Resolutions

My father is a recovering alcoholic.  He just finished a treatment program, and is a completely different person today than I knew him to be 2 months ago.  (Congratulations, Dad!)  Staying true to the program, he attends meetings almost every day, sometimes sharing with me something he took from the meeting that really impressed on him.  One recent idea he shared has to do with the notion of being.  "I am a father, I am a brother, I am a grandfather, I am a friend; but when I'm not drinking, I can be a father, I can be a brother, I can be a grandfather, I can be a friend."
We all are somebody to someone; we wear different hats, we have various titles, we play one or more roles.  Is there a difference between saying "I am", versus saying "I can be"?  In my view, the difference is massive.  It is the difference between a two-dimensional word, and a three-dimensional form - such as the difference between a playbill, and the actual play.  It is being accountable, and putting action and meaning into who you say you are.  It is being remembered not for your name, but for the impression you left.
My New Year's resolution for 2012 is to take inventory of who I say I am, and assess whether or not the titles I give myself exist in two-dimensional or three-dimensional form.  If I find any that are 2D, I will either eschew them, or commit to making them more substantive.

Today's fire safety tip:  Ask yourself, are you fire-safe?  Regardless of your answer, BE safe!!!
There have been several fires in the last week that have made local and national headlines: the fire in Stamford, CT, that killed 5;  a fire in Pennsylvania where a 48yo man died after he got his elderly parents outside to safety, then went back into the burning house to retrieve something;  a fire in Eden Prairie, MN, that gutted the house and claimed the life of the family pet.
This is the time of year when we see the most fires - most of which are preventable!  New Year's Eve celebrations particularly increase the risk of cooking and cigarette related fires.  To see a video on how fast these fires start, and some of their causes, click here. 
Here is a safety checklist for you.  Have a safe and happy New Year!

• If you're drinking, please do not be in charge of the stove or oven.  
• Make sure your cigarette is completely extinguished with water before you throw it away.  Alcohol (because it's a depressant) increases the likelihood of falling asleep with something on the stove, or falling asleep with a lit cigarette, both of which cause fatal fires.
• Have a working Carbon Monoxide detector within 10 feet of every sleeping area.
• Have working Smoke Detectors on every level of your home, and inside each bedroom.
• Do not leave candles unattended - blow them out before you leave the room, before you leave the house, and before you go to sleep.
• Make sure your furnace is in good working condition, and change the filters monthly.
• If you use a wood burning fireplace, or wood stove, make sure you open the damper before lighting the fire, always have a screen in front of the fire, and always extinguish the fire before you leave the house or go to sleep.
• If you do have a house fire, get outside to safety, call 911, and never go back inside -- let the firefighters retrieve your belongings!

Observance

Winter holidays never grow obsolete,

time upon time reappearing, obstinate,
a guest predictable yet obscure.

Tables laden with food quantity obscene;

lights and candles lit in observance,
glowing against night sky obsidian.

Decorated fingers in diamond and obsidian

welcome company in manners obsolete,

with obsequious observance

of mothers toting children obstinate,

mumbling protests obscene

as they enter a place unfamiliar, obscure.

Notions of Santa Claus, mysterious and obscure;

ethereal reindeer, noses ruby and obsidian.

To some these beliefs seem obscene,

yet their prospect admittedly not obsolete.

Even waverers grow less obstinate

during this season of giving and observance.

Traditions of observance

weathered smooth yet synchronously obscure,

vexing those who have grown obstinate

in their beliefs, rigid and obsidian;

their convictions antiquated, obsolete,

to some rendered obscene.

Time is the archive for that marked obscene.

Opinions once rigid yield to the season's observance,

welcoming hope and promise not obsolete,

no longer obscure,

melting rigid sheaths once hauntingly obsidian

dividing those on all sides, obstinate.

Night falls, draping all those rigid and obstinate,

muting mutterings obscene,

cloaking us with comfort, tranquil and obsidian

patient for morning's observance

and anticipation of gifts obscure.

Dreams wax and wane 'till night fades obsolete.

Hold this obsidian, obstinate heart -

once holding the mysteries of this season obsolete and obscene -

under the luminous observance so beautifully obscure.

Today's safety tip:  during your holiday observance(s), be moderate and know your limits.  Alcohol related fires escalate this time of year.  Historically, there are more fires on New Year's Eve than any other day of the year, because of bad choices made by people with alcohol-related altered mental status.  You know not to drink and drive.  Likewise, do not drink and drive cook!  Have a safe and relaxing holiday!

