Tools for Changing the World

I’m as multi-faceted as most people, so much of the following won’t interest most of you. However, if we have something in common, by all means drop me a note!

I’m Canadian. I was born in Hemel Hempstead, England, but my parents emigrated to Canada when I was two years old and none of us have ever regretted it. I lived in the United States for seven years, but Canada has always been home.

I’m an environmentalist and would-be minimalist. I don’t always live up to my own standards, but I work at living as simply and sustainably as possible.

I’m a feminist. I believe many battles have been won but many remain to be fought.

I’m a medical writer. Since 1987, I’ve been a freelance writer specializing in medicine. Self-employment suits me and feeds the cats (although since I’ve never been employed full time by anyone but myself, I don’t really have anything to compare it to.)

I’m depressive. I’ve been taking antidepressants for 18 years and they keep me on a more or less even keel.

I’m bisexual. I believe sexual orientation should not affect individual rights of any sort, including the rights to hold any job, to marry or to have children.

I’m an atheist or humanist or rationalist, depending on your definition. I was brought up as an ethical atheist.

I’m a background person. I’m better at providing ideas and strategies to other people than implementing them myself. More Q than James Bond.

I’m childless. I decided in my twenties that I didn’t want to be a parent and had myself surgically sterilized at age 30.

I’m 47 years old. Just over halfway through my life.

I’m a widow. I was married to the remarkable Bob Pastorio until he died of metastatic cancer in April 2007. Nursing him while he was dying was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and reading the blog I kept for family and friends during his illness still makes me cry.

I’m an incredibly fortunate person. Being born in the developed world to parents who set a great example and took parenting seriously would be enough for gratitude, but I also lucked into a healthy body and a good brain. Those factors gave me opportunities unavailable to most of the world’s population, which makes me incredibly fortunate. Everything else is icing.