#fighting stereotypes

[jazz-penguin]

it's so cool that it's still holidays in Russia so I can celebrate Noah the whole day 🥂

[aaronpullinteeth]

Fighting stereotypes.

Hi, I'm Aaron. I'm 27. I'm British. I'm actually straight (I know, right?) I love pro wrestling, punk rock and video games.

Introduce yourself to me.

I wanna make friends.

[iamacolor]

“That’s how it works in my “muslim gangster world”. You don’t judge your friends and you stand up for them, no matter what.” 

[diptong]

look @ me getting my license at 25

[worklabournewsresearch]

Fighting Stereotypes of Women in Trades

“Canada and Ontario are facing a dire shortage of workers in the skilled trades. Ontario will need to hire 103,900 in the construction and maintenance industries over the next decade, as 91,100 people are set to retire, according to a BuildForce Canada report. Meanwhile, the Ontario government says that one in five new jobs in the province over the next five years is expected to be in the trades. More women joining these professions could help. ... Skilled-trade gigs can offer better economic prospects for some women. ... But preconceptions about what the skilled trades are and who can do them can seem to rule them out as options. ‘A lot of it is still about stereotypes,’ says Nadine Jannetta, liaison officer for the Engineering, Technology and Trades for Women program at Conestoga College. ‘Women think they’re not cut out for these jobs or they can’t do it. They’re not sure they’re a fit.’”

“The province runs a number of programs intended to encourage women to join these professions. The Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology Training programs, for example, which provide free training for small groups of women in specific trades, are offered at various colleges throughout Ontario. Spurred by concerns about skilled-trade shortages, the government has regularly been announcing new funding, some of which targets women — one program, announced last fall, will see 24 women receive training as horticultural technicians or arborists at Humber College.”

“Some companies may fear change and be reluctant to welcome women. But, Jannetta notes, Conestoga frequently gets calls from companies asking when the WIST cohort will graduate, because they’re looking to hire. When Plaskos calls on a trusted Toronto-based female electrician, she says, she often can’t take the job: ‘She’s always busy, I can never get her. She’s very good at her job, and everyone wants to hire a woman. So it’s a win-win for her.’”

TVO, March 6, 2020: “‘You wouldn’t be interested in that’: Fighting stereotypes about women in the trades,” by Diane Peters

BuildForce Canada, 2019: “Ontario’s construction industry strives to reach the summit” (29 pages, PDF)

On-Site, March 8, 2020: “Op-Ed: We need more women in the trades,” by Jill Dunlop and Monte McNaughton

Global News, March 6, 2020: “Leveling the playing field for women in B.C. trades” (4:07, video)

Ontario Colleges: Women in Trades

[fandomismydrugogchoice]

Apathy and donuts in the face of danger

So our university just did a lockdown drill. They sent out a text and everyone was supposed to get inside and pretend there was a shooter on campus. I was already in my classroom, and we all a gathered near the window that overlooks a busy section of campus. Know what we saw? Literally no one gave a damn. Everyone was casually strolling along, even walking around a Campus Safety car as if it was an inconvenience. Also, one Campus Safety vehicle came careening around the corner, driving on the wrong side of the road. Know what they were carrying in their car? Donuts. Our whole class was hysterical.

[xalwo]

[jayjhonson]

Is It Okay To Feel Bad About How You Feel Or How You Are?

Hey, how are you doing today?

I’m about to start my day though I’m in two minds about it. I’m slightly excited yet also kinda not in the mood either…so we’ll see how that works out for me in the end.

I absolutely LOVE writing to you all. It gives me such a boost, I get this itch in my fingers, these flutters in my heart and feel all fuzzy all over! ^_^

Alright, today I wanted to talk to you all about a common phenomenon that I’ve noticed has become the trend lately. I suppose you could even call it ‘old news now’.

It’s this norm where everything seems to have a ‘Label’. There are all of these ‘labels’ that there seems to be no end to…ADHD, Handicapped, Low IQ, depressive djbfprmz  disorder  and all the other million disorders and no need to be named conditions that there seems to be a lot of.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against knowing and recognising something when I see it, that’s fine. My qualm is about associating the way a person is, with something else.

Why is it that I or anyone else for that matter has to feel different to other people?

The thing is when we put a name to something; we end up feeling the emotion that people put towards that name or label. For example; addict.

When u think of that word for many, a flood of negative thoughts come up. Yet what if that shouldn’t be the case?

I mean isn’t a supposed addict struggling with different aspects of life just like many of us are?

So why must a ‘name’ or ‘label’ be put towards that?

I’ve read threads and questions from many people who are struggling with being ‘this, that or the other’ when that shouldn’t be the case. Can’t we struggle with our lives as they are without putting names and labels on them?

