The Power of Nicotine

July 6, 2023

Date: March 21, 2007 10:49 AM

Canteen day here at Brannen Lake. The egg with the flat bottom manages to crank over to its rounded side once again… barely. The cigarette shortage that is commonplace come Tuesday and Wednesday is only further imperilled by the new arrivals, of which we’ve had four. All of whom are ardent smokers. More so than me, judging from the frequency of their requests for help. So seldom are their efforts rewarded with a full cigarette, that their nicotine teased lungs compel them to hover around conspicuously, determined to peck away at the dregs of those who have and who’s tolerance for such antics dwindles in relation to their supply. I ought to know, for I am thankfully stocked enough for myself and then some. Not only do I take my smoking seriously when I do it, I’m thankfully supported financially by those on the outside who love me. Thank you Scott, James, Savage, and The Compassion Club! Anyways, my entire week’s supply got ground down to a single aprés dinner cigarette just prior to the call of canteen. It’s proving to be the norm. I have to say that at least I’m being reimbursed. Perhaps not entirely 100% by everyone but enough to keep me appeased. What little that I’m out of pocket for such discrepancy I gain in social cachet. While I’m not looking to make popular with everyone, I feel established enough for the time I’ve logged thus far and I’m keenly aware that no one here wants to bite the hand that feeds them. There might be some nibbling but it comes at the cost of position. They ask. I don’t. It gives me a measure of status strangely enough and that is a form of protection from bullshit. It’s not as though there aren’t other costs for me, mind you. The methods employed in asking, begging, take many forms. The indebted feeling and subsequent gratitude for my facilitation means I have to listen to more than I’d care, often. Stories and hare-brained schemes abound. Beyond the obligatory ‘thank-you’s’ are tales of anticipated monies that at times sound further away than discharge dates. To diagram the paper trail of tax returns, PST and GST cheques, girlfriends and family a world away, that seemingly prioritize transferring monies as highly as their need to receive them, can look akin to a schematic of the old ‘flea flicker’ play:

Invariably, I’m also made privy to the reasons for their being here to boot. None of this is really of import or interest to me so it can be as draining to listen to as it is draining to my nicotine supply. This place does force one to be tolerant when you have to cohabitate. While a simple thank-you might be enough for these reasons, it can also be seen as too singular in focus. Just as I’ve mentioned in previous entries, offering 2 for 1 is more indicative of desperation in the now, than an ability to follow through when considering what we all earn here. So too are the interesting tales told that hold little interest to me. To not be made as a mooch, most anything can and will be said. At least I’m not cast in such a role for the financial backing I’ve got. Truly fortunate I am! The cycle is established and it will only repeat itself. The faces and their lungs might change but the methods employed in pursuit of the almighty nicotine will show the same consistency as the cycle. At least I’m on top of the ebb and flow. It makes life in this place manageable. I couldn’t handle being on the other side of the coin in such casting of roles. I’d just quit smoking altogether. It would simply behoove me to go around jonesing on everyone. It’s too much to give up for a measly nic-fit. Giving ground up so easily (and needlessly, it could be argued) in a place such as this can compromise one’s experience unbearably. Hell, even Sean Miller, who once threatened me with a beating hit me up for a smoke! He’s proven to be no sweat to me since and his juvenile tendencies annoying but harmless. The range has taken to calling him Furry, in reference to his Big Dawg assertions, almost mockingly. It’s rather priceless to my perspective. The psychotic, tough guy persona has met with enough needling and derision from most everyone, that Furry could well describe the truer texture of his being. It is not to say that he isn’t some piece of work, but there’s too many of the rest of us for him to mesmerize or hold sway over. Everything gets exposed in such tight quarters, and quickly. Furry the flaky psychotic! It has been suggested that he exhibits signs of drug psychosis. “Crack will do that to a person’s mind.” I don’t doubt it for an instant. The other day he casually mentioned that he was the third ranked BMX rider in the world. In the world! There’s no end to this guy’s stories. What initially was very difficult to take has increasingly become hilariously entertaining in a way. Anyways, there he was yesterday calling me Mikey, as he’s looking for a smoke. Like we’re buddies or something. Amazing. It was my golden opportunity to foist back in his face how boorish he was toward me all that time ago. I probably could have held out for an apology given the desperation quotient I’ve alluded to, but I didn’t. I gave even him that which he requested. He’s still big. He’s still volatile and, as of this writing, I’m still reasonably cute and intact. Big Sean-y, my friend?! Nah! But at least he’s not the threat he fancied himself as being.

