Have you signed your pledge yet? I am not talking about the no texting while driving pledges that Oprah has been talking about on her show. Right here in Port, I have been pushing this pledge, and this year, we are going to get 500 Port Albernians to sign it! Would you sign?
Over 15 years ago, I developed this pledge with the help of Lucky Printers. Free of charge he gave me a number of booklets with this format:
Welcome to Port Alberni, the Positive Action Capital of the World.
Name: Gifts:
How are you using your gifts to make Port Alberni the best place to live?
A number of you have signed this pledge. Now the pledge is up-dated, and this time, I have a box of pledge booklets supplied by Houle Printers. Here is the new format that you are going to sign.
Welcome to Positive Port Alberni..The City of Love.
Name: Gifts/ Talents…Community Commitment;
In order to make Port Alberni the best place on Earth, I promise to: (1) (2) (3) (4)..
Ask not what Port Alberni can do for you, but what you CAN and WILL do for this community!
I will have to make arrangement with the A.V.Times to leave these booklets in their office. In the mean time, you can phone me and I will get the pledge to you!
Why am I so excited about these pledges? We have an editor who is very interested in this city. We are in a very fortunate position when the editor says that the positive activities of this city will be her beat, and the other reporters will handle the other news. I would also like to see the editor handle the so called negative news, for we can always benefit from the negatives. It was Shakespeare who said..”Sweet are the uses of adversity! It is all a matter of perspective.
As I approach my 80th year in 2011, there seem to be an urgency to do all that I can right now! I do not have forever. I know that this goal of getting this whole community to commit to be SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE is one of the best things that I could do with my life. So, do join with this old man to make this truly a PARADISE..So, let us sign the pledge!
I should start with my four pledges:
I promise to continuous development spiritually, mentally, physically, socially and psychologically.
I promise to wave and greet every person I encounter.
I promise to act lovingly to all my brothers and sisters.
I promise to give of my talents and gifts to this community.
Now it is your turn!
FOOD AND FILOSOPHY; We begin our sessions on September 13th. Thanks to all who have taken part in these discussions, and I know that you will continue to share your enlightenment with your fellow citizens. On this first evening back, we have Elen Brown lead us in Laughter Yoga! Yes, laughter. We will also be discussing the importance of laughter in our lives. What a way to begin our new year…We eat at 5:30, and then we go into laughter. We meet at Dolce Vita!
October: Grant and Jill will be talking about: Music in our Lives! How important is music in your life? They went to a number of concerts during the summer and they will be sharing these with us! Just thinking. Would it not be great to hear a violinist touch our souls with a famous tune? What do you think?
..November. This is the month of All Saints and All Souls, and this is the evening that Ernie will lead us in the topic..Facing our Deaths! One sure fact, we all will die! Why do we avoid this topic? Hear what Shakespeare said about death: “Cowards died many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste death but once. Of all the wonders that I have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary ending, will come when it will come!!! Another poet urges his father on his death bed..”Do not go gentle into that dark night! Come join us with your thoughts of death!
December: This is Christmas, and so I would like to discuss the book Giving (How each of us can change the World) By Bill Clinton. I see also that Bill Gates is encouraging his billionaire friends to share some of their wealth with the less fortunate. I like this trend, and hope that it could spread to us all. GIVING!! Are you into the philosophy of GIVING?
CANADIAN FACTS AND DATES: I was given this book a few months ago, and was asked that I mention some of the Canadians facts at the end of my articles. Thanks to this great Canadian, I will keep my word in future articles.