“Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one's awareness of one's ignorance.”Anthony de Mello, SJ
With awareness come responsibility and choice. Amanda Lindhout
What does it mean to you when someone says, “It is National Brain Injury Awareness Month or National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, or National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month? Do you want everyone to become aware of these issues or do you want everyone to do something about these issues? We have Alcohol Awareness Month; do we really need to become aware of alcohol? Everyone I know is aware of alcohol. Is there anyone you know who is not? I can understand if the issue is brand new, and people really are not aware of the problem but most of these issues have been around for years and years. I cannot believe we still are not aware of them.
[Read More...]
Dear Candace,
Los Angeles holds a special place in my heart. The ocean, the weather, the spaciousness with which Angelenos think, speak and act, the way they so freely infuse the spiritual into the material, the epic Hollywood films we’ve all enjoyed over the years.
LA is also home to the beatific grounds of Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship — among these, Mother Center on Mt. Washington and Lake Shrine on Sunset Blvd. From my early twenties, I have made many pilgrimages to these SRF sites to soak in their vibration, meditate in their gardens and seek the counsel of monks and nuns residing there. No wonder, I think to myself, “Los Angeles” is Spanish for “the angels.”
[Read More...]
[Read More...]
Let me be upfront. I am not a fan of ride sharing with anything other than a taxi. I advocated against ride sharing and when they first took flight, I criticized them publicly for not doing background checks on their drivers. They do now but they could do a much better job. There have been numerous lawsuits against both Uber and Lyft over the years accusing them of allowing unsafe conditions for riders and drivers. In 2019, according to a safety report by Uber, there were 3,045 sexual assaults, 58 fatalities, and 9 fatal physical assaults were reported out of the 1.3 billion total rides completed in the prior year, 2018.
[Read More...]
"How to use activism to champion change"
[Read More...]
[Read More...]
How many times have you been a passenger in a vehicle where the driver was speeding, or speaking on their phone or Bluetooth, or had had a couple of drinks before getting behind the wheel. You likely bit your tongue, rationalizing that you didn’t want to meddle or sound like a “backseat driver” by telling them you felt uncomfortable with their driving choices. To speak up might feel awkward, right? Or you want to speak up but you don’t know what to say without ruining the relationship. I have often said that silence is the biggest enabler of all.
[Read More...]
Candace Lightner: MADD Founder and Inspiring MomSeptember 29, 2021 By Jessica
You would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Like most people, I’ve long known about the organization and what they stand for. But I recently met the remarkable woman behind...
[Read More...]
Recently I survived a fire in our apartment building that left around 60 people “displaced” according to the fire department. It seems like such an understated word when you realize these people lost everything. They will have to obtain new lodgings temporarily until they can find something permanent and start all over. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt, the animals were all safe and those of us who were not directly impacted by the fire were able to return to our apartments after about 5 hours.
[Read More...]
Why I support California SB 350 Alexandra’s Law that would require individuals convicted of illegally manufacturing or distributing controlled substances, to be forewarned they can be charged with murder if someone dies as a result of their actions.
[Read More...]