We all know it's OK to talk about mental illness. We're (most of us) trying to be culturally sensitive when it comes to depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, and all of the lesser-known mental and emotional disorders. But here's the thing. I'm bloody tired of people telling me, with a soulful look in their eye, that they have a mental illness. Yeah, that's right. I'm an asshole like that, and I don't want to hear it.
Here's the other thing you should know about me. I have chronic depression. Judging from friends' and family members' experiences, it's not a serious form of depression. (You should probably also know that two of my family members succumbed to their mental illnesses and committed suicide during my adult life, so I know the difference between moderate and severe depression.) So I don't have a lot of patience for people who go around wearing their mental illnesses (or any illness) like an accessory. It doesn't make you cool or soulful or artistic. To be frank, it just fucking sucks. It sucks more than language can express. Because yeah, I've had bouts of depression severe enough for me to be able to tell you that with absolute conviction.
Here's the other thing. The kind of uncomfortable thing. Against the advice of two doctors and one psychologist, I don't take medication for my depression. I don't want to put up with the side effects and, despite the crushing [sadness doesn't describe it. Screw you, English language] I feel when I'm depressed, some of my bouts of depression have resulting in the most creatively fertile periods of my life. I wrote large portions of my book during and following the prolonged depression that was the result of a suicide in the family. I don't want to toss around stupid and inept phrases like "worth it," but I have decided that there is too much to be potentially lost in seeking relief through Big Pharma.
But since I'm not medicating, I do have to have some pretty serious strategies in place for when I feel a bout of depression coming on. Exercise is big, and not drinking too much, and making a point of going out and doing things and seeing people (especially when all I want to do is spend the day in bed) are so very, very important. Because without the people that I love, and who love me, I really don't know how I'd manage. My family's support is, of course, utterly, utterly essential. Trent, I know it sucks being married to someone who just wants to sleep and cry. Thank you. My mom is amazing. My Toni ("best friend" is a weak descriptor for you) does not let me get away with bullshit. You are my lifeboat, you three. I love you.
But I also want to say how much my tribe, my community means to me. A couple of years ago, I sort of found my way into the Halifax acting community. I have made a few absolutely irreplaceable friends. One of them gave me a job last time I was feeling completely adrift, and I have no idea how to let her know how much that changed my world for the better. Last fall, a bunch of us got together and made a movie, and I am so unbelievably proud of us. This summer, several of them have been helping me edit and workshop a screenplay I wrote during what I like to call The Long Crazy. One of them lives and works in Vancouver, but as far as I'm concerned, he should be here. I would never have been able to call myself a filmmaker before I met him.
Anyway, you guys, this is for you. I don't know if you read this or not, and by and large, I haven't really been able to tell you what's going on with me, but I need to say thank you. So much thank you. So much love.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
These Were Not the Reforms We Were Looking For...
This is kind of hard for me to admit--in part, because I don't like talking about money, and also because I don't like admitting weakness, failure, or anything resembling the above. But I've been watching the EI reforms news lately, and I feel like sharing my experiences with the program. Oh, I agree, the EI system was badly in need of reform...
I spent most of 2010 unemployed/underemployed, and in May, after my Teaching Assistant contract at Dal ended, I applied for EI. Now, because I had only been employed part-time, my EI benefits were very low, but they were enough to keep me in groceries. However, because I was still a student (I was in the thesis-writing phase of my PhD program, and though I was considered a full-time student, I was working independently and on my own time, and in my weekly reports, had to continuously assure the EI bureaucrats that yes, I was still available to work full-time or part time), I had to wait longer than usual for my claim to be processed. Finally, however, I was off to the races, getting weekly EI cheques, and submitting weekly reports. I was also applying for jobs. A lot of jobs. My own personal goal was to apply for a minimum of ten jobs a week. That might not sound like a lot, but I really wanted a job. I was spending an hour to two hours on each job application--customizing my resume and cover letter to best reflect the skills and experience from my history that best suited each individual job. That's not counting the hours I spent scouring employment and individual company websites, looking for job postings. I spent all this time working hard to find a job because I wanted a job. I did not want to be on EI.
