Adding Agriculture

On my previous co-op I had the opportunity to work with the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. As a Canadian I am used to an abundance of natural resources, however, I typically do not think of the work that goes into the production.

There has been a rise of concerns with the Canola Producers due to emerging health trends, diminishing farmers, and the chemicals that are being used on crops. This is why I chose this topic to explore and discuss as an environmental and value-adding approach for our traditional industries to increase sustainability.

Most people are more familiar with Canola/ Canola oil, which is used for cooking and other culinary needs. However, with this being the decade of health and wellness, oils are automatically deemed unhealthy. This is not true. There is a lack of education provided in the agriculture industry. No surprise since there are no lessons taught in school systems.  I have seen commercials how schools should teach children about gardening, and agriculture goes hand and hand. It should be encouraged to learn our roots (no pun intended).

By teaching children about farming it incorporates several different skills. A few of those skills are as a sense of community, responsibility, awareness of the environment, and the sciences behind harvesting, and processing. There are so many different components of agriculture that it could be potentially a course of its own.  This could increase the number of individuals that decide to pursue a career in farming. There currently a focus on office jobs, and trades are being looked over. However as the number of farmers decreases it results in the number of crops decreases. If no one is committed to the industry it will eventually collapse and the public will suffer.

Agriculture is a massive industry which is I specified Canola. My experience has showed me the consequences the public is having on the industry. Even as people go gluten-free it affects those who grow crops. Another aspect to note, are the amount of chemicals being used, and blatant ignorance surrounding the environment. The products being used on crops have an impact on the final crop. It is ideal to remain as natural as possible but people are spraying dangerous and hazardous substances on crops, or in the water, which affects the soil the crops are grown in.  The soil and conditions in which crops are grown also have an impact and need to be assessed and continuously monitored.

It takes a group of people and advanced technology in order to satisfy the need of the current population. The population is constantly growing yet not growing enough supplies to meet the need. Agriculture should be added to the curriculum to increase awareness and to motivate kids to get involved. At the very least they would become educated on the topic and would be able to form accurate factual notes.

Pointless Distances

She rolls her eyes and picks up her cellphone.

Her: Hi.

Him: Hey baby, how are you?

Her: Fine.

Him: Well that’s good. What are you up too on this Sunday night?

Her: Nothing

Him: Did you finish all your homework for tomorrow?

Her: Why do you care?

Him: Because you’re my girl, and I care about you.

Her: Didn’t seem like it last night...

Him: Babe, you knew last night was Brad’s birthday.

Her: So? You didn’t have to be a drunk jack-ass.

Him: I wasn’t...you called to yell and complain and I was trying to have a good night out with the boys. I wasn’t trying to be rude but you weren’t listening.

Her: Whatever.

Him: Babe, please stop.  You know I hate when you get in these moods, there’s just no talking to you.

Her: Seemed like that’s what you wanted last night.

Him: Not at all! I just didn’t want to fight over text and it was too loud to hear at the bar. So I thought it would be better to wait til you cooled down, and I could give you my full attention.

Her: Well it just seemed weird that you couldn’t take two minutes to call me so we could have had a real conversation and things wouldn’t have gotten to this point.

Him: I was busy though. Sorry I can’t devote every minute of everyday to you but I did spend most of the night talking about you. Everyone was wondering where my beautiful girlfriend was.

Her: I don’t care. It was rude to ignore my calls. Do you even want to be in a relationship?

Him: Yes, of course. Stop over analyzing everything. I wouldn’t be with you if I didn’t want to be. We are in this relationship together.

Her: Well sometimes I feel like I need more. I know that sounds selfish but I am selfish. I crave your attention and love more than anything else. I feel like I’m an addict going through withdrawal.

Him: But I’m always here for you.

Her: You weren’t last night.

Him: This attitude needs to stop right now. Yesterday had yesterday’s problems, if you want to move on  you have to let go.

Her: Well, I think we need to discuss it because I didn’t like it and don’t want it to happen again.

Him: Babe, you’re acting like I don’t pay you any attention ever. That I deliberately ignored you. C’mon you know I don’t play those childish games and you don’t either.

Her: It’s not a game. I had no clue what was going on with you all night.

Him: Oh so now you don’t trust me?

Her: It has nothing to do with trust. It actually has to do everything with us, and how your not putting in enough effort. We live on opposite sides of the f***ing country, do you not get that it’s hard and communication is our connection??

Him: Yes babe. I’m in this relationship too. But we’ll be together soon. You have to be able to look past the “right now”, and focus on the long run. It’s only 5 more Saturdays until we’re together. That’s how I see it, kinda like Christmas. The day is coming, we just have to wait.

Her: I guess so, but when your 21 it’s hard to look past the “right now” . And just because it’s only five Saturdays doesn’t mean that you don’t need to put effort in right now and everyday until then. That’s not how relationships work, especially when it’s distance.

Him: You’re right babe and I love you. Don’t forget that we are a unit and that we work best when we work together.