Problem Cooker

July 6, 2023

Problem Cooker

It is cauterization day at the clinic.

The thing on my ear looks like a brown mole.

It is cancer.

I’m told it won’t kill me but if we don’t deal with it now

they will have to cut off a chunk of my ear later.

She jabs me in the ear with an instrument I have barely looked at.

It hurts and there is a crackling sound like sparks flashing and then I can smell the sickly sweet smell of my burnt flesh.

We are done.

I am grateful.

If only I could cook all my problems.

Circle Process (Part 3)

July 6, 2023

CIRCLE PROCESS (Part 3)Sally Campbell

Talking Piece

Circles use a talking piece to assist their process. This may be a stone, a feather, a talking stick of some sort, or any other object chosen by participants to help them pace their discussion. The talking piece has symbolic value and should be chosen carefully, with the reasons for its choice known to everyone in the circle. The keeper will have a talking piece; sometimes participants want to choose their own. Flexibility. In estate mediations, I often asked participants to bring an object they’d like as a talking piece. They’d bring something powerful, something they had really thought about. That could create a breakthrough simply by speaking from the heart about it and its significance; it often brought tears. The talking piece sings up the sacred, slows the process down, and promotes equality. Only the person holding the talking piece may speak. This simple approach gives space for a more introverted person to speak and invites a more extroverted person to listen more deeply. In some mysterious way, it helps people tap into their truth and express it elegantly, in ways the others can hear. It quietly deals with the problem of interrupting.

There is no pressure with a talking piece; it moves around the circle and if the person receiving it doesn’t wish to speak, it is passed to the next person. Because no one can interrupt to debate, rebut or question a statement made, participants learn to listen patiently. By the time the talking piece reaches the would-be debater, for instance, something has been learned through listening, and the speaker’s words are less charged, more reflective. For many, the experience of deep listening moves them toward greater understanding of the other(s) and themselves, which may then lead to agreements settling the conflict. Often the general culture’s sign of “success” is the reaching of an agreement. Impatience about “getting this over with” is often a sign of anxiety and frustration. Insight can emerge from recognizing our lack of control over others. We can’t force people to agree with us. People sitting quietly together in a circle, speaking honestly about how they feel about difficult matters, can build understanding and clear the path for problem-solving down the road. This then opens the opportunity for healing to occur.

Sometimes family members or a couple in conflict have trouble talking to one another about difficult matters. Chances are they have differing styles of communication. If one person tends to override the other, or to interrupt, a talking piece can shift that behaviour. Despite the claims of the entrenched (“Oh, it’s just the way I am. You’ll have to live with it”), it is never too late to change our behaviours! Especially the ones that keep us stuck.

Consensus

In circles, decisions are made by consensus. The goal is to have everyone satisfied with the outcome. It does not mean compromising interests or squelching dissent in the rush for agreement. It involves working carefully and respectfully with all the interests and concerns in the circle, and seeking ways that accommodate key interests.

In circle process, the focus is not upon the outcome, but rather upon good process and relationships between and among parties. Emphasis is upon the building of healthy relationship, and sometimes the way there is very difficult and painful. Participants learn to trust in the collective wisdom of the circle for answers, and when attention has been paid to the values and principles of the circle, creative and powerful outcomes can emerge.

