu and host David Pratt made one remark though that made me think about the essence of what I am writing about here today and the point I will get to soon (I PROMISE!)They mentioned the fact that these gangs are connected world wide, with members immigrating to Canada by the hundreds if not thousands.

Canada's government has always maintained that we need more Canadians.

So there is little Me and little M trying to make a just such a citizen. Since M is not capable of carrying a child we needed a surrogate. Our dear T.

Now, if it wasn’t for T, who volunteered to carry our child, we would have a hell of a time having a baby because we can’t personally approach and ask a woman to surrogate for us – that’s ILLEGAL.

We cannot pay a person to carry our child, our CANADIAN BORN child, because that is ILLEGAL. (We could go to jail for up to 2 years and pay a HUGE fine if we’d do that.)
Our child could/would be living in foster homes, a ward of the state, if we’d so much as THINK about spending money on anything BUT maternity related expenses for T.

A criminal, who has NO intentions of being a decent, valuable citizen in the most wonderful country in the world gets a slap on the hands hundreds of times and is free to pursue his/her rotten lifestyle.

A decent Canadian, with strong values, hard working and honest like Me and M, T and L and millions of others will go to jail for doing what the government asks us to do IF money changes hands.


YOU TELL ME WHERE THE RIGHT IS IN THIS WRONG!!!!