A resounding "NO"

It has been awhile since I've written. Just can't apply myself to blogging like I used to. So many other things going on. And yet I value this place - this blog. It's such a wonderful place to share stuff.

I want to share a dream I had: The Mental Health Commission of Canada wants to raise an army of volunteers to raise funds for mental health research. I'm so happy about that. For years I've thought there should be campaigns for this kind of research in the same way there are high profile campaigns for cancer and heart research. There is so little research going into mental health - such a puny bit when you put it next to support for cancer. And why? It's because of the stigma.

I have long thought that someone needs to do something grand for mental health. We need a Terry Fox. We need someone who will lead a march across the country, drawing attention to mental health issues.

So my dream lately has been to get a walk going - a relay walked by people from across the country, passing a talking stick from one to the other. These would not be single people, walking alone. No. It would be groups of people walking together, picking up fresh people as each group tired out. Each group would be led by someone taking the talking stick, someone willing to talk about the needs of those who live with mental illness. The groups would consist of people living with mental illness and their supporters. All of them willing to be counted. All of them willing to come out of the shadows.

For a some time now I've been thinking about organizing such a thing. But I've waited, wondering if that wouldn't be too much for me. Would Living Room not suffer to have me tied up with yet another project?

This morning I woke up very early with all this on my mind. I thought of talking to friends, hoping they would be dead honest with me about my plans. Is this wise for me? Or is it another bipolar-size plan? Instead I asked God, writing my questions to him in my journal:

"Am I nuts to be thinking of doing a big walk for mental health research? Somebody needs to do it. Should it be me Lord? Or do I already have enough on my plate? Is this a bipolar size plan? Is this beyond me?"

And God's answer was clear. A resounding "No." Shucks!!

I need to keep my focus on Living Room. Don't want that to suffer. And I need to maintain some margin in my life - time to help friends when they need me - time to work my way through the moods that come upon me now and then.

I just wish someone would do such a thing. Is there someone waiting in the wings who would be up to this?