Okay, I’ll admit right off the bat that I am in a contrary mood today, but nevertheless, I’m going to wade in when I should probably be silent. Going over Niagara Falls in a barrel? Is this really the type of woman we should aspire to be? I like to live and play safely; this does not mean I am a coward. Annie Taylor plunged over some falls in what might have become her casket; this does not make her “brave”. I have always considered those that attempted to perform such feats as foolhardy, not brave, whether they were male or female. Even Annie herself pronounced that it was a stunt that should not be repeated. I did a little research and it would seem that only about 15 people have made subsequent attempts and at least 5 did not survive; at least one person suffered some serious injuries. Surely, bravery is when you attempt to do something against all odds for the well-being of others. This woman pulled this stunt for self-promotion and to try to jump-start her finances. I agree on one point. There are some truly amazing women in our history whom we might try to emulate; I just disagree that this Annie Taylor is one of them. (But I’ll admit she had pluck!)

I’ve read many good and interesting books but what has been life changing? Although not having read the Bible in its entirety, it has had the most influence on my life … just not as much as I’d like. Just last year I read “For Her Own Good” by Barbara Ehrenreich and ???? (help me out here); this well written account of the female experience during the past couple of hundred years really answered a lot of the nagging questions I’d been having about my own life. I felt angered and disheartened by much of what I read but also came away well informed and with a new sense of freedom to question and challenge the conventional wisdom of the day. I also love to read just for the sheer, unbridled joy. Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart and P.D. James have written wonderful mysteries that have captivated me so many times. We grew up without television in our home; my conservative parents felt it was frivolous and unedifying. However, there was no restriction on books and I read all kinds of stuff. I didn’t appreciate the lack of television as a child but years later as an adult, I am eternally grateful to my folks for their unique wisdom. I’m afraid I would not have developed an insatiable desire to read had I been under the influence of television when i was young. I now live in a home with multiple T.V.’s and I can hardly stand to watch but I’m always on the prowl for a good book. I’m sorry I can’t remember the name of the co-author of “For Her Own Good” and I can’t even refer to my own copy; like all good books should be, it’s out on loan to someone else.

Wow! It has been very apparent to me for the past year or two that I am indeed turning into my mother. I’ve even said it aloud at times and it amazes me each time I’m struck by the thought. It scares me at times as there are traits that I fight so hard against adopting and yet other times, it comforts me; my mother was very practical and wise in many ways. I realize I’ve been using the past tense but my mom is still alive; it’s just that the woman whom I used to talk to at length every day for years and years, disappeared a few years ago into the haze that we call Alzheimers. I get it. It’s Mothers’ Day on Sunday and that’s why we’re chatting about this. I used to believe Mom could think or do no wrong. Then for a few years, I began to question and attempt to reject every thing that she was. The last couple of years I’ve focused on what life was really like for her, the limitations that she faced and some of the amazing, wonderful things that she did. I love her. Mom turned 86 in January and I turned 46 last year; yes, I was born just two months short of her 40th birthday. She won’t be with me much longer. I might have been a very different kind of woman if I’d had a very different mother; accepting her is part of accepting who I now am.

Hmm. I’m not much in to sports but even if I were, the scandals of past Olympics (bribery of judges, bribery of the Olympic committee members, drug-enhanced performances, not to mention the whacking of an opponent’s knee) have soured any romantic notions I may have held of a noble event that could be used to unite citizens of the world in love, peace and brotherhood. Nevertheless, I do enjoy watching the occasional event regardless of the politicking and skullduggery behind the scenes. I’m always interested in the lighting of the flame and the creative means each host country utilizes; it will be interesting to see what China does. Sorry. I’m so out of the loop. When does it start, anyway? I certainly agree with those who have correctly pointed out that few countries are without their own dirty laundry.

I don’t get exactly what this is all about, but Mugsy Peabody, I loved your post. I’m mad all of the time. Mad more at the way life is, rather than at people specifically. I always end up feeling sorry for the people with whom I am angry. This morning I let go with one of my daily, angry, over-the-top rants at the first, unwitting victim I could find. He is a psychiatrist. No, I don’t see him regularly as a patient. I’m supposed to be his right hand nurse. With temple pulsing and veins popping, I unleashed the pent-up frustration that had been building up for the past two days, over some work-related inanity. At the end, I apologized for my wild-eyed tirade. He simply acknowledged that it is good to let go. So, for what it is worth, apparently a little anger is good for your mental health. Edith Anne, … it should read “couldn’t care less”. Think about it and then look it up.

Certainly, as a Canadian, I have appreciated the fact that whether I am afflicted with something minor like strep throat or whether I need open heart surgery, I will receive good care and pay very little if anything. I pay $22.00 per month for family coverage with my employer picking up the balance of $66.00 per month. Even this modest premium is going to be phased out in my province in the next couple of years. However, I am very concerned about the sustainability of our universal health care. As “imp” pointed out, nothing is free and I’m afraid that far too many Canadians have used their health care cards as if they were charge cards without any limits. We used to have user fees years ago which required the patient to pay a small token for the service they were going to access. When I arrived at the hospital to give birth to my eldest son, I paid $10.00 and I would happily pay it again. However, the prevailing wisdom was that even this small fee would keep poorer Canadians from accessing health care, that they might not take their children to see the doctor when they really needed to, etc. so the user fees were axed. We are now in the middle of a nursing shortage crisis, yet Canadians are demanding more and more from a system that is breaking. The whining and bleating about our health care system is unbelievable. I am convinced that not only should these modest premiums be kept in place, but that we should return to user fees. People simply have no appreciation for that which is free and to which they feel brazenly entitled. I have watched as we have saddled our already fragile system with ever increasing responsibilities, as the standards of care are continually being driven up, and as the attitude of entitlement has become so deeply entrenched within the Canadian persona that very few are even willing to consider the possibility that we’re trying to do way too much with finite, limited resources. Some provinces even pay for post-Caesarean tummy tucks! Where will it all end? There is no unwritten law of the universe that states than any of us are entitled to anything. As a free society, we have simply decided that people need health care and therefore, we will try to provide it. I must confess that I am quite blissfully ignorant of the dilemna that the average American faces concerning health care coverage yet know enough that I can see why your system needs to be revamped. However, I often hear people down South issuing glowing reports of the Canadian system; I urge you to exercise caution when considering a similar system for the United States. As wonderful as our system seems to be, it is existing on borrowed time and money. I’m not sure what the answer is but if we don’t find some solutions soon, Canadians will be in for a rude awakening in the not too distant future.

Interesting question. Why do any of us do the things we do? As a Canadian, I don’t particularly have a good handle on American politics and only became acquainted with the Spitzer name through this recent scandal. It would certainly seem that Mrs. Spitzer had very little time to weigh the various possibilities before making her decision, if indeed it was her decision at all. One thing seems certain; the dear lady is in a state of great emotional distress. How can she possibly know what the “right” decision is at this time? I can’t honestly say what I might have done under similar circumstances. I do concur with all of those who have pointed out that regardless of whether or not it was a purposeful decision of Silda Spitzer’s to stand next to her husband at that podium, this Mr. Eliot Spitzer should have insisted that she stay at home which is where the real decision making will need to be done. Undoubtedly, Mr. Spitzer was experiencing some distress of his own, but even so, he surely could have seen his way clear to spare his wife and family any further agony by standing up there alone and giving his wife some privacy in which to lick her wounds.