Homeless

Snow fell yesterday, covering any remaining signs of autumn.  The first snowfalls of winter are exciting here in Minnesota.  Sleds come out of storage.  Dogs frolic and roll in snow's coolness.  Holiday lights sparkle more impressively against the white landscape.  Our homes transform from a cool respite from the summer heat, to the warm refuge from winter's bite.  At least for those of us who have a place to call home.      


To be homeless in Minnesota during the winter is excruciatingly difficult, and dangerous.  Homeless animals have a better chance at finding refuge in a shelter than a homeless person.  Don't get me wrong - we have an amazing network of resources and shelters for the homeless here in Minnesota, but when the cold moves in, more seek shelter under a roof rather than under a bridge, and the shelters fill up fast.  For those who have no home of their own, it is survival of the fittest.  If the shelters are full, then what are the options?  Maybe find a garage that's unlocked to hunker down in.  Maybe find a vacant home or building to call home and hope no one calls the police.  Last week, a homeless man lit a bonfire on the floor inside a  vacant house to stay warm.  He died of carbon monoxide poisoning before the fire grew out of control and the house burned down.  As I pondered what to write about this time, it struck me how many holiday stories there are where the main character(s) is(are) homeless.  Mary and Joseph.  Rudolph and Hermey.  The Little Match Girl.  Even Harry Potter didn't have a home to go to during his first Christmas break at Hogwarts.


So let's switch gears for a minute, and talk about Black Friday.  The term "Black Friday" comes from the Sept. 24, 1869, Wall Street collapse, which produced frenzy and panic.  It's commonly known here, in modern day U.S., as the Friday after Thanksgiving, when retailers open their doors extraordinarily early - sometimes at midnight - with incredible deals for early shoppers.  The quest to get the best shopping bargains on this day creates frenzy and panic (the common denominator of the Black Friday of 1869).  Consider the story of Black Friday in 2008, when a crowd of 2,000 shoppers in Valley Stream, NY, swarmed outside the doors of Walmart for the 5 a.m. opening.  As opening time approached the crowd grew frenzied.  When the doors opened the crowd pushed forward, trampling a 34 year old employee to death. The shoppers did not appear concerned with the victim's fate, expressing refusal to halt their stampede when other employees attempted to intervene and help the injured employee, complaining that they had been waiting in the cold and were not willing to wait any longer.  Even when police arrived and attempted to render aid to the injured man, shoppers continued to pour in, shoving and pushing the officers as they made their way into the store.  This is not an isolated incident!  (for more stories on brutal black friday injures and deaths, click here)


Gearing back to the topic of homelessness:  The snow is falling, creating a magical crystalline backdrop for the holidays.  Families are gathering to celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and other traditions and holidays, most of which are centered around giving.  Yet lots of people have no place to call home, and are sleeping on the streets, on the coldest nights of the year - including Christmas - and what gets us the most worked up, the most frenzied, is 50% off at Walmart?  Think about it.


Your safety tip for the day is on Carbon Monoxide Safety:
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas.  It exists in very small quantities in ambient air (the air we breathe).  But, in excess, can kill you.  MN Law requires every home to have a CO detector within 10 feet of every bedroom/sleeping area.  
The most common sources of CO poisoning are your gas burning appliances that are burning inefficiently, not being vented properly, or have some other malfunction.  Gas stoves, furnaces, hot water heaters, and clothes dryers, if not working properly, can all be potential CO hazards.  Wood burning stoves and fireplaces, if not vented properly, can also cause CO poisoning.  Here is a safety checklist for you:

• Have your gas burning appliances cleaned and checked by a professional every year
• Have your chimney cleaned and checked by a professional each year - especially if you use it often
• Make sure the flue is open on your fireplace or wood stove when you use it
• Have CO detectors within 10 feet of every bedroom and sleeping area (it's MN Law)
• Ideally, have CO detectors on every level of your home, especially on levels that you have gas burning appliances and fireplaces
• Test your CO detectors monthly, change the batteries every 6 months, and replace the detectors every 5 years or sooner if need
• Know the symptoms of CO poisoning:  headache, nausea, lightheadedness, vomiting, without a fever.  If you have these symptoms, get to fresh air immediately and call 911!

Click here for more information about Carbon Monoxide in your home.

Have a safe holiday, and consider donating to or volunteering at a homeless shelter.