B5

Judy Bowman

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Speak Up

With the gloom and doom predictions we are all hearing from the media about the economy here and internationally, it is easy to focus on what is going wrong than on what is going right. Has any other community taken such a hit job- wise than Miramichi? But, we are still standing. Our sons and husbands are away working. You know they are aching with missing home but are doing what they need to do to support their families. To me that effort is heroic and I do not use that word lightly.

What is going right in the world?

Well, in my world, I drove to Moncton and Fredericton this past week and gas prices were under 80 cents a litre. Don't know why Miramichi isn't on board with this. Hmmm?

I filled up for 77 cents in Doaktown and it was just like the good old days. I even dared to drive to Newcastle twice last week for no good reason.

These prices reassured me that people on fixed incomes might be able to afford to heat their homes this winter, if the trend continues. I also took heart in the fact that we are all careful about how we use our fuel and that our efforts have created a surplus. Who says we don't have any power in the market?

What I have also been delighted to discover over the past few weeks, is the shift toward preventative health care and how many dedicated stakeholders are facilitating this new direction. Best of all, many are forming partnerships to move it along. One example is the Healthy Baby Initiative in Miramichi. Public Health nurses and dieticians, VON, and employees at Region 7 all are striving to promote healthy individuals beginning at birth.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be writing about these endeavours. Some are: Dr. Newman's visit, what is learned at prenatal classes—I am 35 years too late for this but I do think I can benefit in attending if only to support a new mom—the Day for Girls which I mentioned last week, as well as what is happening in other community action groups like Family Violence Outreach.

This week I attended a work place safety meeting in Fredericton for a brainstorming session on how to reduce the number of injuries in nursing home workers. As a front-line worker, this was the first time I have been invited, along with other employees, to give input. In my experience, not necessarily others, this type of fact finding mission has been a little like Moses going to the mountain s in management goes to the meeting. The commandments or directives are written in stone and there is a mighty wrath if they are not followed, even if they don't make sense, meaning there is a disconnect between the theory of what should work to the reality of making it work. Seeing other front line workers give suggestions to the committee knowing they will be considered and perhaps acted on, made me hopeful that "times, they are a changing." Add this all up and I can go into December in a positive frame of mind.

Again, I won't be ready for Christmas until 2009. I accept this. I've bought more for myself so far than others but I'll get round to their gifts. I'll probably purchase gas coupons.

Judy Bowman shares with us unique Miramichi stories about people and happenings. and sometimes her take on the world.