I'm going to say that again, just for emphasis. I did not want to be on EI. I had never been on EI before, and have not made a claim since then. I like working. I was in no way trying to take advantage of the social welfare system. Despite my best efforts, I found myself unemployed and without an income. That's exactly what Employment Insurance is supposed to insure against.
As the summer wore on, I began to get desperate. I was bored, I was lonely, and I was depressed. I was driving Trent and my friends crazy. I am not well suited to spending my days alone. I like people, and I like to be challenged. I like to work. So finally, I decided to do up some business cards and a menu of services. I sent this material, along with my CV, to a bunch of consulting companies. I was calling myself a Communications Consultant. Basically, I was offering to proofread engineering and economics consultants' reports, to help them with the proposals and presentations, and essentially, to hire out my writing and presentation skills.
Now, when you're on EI, you have to report all of your professional activities to a bureaucrat every week. I was keeping careful records of every job I applied for, and every little bit of money that I made (I was getting the occasional gig as a background performer in film & TV). So naturally, like a good girl, during my weekly report, I told the bureaucrat that I had sent out my resume to a bunch of companies, advertising my skills as a Communications Consultant.
"You shouldn't have done that," he told me flatly. "Now we have to suspend your EI payments."
See, apparently, by trying to find work a little more innovatively, I had put myself in a different employment category: self-employment. I didn't matter that I was still applying for regular, old jobs, or that I hadn't made any money as a Communications Consultant yet. They suspended my payments for nearly two months while they investigated my self-employment activities.
During those (very hungry) weeks, I managed to get a very part-time job: as an event planner for a local dance company. They only paid $10 an hour, and they only hired me for 10 hours a week, so when my EI payments finally resumed, I was still getting money from the government. Apparently, even under Harper, $100/week is not considered a living wage.
Tiny snag, though: my employer started bouncing paychecks. I was patient for a few weeks, and then when she stopped returning my phone calls (she owed me for several weeks' work--which I had to report to EI, even though I hadn't received the money), I quit, and made a claim with the Nova Scotia Labour Board. I was not the only employee to make a claim against this employer, who had a history of failing to pay her employees.
And, like a good girl, I reported all of this to EI. They suspended my payments, because when you're on EI, you're not allowed to quit your job. Even if your boss expects you to keep working, but won't pay you. They investigated my claim for 6 weeks--even though I had documented everything through the NS labour board.
So yeah. The EI system has major problems, in my opinion--its failure to adequately take care of Canadian workers when we are at our most vulnerable. So it's especially frustrating to me on a personal level to see that these reforms seem to be increasing, rather than alleviating, the professional and financial vulnerability of Canadian workers.
I spent most of 2010 unemployed/underemployed, and in May, after my Teaching Assistant contract at Dal ended, I applied for EI. Now, because I had only been employed part-time, my EI benefits were very low, but they were enough to keep me in groceries. However, because I was still a student (I was in the thesis-writing phase of my PhD program, and though I was considered a full-time student, I was working independently and on my own time, and in my weekly reports, had to continuously assure the EI bureaucrats that yes, I was still available to work full-time or part time), I had to wait longer than usual for my claim to be processed. Finally, however, I was off to the races, getting weekly EI cheques, and submitting weekly reports. I was also applying for jobs. A lot of jobs. My own personal goal was to apply for a minimum of ten jobs a week. That might not sound like a lot, but I really wanted a job. I was spending an hour to two hours on each job application--customizing my resume and cover letter to best reflect the skills and experience from my history that best suited each individual job. That's not counting the hours I spent scouring employment and individual company websites, looking for job postings. I spent all this time working hard to find a job because I wanted a job. I did not want to be on EI.
I'm going to say that again, just for emphasis. I did not want to be on EI. I had never been on EI before, and have not made a claim since then. I like working. I was in no way trying to take advantage of the social welfare system. Despite my best efforts, I found myself unemployed and without an income. That's exactly what Employment Insurance is supposed to insure against.
