Personal Response to Margaret Atwood's "Canadians: What Do They Want"
I want world happiness. People need to see that it is not material goods or money, though adding convenience and pseudo-happiness, that brings real happiness to a person. I want understanding. If each country understood the other, each person understood the other then people of the world would get along better.
I want everyone to celebrate the small things. It is always the small things we give or receive that are over looked and not seen as anything to celebrate. Quoting Leo Buscaglia, "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
For my personal wants they start the same as my global wants. I want to be peaceful, get along with everyone, be happy, understanding, and to celebreate the small things. I want to accept what is given me and appreciate what is not. I want to have fun when appropriate and be serious when I must. I want to be right but acknowledge when I am wrong.
I want to be friendly and be forgiven on days that I am not. I want time alone but need time with others. I want to communicate my feelings but not feel pressured to. I want to learn everything I can and teach what I know.
I want to be understood for what I do and tolerated for what I don't. I want to be accepted for who I am and not pressured to be who I'm not. I want to be encouraged in attaining my goals and helped when I fall short. I want to be congratulated when I do well and pardoned when I do poorly. I want to be challenged when I work and free when I play.
I want to be needed when I can do something and unwanted when I am useless. I want to be successful in all I do and given a second chance when I fail. I want to travel around the world but accept when I don't.
I want to be liked, loved, enjoyed, free, entertained, humoured, capable, alert, warm, courteous, spontaneous, unpredictable, acknowledged, recognized, appreciated, adventurous, graceful, informed, original, creative, imaginative, honest, inspired, civil, responsible, thoughtful, included, open, talkative, and helpful.
Most of all I just want to be. Be here, be there, be me, just be.