We had such a wonderful experience this past summer. My daughter was chosen to be a Junior rider for the Tour de Rock. The TDR is an annual fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society in which 24 riders from the RCMP, Military Police, Municipal Police, plus two media riders, complete a bicycle ride from one end of Vancouver Island to the other. They visit most every community, big or small, along the way. Schools and community centers welcome them with generosity, adrenaline pumping cheers, and delicious eats. I am so proud of the local riders that completed this amazing journey. They have become our friends, and, although a slight bit jealous of the adventure, so amazed of the hardships and mileage they endured in these two weeks, not to mention the months of training to build up to it. Great job Team!
Natalie decided early on in the Tour involvement that she would shave her head! Her mom set up a fundraising site on the Canadian Cancer Societies web site and the dollars came pouring in. In one month she raised $2500 dollars from her friends and family. What an accomplishment! Kind of shocking the generosity that they all showed in helping her give such a large amount. Natalie bravely sat in the chair on a gorgeous, sunny Thursday morning and had her blonde braid shaved off. The lady doing the work asked if Natalie wanted to donate her hair for wigs, and she said yes right away. She smiled the whole time, and before long was sporting a close trim, like her dad! A great experience for her young life, one that promises to be full of being generous and wishing to help others.
The evening before we attended the "Red Serge" dinner, a fundraising event, when the Tour team rolled into Courtenay. 400 people were in attendance, it was a packed house. Many corporate sponsors, volunteers and guests willing to open their wallets in support of the cause. The event raised some $35,000, a huge success for the riders efforts. Again the generosity and self-less gestures were incredible. People willing to shell out cash with little regard. It was so awesome to see a community come together to support a great cause. I feel lack of community in my life. That could be just my inability to function well in large group settings, but I saw it at this function. I commend everyone at the event, the Riders, the support crew, volunteers and the thousand of folks on Vancouver Island who came out the raise money for the Tour De Rock.
While watching the goings on at the "Red Serge" dinner, I began to ponder something. My mind, like always, goes into preventative thinking , versus Western "fix it after its broken". As amazing as it was for the willingness of the participants to open their wallets, how many of them take into consideration why do we have cancers? The epidemics of the disease are mind blowing. I am sure you know one, two or more people who have it, have fought it or died because of this disease. It seems to strike with little regard of age, sex, race, or health. Cancer seems, in my mind, to be increasing rapidly. Lots of energy is being put into finding cures for it, and we need that to be sure, however I would love more self reflection on the individual level on what is actually causing it. Giving to the Cancer Society and continuing to smoke. Promoting a fundraiser in to community while coating your skin in perfumes, make-up and soaps. A quote in this blog from Natalie, where she stated "Why would they use motorcycles to raise money for cancer, wouldn't the burning of the gas just make more cancer?" Paraphrasing a little bit, and that quote was reminded to me by Katie DeRosa, as she interviewed me for the Victoria Times Colonist. I had forgotten about that one, an eight year old having that logic. Where is ours?
Our systems are broken. As a whole, especially in the west, are eating nutrient deficient food, laced with toxic herbicide, pesticide, and fungicide, grown in dead soil. Our micro-biome has been destroyed with all the antibiotic medications and cleaners. We never eat fermented foods anymore. We are bombarded with vehicle emissions, airplane "chem-trails"(if they are real) and exhaust, tailings from manufacture, mining and other industry. People do not get enough exercise, fresh air, sleep and have far too much low level stress. This is a scary world. Is the only solution to add more chemicals to our bodies to kill the cancer cells that are likely caused by our environment.
There has to be a better way, and their is. Naturalpathic disease fighting is real, and it works. However it isn't covered by our Social medical system. When dollars are involved the ones with the most zero's win. And that is Big Pharma. Of course they lobby for their products to be covered and used mainstream, they profit billions. There is a place for the western drug treatments. My daughter might not be here if it wasn't for those treatments. I am not trying to be hypocritical, I would like people to be able to choose there method of treatment on equal footing with those that go the pharmaceutical, conventional way. We need to work towards food production systems that are de-centralized, local, and beyond organic. Building our soils back to the vibrant eco-systems that science is just beginning to understand. Communities based on alternative modes of transportation, other than fossil fuel burning ones. We all need interactions with nature, soil and sun. Barefoot walking and grounding to the earth. Primal exercise, plus short bouts of high levels of stress and adrenaline. The solutions are there, but the current system has been designed for us this way. Are you ready to step away?
And I would love to live on a planet that is healthy, which would created disease resistant beings on it. We are the earths micro-biome, all the living elements on her. It is a pattern, can you see it?