As the summer wore on, I began to get desperate. I was bored, I was lonely, and I was depressed. I was driving Trent and my friends crazy. I am not well suited to spending my days alone. I like people, and I like to be challenged. I like to work. So finally, I decided to do up some business cards and a menu of services. I sent this material, along with my CV, to a bunch of consulting companies. I was calling myself a Communications Consultant. Basically, I was offering to proofread engineering and economics consultants' reports, to help them with the proposals and presentations, and essentially, to hire out my writing and presentation skills.
Now, when you're on EI, you have to report all of your professional activities to a bureaucrat every week. I was keeping careful records of every job I applied for, and every little bit of money that I made (I was getting the occasional gig as a background performer in film & TV). So naturally, like a good girl, during my weekly report, I told the bureaucrat that I had sent out my resume to a bunch of companies, advertising my skills as a Communications Consultant.
"You shouldn't have done that," he told me flatly. "Now we have to suspend your EI payments."
See, apparently, by trying to find work a little more innovatively, I had put myself in a different employment category: self-employment. I didn't matter that I was still applying for regular, old jobs, or that I hadn't made any money as a Communications Consultant yet. They suspended my payments for nearly two months while they investigated my self-employment activities.
During those (very hungry) weeks, I managed to get a very part-time job: as an event planner for a local dance company. They only paid $10 an hour, and they only hired me for 10 hours a week, so when my EI payments finally resumed, I was still getting money from the government. Apparently, even under Harper, $100/week is not considered a living wage.
Tiny snag, though: my employer started bouncing paychecks. I was patient for a few weeks, and then when she stopped returning my phone calls (she owed me for several weeks' work--which I had to report to EI, even though I hadn't received the money), I quit, and made a claim with the Nova Scotia Labour Board. I was not the only employee to make a claim against this employer, who had a history of failing to pay her employees.
And, like a good girl, I reported all of this to EI. They suspended my payments, because when you're on EI, you're not allowed to quit your job. Even if your boss expects you to keep working, but won't pay you. They investigated my claim for 6 weeks--even though I had documented everything through the NS labour board.
So yeah. The EI system has major problems, in my opinion--its failure to adequately take care of Canadian workers when we are at our most vulnerable. So it's especially frustrating to me on a personal level to see that these reforms seem to be increasing, rather than alleviating, the professional and financial vulnerability of Canadian workers.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
It IS Kind of Funny to See People Fail
I have this problem. Put me on stage as a character, and I'm as happy as a pig in shit. Same thing goes for a movie camera. When I teach, I'm also playing a character, so to speak, so I'm cool with that. But put me in front of a bunch of people as MYSELF, and good god, if there's shit, it's bound to be in my pants. (Don't worry, I'm not being literal.)
There is, however, something immensely funny about watching other people fail. Come on, it's okay, you can admit it. The Germans even have a word for it. Schadenfreude. So tonight, if you're in Halifax, I invite you to come and experience Schadenfreude for yourself. Because I'll be standing in front of a crowd (or--worse--an empty room), reading from my new collection of short stories, Every Second Weekend. (Look! You can read a book review here!)
And, if taking pleasure in my terror is not enough for you (I may resort to hiding under a table with a box of cupcakes), the event is at Sweet Hereafter, makers of the BEST cheesecake and cupcakes in Halifax! Delicious desserts and the suffering of others! Best. Night. Ever.
The deets:
Tonight, Sweet Hereafter, 6148 Quinpool Road, Halifax
Readings at 6 and 8:30 PM by me and Colin Fullerton.
Books available for purchase.
*Gulp...*
There is, however, something immensely funny about watching other people fail. Come on, it's okay, you can admit it. The Germans even have a word for it. Schadenfreude. So tonight, if you're in Halifax, I invite you to come and experience Schadenfreude for yourself. Because I'll be standing in front of a crowd (or--worse--an empty room), reading from my new collection of short stories, Every Second Weekend. (Look! You can read a book review here!)
And, if taking pleasure in my terror is not enough for you (I may resort to hiding under a table with a box of cupcakes), the event is at Sweet Hereafter, makers of the BEST cheesecake and cupcakes in Halifax! Delicious desserts and the suffering of others! Best. Night. Ever.