Consensus does not necessarily mean unanimity. It is the responsibility of dissenting voices in circles to explain their concerns, and for others to listen deeply to them. “Circles don’t dismiss or minimize differences, but they don’t allow differences to become insurmountable barriers either. To build a consensus, we identify areas of disagreement and give them serious consideration, and then we use this fuller awareness of differences to make our final agreements more inclusive, hence stronger”. (Peacemaking Circles: Pranis, Stuart & Wedge)

Sometimes the circle will settle with an agreement because everyone can “live with it”, and it incorporates everyone’s interests as fully as possible, even though it may not have been the first choice of everyone in the group. This is called a “working consensus”, and it exemplifies the idea of a “world that works for everyone”. (Source unknown.)

This is not easy work. It is about having difficult conversations to get to the heart of things. A goal of consensus in circles is to develop a way forward that doesn’t just settle the presenting conflict, but also attends to the deeper issues and promotes healing and closure.

Circles belong to all of us. We all have ancestors who have sat together around a fire, in a circle, sharing stories, belonging to each other. Circle processes are not a panacea for all ills. They are one way to bring people together in respect and understanding. Sometimes, that is precisely what is needed.

Letter to the Editor – Dr. David Scruton

June 29, 2023

June 25^th 2023

The Editor, The Grapevine

Denman Island

theislandsgrapevine@gmail.com

Dear Editor, This letter is in response to Stephen Malthouse’s letter of June 22^nd. He asserts that masks do not block viruses. He ignores the real-world evidence to the contrary. I accept that virus particles are so small that they could pass through most filters. Respiratory viruses, which is what masks are designed to block, do not travel on their own, they travel in respiratory droplets which are orders of magnitude larger than virus particles themselves. During the winters of 2020 and 2021 the incidence of influenza infections was much lower than in previous years. The only reasonable explanation is that it was the effect of a large part of the population wearing masks. Influenza is a respiratory virus. There is also the increased Covid 19 infection rates in those who did not wear masks during the height of the pandemic compared with those who did wear masks. The Cochrane Review that Malthouse refers to was, to quote the editor-in-chief of the Cochrane Library, “misinterpreted and that the review didn’t find that masks do not work”. Studies from prestigious universities around the world, published in peer reviewed journals, show that masks do reduce the incidence of respiratory infections. The other many unsupported assertions in the letter against mask wearing are part of the anti-mask propaganda to use mis-information and dis-information to spread their beliefs despite the well-recognised harms that will be incurred by the at-risk groups; the unimmunised, the elderly and those with pre-existing heart and lung disease. David Scruton

Canoe Cod Effect

June 29, 2023

Circle Process (Part 2)

June 29, 2023

CIRCLE PROCESS (Part 2)Sally Campbell

Ceremony

Ceremony in circle process can be described as “singing up the sacred” (Peacemaking Circles: From Crime to Community, Pranis, Stuart & Wedge), the sacred that resides in each of us.

Ceremony is an integral part of circle process. The goals of ceremony in a circle differ in significant ways from the goals of ceremony in a court setting. Whether the ceremony is a prayer/ask for guidance, a few moments of silence, or a sweetgrass “smudge” in an Indigenous setting, the intent is to have participants feel a sense of connectedness to their higher selves, to each other and to the process. Here in the West, we live in a general culture that values independence and autonomy in adults. Individualism is a strong cultural value. While this has its benefits in terms of support for people realizing their potential, having the freedom to decide and pursue their own personal goals, it has its downsides. Independence can lead to much loneliness, to isolation, to people feeling that they lack a safety net, that they are all alone. Autonomy and independence have also contributed to our disconnect from the natural world, our failure to fully appreciate that we and all our actions are interrelated, and hence, to the climate crisis. In the world of engagement with conflict and peacemaking, the emphasis is much more on our interdependence, our inescapable connectedness with one another. Ceremony is a powerful way to remind us of that.

In many institutional settings, political arenas, and courtrooms, ceremony is designed to remind participants of hierarchies and authority, with the mayor, CEO or judge firmly ensconced at the top. We see how people give over their power to the judge when they enter a court of law. Hierarchical authority is underscored by established rituals such as having the judge seated above everyone else in the room, wearing clothing that marks rank, being addressed in a particular way, and having everyone stand upon the judge’s entering or leaving the courtroom.

