Stepping up to the plate and being in the Drop Zone

Rob Bernshaw in the Drop Zone

Rob Bernshaw, Columnist

Information overload occurs to all of us at one time or another in our modern fast-paced society. With almost instant access to news that is happening all around us when we turn on our smart phones, tablets or whatever other new age electronic device one may currently possess or have access to, what does one do to overcome that feeling of being overwhelmed with too much information?


In the political realm alone there is enough fodder being offered up to all media types to keep writers going without sleeping and eating forever if one so desired.

Take for example the recent news of  Independent MP Brent Rathgeber which was manna from heaven so to speak to the accountability-starved taxpayers of the day.

That file will hopefully wake taxpayers and voters up to the possibility that there are more politicians in the wings that are truly in office for the people and not totally in it for themselves. They have not come out yet and are still in the closet for fear of being outed and ostracized as is the case for elected representatives such as Rathgeber that are going against the status quo currently in the entitlement stream of financial waste and mismanagement.

Here in Alberta the Provincial Government of the day is putting the hammer down on anyone that defies their majority power (like unions or various arms-length boards of the day).

That being said, the Alberta Health Services (AHS) board vote on fulfilling their contractual agreements ($3.2 million in executive bonuses) could not have had any worse timing when all sectors of Alberta are feeling the sting of the March 2013 Alberta Austerity Budget.

With as many opinions as there are people, suffice it to say that both parties in this disagreement made poor choices and this boil-over was a long time in coming.

Are any of the so called ‘arm’s length’ entities such as AHS and local school boards able to rebut the ability of this current government to have a ‘Scapegoat of Convenience’ readily available to slaughter in order to give the optics of perception that any government of the day is there totally for our best interest?

Who will ultimately suffer from the games the current government is playing not only with AHS but also various other boards across Alberta that are supposed to be ‘arm’s length’ entities (such as local school boards) that are wholly dependent on funding from the masters that hold the purse strings (our current provincial governments).

Arms-length should be arms-length and one should not even see the sleeve of the government of the day let alone the arm.

The above little preamble leads us into what can we as individuals do to help our fellow neighbors make it through these tough times?

We as a community can come together and participate in local bona fide charities that are in place and have been in place for many years all the while becoming a part of our local communities, or family if one may be so bold to say.

Now words are fine and dandy on the page and I can attest to the fact that words are the most easy part of any equation. Words without action are dead and stare out at us on the page waiting for some action to bring them to life.

I have taken the initiative by registering to participate in the Easter Seals Drop Zone in support of disabled children and adults. One needs to not only talk the talk but walk the walk.

Now when and where one does the walk is also a factor. With the Easter Seals Drop Zone one is walking vertically down the side of a very tall building instead of horizontally along the ground as we were designed to do. But what is life without a challenge to keep one aware of their surroundings?

I have never rappelled down any vertical incline of any type so this will be a first for this intrepid  writer.

Definition of Rappel and the verb rapelled obtained from the World Wide Internet:

rap·pel  (r -p l ) 
n. 
A descent of a vertical surface, as a cliff or wall, by sliding down a belayed rope that is passed under one thigh and over the opposite shoulder or through a device that provides friction, typically while facing the surface and performing a series of short backward leaps to control the descent.
intr.v. rap·pelled, rap·pel·ling, rap·pels 
To descend from a steep height by this method.
~source www.thefreedictionary.com

We all need to challenge our views our abilities and where our feet will take us going into the future. This event is another step along the way towards the future and I embrace it with a gusto and a fervor for life that brings joy and gratitude to my heart for all the legitimate charities that exist around us to help those in need.

By stepping up to the plate to participate one will find new meaning in helping others as we forget ourselves in the process.

Since the current  Alberta Provincial Government has decided to cut services to members of  a very vulnerable part of our Alberta Community, Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) than this is one way for me to take action in order to even help a little to improve the quality of life of these courageous individuals that face life in a totally different manner than myself. I am doing this for all PDD individuals that are facing the heavy axe of  cuts of services a lot harder than the rest of us.

Here is a little background on the Easter Seals program and its initial focus for coming into existence:

In 1951, motivated by the polio epidemic sweeping the continent, Albertans gathered to raise funds for services needed by physically disabled children. That year the first Easter Seal and Easter lily appeared in this province, as did the newly formed volunteer organization named the Northern Alberta Council for Crippled Children. Later this organization’s name was incorporated as the Alberta Council for Crippled Children. 
In 1959 the Council’s services expanded to assist physically disabled adults. 

~source www.easterseals.ab.ca/Site/AboutUs/OurHistory.aspx


There are many areas that the Easter Seals plays a vital part in all our lives. Here is an excerpt from the page titled ‘Our Cause’ on the main Drop Zone page and the event is taking place in various parts of the country over the coming months:

Easter Seals is committed to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. At our fully accessible camps, kids and youth learn about themselves and the potential of their abilities. The facilities are designed to ensure that everyone, no matter their disability, has the support they need to have the time of their lives, gain confidence and a sense of independence, challenge themselves and cultivate meaningful friendships.

www.thedropzone.ca/sample-post-4/

I have a motto that I live by and am not sure where I obtained it but this is what I view as an important aspect of my daily life and I have been using it for years.

‘Fear knocked at the Door, Faith opened it and found nothing there’

The above does not say that fear is not present but it does say to me that we can overcome all our fears no matter how little or how big they may be, all we need to do is have faith and take that step or leap of Faith that it takes to overcome any fear that may be ruling our lives. Let us overcome the fears that may be keeping us in our beds where a lot of us are missing the truly gratifying aspects of our lives. Let us all get out of our beds in the morning in order to get us out of our comfort zones and into the drop zones of life where we expand our knowledge and experience to overcome any fears we may have in order to improve our quality of life along with the quality of life of those around us.

Easter Seals you tube Drop zone video:

I issue all readers a personal challenge:

Become a superhero today and step into the ‘Drop Zone’ event for Easter Seals for children and adults  with disabilities and special needs that truly need our help in our fast paced society of today.

Are you up for the challenge?  Then check out the following links including a link to my Drop Zone page:

Related links:
www.easterseals.ab.ca/Site/index.aspx
www.thedropzone.ca

Rob Bernshaw Drop Zone link:
http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1942194#.UbgYZfdQkOU.facebook
The image currently there is not one of myself but a generic image provided by Easter Seals.