(DA) Mental Illness

Like much of the world I am greatly saddened to hear of Robin William's passing. He was very talented and brought a smile to my face on many occasions. The fact that his death came at his own hand makes the story that much worse.

The only possible light in this darkness is that this high profile death has sparked conversations about the effects of Mental Illness, something that has been taboo in the past and is starting to become a topic of discussion. People are sharing stories, looking for help and receiving positive feedback, love, friendship and help.

There is a picture on Facebook that's going around that says "I would stay up all night with a loved one to talk them out of suicide." And as nice as that sentiment is,

I would stay up all night talking to a complete stranger to talk them out of suicide.

Whoever you are, you are precious, and loved and the world would not be the same without you. If you need someone to fight alongside you, I will.

-Brandolyn

(DA) Why do People avoid the Homeless?

Someone without a home is a person, just like everyone else.

There's no need to walk quickly past them, avoid eye contact, ignore them, or talk badly about what could have gotten them into that situation.

If they ask for money and you have some change to spare, then give it to them. (I like to keep some change in a specific pocket for this purpose- my brother in law taught me this.) If you think they might spend it "unwisely", but still want to help, offer to buy them a snack or coffee.

There is a homeless man in our neighbourhood who hangs out near the Esso/ Tim Hortons. He is so polite and such a frequent visitor that on hot days people will buy him water or Gatorade and leave it one the step for him (if he's not there yet). In the winter, people will go through the drive through and come out with a coffee and sandwich for him. And when he has some money, he'll come to the bar, and 'splurge' on a beer and wings.

How can people be so incredibly nice and understanding of this man, and not of others sitting down town asking for money?

We, as human beings, shouldn't choose who we help and who we ignore, we should help anyone who asks for it.

Hopefully this video and set of pictures go viral enough to help other people see how wonderful and incredible people without homes can be.

Dogs love you no matter how much money you have

They asked these homeless people to reveal something about themselves

Oh, and this video of young people being ALL KINDS OF AMAZING!

-Brandolyn

(DA) So impressed

Sometimes I get impressed by our dog.

He's nearly 2 and we've spent a lot of time training him, but there are some things he does that just shock me.

When I start to change and get ready for work or after he has eaten, Washburn will go and curl up in his crate.

That's not a trick I taught him, but a habit he has learned from repetition and routine. There isn't much about his life that has a routine; he eats at roughly the same times or at least same intervals and gets between 2 and 5 walks a day. But the one thing that's consistent is that I am wearing PJs when I don't work, and real clothes when I'm leaving, so Washburn has learned that when I go to my closet, it's bed time for him.

He amazes me. He's perceptive and smart and I couldn't be happier with the way his training is going.

-Brandolyn

(DA) This Land is a Fantasy

There's a land with flowing water,
the hills are rolling green.

Creatures roam and soar,
they dive and swim.

Trees reach for the sky,
Oceans sink to the deep,
Clouds caress mountain tops.

This land has never known war.
It has never known politics.
It doesn't judge its creatures for their faith, gender, origin or sex.
This land accepts its residents.

Poverty, disease and devastation have no definition,
because kindness prevents suffering.
There is no need for violence.
This land lives in peace.

This world is a fantasy.

It is a fantasy that lives in the moments between the blink of an eye,
in the space between rest and waking,
where dreams are almost tangible.

This land is where I live.

I invite you to join me.
Reach for the dream.
If enough hands reach for it,
one will be able to hold on and pull it down for the rest of us.

-Brandolyn

(DA) Old friends

Happy occasions bring people together and today was no different. Today; at a high school friend's engagement party, I saw a woman I haven't seen in 8 (ish) years!

She looked exactly the same and I recognized her from across the room. It was an amazing reunion and we had SO much to catch up on! Unfortunately I'm still recovering from post GISHWHES exhaustion and had to cut the evening short and go home.

-Brandolyn

(DA) Fun Hangover

Unfortunately I am familiar with the feeling of a hangover.

Sick to the stomach, pounding head, dry mouth, dizziness etc...

However, I didn't know that I could get a hangover without consuming massive amounts of alcohol. GISHWHES finished at 3am this morning, and of course, like in high school, I stayed up till the last minute completing every task I could. I went to bed at 3:30, and didn't wake up until after 11am, but when my eyes finally opened I felt VERY hungover. I wasn't just sleep deprived, I had a fun-hangover (not a hangover that was fun). It was the aftermath of GISHWHES. After all the excitement and charity and week of thrills, I was so exhausted I felt hungover.

I had no idea that was possible. But now I know that Post GISHWHES shenanigans feel exactly like the morning after a night of drunken debauchery.

-Brandolyn

(DA) Waiting

I do most things on the fly. I decide my plans at the last minute and hope/ wish/ and will them to unfold well.

GISHWHES has had me much more structured than I am used to, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't struggling with it.

I would usually look at a list of tasks and accomplish them in the order than appeals to me, or as I am inspired, but this week I've had to plan out "when to be inspired" and "what items will inspire me", which is counter intuitive.

I've had quite a learning curve this week and actually, it's forced me to be creative, which I've complain ed about recently. I wrote a post about forgetting how to draw, and yet this week I've drawn a beautiful Elephant, painted a bird house, sketched a fight between two metamorphic animals and sketched a zombie. I haven't been this creative with my pencils in MONTHS! And yet, having a goal and drawing criteria has helped me see that I still have my drawing skills, I'm just as indecisive as ever.

-Brandolyn