The Devil We Know.......

[Lady Companion]

Today I was reminded of how everything in life depends on your past experience and the vantage point and lens you look at life through.

I work (volunteer) with marginalized people in the Main and Hastings area.....which most of us would agree is not exactly the Hamptons.

One homeless gentleman was having some medical issues which were beyond the scope of what anyone there could provide. We told him that he were going to take him to Saint Pauls Hospital (which is on Burrard and Nelson).

He went into a full panic mode. He started absolutely freaking out because we wanted to take him to the "Bad part" of Vancouver. He was terrified that he would get killed if he went anywhere near there.

When asked why he thought it was so unsafe, he responded "Everybody is crazy there! REALLY CRAZY! I'll get killed for sure. Men wear dresses. Dogs wear clothes. People eat raw fish! I'm not going! I'd rather die here than be killed by crazy people!"

Our reality is completely unique to us. This was a really humbling interaction for me which made me appreciate the beauty of diversity even more!

May each of you have days filled with love, joy, peace, health, value creation, appreciation, gratitude and abundance!

 

[ParadiseChaser]

Nice of you to volunteer Angel. I worked and volunteered in that area in the past and it is no easy thing.

 

[JonnyBoi]

My work started us on a volunteering engagement around the DTES as well...
Good on ya for being on the floor ClassyAngel!!

I've heard some locals say some of the good things of the city sort of made it a homeless central (mildest weather in Canada, people are usually caring so it's the most lucrative to peddle here, plenty of social programmes.. and unfortunately, someone shut down the mental institutions downtown and all the patients got flooded into the streets?? =/ )

Regardless, it's important to realize that all these people on the streets are .. people..
I found out there are about 3,000 at-risk youths (14-25?) that are homeless at any given day in Vancouver and that deeply disturbed me..

 

[rxwca]

Today I was reminded of how everything in life depends on your past experience and the vantage point and lens you look at life through.

I work (volunteer) with marginalized people in the Main and Hastings area.....which most of us would agree is not exactly the Hamptons.

One homeless gentleman was having some medical issues which were beyond the scope of what anyone there could provide. We told him that he were going to take him to Saint Pauls Hospital (which is on Burrard and Nelson).

He went into a full panic mode. He started absolutely freaking out because we wanted to take him to the "Bad part" of Vancouver. He was terrified that he would get killed if he went anywhere near there.

When asked why he thought it was so unsafe, he responded "Everybody is crazy there! REALLY CRAZY! I'll get killed for sure. Men wear dresses. Dogs wear clothes. People eat raw fish! I'm not going! I'd rather die here than be killed by crazy people!"

Our reality is completely unique to us. This was a really humbling interaction for me which made me appreciate the beauty of diversity even more!

May each of you have days filled with love, joy, peace, health, value creation, appreciation, gratitude and abundance!

Everyone has their own frame of reference, past experiences. And their views and judgements are based on that. We look at the same thing and we see it differently.

 

[giver_snoot]

The important thing is to at least listen and hopefully understand where other people are coming from. The world would a much better place if we only did that. Although maybe someone could explain to me how blowing up innocent children at a concert helps your religion.

 

[Officeguy]

My dad ( I knew very little) was a logger in campbell river, while drunk one night he was driving a log carrier with all his friends aboard (1958)....he drove it off a cliff....killing all 6 friends that were on board and injuring himself.....he ended up a full on alcoholic from the guilt.....when I turned 19 I decided I wanted to find him, mom told me the last time she knew of him he was at the dodson hotel on main...I found him inside the dodson...we were able to talk a bit and he did know me...when I left to go home there was a lady on the street just outside the door...cold and sitting on the sidewalk...I gave her my coat.....for many years after my group of friends and I would collect old coats and ball caps throughout the year and bring them downtown main around October when the weather got cold and we would give them out from my friends van.....a very rewarding experience in my life.....my mom brought the 4 of us up alone...we had very little...but I felt rich because I saw those with a lot less, all my life during tough times I could get through it a lot easier because I remember that image of that lady outside and the problems she had compared to mine......

 

[rxwca]

The important thing is to at least listen and hopefully understand where other people are coming from. The world would a much better place if we only did that. Although maybe someone could explain to me how blowing up innocent children at a concert helps your religion.

Their frames of reference are so different. Some may have family that were killed by another ethnic group. Imagine if that happened when they were children. The anger could be so deep-rooted. Others may be just individuals that became so hopeless and angry and they attach to a group. They become so brain-washed and ideological that they can rationalize anything for a cause. I think they become sociopaths. I know it doesn't make sense to most of us.

 

[sevenofnine]

I dunno yes and no.

we make choices, every moment of every day we make choices. and these choices lead us down a path point us in a direction,


my father was in and out of jail, my home was a mess, totally screwed up,
I choose to be alone, I couldn't understand deal figure it out, I choose to be alone, I had no friends, never went to school. I was alone as you can imagine.

but that was a choice a decision, one of the few times I went to school, the guy next to me was friendly he was into drugs dealing etc, his older brother he was helping out,
they would even trade sex for drugs. he asked me to go with him once or twice, my father was a raging alcoholic, the last thing, I needed was some drug induced reality ,

I made a conscious decision to spend most of my youth alone, it was the only thing that made sense to me.
I missed out a lot school friendship socialization
it took me decades to recover, I am still recovering,

but you know that friend, into drugs, his brother is in jail, and he is walking the street homeless, his brain is scrambled,
we make choices in life.

that lead us down a path.
our life is our responsibility, no one elses.
even our reality or lack of reality is our decision ,,

our perception of the world is our choice,
and it is years and decades in the making.