In Circles, ceremonies are used to convey the fact that each person present is equal to every other participant, including the keeper(s). Power resides within the circle. Ceremony helps people tap into that power and shift to an expanded consciousness. It helps create a climate where genuine peacemaking can occur.

People can create their own ceremony before meeting in the circle. This may involve such things as going for a walk together before sitting down in the circle. It may mean bringing food to share after the circle has done its work. It may be agreeing on an inspirational reading or music before the talking begins. It could be having the keeper set the tone for the circle by reiterating the shared values of the group, the goals of building understanding and bringing closure. Ceremony doesn’t have to be elaborate, although sometimes it is; it needs to be authentic, and of a nature to build relationship rather than create more dissention. This means it’s important that ceremony not be imposed on participants; it has to be organic.

Guidelines

Circles are values-based processes, and guidelines help people put their core values into practice. Despite their differences, people worldwide tend to share common values such as respect, honesty, courage, trust and forgiveness. In circle processes, people do not have to leave their values at the door and arm themselves for an adversarial contest. They can and indeed are expected to act upon their values in every phase of the process.

Agreeing upon guidelines for the conduct of the circle is often a first agreement between those holding differing or opposing views. Talking about how participants will talk together builds a sense of shared responsibility for the process. Having guidelines grounds people, makes them feel safer at a time when they may well be anxious about what’s ahead. Even two people having a difficult conversation can make a few guidelines about how it’s going to go. One may ask that there be no interrupting, or leaving the room if it gets hard, or making eyerolls when disagreeing. Another may suggest that everyone speak only from their own perspective rather than assuming they know what another is thinking or feeling. Simple guidelines can make a powerful difference and are an indicator of respect – self-respect, respect for the other(s), and respect for the process. Inability to agree on guidelines often says that parties aren’t yet ready to work on the conflict in this way. What kind of supports do they need? Focus on process before content. Creating a good process is engaging with conflict – a significant step forward!

(Next week: Part 3)

Phoenix Riting! – June 29th, 2023

June 29, 2023

373174-phoenix-wallpaper-1920x1080-for-macbook — Phoenix Riting!

Summer has hit and in a few days we will be deep in the heat and thick of it. After a blessed few days of cooler weather and even a few drops of rain, we are back to hot and dry conditions. It’s crucial right now to conserve water! I know your garden, like mine, is drooping with thirst, but they will survive on less water, even if they’d be lusher and thrive better on more. More and more, I hear of long-sufficient wells going dry for the first time. In the city, fresh water may be reliably abundant year-round, but here in summertime, every drop is precious. Sweet water, elixir of life!

At the community garden where I have a plot, the situation is approaching dire, as our water catchment system is finite and getting lower every day. It’s time to let the tomatoes be a bit drier than they’d like, mulch and more mulch! These past few years have taught me much about mulch. The more you mulch, the less you need to water.

Summers are hot and heavy here on Hornby. So much to do! So little time to do it in! Markets are expanding into Wednesday next week, in addition to Saturdays from 10:30 to 1:30 (new time, take note!).

So many events and happenings, art openings, music events and many more options for eating out than is the case in the off season. In fact, there’s an art opening this Friday featuring the works of Michelle Nyberg and Farminista Pottery, don’t miss it, 7pm at the Hall

I went out to Joe King last Thursday to dance to the heavy sound of Wailing Station, and they are great, a super talented band. Strong vocals, good beat, fun tunes but… so loud… painfully loud. They could use a bucket of earplugs by the door. After Wailing Station was the Pseudos from Haida Gwai. I liked their spaghetti-surf’ sound, though after a few tunes it started to all sound the same so I left, ears ringing.

This past Sunday afternoon in the Ringside, now-locals Angel Forrest and D. Columbus sang a gorgeous set between 2 and 4pm. Lots of covers, a few originals, expertly executed with typical panache. Even a wee bit of dancing happened toward the end.

