Sharing opinions vitally important
Mark Pavilons

"Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense."

Gertrude Stein

I'm a lucky guy, in many respects.

The other day I thought about how average citizens can voice their opinions, and make their views known.

The avenues are limited.

For musicians and entertainers, they can reveal their feelings about the environment, politics, world poverty, hunger, inequality and injustice through the chorus in their hit songs. And, the millions of dollars in revenue gained from such airplay in the consumable world, help further any cause they choose to put their names to. If they're so inclined, they can donate to world hunger; help build schools in Africa; try to put a dent in the AIDS plague, and lobby governments about everything from gun control to universal health care. Fame and fortune can be used for good, not evil. And that benefits everyone, in what has become our global village.

The way I'm lucky is I get to spout off each week, on page 7 of the Caledon Citizen, about family values, parenting, everyday experiences, etc.

Believe it or not, I'm often chastised for forcing my family experiences on a public that seems ambivalent or downright objectionable to my personal plight. Maybe I'm not clear in my intentions. I use real life examples - daily experiences about living and raising a family - to reveal social woes, inequities, concerns, health hazards or dangerous trends. My columns aren't by nature self-aggrandizing. They're meant to set the stage for discussion and debate. My words - take them or leave them - are a starting point.

There are a few universal constants that I've realized over the years.

First, we're all in the same boat, whether that "boat" is mahogany, goldplated, fibreglas or aluminum. We're part of a whole - a community of individuals striving for the same goals; who possess the same hopes, desires, dreams and wonders. Maybe the fact that I agonize over mortgage payments, university tuition for my three kids and car repairs may not be shared by those in the six-figure income bracket, but it may appeal to the masses - Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average who are trying to make ends meet, and doing the best they can with what they have. How can that be discounted as "personal drivel?"

Let me set the record straight, sort of.

I write my weekly column by choice. I don't get paid any more to express my personal opinions and insights. I do so because I think in this space on page 7, maybe, just maybe, there's some inspiration, some sense of commonality and even some hope, for others in the Caledon community and beyond. Am I so different from my neighbours or my wide range of acquaintances? While it would be presumptuous to speak on behalf of the "working middle class," maybe my comments ring true with a great many families in our community, our own global village.

I'm lucky, because I have this venue to share my thoughts. I doesn't really matter whether you love me or hate me. I write to help further the human condition. There's no personal gain in any of my epistles.

Compassion and love are fundamental to the continued survival of our species, according to The Dalai Lama. "They are the very things that give meaning to our activities. There is nothing amazing about being highly educated, there is nothing amazing about being rich. Only when the individual has a warm heart do these attributes become worthwhile."

To be sure, I don't hold the patent on expertly explaining human nature. I am not the definitive voice of living, working and raising a family in the modern age. But I am one voice.

What do they say about a single voice and its impact on the world?

Did I mention that I was lucky in this regard?

Some people like to talk politics or business, over coffee or a brew in the back yard. Others like to call into to radio shows and many write letters to newspapers and magazines.

It's all healthy. Any exchange of ideas and opinions makes society a more comfortable place. The real danger is apathy. It all comes down to a few fundamental questions:

Am I in this for myself? Do I care about my fellow human beings and my community? Would I like to see things change for the better?

Action begins with words.