One of the main reasons we chose B.C.’s Sunshine Coast as our new home almost 2 years ago, was the fact that there are so many places to walk, hike, and kayak.  The older we get, the more we realize that you can’t lead a sedentary lifestyle and remain healthy.  Fresh air, sunshine and exercise can do wonders for the mind, body and soul.  Although most people know I am a ” City Girl ” to the core, I must admit that living up here has helped me learn to relax a little bit, and deal with stress in constructive ways.

     We have several places up here that we like to go hiking.  Today, I’m going to talk about Smuggler Cove.  It has an interesting history, and is a very enjoyable hike.

Map Of Smuggler Cove

     One thing we really like about Smuggler Cove is that it is less than a half hour drive past Sechelt, so you don’t have to go too far to feel a million miles away.  It usually takes us about an hour to walk in, and an hour back, but that is with lots of stops for pictures along the way.  If you walked without stopping, it would probably only be about 45 minutes each way.

Beavers Flood The Trail

Interesting Tree

Little Snake

Tall Trees

Smuggler Cove

Arbutus Tree

End View

Kayakers

Sun Sparkling On The Water

     A few days ago, we were watching the news, and a lady came on to discuss various aspects of parenting.  She talked about how many parents brag about how their kids are ” so smart “, or how amazing their athletic abilities are.  Most of us have heard people telling us how their daughter has the highest mark in a certain class at school, won some award, or skipped a grade.  They may excitedly share how their son is the best soccer player on the team, or how he won a sports scholarship. ( It is natural for parents to be proud of their childrens’ academic and athletic achievements, but there is more )

     The thing that stuck out for me about this lady on the news is that she said she always asks parents, ( after hearing  the aforementioned boasting ) ” but, are they kind ? ”  She said this question generally takes parents aback.  The lady went on to explain that yes, it is wonderful when kids excel in school, or in sports, (or whatever ) but to her, there are far more important things.  What matters most to this woman is that her children are kind and thoughtful towards others – both of which are learned behaviours.  She went on to say that we can’t make our kids be great at certain subjects or activities – they will be good at some things, enjoy some things, and not others – that is pre-programmed to a degree.  However, if we teach them by example from a young age to genuinely care about others, and be kind, now that is an accomplishment to be proud of.  ( it means they will likely grow up to be decent people who treat others with respect and dignity – something that used to be expected and normal, but is now, sadly, a rarity. )

     She told a story of how one of her son’s teachers had asked him,  “Why are you so nice ? “, and he answered, ” My Mom made me be that way “.  She had stopped and thought about it, and realized her son was right.  Again, being nice is a learned behaviour – children see it, keep being reminded of it ( and that it is good and right ) and eventually, it becomes part of who they are.  In my opinion, that is being a good parent – encouraging your children to care about others is vital.

     I think it’s wonderful when parents are proud of their children, and I think they should always support their interests ( as long as they aren’t hurting anyone, obviously ) and never try and steer them in a direction that they really don’t want to go.  Every child is an individual, and they deserve to be encouraged to express themselves accordingly.  Just because you did well in a certain class doesn’t mean your son must follow suit.  He is not you – let him be who he is.  If your daughter gets a weird haircut or wears what you consider bizarre clothes, so what ?  That’s all cosmetic and superficial in the big scheme of things.  If you brought them up properly, they’ll be good kids ( and great adults one day ) regardless of what they choose to wear.

     So, next time you hear a parent going on and on about all the things their kids have ” done ” – why not ask them, “Are they kind ? ”  If the answer is ” Yes “, then the parent should be proud of themselves for caring enough to teach things of real value in this world.  We could certainly use a lot more kindness in today’s society.

     This may sound like a strange topic for a Blog post, but it is something that has been bothering me for several years, and I just can’t keep silent about it any longer.  Do you remember when you were a little kid, and you’d go for dinner at a restaurant with your parents, and on your way out, you would notice the little bowl of mints near the entrance/exit ? ( you know – those tiny square ones that came in pink, green, white and yellow )  I always recall thinking how I’d like to grab a few of those on my way out the door, the idea obviously being that you’d just eaten, and it would make your breath fresh.  ( I just wanted them because they were candy, and were sweet, and we weren’t allowed many sweets at home. )

     I never did eat those mints, as I was warned that they’d done studies on the bacteria count on candies etc. sitting out for anyone to help themselves to in restaurants, and it was apparently quite scary.  The premise was that most men don’t wash their hands after using the men’s room, and therefore, they would transfer yucky stuff to the remaining candies as they reached for some.  The thought of that was more than enough to guarantee that I would never go for an unwrapped candy in a public place ever again.

     It’s funny – as a child, I mostly heard that it was men who rarely washed their hands after using the bathroom.  I’m sure there are a lot of men who don’t do it, but it wasn’t until I was a grown woman that I made some observations of my own regarding handwashing.

     After working in a couple of grocery stores, and seeing signs posted regarding the proper handwashing technique: you must wash your hands in warm or hot SOAPY water for a minimum of 20 seconds, I assumed that most people knew how to properly wash their hands.  Didn’t everbody’s Mom teach them, like mine did ?  I thought that was one of the most very basic things that we were all taught as children.  Well, either  there are a lot of uninformed people out there, or they have forgotten what they were taught, or they are just plain lazy.  It is not just men who don’t wash their hands.

     Having worked in several malls over the years, and having used public washrooms at least 5 days/ week, I have seen a lot of unsavoury things.  The thing that really disturbs me is how few women actually wash their hands.  I first noticed it a couple of years ago, and wondered if I was being silly.  I ” Googled ” proper handwashing, and read some very interesting articles about studies done where people went into public washrooms basically to observe what percentage of women truly washed their hands.  They found that if they made eye contact with other women, as they were washing their own hands, they were more likely to do the same.  If they pretended to ignore them, they could see out of their peripheral vision that most women didn’t bother.

     After reading all that stuff, I decided to make some of my own observations.  Like I said, I am generally in a public washrooms at least 5 days per week, so I literally see hundreds of women coming and going each week.  I hate to say it, but I would have to report that probably 60% of women come out of the stall, and walk out the door.  Maybe 30% turn on the tap for less than 10 seconds, ” rinse ” their hands with water ( not using soap, therefore not really doing any good ) then leave.  It is maybe 10% that actually seem to care enough to use warm/hot water, get a good lather going with the soap, and turn the germ – laden taps off with a paper towel, so as to not re-contaminate themselves.  These observations are incredibly disgusting, and I find it really hard to believe that I see this day in and day out.  Make no mistake – it is women from all walks of life – even the ” well-dressed ” and supposedly well-educated set.

     I just don’t get it.  This is just basic hygiene – this is how we keep clean, stay healthy, prevent ourselves and others from getting sick.  Why are there so many women that don’t wash their hands properly ? It is just so gross.

      I would love to hear some comments from anyone that works in the Health Care field – especially regarding the fact that SOAP is a necessary part of proper handwashing.  I have discussed this with a few people before – one even suggested to me that there is no proof that using soap is any better than just using water.   Unbelievable.