The deets:
Tonight, Sweet Hereafter, 6148 Quinpool Road, Halifax
Readings at 6 and 8:30 PM by me and Colin Fullerton.
Books available for purchase.
*Gulp...*
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Nobody's Holding a Gun to your Head...
Last night, I was excited, amazed, honoured, nervous, terrified, elated to go to the screening of a film I co-produced. It was such an extraordinary experience to watch other people react to my film, and to see other filmmakers' work, too. I saw some fantastic short films last night!
After the screening, I was invited to participate in a panel discussion with the other filmmakers in attendance. Honestly, I wish I'd declined. First, because the idea of participating in a panel discussion is terrifying (it's weird, I know. I act on stage and in film, I teach, but ask me to have my photo taken, or take part in a public discussion, and I panic). But also, because I found the experience itself to be terribly disappointing and disillusioning. These women who had made these gorgeous, inspired films were... well, cranky. There was a lot of complaining going on. When the moderator asked what our advice would be to emerging filmmakers, one panelist's advice was "don't do it." Another complained about how awful it is to work with actors, and most of the others agreed with her. (Particularly uncomfortable, as there were at least 20 actors in the audience...)
Maybe I'm naive. This was, after all, my first film as anything other than an actor. But I'm not new to the creative process, and I really believe that it is a privilege to create: to act, to draw, to write, to build, to paint, to tell stories, to create. Sure, most artists will tell you that creating isn't a choice, it's a vocation--we create because we're compelled to. I write a story because a charater gets in my head and won't leave me alone. But honestly, if making films (or books or poems or paintings) is such an unpleasant experience, don't do it. Sell insurance. Paint houses. Make sprockets on an assembly line. Whatever. But if you are one of the lucky people who gets to do the thing you're passionate about... well, be grateful. Love what you do. And if you can't truly love it, at least pretend when you're talking to a room full of people who've just paid to see your work.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
HRM Transit Strike: An Epistolary Tale
On February 2, Metro Transit employees walked off the job. In the last 12 days, both the transit operators and HRM have demonstrated all the bargaining finesse of those padded mallets used in Whack-A-Mole. HRM has encouraged Haligonians to pitch in and help out by carpooling stranded Transit patrons. I have been driving one friend and several strangers to and from work--which now means putting up with increased traffic, and decreased parking availability. Last week, I got a ticket. What follows is the email exchange between me and HRM employees on the subject of this ticket. I don't intend to let this issue go any time soon, so I'll continue to update this post with the ongoing Transit Epistles.
Original message, sent via online submission form (https://www.halifax.ca/contactus/) 2/15/2012 10:56 am:
Thank you so much for the parking ticket I got for being parked too long in a 2-hour spot near Saint Mary's. It's such a joy to know that even when transit operators are on strike, other HRM employees are still hard at work. On a day on which buses are not operating, so I drove 1 employee and 1 student, both stranded by the strike, TO campus, and 2 other students home, and during a time when it is virtually impossible to find paid parking on campus, again because of the strike. It's really wonderful that you are continuing to be so vigilant about parking enforcement during this difficult time. Thank you.
Becca B--
Auto-reply from HRM, 2/15/2012 10:59 am (sent to my email):
Thank you for contacting Halifax Regional Municipality.
During snow events, HRM asks that residents please allow 12 hours after the end of the snowfall for crews to plow main roads and bus routes and allow 24 hours after the end of the snowfall for crews to plow residential and rural streets. For more information on HRM’s snow clearing operations please visit our website at: http://www.halifax.ca/snow/index.html
Once the snow service standards have expired, please phone in your snow clearing requests to the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only). Email requests may take up to 1 business day for review.
If you require immediate assistance, please contact the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only). Call Centre hours of operation are 7:00AM to 11:00PM seven days a week.
Thank you,
HRM Call Centre
My reply, sent 11:31 am:
Why on earth would I care about snow events? What relevance does this have on the message I sent you? Perhaps I'm a little slow on the uptake, but I fail to understand the connection. Please explain,using small words, and, if possible, helpful diagrams drawn in crayon.
