PRESS SEND

Today, I plan to send my blog to the Ontario Green Party for review in connection with potentially seeking to become a candidate in the upcoming provincial election.  I suspect my blog will be considered too religious.  But maybe not?  That said, I want to find out before I continue with the application process. 

For the past number of years I have been on a journey of hope and healing with the sisters of life.  Then, deep in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown in Ontario, I started a blog about that journey.  My first blog post was about not renewing my social work registration for the upcoming year (2021).  Physically, emotionally, spiritually, ethically, mentally, and in every other way, I could not support a broken system anymore.  

I wouldn't pay $325 to pretend I could for another year.  No.

Continuing.  So if the Greens and I do go forward togethe, no doubt I will be faced with pro-life and pro-choice politics.  Not my favourite thing.  Also, I will likely face "the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly" of my whole hope and healing journey-- from Queen's Park in the 1980's right up to the present day.   

The truth is, I am not much interested in pro-life / pro-choice politics.  I'm more interested in being a witness and a storyteller (a candidate) based on my own experience.  What I desire is the freedom to speak with friends and strangers on both sides of these politics.

So I find myself at a crossroads. 

What will happen after I press send?

How will the party receive my blog?

Do I want to open up old "#Metoo wounds from the times I worked at Queen's Park?

Now I'm thinking-- what if my blog, my story, and my experiences are my strength as a candidate?

What if everything I've been through up to now just makes me a better person for politics today?  What if my experiences and working through them have made me better able to represent and help people now in 2022? 

I press send thinking it might be more important for me to share my contemplation with the party than to be a candidate.

 Cb

Amen

Image credit istock.com

 

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