There was a sad aftermath. Angel says, “It was a beautiful day… EXCEPT for losing my long time tiny silver cross, St Christopher and a silver 3 pence coin in a frame… all 3 hung from my neck on the same chain. I was in the Ringside and at Seabreeze (parking lot and on the grass towards cabin 9) if anyone finds either or all pieces… PLEASE let me know. Thank you.”

If you find any of those items, let Angel directly, or you can email me at the address below and I will pass the word.

I will have some shows this summer myself, starting this coming Tuesday. I am to play music at Lerena from 5:30 to 7:30 over dinner on several Tuesdays, the first one July 4th, again July 18, August 1 and the last show will be August 22. Also, of course, I will be opening at the Festival for Alpha Yaya Diallo on August 12. It’s been a long time since I performed publicly, I’m excited (maybe a teensy bit nervous)! Do please drop by and enjoy a glass of wine with a gourmet meal prepared by Chef Marija Sinats.

Canada Day weekend is here, when the floodgates open and the human tide rises to flood our island. Watch for animals, kids, bicycles on the roads and don’t speed. On behalf of cyclists: never pass a bicycle unless you can see for certain that nobody is coming. What’s the rush? Take a breath, slow down and follow the bicycle until you can see visually that the coast is clear. Taking a chance by passing a bicycle while going around a corner or topping a hill in busy trafficky summer is crazy dangerous.

Summer is here! Let’s be careful out there, and have fun!

That’s what I think, what do you think? email me at phoenixonhornby@gmail.com

Green Wizardries with Maxine Rogers

June 29, 2023

Unexpected Encounters by Maxine Rogers

I was sitting next to a very attractive Sikh lady when I attended my niece’s recent graduation at SFU. Bali, the lady I was sitting next to was there for the graduation of her eldest daughter. We got to talking when she saw I was reading a book of herbal recipes my niece had just give me to entertain me during the long wait for the ceremony to begin.

“Are you a herbalist?” she said. “Yes,” I replied, “I work with herbs a lot.” Well then, do you have something to heal my cheek? I burned it while I was in California and there is still a discoloured patch there,” she said, touching her cheek. “Comfrey,” I replied. “It is a wonderful herb for healing any wound.”

She dug out her phone and I spelled comfrey for her and recommended Rosemary Gladstar’s book, “Medicinal Herbs, A Beginner’s Guide.” I explained about infusing herbs in oil in a sunny garden or window and how simple it is to make an ointment or a face cream.

We got to talking about endocrine-disrupting chemicals and how they are in all commercially-made scented products. Bali had just listened to a CBC radio program on the subject and she was horrified by the prevalence of harmful chemicals concealed in products that the Canadian Government allows to be sold to unsuspecting citizens.

The ceremony was just about to start and I thought our chat was over when Bali said to me, “Now, what do you do with your hair?” I told her I wash my hair with Ivory Soap, Dr. Bronner’s hippy soap or my favourite soap from The Ugly Carrot Food Company which is obtainable from the shop at Two Roads Farm here on Denman.

I explained that most soaps are really synthetic detergent bars, filled with nasty endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The same ugly, harmful and unnecessary chemicals are found in commercially-produced shampoos and conditioners. I told Bali that human hair is made up of scales and washing with real soap opens the scales up. Once you rinse the soap out it is necessary to rinse the hair with a pint of water containing about a quarter of a cup of vinegar.

I told her she could make scented vinegar by soaking herbs or citrus peels, from organically produced fruit, in the vinegar. You pour the vinegar and water mixture through your hair and it closes all the scales like a zipper. The last stage is to rinse the vinegar solution out with clean water. To make herbal vinegar for hair rinses, rosemary is an excellent herb for dark hair while chamomile and calendula bring out the highlights in fair hair. Now is a good time to be out harvesting both herbs.

A person’s hair really does look better after this treatment. I was saunaing with some friends from Vancouver and I washed my hair as described. One of my friends asked if I had enough vinegar for her to try it. I did, and the next morning, her hair looked spectacular, very shiny and volumized. All that and she was being less hard on the Living Earth than if she had washed her hair with polluting, synthetic-chemical shampoo.