Reply from HRM, sent 11:39 am:
Dear Becca,
Thank you for your concern with HRM. Unfortunately, parking regulations and enforcement are continuing to operate as normal during the strike. There was a proposal to change bus stops into temporary parking spots, to alleviate some of the parking stress, but this was recently rejected by Council. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000
A further reply, sent 11:50 am:
Dear Rebecca,
The response you received is an auto-response that is generated during the Winter due to the large volume of inquiries in regards to snow removal. It has been temporarily removed until the next snow event. We apologize if this has caused you any confusion.
If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre490-4000
My reply, sent 11:58 am:
Marc:
Congratulations on the budgetary savings of $1,000,000 to date (source: http://www.cbc.ca/ns/insidethenews/2012/02/the-transit-strike-lottery.html), while persuading citizens to offer transit services at our personal cost, and enforcing parking regulations so assiduously.
When will transit pass holders (including students, who pay for their transit passes as part of their tuition) be reimbursed for the portions of their passes that they could not use during the strike?
Regards, Becca B--
P.S. I am disappointed that you did not include the crayon diagram explaining the relevance of snow removal policies to my inquiry, which I requested in my last message.
HRM's auto-reply, sent 11:58 am (notice that it no longer contains a reference to snow events!):
Thank you for contacting Halifax Regional Municipality.
E-mails are responded to from 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Monday to Friday (excluding Holidays).
If you require immediate assistance, please contact the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only).
Call Centre hours of operation are 7:00AM to 11:00PM seven days a week.
Thank you,
HRM Call Centre
Marc from HRM's response, sent 12:10 pm:
Dear Becca,
Thank you for prompt response. Your concern with the cost savings, in lieu of Metro Transit service, has been sent to Metro Transit for review. Your reference number for this is 5174488. Unfortunately, we will not be entertaining your request for a crayon diagram of the relevance of snow removal policies. If you would like more information on snow removal polices, please feel free to check out the following link : http://www.halifax.ca/snow/index.html . Metro Transit will decide how they will be reimburse pass holders once the work stoppage is over, including compensation in regards to the U-Pass. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000
My response, sent 12:34 pm:
Dear Marc,
Thank you also for your very prompt response. While I am still lagging in understanding the connection between my inquiry, and HRM's initial response with information on snow removal, I thank you for considering my request for a crayon drawing, even though this document is sadly not available.
It is regrettable that HRM is unable to reconsider enforcing my parking ticket at this time; however, I certainly understand that one must hold fast to one's business practices, even in time of crisis. In that spirit, I am attaching an invoice for the transit services that I have provided since the beginning of the strike, and have arranged to provide for the remainder of the week. As you can see from the attached document, I have provided/will be providing 12 rides. At a rate of $2.25/ride (current Metro Transit fares), I am invoicing for a gross total of $27.00; less the $25.00 (the amount of the parking ticket in question), I am now owed $2.00. Please pay this amount within 30 days. I will, of course, submit a hard copy of this invoice, with the original parking ticket.
Warm regards,
Becca B--
Their response, sent 12:57 pm
Dear Becca,
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, HRM/Metro Transit will not reimburse you for the invoice you have provided. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000
My response, sent 1:02 pm:
Dear Marc,
That is very understandable. I too, prefer not to write cheques for under $10. I will continue to log the rides I provide to Metro Transit patrons during the strike, and will re-submit this invoice once the total owing is in excess of $10.
Warmly,
Becca
Another response from Marc @ HRM, sent 2:05 pm:
Thus far, I am triply disappointed: they will not reconsider the parking ticket, will not pay my invoice, and have refused my request for a crayon diagram. HRM: 1, Becca 0.
Original message, sent via online submission form (https://www.halifax.ca/contactus/) 2/15/2012 10:56 am:
Thank you so much for the parking ticket I got for being parked too long in a 2-hour spot near Saint Mary's. It's such a joy to know that even when transit operators are on strike, other HRM employees are still hard at work. On a day on which buses are not operating, so I drove 1 employee and 1 student, both stranded by the strike, TO campus, and 2 other students home, and during a time when it is virtually impossible to find paid parking on campus, again because of the strike. It's really wonderful that you are continuing to be so vigilant about parking enforcement during this difficult time. Thank you.
