This blog's for ME

Almost 25 years old, asking my parents if I can sleep in their bed with them. I had thought I was going to be the 25th Prime Minister of Canada. Things had changed. 10 years later, I was still a scared little boy. The time had come to slap myself awake. One Saturday morning, November 19th, 2009, I declared to the world I would be riding my 10 year-old motorcycle from Vancouver, BC Canada to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, and back.

The official departure was August 28th, 2010. A group of well-wishers saw me off at 8:03 am.

I arrived in Rio de Janeiro around 6 pm March 1st, 2011.



My return to Vancouver came on July 5th, 2011 about 2:00 pm.

Drug & alcohol abuse, ADD, social anxiety, health, chronic pain, night terrors.

So many concerns. But I am far more interested in this question: Do I have the capacity to make this trip despite all my shortcomings?

My mission: To inspire myself to face my fears, enlighten myself on how all living things can peacefully co-exist, enjoy every moment, and see the world as plentiful and generous.

Go ahead. Call me crazy. Call me anything you like.

I'm out to save my world.



I LOVE YOU ALL



Questions, comments, concerns, threats? Contact me: jason.chapman99@gmail.com


A Mother's Love

I returned from a dinner and drinks with a waitress I had met at a restaurant last night and it was an enlightening, but depressing conversation. Cecilia moved from Nicaragua to Costa Rica 16 years ago for a better life for her and her mom and sister; 4 other kids and father stayed there. Her father put her mother's hands on the stove to teach her a lesson on how to make tortillas. Cecilia's own husband resorted to physical violence too; it's the Nico way representative of Ortega, so she says. At 30, she's worked for 17 years straight without seeing anything outside of San Jose. She lives for her kids: she only wants to make them happy. She wants to give them nice clothes, nice shoes, a nice house; what mother doesn't? I'm not sure she believed me when I told her I didn't think Canadians were much happier........ of course it's not my right to speak for 30 million others, but my thoughts were that no matter what you have, it's the human condition to want more.

I paid for the meal, and drinks for both of us, about $22. I gave our server $40, and when the change returned, I gave it all to Cecilia, and told her it was for her kids. How did she respond? "Peexza". Not hot dogs and potatoes even. "Peexza". Why the hell would she be so happy to give her kids "Peexza"?

I'm just disgusted right now I'm full of anger at the state of advertising, the state of our stinky world that's created this world where if you want to sell something, you can. It really doesn't matter what the impact is on families, you can sell it, because you know, people will want it. If you just have to pay some money, and POP! your food comes out without the least bit of effort, it doesn't matter that you had to work 3 weeks to afford that 'peexza', you, and your kids are going to want it. Because it tastes good.

A large percentage of the money we spend on our products in the grocery store goes to advertising, not to mention bloated corporate salaries. This is not something you will see on Dateline NBC, because 100% of their income comes from advertising! First, if it is our money that's being spent on products, it should be our decision how the advertising goes. Advertising's sole purpose is to get people to buy their products.

Food in Costa Rica is expensive. Cecilia makes $80/week: $100/month for rent + 50 or so for utilities. Doesn't leave much for food........... food that is being charged at a rate to include advertising.

Does anyone really give a shit that some waitress in San Jose only wants to buy her kids a pizza that's going to burn the entire $20 some idiot Canadian gave her in hopes of making her kid's life better? Does it help ease the pain if we have stocks in these companies, these companies that solely want to entice a new generation of buyers?

Who cares if they're obese? Who cares if they can't wait for their next fix of Taco Bell, where they simply have to have the money (money possibly stolen from some tourist) to get it, and then throw their plastic, and paper packaging into the garbage?

EVERYTHING is connected. There is no simple answer, except to stop want, stop greed.

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like you are ready to get on the road soon You are getting upset about too many things there.
    We should realize how fortunate we are. So rich in everywaySmile. I'm so happy you do these things..like help a kid with his trolley, buy a basket ball for a kid, clean up garbage, take a lady to supper.... etc. Don't be upset that she is buying pizza Jason, you have probably given them something they have wanted for years or maybe never had the chance to have. I'm sure she was VERY happy to be able to do that for her kids and they are thinking she is the GREATEST Mom ever.
    BRAVO FOR YOU!!! -mom

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  2. Stand for something against NOTHING myfriend. Making what already is will only add the energy to it. We do not really need to spend more time focusing on what problems we have. Imagine if you only focussed on how you would like it to be and then took actions in alignment with those thougths?! Try it out buddy. This is a once in a life time opportunity for you. Relax breath there is no-thign wrong. Only opportunites. Reach up and grab one dood. Use that big reach of yours :)
    Joel

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