33 - Positive Politics

Jackie is living in the main house now at Frisky’s. Jackie is a 24-year-old Vervet Guenon monkey (born in 1984). After losing her beloved Sam a few years ago (a handsome male Blue Guenon Monkey), she lived alone for a while. About 10 months later, she moved in with Angel, a female Mona Guenon. This new living arrangement worked for a couple of years, but it was less than perfect. You see, Jackie loves her stuffed toys. She treats them like a loving primate mother does her real babies. She cuddles them and grooms them. Angel, who rejected her own mother, also rejected Jackie’s babies and would rip them to shreds. Can you see how this kind of relationship may have led to the divorce between Jackie and Angel? Jackie moved out recently with the help of her lawyers, Colleen and Scott Robbins (who, by the way, are also her nurses, maids, wait staff, and managers of the Sanctuary).

bout 75 babies. She will tell you about each one as she lovingly grooms them. Frisky’s gets weekly donations of stuffed toys that are no longer wanted or played with.. Jackie doesn’t care whether they come from a Republican or a Democrat home, from a male or a female, from a black or a white family, from a family who has a pregnant teenager, or from a Christ

The Association of Unity Churches International has launched an election-year turnabout on "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" with a campaign to "Look for the Good" in candidates' words. "Look for the Good" encourages people to listen for what is right and good, and ignore accusations and negativity.

"The concept of looking for the good goes beyond the presidential campaign and can affect our everyday lives," says James Trapp, President and CEO of the Association. "It's simply not dwelling on what is wrong, and recognizing what is right. If it is true that what we put out into the world is what comes back to us many fold, this way of thinking could truly change our lives and the lives of those around us." (Science of Mind Magazine, September 2008).

I was raised to believe that discussing politics at work was taboo. Although your workplace may not have any rules about discussing / debating the presidential campaign, I have read about some places where doing so went terribly wrong. One woman was fired because she had a bumper sticker on her car that was supporting her candidate of choice----it was not her boss’ choice so she was fired. I once heard a boss insult an employee’s intelligence in front of others because she was voting for the opposite party.

Rather than getting into debates or heavy political conversations at work, tell people that you are changing your focus to “Look for the Good”. Refer them to the website (they can even send an e-mail request for a free post it pad) www.lookforthegood.org

I’m having a lot more fun with this campaign now that I have changed my focus. I was focusing too much on the negativity, which was turning me off of voting at all. The “Look for the Good” campaign encourages people not to stop listening to

presidential candidates, but to listen to what is right and good. Ignore the negativity. Vote.

Jackie is not a registered voter. Too bad. She has been “looking for the good” all along.

Heather Wandell is a Certified Laughter Leader with the World Laughter Tour and is the CEO of her own company, Another Way To See It. Heather is also the Director of Community Outreach at Friskys Wildlife and Primate sanctuary in Woodstock, MD, www.friskys.org.. She can be reached at haw@anotherwaytoseeit.com. Visit her website at www.anotherwaytoseeit.com. If you would like to subscribe to Heathers monthly column, please send her an e-mail. Copyright © Another Way To See It 2008