Becca B--
Auto-reply from HRM, 2/15/2012 10:59 am (sent to my email):
Thank you for contacting Halifax Regional Municipality.
During snow events, HRM asks that residents please allow 12 hours after the end of the snowfall for crews to plow main roads and bus routes and allow 24 hours after the end of the snowfall for crews to plow residential and rural streets. For more information on HRM’s snow clearing operations please visit our website at: http://www.halifax.ca/snow/index.html
Once the snow service standards have expired, please phone in your snow clearing requests to the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only). Email requests may take up to 1 business day for review.
If you require immediate assistance, please contact the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only). Call Centre hours of operation are 7:00AM to 11:00PM seven days a week.
Thank you,
HRM Call Centre
My reply, sent 11:31 am:
Why on earth would I care about snow events? What relevance does this have on the message I sent you? Perhaps I'm a little slow on the uptake, but I fail to understand the connection. Please explain,using small words, and, if possible, helpful diagrams drawn in crayon.
Reply from HRM, sent 11:39 am:
Dear Becca,
Thank you for your concern with HRM. Unfortunately, parking regulations and enforcement are continuing to operate as normal during the strike. There was a proposal to change bus stops into temporary parking spots, to alleviate some of the parking stress, but this was recently rejected by Council. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000
A further reply, sent 11:50 am:
Dear Rebecca,
The response you received is an auto-response that is generated during the Winter due to the large volume of inquiries in regards to snow removal. It has been temporarily removed until the next snow event. We apologize if this has caused you any confusion.
If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre490-4000
My reply, sent 11:58 am:
Marc:
Congratulations on the budgetary savings of $1,000,000 to date (source: http://www.cbc.ca/ns/insidethenews/2012/02/the-transit-strike-lottery.html), while persuading citizens to offer transit services at our personal cost, and enforcing parking regulations so assiduously.
When will transit pass holders (including students, who pay for their transit passes as part of their tuition) be reimbursed for the portions of their passes that they could not use during the strike?
Regards, Becca B--
P.S. I am disappointed that you did not include the crayon diagram explaining the relevance of snow removal policies to my inquiry, which I requested in my last message.
HRM's auto-reply, sent 11:58 am (notice that it no longer contains a reference to snow events!):
Thank you for contacting Halifax Regional Municipality.
E-mails are responded to from 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Monday to Friday (excluding Holidays).
If you require immediate assistance, please contact the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only).
Call Centre hours of operation are 7:00AM to 11:00PM seven days a week.
Thank you,
HRM Call Centre
Marc from HRM's response, sent 12:10 pm:
Dear Becca,
Thank you for prompt response. Your concern with the cost savings, in lieu of Metro Transit service, has been sent to Metro Transit for review. Your reference number for this is 5174488. Unfortunately, we will not be entertaining your request for a crayon diagram of the relevance of snow removal policies. If you would like more information on snow removal polices, please feel free to check out the following link : http://www.halifax.ca/snow/index.html . Metro Transit will decide how they will be reimburse pass holders once the work stoppage is over, including compensation in regards to the U-Pass. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000
My response, sent 12:34 pm:
Dear Marc,
Thank you also for your very prompt response. While I am still lagging in understanding the connection between my inquiry, and HRM's initial response with information on snow removal, I thank you for considering my request for a crayon drawing, even though this document is sadly not available.
It is regrettable that HRM is unable to reconsider enforcing my parking ticket at this time; however, I certainly understand that one must hold fast to one's business practices, even in time of crisis. In that spirit, I am attaching an invoice for the transit services that I have provided since the beginning of the strike, and have arranged to provide for the remainder of the week. As you can see from the attached document, I have provided/will be providing 12 rides. At a rate of $2.25/ride (current Metro Transit fares), I am invoicing for a gross total of $27.00; less the $25.00 (the amount of the parking ticket in question), I am now owed $2.00. Please pay this amount within 30 days. I will, of course, submit a hard copy of this invoice, with the original parking ticket.