Her: I know. I’m trying! I’m trying to be patient and more understanding. But when you act like..

Him: NO BUTS! We are both working on being better.  Remember when I let you scan your finger in my IPhone 6? That was me letting you into my world. You have access to everything and I wanted you to have that.

Her: Hahah, well I guess.

Him: It made sense since you are my world. You’re the key to everything and I can’t wait to spend everyday for the rest of my life with you.

Her: Me either. I just miss you... a lot.

Him: I miss you too babe.

Her: Thank you for not giving up on me, I didn’t want to go to bed mad.

Him: Sweet dreams babe. I love you.

Her: Goodnight handsome, I love you too xxo

The Unknown becomes Known

Roland McKay is a 17-year-old high school soccer prodigy. He is known throughout his hometown in Detroit as the next “David Beckham.” He will be graduating in June 2015, and is currently in the process of deciding which university to attend. He has met with numerous recruiters, and has several scholarship offers. Roland is very appreciative to even be presented with such opportunities considering his past.

Roland lives with his mother and four other brothers and sisters. His father was a pilot in the military who passed away when Roland was 13. Growing up in a military family there was always change. The McKay’s were never in one spot for too long. Roland has attended 11 different schools, almost every year his family moved. This made it hard for the kids to make and keep friends. It was difficult to emotionally invest into relationships with the other kids knowing they wouldn’t be around for long.

This is why Roland began to play soccer. In grade three, Roland joined his community soccer league and found his athletic gift. He loved that he was recognized as a someone, and not just a ghost passing through the town. His teammates were grateful of his skills, which made him love the sport even more. Every time he moved he would join the town or schools soccer team and was instantly connected. Being on a team created feelings of comfort of having a social family. Although his home was chaotic with five children, Roland was social being. He liked hanging out with others, which is why he had a hard time saying goodbye when it was time to leave.

Roland was a tall, thin fellow. With long, gangly limbs, it was like watching a daddy-long leg spider run on the field. But it was magical to watch him move. He was fast and seemed to be miles ahead of the other high school kids. He could kick the ball from one end of the field to the other, which came from years of kicking the ball out of frustration. His past had a huge influence on his future, and he never thought he could accomplish so much. He’s crystal blue eyes against his tan skin pierce through crowds when he looks to his supportive fans. Also his smile is victory in itself. His teeth are bright white, but slightly crooked. His smile is slightly slanted to the left but when he scores a goal, it consumes most of his face. From ear to ear all you can see is teeth.

Roland is a genuinely happy kid with a future brighter than his smile.

Skating Under The Stars

I’ve never been a graceful person. I underestimate the length of my limbs often, and make rather clumsy movements. Even when playing sports I was put on defense because of my height and lack of coordination. So when asked to do something that makes me feel uncomfortable I knew the perfect situation.

Last week I went to Jasper, Alberta for a wedding. As part of the celebration there was a nightly skate after the rehearsal dinner. Now, I am no skater. I am more like Bambi on ice, so I decided to skip the skate. I didn’t want to injure or embarrass myself in front of so many people. Especially since most of the guys all played hockey in the men’s league. I was kind of disappointed I didn’t get to skate under the stars and by the mountains, but I got over it pretty quickly.

However, it still kind of bugged me until I got back home to Edmonton. My boyfriend plays hockey two to three times a week and makes skating look effortless. He’s been skating for almost 25 years, so when I saw this challenge I asked him to teach me how to skate. We gathered our gear and headed to a near by outdoor rink. It was perfect because the kids hockey game was just ending by the time we got there. Watching eight-year olds skate laps around the rink made me somewhat jealous but also excited. I hadn’t laced up a pair of skate in almost 10 years. The last time I had gone skating was for a friend’s birthday in elementary school.

Once I had my skates on I was ready to hit the ice, except I couldn’t even walk in the skates. It reminded me the first time I had to walk in heels. My legs were wobbly and I felt like my ankles were about to snap. I was grabbing onto anything I could to keep my balance and I wasn’t even on the ice yet. When I finally reached the ice I held onto boyfriend very tightly, as if I were about to fall off the CN Tower. He began by skating backwards and I asked him to slow down, even though all I had to do was stand there. It was terrifying, and I was extremely nervous of hurting myself. At that moment he thought it was going to be disastrous because I couldn’t even handle just standing on the ice while he pulled me.

However I was determined.  I was thankful to have my partner who was an excellent skater by my side to help me. He never let me go and took me on a few laps until I got used to the sensation of the bumpy ice beneath my feet. I was sweating the entire time. He asked if I had brought the hot pads in my gloves and I hadn’t...I was just so scared the heat from my hands was seeping through the material.

He brought me over to the edge of the rink so I could grab onto something other than him for a minute. He wanted to show me how to move my feet and bend my knees in order to maintain my balance. I was very slow and cautious but surely started skating on my own. I felt awkward and unnatural and probably looked worse than it felt. My arms were flailing and my lanky legs we’re not aligning with the rest of my body.