We left town the next day by city bus and I ended up sitting next to a sculptor lady and her daughter who were off for a camping weekend. We got to talking and one of the young ladies on the bus had a terrible case of acne. I really felt for her in my heart. I was telling my companion that I make herbal products out of my garden for my family. I told her of my plan to pot up some Complexion-Clearing Cream and give it to people who needed it with a little card with the recipe.

My companion gestured wildly at her daughter and said, “She has acne. Do you have something that could help her?” She got out her phone and I recommended an ointment made from comfrey which can heal anything and yarrow which is a great astringent and has antiseptic properties. She wrote that down and the title of Rosemary Gladstar’s book.

We were just coming in to Horseshoe Bay by this time. She turned to me and said, “Now, what do you do with your hair?”

Grave Architecture

June 29, 2023

Date: March 20, 2007 9:43 AM

Grave Architecture

Crew #2 was but five strong for this day’s work. Despite our depleted ranks we still had just as productive a day. We were running up along the northbound lane of the Inland Island Highway, chipping up the piles of broom that we cut down what seems like weeks ago now. Oh yeah, it was weeks ago. One Maple Sugar Festival, one blown clutch on the chipper and various tasks in between kept us from finishing what we had started so long ago. That being said, once we’d begun chipping, the piles between Jingle Pot Road and the northern entrance to Nanaimo simply disappeared. The weather was quite a mixed bag today. Sun, cloud, rain, sleet or hail, finally deciding on sun by the end of lunch. The wind was steady mind you, which made for a lot of sawdust hazard for the eyes. My eye irritation from yesterday wasn’t quite as bad today though with the wind kicking up, the potential for a recurrence did abound. In the end, I’m glad to say that I made it through the day unscathed. For the most part I kept ahead of the chipper, dragging and arranging the piles of broom closer to the roadside for easier access. Of a sad note, I saw a deer in the ditch. A victim of the heavy traffic. It mustn’t have occurred too long previous because it had yet to take on a smell. We’ve seen many a roadkill along the highway in all various states of decomposition. Progress waits for no one. Whether flora or fauna.

Of particular note, Crew #2 came through today. Well, more specifically someone on the crew. Posterity and peril prevent me from mentioning names. I was completely oblivious to the play but after patiently waiting it out the recipient was rewarded. In jail it’s tough to remain out of the ‘loop,’ if one exists at all. For this I conclude that the talk that typically helps to develop said loop, was not. And as a result it was completely out of left field to my eyes. Having just written this, I see that the debris in my ‘left’ eye may have obscured my peripheral of that field. Either way, I now have a right eye which is bloodshot to match the red of the left! Ah sweet high! And from what I’ve learned, not even residing in jail can keep a good high down. I’m agog at this. The atmosphere this evening is completely contrary to the norm. The weather, I suspect not so coincidentally, broke through as well. Smiles, sun, basketball, social intercourse beyond the stifled and musty standard that begs the opening of windows. This place is airing out and the breeze feels good! I’m intrigued at how the walls that can exist between each and every one of us in red can literally fall away with a little help. Walls built with bricks of ego and the mortar of attitude. Appearing strong and durable at first sight and just as so at the hundredth sight. But throw a ‘stone’ at its apparently formidable construction and it collapses like a controlled demolition. Ill conceived and cheaply built? Or the amazing power of a stone? Given the constituents of this place, I’ll conclude equal parts both. Thinking on this, I’m completely in the dark as to what percentage to assign to either. 75% bad workmanship-25% stone? 25% cheap materials-75% stone? 60%-40%? It’s debatable any way you’d slice it so I’ll just go with 50%-50% for now but I’ll try to keep my observations attuned to this relation over time. I’m still relatively fresh to this place. Give me six more months and I’ll have just that much more insight to aid my conclusions. Oh, what do you know?! i just happen to have 178 days left, or six months. Convenient, that.