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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-04-22, Page 18Page A18 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 ?iY'htiC BREAST DIABE • F�. eti • • • • • • It It • • It It • • t. it. it • • • It It • • • It it • • it It • • �h9 4 3f% `S. IT'S W �`' � THAN YOU THI More people die per year from diabetes than breast cancer: In, fact, diabetes is a leading cause of death by. disease 'in Canada. That's because diabetes puts you at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other serious health complications. And research shows being over 40 increases your chances of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90% of all diabetes cases — but it is preventable. You can find out how at on taria.ca/diabe#es tPOntario Paid for by the Government of Ontario t.. An interesting world balance Last week, I saw a fantas- tic video on Youtube of this guy Matt dancing in coun- tries all across the world. But it wasn't just him. He also had people from each coun- try dancing crazily too. He had said that it wasn't about dancing well or lopking good. He just wanted them to let loose and be crazy—and they did! The result is a wonderful video of Matt doing his little jig in the middle of the screen in front of monuments and beautiful sights all around the world. And then, partway through the video, children, adults, dogs, camels, lemurs, crabs, ocean spray and bol- lywood dancers join him, depending on the location. The effect is stunning. In a simple and subtle way, he weaves our entire planet together. All barriers and dif- ferences disappear. We are all the same whether we live in Portugal, Yemen, England, India, or California. The sim- ilarities seamlessly woven together reminds us of some- thing huge – something we've forgotten – some deep knowing of our true unity that we can barely put into words. And dancing Matt isn't alone There is the famous "Free Hugs" video where Juan Mann walks through a shop- ping mall with a sign that says "Free Hugs" – which is precisely what he gives out to anyone who would like one. Soon, others join him and there are hugs all around. Then there are the "Playing for Change" videos. Some brilliant art- ist created beautiful arrange- ments of a number of songs like One Love and Stand by Me and got musicians from all around the world to sing and play them. He then wove- all of these video recordings together so that everyone plays together. There are electric guitars in Paris, bongo drums from Africa, sitars from India and wash- boards played by buskers in New Orleans. Again, the effect is stun- ning and heart-warming. And it seems like there are more and more of these kinds of uplifting, unifying and beau- tiful things happening every- where. Does this seem strange considering all of the prob- lems in our world? There are economic downturns every- where. There are political upheavals, pro -war vs. anti- war sentiment, environmen- tal issues and global warm- ing. And in our personal lives, the phenomenal need for Prozac and Viagra tells us that something is very, very wrong. But the world tends to stay in balance. As aspects of it become more decrepit and difficult, more and more joy- ful and wonderful move- ments start cropping up. It always amazed me how the great philosophers and phenomenal leaders seem to come to the forefront in the most desperate times. There was Gandhi in the midst of the violence of the British occupation of India. There was Tolstoy in the difficult times in Russia in the late 1800s and Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement. Even the mov- ing, soulful songs of faith sung by the slaves in the South gave balance in their difficult lives. When things are easy, we can get a little spiritually and philosophically lazy. It is in times of great crisis that we are able to put aside petty dif- ferences, prejudices, our dra- mas and our power struggles. We can come together with the basic things that we have in common – our need to survive and our ongoing hope for love and happiness. The media and the news are covering the difficult side of our current world situation well. If you want to see what is sitting on the other side of the scales, check out some of these videos: Go to www. youtube.com. In the search box, type in "Free hugs" or "playing for change" or "Matt dancing around the world" and pick the first video that comes up. We know what's wrong in the world. Now we just have to keep our eyes open for the joyful and wonderful things that are all around us balanc- ing the scales. Enjoy. For more information about Katrina, please visit her website: www katrina- bos. ca. a„"' � 4 ....r., • Photo submitted Humanitarian award Lions first vice president Bill Hanly and Bill Black present Marian Hindmarsh with a Melvin Jones Fellow award, which is given for "dedicated humanitarian services" by the Lions Club International Foundation. Hindmarsh is a founding member of the Palliative Care group, which is now the Huron Hospice Organization, and worked with them as a volunteer for over 30 years. She and her late husband donated properties to Girl Guides, Saratoga Gr©uR.-i nie and Maitland Valley Conservation trails among others. r � ts4r. , �r 5i t t- s�11 1Yrs''i v.44.473.1'44 -V`.. '(ok 'r r wi