 

[sybian]

Their frames of reference are so different. Some may have family that were killed by another ethnic group. Imagine if that happened when they were children. The anger could be so deep-rooted. Others may be just individuals that became so hopeless and angry and they attach to a group. They become so brain-washed and ideological that they can rationalize anything for a cause. I think they become sociopaths. I know it doesn't make sense to most of us.

Hmmmmmm.....I come from an ethnic group that was exterminated by their own country....every adult male in a region of Russia by Stalins army.
The ones that escaped were then sent to Gulags in Siberia, and later , Hitler took care of the very few that were left.
None of my family has blown up anyone ......but an awful lot of them, me included ,have seen military service in the US and Canada.
......and in case your wondering....we are not Jewish.

 

[rxwca]

Hmmmmmm.....I come from an ethnic group that was exterminated by their own country....every adult male in a region of Russia by Stalins army.
The ones that escaped were then sent to Gulags in Siberia, and later , Hitler took care of the very few that were left.
None of my family has blown up anyone ......but an awful lot of them, me included ,have seen military service in the US and Canada.
......and in case your wondering....we are not Jewish.

giver_snoot mentioned about the terrorists. I was saying that their views can be so different because of their individual experiences. I am not defending them nor saying that everyone who had those bad experiences turns out the same way.

That was a quick post. When I said an ethnic group, I had the middle east in mind. It can well be any group, or country.

 

[sybian]

giver_snoot mentioned about the terrorists. I was saying that their views can be so different because of their individual experiences. I am not defending them nor saying that everyone who had those bad experiences turns out the same way.

Point taken.......14 to 16 million people starved to death,were executed in front of their children, or vanished from Russia under Stalins tyranny.......of the people that somehow survived my family included, I can't think of one terrorist that was developed.
There were some who took their own life after the war, but most became contributing members of North American society.
Please don't take my words as an attack......and your right, everyone does not turn out the same way.
I was in Ahfganistan, and saw first hand what the theatre of war will do to humanity......I came back here and buried the tomahawk, and have some Ahfgan friends, although some flashbacks, and ptsd was to be dealt with when in their company at first, I found.....They are a loving peaceful people, as well as very individual in their own right.

I also believe from first hand experience,under threatened circumstances, under extreme pressure,and in the wrong battle......There is nothing more savage, than a White Man.

 

[uncleg]

I also believe from first hand experience, in the wrong battle......There is nothing more savage, than a White Man.

.........same experience...different circumstances....same conclusion.....make what you will of the edit.

 

[rxwca]

Point taken.......14 to 16 million people starved to death,were executed in front of their children, or vanished from Russia under Stalins tyranny.......of the people that somehow survived my family included, I can't think of one terrorist that was developed.
There were some who took their own life after the war, but most became contributing members of North American society.
Please don't take my words as an attack......and your right, everyone does not turn out the same way.
I was in Ahfganistan, and saw first hand what the theatre of war will do to humanity......I came back here and buried the tomahawk, and have some Ahfgan friends, although some flashbacks, and ptsd was to be dealt with when in their company at first, I found.....They are a loving peaceful people, as well as very individual in their own right.

I also believe from first hand experience,under threatened circumstances, under extreme pressure,and in the wrong battle......There is nothing more savage, than a White Man.

I don't take your words as an attack. It's understandable, & I could've worded my post better.

I try to imagine what these people, from different groups, go through. I think I'm kidding myself if I think I can go beyond scratching the surface.

 

[sybian]

I don't take your words as an attack. It's understandable, & I could've worded my post better.

I try to imagine what these people, from different groups, go through. I think I'm kidding myself if I think I can go beyond scratching the surface.

I suppose I could have read your post in a different light myself.......I may have misunderstood you.
I see things from a very clouded perspective at times...when it comes to this very subject.

 

[sybian]

.........same experience...different circumstances....same conclusion.....make what you will of the edit.

You my friend......are welcome to edit anything I say......you've earned it.
...our hearts carry the same colour of blood, and that's how I see it.

 

[JonnyBoi]

*slow clap*

Two posters working their differences in a mature and respectable way.

You two are model citizens of this board. Thanks a lot! Especially when the subject is so sensitive. It's very refreshing to see such graciousness and understanding on the Internet.

 

[sdw]

Their frames of reference are so different. Some may have family that were killed by another ethnic group. Imagine if that happened when they were children. The anger could be so deep-rooted. Others may be just individuals that became so hopeless and angry and they attach to a group. They become so brain-washed and ideological that they can rationalize anything for a cause. I think they become sociopaths. I know it doesn't make sense to most of us.

Mother's Milk. It's the women that define the man. Take a look at the mother of the Boston Bombers.

Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem that is still true:
https://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/young_british_soldier.html

...When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!...

 

[Johnny Railz]

I also believe from first hand experience,under threatened circumstances, under extreme pressure,and in the wrong battle......There is nothing more savage, than a White Man.

There is a good song about that White Man

Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills