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Reading Yourself, Finding Your Voice

Reading Yourself, Finding Your Voice

Well, it has been a couple of weeks of ongoing visits to the chiropractor, physiotherapist and acupuncturist as my long-term aches and pains have been acting up again lately. It happens: change of seasons, changes and new stresses at work, a busier-than-usual schedule… What we have to remember is what we can learn about ourselves even in the midst of such challenges. With my neck ache stubbornly resisting treatment, I have to ask myself: what is this “pain in the neck?” While treating me today my acupuncturist chose to comment that I have uncommonly “thick skin.” I thought about that one for a moment, disputing the clear symbolism, as I am an overly sensitive person – the opposite of the “thick skinned” personality suggested by the phrase. However, moments later I said “body armour.” Given this interpretation, I can make some sense of it. Uncomfortable in the world, feeling like I need protection… Interesting, isn’t it?
Another thing I’ve been wanting to discuss, perhaps not unrelated, are the “Occupy” movements spreading across the globe, and people’s reactions to them. I find it interesting that the local papers are primarily poking fun at, or criticizing the movement – for its lack of focus, or the occasional unintelligent quote. I wonder why the journalists aren’t more sympathetic, why they are unable to explore more deeply and from different angles. I am personally quite intrigued by what is happening. I might go take a closer look were I not exhausted from working and time spent going to appointments to treat my stress-related illnesses… If I were to try to put into words what the Occupy Movement is trying to express, I might talk about student debt; the unrealistic cost of living in Vancouver; question why the government doesn’t choose to help people struggling to pay off their debts (such as those in debt management programs), ease up on the lower and lower-middle class individuals who can barely afford rent, let alone even begin imagining home ownership… make the EI process a bit less of a circus (especially for those who have paid into the fund for decades, but never qualified for help when they needed it)… and these are privileged situations compared to those who are battling mental illness, addiction and homelessness. Why is it taking so long to make a dent in those problems? I think the very fact that the Movement lacks a clear voice is in itself a statement about the status quo. Maybe we are talking about a lost generation who doesn’t have a voice because they’ve never had a hope of using it? Maybe the hopelessness and malaise are so generalized that all we have is a fuzzy sense that things are not as they should be, but never having experienced the way things SHOULD be, we are unable to present a clear picture of what is wrong. I call it a first step, that people are at least recognizing that SOMETHING IS WRONG. The first step towards recovery, is, after all, admitting that you have a problem…

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