Bystanding not alowed...

I really love the sunrises and sunsets I'm getting to experience this year. I'm not sure why it is so important for me to feel that I should share it, but I do.

So.... it has been a while! I've had some thoughts but I have seemed to run out of time to sit and contemplate, much less for trying to write them down. Although some things don't, or shouldn't be contemplated over too much anyways! Being a girl... well, do I need to say more? It's what we do!

This week has been interesting as I am learning to not be a bystander! I hadn't even realized what was happening as I was going through my days, then, as I'm reading a great book about how to get kids more involved with the world around them, I recognize things that we (as a society) turn our backs on. Or maybe we just stand off and watch as we patiently wait for someone else to take care of things.

Out for a nice run this weekend, my running partner and I found a smoldering pile of ashes. We contemplated how we should take care of this mess sitting in the middle of the forest. (the campfire had been on concrete at least) Could we leave it here and hope that it would be fine? What if a spark blew off and the whole forest went up? NO. We had to take care of it, actually we called to find if someone else could take care of it, and they did. It took 40 minutes out of our schedule, but if we would like to run through the forest again... it will be there! I'm glad we decided to take action and do something. The very next day I was reading the book where it talks about some of our society being more bystanders and less activist. I'm finding that when I need to ask the question "should I do some thing?" I have a problem!

Why shouldn't we do something? what is it we are afraid of? And why do I really care what someone else thinks? When it comes to doing the right thing, I don't think asking the question should even come up! I'm tired of hearing about none of us doing anything when all it really is is a bit of time. We all can not do everything but we can turn around, stop, and occasionally take action of some small sort to make things better. Pick up after our dogs, call in help to put out a fire (smoldering pile of ash) maybe it is as easy as not getting upset with our neighbours for having their names on the no-fogging list. We need to STOP being a society of bystanders!

Aside from my little experience, I also had a great feeling as someone got involved when my youngest got out of the yard the other day.He had opened the back gate of our yard and took his tricycle for a ride down the back ally and then onto the road. WOW! What an experience, to find him around the corner, my heart racing, only to find a nice couple had stopped to see if they could help him. It was nice for someone to recognize that a 3 year old shouldn't be out on the road by himself! I also learned that I need to get some locks higher up on the gate!!

The story I read about which brought me to a reality check this week was about a young woman who was raped and killed over the course of half an hour, in her neighbourhood. There were about 40 witnesses who all thought that someone else would do something and they needn't get involved. How Sad!

So a huge thank you to the couple who stopped to see if my child was okay!

And here is to getting involved....... (this is where we can all toast!)

Nicole