Some Thoughts

 Some things I want to get out while I'm thinking about them. I've been thinking about the recently forced back to work Canada Post employees. I wonder if there's a little extra behind the hate and the "Just privatize the whole outfit" rhetoric. 

Canada Post, much like the USPS, is a federal mail service. It's a Crown Corporation. It was a Government Department until 1981, when it was moved from a department to its own entity owned by the Government. 

Now, a Crown Corporation is an entity that has more independence than a department and is there to provide services to areas that private enterprise would not want to establish service. 

So what I'm thinking is this: People get upset about the strikes and demonize the workers because any statement is about money. The workers might be trying to get better working conditions, but the main talking point always pointed out is money. The only thing I ever heard discussed by people was the wage increase. Not the Union trying to protect Full time jobs and benefits. Yes, the Union is asking for an increase. The number I heard and the context didn't make sense until I looked into it more and saw it's 20% total over 5 years.. 

I've read many calls to cut service to once a week, install neighbourhood mailboxes, and just outright elimination of Canada Post and have a Private entity take over service. 

Now... I've lived in a few places over my life. I grew up in a small northern town. Our mail was at the Post Office. We'd go pick up our mail in the box. 

Most of Canada is rural. My hometown, Terrace Bay, is on the north shore of Lake Superior. It's 3 hours form Thunder Bay, 6 hours from Sault Ste Marie. 12 from Toronto. There are a number of small towns on the way along highway 17. There's also what amounts to a three hour window of nothingness between Wawa and Sault Ste Marie. 

Greyhound left Canada because of the rural nature of the country. Do you really think a company knowing the challenges of how much rural territory there is would take over service for that area? 

People talk about email and online apps for bills etc. Ok. How about your driver's license. Health card? People worry about being tracked and scammed out of their money sometimes.. Do you want your bank card to go through the same device that can be used to track and possibly scam you?? Places that are isolated would be completely unserviced. 

"Oh the Postal Workers are lazy blah blah blah" 

Are they? At one time I could walk quite a bit. For areas that still have mostly door to door serivce, that's a way of life for the postie. The funny thing is the people who want Canada Post to go to once a week and to Neighbourhood boxes would be causing the laziness issue they're so worked up about. 

"Canada Post is losing money"

Yes.. It has been losing money for a while. But is that the workers' faults? Or is it the people in charge of the Corporation? 

If it was a Private entity, seven years of losses, the CEO would have been fired long ago. If it was a Private entity, they would cut unprofitable locations. Much like Greyhound did before they Noped out of Canada. One of the first routes cut by Greyhound was the Toronto to Thunder Bay route. They kept the routes in the more urban areas because they made money. It would be the same for any Private Mail Carrier. 

So really, rather than getting upset at the workers, (and I know it's easy to get upset at them) look at both sides of the issue. Or, you know.. If you think they're so lazy and the job is so easy for what they're paid, Go get a job as a Postie.. 

This actually went a little off the rails.. I hope this long winded rant made some sort of sense.. 

Stupidity...

 I don't know how it started, but I'm seeing a lot of "Canada should be the 51st State" nonsense a lot online today.. 

I think it started from Trump "joking" that Canada should just become the 51st state and Justin Trudeau would be Governor. Now.. We know what happens when Trump "jokes." It tends to be some insane idea he has that he's testing the waters of maybe following through with, depending on the reaction. 

Here's the sad part.. There are a number of people, mind you many of them are Albertan and hate Canada to begin with, that welcome this. They would welcome becoming part of the United States. They somehow think it'll benefit Canada. 

No....

People are looking at the 2nd Amendment and salivating (again, the Texiburtans) while others think the 1st Amendment is stronger than the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees "The Freedom of conscience and religion, freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression including freedom of the press and other media of communication."

The people looking at this and wanting this are so blinded by hatred of Justin Trudeau that they would rather willingly lose their Canadian identity and institutions in order to become part of the United States. One said this move would strengthen Canada.. No... It would make Canada cease to exist. Unless it's a Puerto Rico style thing, at which we'd basically be forgotten about until they need something from the land. 

Others, quite rightly, are saying that a single state Canada would not work. There would be a need to either keep the current provinces, or to divide the Provinces even further, depending.. We all know Texas' ego would be severely bruised if they're not the biggest.. They may not like the fact that another source of oil would be available. 

Others are talking about travel being easier and yes, that would be a benefit... However, giving up a Canadian Passport to ultimately get an American one if you want to leave North America isn't that appealing to me. 

Canada would be exploited for its resources. Canada has the most freshwater lakes in the world. Think countries wouldn't want that should something happen to their water supplies, like drought? This way it could be taken without a second thought. 

I don't think people realize how much being ill in the United States costs.. The same people who are complaining about high prices here will have their jaws hit the floor when they get their hospital bill.. 

If I was in the US when I was near death in 2021.... I don't want to know what my bill would have been. I was in hospital for a year and a half. I most likely would have been sent home before I was ready and ended up not being here. 

My friends in the United States... By no means is this rant a slight at you. I do see benefits to the "joke" plan, but I also see more drawbacks that people are discounting in their blinding hatred for Justin Trudeau. More than a few people said they'd rather it be the US than China, forgetting the fact that it was the previous Conservative Government that signed the agreement with China that allowed for things like Chinese Police Stations in Canada. 

Either way, it's a clown show.

December

 It's December once again. Many people are ramping up their Christmas related activities.. Shopping, parties, decorating, etc.. 

As usual, I'm not partaking in any of it this year. I'll go to the Christmas party thing that Thrive is putting on.. Thrive is the company that I have housing supports under here in Peterborough. 

Aside from that, no decoration, no other parties, no shopping aside from groceries. 

Why? Aside from the obvious "I can't afford it" there is the fact that, as a single adult, Christmas has no real meaning to me. It brings back memories of things past, things lost, things never to return... 

I miss the times where having a dimly lit room with the Christmas tree decorated and lights on to make the room look cozy. I miss the time spent with family. But I've always hated this time of year, even when I was younger. Starting around 12, I would get depressed at Christmas until after New Years. Thinking about the passage of time. Thinking about things that happened. Events that were so vivid at one point, now doomed to be lost to the ether. 

I know I'm not the only one who struggles this time of year. There tends to be a spike in calls to crisis lines during this time of year. Some don't even make that call. Some feel so alone and uncared for that they just end it. 

In the last 10 years, I think the only time I ever felt I was thought of was the year I ended up being in the hospital at Christmas. I got some gifts and got a chance to talk to a couple nurses for more than 10 seconds. 

Before that, it was at home when I would visit my family before 2006.. When I got married I always felt judged by my in laws. I never felt like I fit in there. There are a lot of times I just don't feel like I fit in period. 

I know some people will say that this emptiness and whatever other words used to describe this feeling is from not having children to share the magic of Christmas with.. I've never been able to mask my sadness.. I don't think it would change the feeling I get this time of year. A feeling I've gotten since I was a kid myself. 

Anyway, for those who have families, enjoy the time you have with them. If you know anyone who is alone, check in on them. Make sure they're ok.