Oh yeah! I am finished!!!I'll be looking for new work that is more consistent with who I am and what I believe in. Did you know that there are correction officers working RIGHT NOW in the system, being paid by the federal government who have raped their female co-workers?
How could ANYONE who works there just keep on working there? You know... if enough people simply stood up and said "that's wrong and I'm not going to be a part of that" the whole world would change!
Really, it would, I promise.
One person can only effect their immediate environment.. but enough people can effect anything .. anything is possible if we all just operate from our true understanding of right and wrong. No compromises. No apologies.
Peace & joy,
Sher
7 comments:
Very pretty picture ! What does HOBO for life mean to you ? Let us know in another post...keep up the good fight , take care ! Gina
you go girl!!
The world is changing, there is a different energy I'm feeling these days, and people are waking up and saying 'no more'! It just takes a while to happen.
Your post makes me so grateful for the job I do work in, where people-for the most part- are treated with respect.
xoxo
betty
thanks for the comments!
Betty - I feel that too. There is some kind of shift happening and I'm going to do my best to be a positive part of that.
You are fortunate to have good work that makes you feel important, respected & like you are making a contribution.
Congrats! And I'll see you back here sometime, I hope.
Sher
Congratulations on getting out. I found your blog by accident. I love the art. I shall answer why people stick around: lack of hope. And really, is there anything worse then the loss of hope? That kept people in concentration camps alive. Seriously, any woman who started working in that system years ago ends up being bent. You have to turn something off to keep on showing up. You begin to believe that you're no good at anything else. Good luck getting help. A few years ago, Health Canada brought in a plan whereby any employee who admits seeking help can be removed from their position. Under the P2 and P3 medicals, staff are forced to disclose all of their medical information (whereas inmates don't). Any psychiatric illness (which includes PTSD and depression) can get you canned and labelled. So, who goes for help? Six staff members killed themselves a few years ago and 11 offenders did. I think there were more than six. Those would have been the obvious---the note and shotgun. My friend was found dead, but he didn't "count" because by that point he'd had to quit and he wasn't on the payroll. The person he had been had been destroyed by despair. For now, I shall remain Annonymous by Choice, and will check in with your artwork.
Wow - I am intrigued by this post. I hope you will come back so that this can be a two way conversation.
To start off: in some ways the lack of hope is a jumping off point: some people jump to their deaths and others jump to a new way of living.
I lost hope. But then I remembered that "this is just a ride" (to quote the fabulous Bill Hicks.. you should look him up on Youtube, God rest his soul) and I got real. Not the first time I've done it.. we're only human and we keep slipping. The pressure to conform is enormous and so even the most spirited of us keep going back to it.
I don't have the experience of believing that I'm no good at anything else. I understand though why some would .. same reason as above. The pressure to conform. For some people the idea of going outside of the box, even for a hobby, is too daunting. I benefited from being raised by a grandfather who never got a son.. and then got a granddaughter to boot. By the time I came along I think he decided I'd have to do and he taught me to fish, to build, to be unafraid of fire, bugs, engines, water, plumbing, horses, defiance.. etc. I've always believed I have hidden talents. (and also believe that everyone else does!)
That's terrible about the P2 and P3 medicals. It's the same in the army from what I know. The services for mental health help are available but those who use them are shunned.
Your friend.. I am so sorry for what happened. The mind is a dangerous place to get lost in. I know that pain. I call the blackness "the demons" (and also the black dog, when I'm feeling less literal).
Six staff and eleven offenders?? In one institution? Unbelievable.
Well the whole thing is inhumane. I just love how they shove the values and ethics, mission statement and mandate down our throats but don't mean one single word of it.
You know where I am.
I'll look for your reply.
Sherri
Thanks for the reply. Sorry, it was 6 staff suicides in one year in the country and 11 offenders (too high all around). I am glad that you are managing to tame "that black dog" of which you speak. There is nothing worse then that feeling where one finds it suddenly difficult to do the simple things in life, such as getting up in the morning, cleaning the house, etc. I firmly believe that art can save people as much as medication. That, and a good friend. I look at art and literature and how people used it to overcome hardships. In doing so, they provide joy and manage to speak to others. The making of it requires an introspection and stillness which I think helps people really look at the root issues. For me, the appreciation of the works of others is a release. I can let my emotions go. How can people not be moved listening to certain pieces of music or standing before an image? I actually encourage people to keep a journal, as sometimes people don't realize how a job may change them until they read back on how they once felt. I guess that all I can say is, keep producing the paintings, as they are very inspiring. Not only is it good for you, but to be able to give joy and beauty to others is a wonderful gift.
thanks again for your beautiful compliment.
I just want to clear up one thing .. when I said "unbelievable" in my response to the suicides I didn't mean to be challenging you and I hope you didn't take it that way. :)
You sound like a thoughtful, intelligent person - I'm so glad that you have visited my blog and taken the time to write.
Peace & Joy!
Sherri
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