After a few laps I started getting the hang of it. I mean, I was no Olympian but I was starting to look and feel like I was an average skater. I loved the smell of the cool, crisp night and the freedom I felt from skating. Similar to riding a bike with the wind breathing fresh air in your face, you feel alive.

I was so proud of myself for not falling once. Although I wouldn’t have cared if I had fell, it made me feel confident in myself. It was a good reminder to continue to try new things every now and then because things change and you could be surprised by the outcome.

Cheers to the Strong and Brave

At 18, I was fresh out of high school and just starting my university career. A time to meet life long lasting friends, have great times celebrating youth and finding out who you are as a person. As someone who was always independent I never had any intentions of being in a relationship so young, but sometimes the unplanned happens.

I met him online via Facebook. He was an older fellow who at first used his charm to win my trust. He did everything perfectly. He used one of our common friends to strike up a conversation and built a relationship from there. He was fascinating to me with his years of adventures, and experience. He was certainly not boring at all. He dabbled in everything from being an international model and travelling the world, to owning a tattoo shop, to being a personal trainer. It seemed like we had so much to talk about because he had done everything I wanted to.

He was very confident which is an attractive trait, and seemed to be so open and honest. We talked online and through text for almost a month before finally meeting.  The first few dates were like living a romantic movie. We dinned in private booths at the fanciest restaurants, and went on hikes to secluded areas where he had set up picnics. I truly felt like a queen and thought, “this man knows how to treat a woman with respect.” Sadly, as time went on I found out I was mistaken.

Let’s name this man Carl. He was in his thirties so had dated more than a few women in his days. He was also looking for a wife, but not a partner type wife. He was looking for a trophy wife. Someone he could show off to all his friends and who had no thoughts, she was just meant to look good on display.  I didn’t understand that at first. I thought he was obsessed with my beauty because I was a model as well, and was used to being complimented on my looks. I was unaware that was a main factor of his affection.

He used words to play on the emotions of everyone. I started noticing how he would interact with his friends and family. It was when I saw how he manipulated his mother that I started seeing through his words. I also knew he was an actor but had never met someone who treated life like a stage. Everything he said and did was fake. He had no real friends because he wasn’t real with anyone. He used his charm or anger to get what he wanted, and then would treat people like crap. He would then later get angry they wouldn’t help him further. It was a psychotic way of thinking, yet being in a relationship with him I understood his tactics.

He used guilt, rage and fear to get what he needed. He was a person who wanted to be pitied but also be respected.  He was verbally and physically aggressive and abusive. At first his words hurt but soon enough his actions got repetitive, and I stopped caring. He would tell me how “heartless and cold” I was and I would just agree, which made him angrier. He wanted someone to fight for his love, but he didn’t understand that blackmailing me wasn’t the way to make me grateful of him.        

I also found out that he was an addict, and alcoholic and scam artist. This explain a lot of his erratic behavior. He would slip vodka into his morning juice to start his day and worked in construction so was able to drink beer all day. It was when he got laid off that this his addiction became apparent. He had gone broke and couldn’t afford groceries, so I brought some over one day when he wasn’t home and saw the only thing in his fridge was a bottle of vodka and a few beer. The garbage cans were filled to the rim with empty cans but there was no food in his house. Seriously, he didn’t even have bread and butter. I did notice he had a few prescriptions. Usually I’m not one to snoop but in this case I did. I found out they were painkillers and narcotics and looked up symptoms of withdrawal.  I felt like a detective piecing all these components together.

I did some deep research on Google and found people had written a blog about Carl for scamming them. I was so ashamed that I had been fooled by such a dishonest, and hated person. Perhaps, he wasn’t so bad sober but that is something I’ll never know.

He was not only addicted to pills and drinking but he had also become addicted to me. I wasn’t allowed to have my phone when I entered his house and wasn’t allowed to see my friends without his permission. He was so controlling and obsessive that I started becoming dishonest myself and sneaking around to have my freedom.

The last time I saw Carl was several months after I had left him. He said he was sorry and wanted to give me my stuff I had left behind and pay me back for everything I had loaned him. As a student I really needed those funds so agreed to meet him but brought my friends. They waited in the car while I attempted to get back what was mine. As I should’ve known it was all a trick. I entered his place where he proceeded to propose to me six months after I had left. I rejected him politely and said I was purely there for my things and wanted to leave. He snapped within the minute. He went from saying I love you to making threats out of anger. I think it also stems from insecurities but that is my assumption. I ended up walking away without anything because my dignity and safety are priceless.

This was the hardest relationship I’ve been through and this post just scratches the surface. However, I am able to recognize warning signs in others that resemble Carl’s behavior. If anyone has been in a abusive relationship they’ll understand the struggle it is to want to stay in love but also the struggle to love yourself enough to walk away.

Cheers to strong and the brave.