Warm regards,
Becca B--
Their response, sent 12:57 pm
Dear Becca,
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, HRM/Metro Transit will not reimburse you for the invoice you have provided. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000
My response, sent 1:02 pm:
Dear Marc,
That is very understandable. I too, prefer not to write cheques for under $10. I will continue to log the rides I provide to Metro Transit patrons during the strike, and will re-submit this invoice once the total owing is in excess of $10.
Warmly,
Becca
Another response from Marc @ HRM, sent 2:05 pm:
Dear Becca,
Thank you again for your response. Unfortunately, HRM/Metro Transit is not reimbursing patrons for alternative transportation during the work stoppage. We hope this provides you with some clarification on the matter. We understand the frustration that people are facing during the work stoppage and hope that a resolve can be reached in the near future.
If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000
My reply, sent at 3:57 pm:
Dear Marc,
Thank you also for your response. I see your point perfectly; it would be unseemly for private citizens to attempt to follow the example provided by the HRM (which is saving $89,000 per day during the strike, in addition to the $2000 per day in increased parking ticket revenues) and attempt to profit from the strike. Instead of invoicing the city for the rides that I am providing to stranded HRM patrons, I will continue to log these rides at $2.25 each (the Metro Transit rate) against this, and any future parking tickets that I incur as a result of the strike. Please be advised that I herewith withdraw my request that you pay the outstanding $2.00 within 30 days.
Thank you so much for your helpful advice.
Affectionately yours,
Becca
Thus far, I am triply disappointed: they will not reconsider the parking ticket, will not pay my invoice, and have refused my request for a crayon diagram. HRM: 1, Becca 0.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Awesome Is Not the Standard
I've been thinking a lot lately about the ways we accommodate people--the ways we look out for others' feelings, and respect differences of opinion, different perspectives, different ways of living, and different levels of ability. I think that we're living in a time where we are more willing than ever to make allowances, to respectfully disagree, to open ourselves up to newness, and I'm grateful. But I think that we're throwing out a lot of babies in our 21st century bathwater, and one of them is a respect for excellence, and a recognition of superior achievement, ability, and effort.
I recently had a conversation with a friend about illness, and the ways that a brave, "fighter" attitude is celebrated when we talk about illness. Of course, when you're sick--especially if you're seriously ill or injured, you may not feel up to adopting a plucky, I-Can-Beat-This demeanour. And that's okay. It doesn't mean that you're failing. Succumbing to illness is not "losing." But can we at least acknowledge that a person who faces serious hardships with a positive, determined attitude is worthy of our admiration? Because frankly, it must be hard to face a huge problem and decide to tackle it with strength and optimism.
Similarly, we're past the days (I hope) when weaker students are ridiculed in school. We acknowledge that there are a number of reasons (including learning disabilities) that some students have trouble succeeding, and we try to find ways to help them to learn. But we don't seem to be able to admit that not every student can succeed in every field. And when we shuffle students through courses and programs that they're not intellectually suited for, are we really doing them any favours? If dyslexic Becca asked for academic accommodations in order to complete an accounting program, would you want her doing your taxes? I should hope not. Similarly, when we accommodate every student through every program, we devalue those courses of study for the students who excel in them, and also for those who don't excel, but who work hard and obtain a passable skill level in them nonetheless. I don't think that it's an assault on your personhood to say, "Sorry, friend, but you don't have the skills to succeed here." I think it is, however, pretty insulting to everyone to pretend that everyone can be successful at everything. It's condescending, and it devalues the skills and abilities that each of us does have to pretend that they are on par with the skills we don't have, but that we can apparently succeed nonetheless in a field that is supposed to require those skills.
So let's admit it. Some of us are better at some things than others. Some of us suck at some stuff. That's okay. Let's not pretend that we don't. And let's not pretend that recognizing excellence is tantamount to devaluing the people who don't excel in that same particular moment, field, or achievement.
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