The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Halton Hills: This Week, Wednesday, September 23, 1992, Page 7 OP ED “Op Ed” — old time newspaper term meaning the page opposite the editorial page. This page has traditionally been held open for opinion pieces, letters, and comment from various sources. Family Violence No need to be ashamed By Jacie B. Palmer Being ashamed of yourself is always a difficult thing to handle. T’m ashamed I allowed myself to be abused - and ashamed I didn’t stop it sooner. I accept that it hap- pened but I still feel some shame. Lately I’ve had to run through the same old story with several people -salways men and strangers - that’s the horrible part. Yesterday, when I was on my soap-box one more time I realized that the man with whom I was speaking had assumed I hated men. Still, now that I’ve finally regained my self-respect I feel great but how will others respect me when they know all the garbage? Will they accept me? Will they see me as a credible person? How can they? Can they under- seh Is important that they accept es and on it goes - my mind Tuns rampant with all the negative thoughts it can muster and, - then - stop! I must get out of that mindset. I must stop the negativity. That’s the kind of behavior pat- . tern that allowed me to be abused in the first place. Thoughts like “I can’t,” “I won’t,” “I’m afraid,” “It won’t work out” don’t help. It has to stop. ‘IT must be positive. I must contin- ue to accept me and to love me. I must or I won’t be able to move ahead. That’s what life’s about - moving ahead - growing - over- coming the challenges. as raised to not cry over spilt milk. I was raised to accept my lot in life and to just get on with living the best I could. I never stopped to think about the long term effects! I thought abuse and unhappiness were nor- mal life. I didn’t know it didn’t have to be that way. For the past few weeks I’ve found myself sobbing. No, not all the time - but sobbing just the same - when I’m alone, late at night, in bed, or when I’m out for a walk. Like a bolt of. Heme it hit me - I’m sobbing for Possibly the first ‘time in my life I'm crying for my own needs, chal- lenges and disappointments. And I mean really crying. Boy, does it feel good! It feels wonderful - at last - those tears start to turn to happy tears - I look around myself and I’m thankful. In the cool dark of night I look out my bedroom window, through the trees to see the moon, stars and slightly cloudy sky. I feel peace. As I meander through the bush, look- ing at the wildflowers I peer up to see the sun peeking through the dense forest and am ami The kids and I chatter ‘madly as we redecorate their rooms and mine and I feel satisfied - content. Having their help as I renovate my special place is fun and an educa- tion. I have learned that the very best is yet to come because where I’ve been is making me into the person T’m about to become. My tears still run over - and at the oddest times - occasionally its embarrassing (my buddies are get- ting used to it), But I’m glad I’m me. I’m glad I’ve learned to cry. Too often we cry for others, feel sorry for their pain, busy ourselves in community work of family and forget that we count. You count. You are important. You have value and are worth every moment you give to yourself. The feeling of shame is still there but it’s now tempered by an opti- mism that befits the wonderful world in which we live. There’s lots to be thankful for! Despite the abuse, despite the violence, despite what others may believe about me, I fell good about who I am and who I am becoming. Now that I have my self-respect back, now that I’ve regained my confidence it won’t be long before others see the change in me and realize that I’ve survived and over- come the challenges and am ready to enjoy my future. They will recognize my willing- hess to rise optimistically to new endeavours. They will see my suc- cesses and my failures and accept me for who I am. It takes some time, but once you’ve dealt with the issues face on, you will grow to the challenges of tomorrow. As your confidence is regained the shame you feel will be largely replaced by acceptance and as you accept yourself others will too. Don’t be afraid to ee for yourself. You deserve those Rise to the ahalleie of tomor- row and let the new you shine through those clouds. Feel free to contact Jacie in confidence by directing letters to her attention at Halton Hills This Week. All correspondence will remain confidential. Jacie can be reached in person through the Distress Centre at 877-1211. If you are in crisis, call the Distress Centre or 911. Reader Dear Editor, I came from a small town where there was a terrible problem with dogs. They were left to run loose in the streets, and many people just abandoned unwanted pets on a street corner. Georgetown, I’m happy to see, has a very “dedicated to their animals” type of people. However, I was sad to read about the incident where the child was bitten on the face. Sorry for the child, and sorry for the dog. According to the letter, the dog was “playing with a bone.” My husband and I trained dogs previously, and most people can tell By Laurie Burns Whether or not you sit at a desk for eight hours a day or you are a delivery man slopping through an ice storm, both are subject to occu- pational hazards. Sitting at a desk for eight hours can cause the body to feel aches and pains just a easily as the person who is lifting and delivering cargo. Here is a total body stretch that can be done in seconds and may help to combat the daily sedentary trauma called sitting at a desk. This total body stretch is done in a doorway and it soothes all the areas from the chest, shoulders and upper back down to the legs. (If your boss would frown upon you filling up the doorway, a corner works almost as well.) Here is how it works. Find a narrow doorway at home or your place of work. Lay your forearms up against each side of the door- way, with one foot behind the other, and begin to lean forward. As you lean forward, your shoul- ders will be pulled back. That will fully stretch your chest muscles as well as the muscles around your shoulders. You can control the force of the stretch by moving your front leg farther forward. As Activity Line Occupational hazards you move your leg forward, you will also feel a strong stretch along your calves and hamstrings. You will also be stretching out the hip flexors and muscles surrounding the hip bone. By turning toward one side when you're leaning for- ward, you will also stretch the ser- ratus interior, those rippled mus- cles above the rib cage. Then put your other foot forward and repeat. For more information about exercise, feel free to contact Laurie Bums at 877-0771 Laurie Burns is an Exercise Physiologist and operates Work That Body eas Programs Inc. in Georget rites 4 you, how precious a bone is to a dog! Even the most gentle dog can become upset if someone bothers him when he has a bone, especially a child, because most animals are more wary of little ones than of adults. I don’t know the whole story, obviously, but I hope the dog was given a “fair chance” before his life was destroyed. I also hope the child is doing well, and that in future perhaps mom and dad will be more cautious Loo. Sincerely, M. Laevens Georgetown Scrap new law The following letter was sent to Halton North MPP Noel Duignan. A copy was filed with Halton Hills This Week for publication. Dear Sir, I wish to make the following comments and representations ais respect to proposed changes the Labor Laws of Ontario: UE I am worried what the gov- ernment’s plan will do to the economy, my firm and the jobs of my employees. The NDP Government has tried to label basunara ae intense business opposition ig business con- piracy.” This Negalstion is really anti-small business and therefore inh Great For Pete's Sake by Roe ae GM WZ R HAVE ONE nie THOSE J 2. You should stimulate busi- ness and consumer confidence not destroy it by forcing this labor law legislation down our throats. 3. These radical labor laws will destroy confidence and kills jobs and investment. It is the smaller it ich instill confidence, create jobs and increase investment. You just Have your Children's BIRTHDAY PARTY Ele \enre)\| 1s1@) VM INICM MAIN | ats) fore 853-0470 Autos 354 Guelph St, Unit 27, Georgetown, Ont. (416) 873-1655 S20 S2eao soe Leto Brug Mort ww. P4 FAX SERVICE 853-1855 ATTENTION: Bottle water users Distilled water available CHECK OUR PRICES!