A LIFE OF SHOULDS

Over brunch with a friend recently, she mentioned that our alma mater had called her asking for a donation towards a bursary fund. She said she donated $40, to which I immediately replied "Sucker". She said that she should give more money to charity, up to 10% of her salary. I'm not one to complain, one of my causes was a benefecator to the tune of $59.

What she said got me thinking... that we should give more money to charity. And it's true. I only made two donations of $20 and $10 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the United Way, respectively in 2004.

But we should do a lot of things.

Very importantly, we should vote. People in other countries die for the right to vote, but only 61% of Canadians vote.

We should exercise more. But how many of us get enough, let alone any exercise?

We should volunteer more. In 2000, 27% of Canadians volunteered, and that was down from 31% a few years before.

We should read more. What was the last book you read?

We should gossip less. Simple people discuss people. Intelligent people discuss events. Great people discuss ideas.

We should eat healthier. But look around a food court - ever notice that the people eating McDonald's is directly proportional to their body mass. Put down the fries and pick up a salad for once.

We should know what's going on in the world, but how many times have you read the Economist, the New Yorker or even the Globe and Mail.

We should pay for our music and movies. These artists work hard and we need to encourage them to make more music and movies. Pirating is for pirates. Usually of the Caribbean.

We should watch less TV. Too many people are watching Reality TV - watching other people live their lives instead of actually living their own lives.

We should be more cultural - take in a symphony, visit an art gallery or a museum.

So tomorrow instead of saying "I should" actually go out and do what you say you should do. You'll feel a lot better. I promise.