All of us live different lives and have different experiences. Each unique to its situation. As a race (of human beings) we’re similar as we’re different.

If we feel, do or think differently about things, then we’re considered inadequate, incomplete, lacking, less in some manner or form. At times it’s as though we feel guilty for being who we are, going through the trials and conflicts that we go through on a daily basis and to me, that isn’t right.

Think about it, how’d you suppose it would be if we genuinely accepted each other as we are, flaws & all without putting a ‘name’ or ‘label’ towards it?

Life may get just That much better.

Let me tell you something, the heart is rarely wrong. So when you are going through something, your heart and morals (that little voice inside that tells you when something’s right or wrong) are what should guide you through it. Don’t worry about what other people say or do and what people may think about it. Go with your heart/gut/ instincts and things should turn out for the best in the end.

Whether you’re extremely active, only able to relate to certain situations, wondering why you’re drawn to certain things, why you aren’t so good at planning and working on a schedule or the flip sides to all of those things, flow with it. Work with it. Use them to your advantage so they profit and help you in everything you aim to achieve.

Never ever feel bad or negative about how you are or how you feel. It isn’t a ‘condition’ as some people may like to refer to it as being.  You’re you.  Going through all the phases that are unique to you and that no one else can comprehend because they don’t live in your body and experience things as you’re currently experiencing them.

Depression. Addiction ect… we all experience both positives and negatives in our lives. Live through it. Get through it. Overcome it. When you feel a certain way, don’t let anyone influence how you feel if it’s in a negative way.

At times we’re so terrified at being judged and misunderstood that we refrain from really allowing ourselves to feel what we feel. As though there must be something ‘wrong with us’.

How about nothing being ‘wrong’ with us. We’re going through what we’re going through and that’s Ok.

Don’t let people tell you what you should and shouldn’t feel. So much of our lives are dictated to us as it is, the one thing that can’t be taken away are our thoughts, feelings and emotions so own them and be proud of them.

Everything I’m writing isn’t only subject to you, no way! I deal with it on a daily basis too.

And sometimes they can be even small things…yet small as they are they do slowly & surely chip away at who we are and how we perceive ourselves. For example; when about to start typing today I thought to myself, no one’s going to read my content. Why? Because I’m not as bubbly and upbeat as a lot of other writers and so that’s going to work against me.

Then I thought to myself, I’m not ‘other writers’ I’m me and should write accordingly. In the end if you only ‘be yourself’ you can’t lose. Because you’re being genuine about who you are.

So whatever you think and feel, own it. Love it. It will work for you! There’s no other direction other than up!

That’s why I don’t like ‘labels’. I don’t see people as different to me. Its true we’re all different as individuals. We are also similar as a race of working, feeling, and amazing human beings.

When I look at someone I don’t see blind, deaf, weird, strange, handicapped, old, young and more…

I see a living breathing person who I think must be awesome on some level.

I Do believe in right and wrong. And like I said earlier, depending on how well you go with your heart, will be shown through your actions. And mine too.

So to hell with the ‘norm’ and what people may attribute to certain conditions… openly feel both your positive and negative emotions. Why? They’re what make us human.

I would love to finally read a post where it wasn’t as though a person were apologising for how they feel or how they are.

Because guess what?!

It’s Fine! It’s Normal! We have issues and problems that we all deal with and it’s high time we accept that about each other without having to feel bad about the fact.

The things I feel bad about on a daily basis:

I love a man who doesn’t love me back.

I feel bad about all the mistakes I made with him and how I can never make them right.

I feel bad that I don’t feel comfortable in crowds.

I feel bad that I’m currently not where I want to be in my life.

I feel bad that I’m still finding myself and on the surface it looks as though others have already found their place.

I feel bad that I’m in no position to do half the things I want to do.

I feel bad that I don’t hold certificates and though I’m NOT any different to others with certificates, I still feel so at times.

I feel bad that though I try my best, I Do fall short at times when it comes to doing and thinking the right thing.

I feel bad about feeling bad about the things I feel bad about.

^_^

See. Time to ditch the negative feelings and freaking LOVE and ACCEPT how we feel without feeling guilty for doing so!

And yes that includes me.

Thanks for reading; I really hope it helped you. Like, share and comment if it was a worthwhile read. You can also follow me on Facebook for updates on new content i post.

What about you? Is there anything you feel bad about that you know you shouldn’t really? Comment in the comments section below and let me know.

Jays’ Tidbit: It’s easy seeing others faults and even easier missing out on my own. I try to be more self conscious of my actions and how they affect others now. And if I mess up, call me out on it, I am human after all  

          Is It Okay To Feel Bad About How You Feel Or How You Are? was originally published on Life right now