Sunday, June 1, 2008

George Clooney is not better than me or you

Last week on my way to work I was listening to a new radio station here in Edmonton called Capital F.M. I really enjoy the new music format this station is now playing as it features hits of the 60's, 70's and 80's (all the stuff I grew up with). So the on air personalities (not sure of their names but one was a female and the other a male) were discussing current celebrity news. One of the celebrities that was mentioned is George Clooney. According to them, George Clooney and his girl friend Sarah Larson have split up. I'm not one who cares about what the celebrities are doing as this has no real barring on my life but the on air personalities were discussing his relationships and how other celebrities are wagering against Mr. Clooney getting married. This led into them bantering about what his possibility of marriage is. Now here's the part that really pissed me off. The guy on the radio says; "well it's not like he would have married Sara Larson anyway, she's just a cocktail waitress". Who the hell is he to say that she is not good enough because of her profession? I mean, is George Clooney so much better than her because he's a celebrity? And just who is it that raised this radio jock to be so judgmental . Years ago at the age of 19, I was a cocktail waitress and I didn't think of myself as less (although I'm not a waitress now, I don't look at people in the service industry as they are any less). I have known plenty of hardworking people who have been waitresses, bartenders, bouncers, porters, etc. to support themselves and their families and I do not think anyone has a right to judge people based on their career choices. A job is not what makes you who you are. Several years ago I met a man who asked me who I was. I told him I am a professional sales consultant and he laughed. His reply was; "I didn't ask you what you did for a living, I asked you who you are". I was so stunned by this that I didn't know what to say. He laughed again and said; "I will start you off. You are a woman..." I realized then what he was saying and I continued after some thought; "I am a mother, a wife, a good person, a caring person, a free thinker, a believer in God and a survivor". I thank this man for putting things into perspective for me and for showing me that everyone is much more than what they do for a living.

So don't ever think that anyone is better than you because of what they do for a living, or what they have accumulated or how much publicity they get. What makes you special is who you are inside and what you stand for. Your morals, values and your ability to be a human survivor is just a part of what makes you who you really are. I believe everyone regardless of their stature in life is special.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

I'm only on this box so you can hear me better

My name is Sharmaine Monteith. I live in Edmonton, Alberta Canada and I want to welcome you to "Shar's Soap Box". I started this blog because of the injustices I see in the world of how people treat each other with no regard for their consequences . My grandma used to say; "Sharmaine, you are not better than anyone else and no one is better than you". Grandma's words have not only stayed with me but have made me who I am today and I share this wisdom with my children. If we could all believe these words we would live happier lives. Instead, we live in a society that segregates according to wealth and power. We are all Human beings but yet we revere famous and/or wealthy people and put them on pedestals. No one is better than anyone else so why do we live in a society where if you don't have money, fame or success you are not treated with the simple respect that we are all owed for just belonging to the human race. I thought success was achieving happiness with ones self and being a good person but instead life is one big race of who can make the most and have the most in the shortest amount of time. The winners in this race get revered and are respected by all. We all try to achieve what looks like the perfect life and worry about how others perceive us. I hope that someday we can grow as human beings to realize that we are all equal.

So this is my soap box. It may get a little lonely up here but I want the world to know what I think.