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In april of 2024, I hit a big wall.

The following weeks involved a lot of crying, a lot of anxiety and a LOT of work. I could have just given up by then, but I chose to take it as an opportunity instead. Life was offering me a fresh start, even if it meant spending much time and efforts to set things straight again.

And I did, little by little.

After these events, I tried to work on myself. On being grateful for what I have and trying to help others achieve a better life, even on the smallest scale. I figured that what made me truly happy, was being able to make a difference, because I believe that no good deed goes to waste.

Fast forward to this morning.

Chéri was still sleeping, and I was sipping my first cup of tea in front of the television, watching the news channel. I don’t know if things are the same in your home country, but in Québec, at this time of the year, all the parents have to go through the ”Back to school” frenzy.

Hundreds of thousands parents on an already tight budgets have to take the school supplies list they received at the end of the prior school year, and go on a hunt for good deals, to make sure that their kids are ready for another year of learning.

But just like everything else, the prices are rising, and many (so many) parents struggle to find everything needed. A charity called ”Jeunesse au Soleil” made it their mission to raise funds yearly to bulk-buy back-packs, pens, pencils, erasers, note books and and the stuff kids need for their school year. And this year, they will provide about a thousand ”Back to school” kits for families in need.

Which is honorable if you ask me, but clearly not enough in an ideal world.

And that when it hit me, between two sips. An idea. A crazy idea, maybe, but I really really liked it.

I made a quick research with my good ol’ friend Google and found the email address of my deputy. The man is a politician I really respect. He is young, he is close to people, and he really wants to work to build a great future for our province. Bonus part: he’s the head of the best doing party in Québec at the moment.

I know it is crazy, but if you know me a little, you know that I live by the motto ”The only way to know you will fail is not to try!”

So I sat down, and I wrote to him. I titled my email ” Throwing a bottle in the sea”

And here’s my idea…

What if the government took care of bulk-buying all the supplies needed for the kids of the whole province for the school year coming?  I don’t mean giving the supplies for free. But buying so much would certainly bring the prices down in a very significant way. And even if  they were sold for a little more than the cost price to cover all the logistic sides (storing the supplies, and distributing it to the different schools), parents still would get a better deal than shopping by themselves.

Of course, some wealthy families would probably choose to buy fancier supplies, which would be fine. The unsold could be kept for the upcoming year (since pens and notebooks aren’t perishable), and still, every family would have the possibility to get everything needed for a low price.

On top of that, it would take a burden off the shoulders of the countless teachers who take money out of their pocket to make sure that one (or more) of their students have everything they need. They already have enough on their plate. They would deserve that (little) slack.

And it would save parents already working on such tight schedules, time and stress.

Kids show up on their first day, get everything they need, and are ready to start their learning journey!

Utopian? Maybe.

But I think it is worth considering, though in the long run, it won’t make any difference in my life, since I don’t have kids.

I was a little nervous when I hit the ”send” button. Who am I to try to change the way things have been for decades? But I am curious to see if  I’ll get at least a polite ”Thank you for your suggestion”. I’ll keep you Lovelies posted for sure. And all I can say is that I recommend trying to push in your ideas too, if you think you can bring a solution to a problem in your community.

You never know. You could be a letter-away from changing the life of many many people. Or not! LOOOL

Time will tell.

P.S. If you like the idea, and want to send it to your local deputy, MP or whatever authority… Do it 🙂 I don’t seek recognition, I just want to make our world to be a little better 🙂