Eddy Edwards Wins Commissioner Seat!

Our Chairman, Carson "Eddy" Edwards won the Commissioner seat 4 in the Miramar municipal elections on March 11th. We wish him all the best in serving the residents of Miramar. He is one of the best and will have a positive Impact on the City of Miramar and its residents.

Commissioner Carson Eddy Edwards

Commissioner Elect Carson Eddy Edwards Swearing In

Here is what Eddy had to say:

"Thank You, Miramar! Excited to Serve You

I am truly humbled and honored to have earned your trust as your next Miramar City Commissioner for Seat 4. This victory belongs to all of us—the residents, families, and businesses who believe in a stronger, united Miramar.

Your support, your votes, and your voices made this possible. This is just the beginning. I am committed to serving every resident and every business, ensuring transparency, accessibility, and action on the issues that matter most.

Let’s move forward together. If you ever need to reach me, I will always be here to listen and work for you.

Thank you, Miramar! Let’s get to work!"

With gratitude,

Carson "Eddy" Edwards

Miramar City Commissioner, Seat 4

Can We Do Anything About the State of the World?

Someone told me a long time ago that when dealing with this world of cancel culture and social media, it is best to not write anything that can upset anyone and that means staying far away from politics. This is not a political blog. It’s just that I’m having trouble breathing these days. Scrolling through social media is like scrolling through a landmine of fear, hate and divisiveness, littered with the trivial, the mundane and consumerism. Young, old, and in between are affected by decisions our leaders make and sometimes we have absolutely no control over the decisions being made around us.

The relationship between the US and Canadian governments is strained. From my doom scrolling on social media, I’ve read that some Canadians wouldn’t mind Canada becoming the 51st state. Others say ‘never' and that this is highly unlikely, but history shows us that the most unimaginable events are possible. 

I remember when I was learning about Canadian history and the war of 1812, I used to think that since this happened in the past, it could happen again.  My imagination would take me on a frightening journey of this possible war, wondering how we would navigate such an event, since many of us have friends and family on both sides of the border. Without going into the long and detailed history of the war of 1812 between the US and Britain (which included Canada), the US invaded Canada several times. Interestingly, the origins of this war started with the conflict in Europe that caused Britain to adopt measures that angered the United States.  

At the time that I was learning about Canadian history, I was teaching English to newcomers. Many of my students were refugees. I remember wondering, “what if something unimaginable happened like a war between the US and Canada and we became refugees? Where would we go or be sent? How would it be to start over in a country where maybe we didn’t speak the language and couldn’t get jobs to provide for our families? Would my family even survive such an ordeal?” I looked around my classroom at my students. They didn’t control the events that led them to refugee status. Voting didn’t matter. Standing up and making your voice heard didn’t matter. The leaders in power dictated the course of history. If it happened there, it could happen here. If it already happened in 1812, it could happen again.

This doesn’t mean one shouldn’t vote, be an active participant in one’s community and try to make the world a better place. It means that sometimes we really have no control over the decisions that are being made around us. It means that when we agonize over what might happen and what seems to be happening, our bodies go into a state of fear (the fight, flight or freeze response) and it leaves us exhausted. Yes, we are affected by tariffs, job losses, economic instability and the possibility that the world as we know it might change drastically. At the same time, we have to look after ourselves more than ever. Stress physically affects the body with headaches, muscle pain, chest pain, fatigue, stomach upsets, sleep problems and getting sick due to weaker immune systems. Stress also affect us mentally with anxiety, lack of focus and motivation, memory problems, feeling overwhelmed, anger and sadness or depression.  

I’m not saying we should ignore the news, nor stop standing up for causes important to us. I’m saying guard where your attention goes. Find time to socialize in person with friends and family. Do things you love. Continue to live, improving your skill set and employability. Pretend you live in a world where smart phones don’t exist for at least a few hours a day. Go outside. Walk. Hike. Run. Play cards. Sew. Sail. Scuba dive. Write poetry. Build a train set. Make a new recipe. Connect with friends. What I’m saying is, live. Live like today is the only day you’ve got.

Walk outside.

Dance!

Laugh together.

Eat some ice cream.

Live and love.

Spend time with a friend.

Reflections On Resolutions

I love making New Year’s Resolutions. There is a part of me that truly believes that in 365 days, I could be a brand new person, a person who has cast off all the bad habits and ways of living in the previous year and embrace a completely new me. I look at the coming months on the blank calendar and imagine how many days I’ll go to the gym, drink more water, earn more money, write more, and be present more, so that by the end of the year, I’ll have accomplished everything. Every single thing. My old habits of procrastination and sometimes sloth-like behaviour will have disappeared, the old fears completely replaced by this courageous new person. Me! 

I came close to this during lockdown. When the world was shut-in and I was forced to be quiet, I had time to slow down and think. My husband and I cooked healthy meals. I started exercising and was sticking to the regime. I healed an injured shoulder by consistently doing online physiotherapy. I thought I had the answer. Just do it. It will eventually become a habit once the systems are in place. I even did a talk to youth about setting goals. A young woman asked me: what if I just can’t seem to exercise? I talked about accountability - having a friend check in. I talked about overcoming inertia - just start. How I wish I could go back to that young woman and tell her I only had half the story. 

I wish I could tell that young woman that I thrived during the peace and quiet of lockdown, that all was well before my husband got laid off and once that happened, I abandoned exercise and sat in bed most nights eating caramel coated popcorn and watching Netflix. I wish I could tell her that the myth of three weeks for a new habit to form is just a myth and that for some people it’s six months or even a year. I wish I could also tell her that our brains are wired to stay put and to stay safe. When we decide to embark on any new venture, there may be excitement and an earnest desire to go for it, but there is also the brain sneaking in messages like: “It’s too much trouble. It won’t work. It will be too hard. You will probably fail.” 

It is January  2025. I have the exact same resolutions I’ve had since last year. As a matter of fact, my resolutions haven’t changed much since my twenties. I know this because I have stacks of diaries dating back to the 1990s. On one hand, it could appear that I have completely failed in my endeavours. On the other hand, it shows what I want has remained more or less the same and I’m striving for the same things. Sometimes progress is slow. It can take a lifetime. For as long as I can, I’ll never stop trying. It will always be a goal to exercise more, to eat better and for me, to write more.

If I could reach that young woman, I’d tell her to write down her goals. Some days, she’ll succeed and some days, she won’t. Either way, it’s okay. Labelling ourselves as lazy, a procrastinator or even sloth-like as I did is unhelpful and untrue. The body needs time to recharge. Recharge in your own way. I’d tell her to trick the brain and not go all out at once. If the goal is to walk every day, start by walking for ten minutes, not two hours. If the goal is to write a book, don’t even think about the finished product - just think about one short paragraph. If it’s to eat healthy, celebrate each time you make a good choice. The key here is not to guilt ourselves for our failures, but to focus on our successes. 

As I turn my focus to the coming new year and looking at the empty calendar squares, I am making the same resolutions to exercise and write as I have always done. Maybe this will be the year that I stick to them. One thing is for sure - I’ll never stop trying.