My Year in Running

I have a warm spot for year-end lists.

You get to reminisce, fondly recall, and compare.  So I plan on doing a few, because what's a new year, without an accounting of the past one?

First off, I like Mizuno Wave Runners and track my running by my shoes.  2017 the calendar year saw three different pairs.  An old pair going into the year, a newish pair and then later in the year a replacement for the (tossed) old ones.  I regularly work with 2 sets of shoes, and tend to save the newer ones for races.  I'm working one set right now, a grey set of WR20's and am in the market for the next ones.

In 2017, I ran a 30days challenge; 714Kms so far; a Half Marathon race and the same distance a few other times, and I was fortunate to have run in: Dubai, Barcelona, Cairo, Toronto, Naples, Cozumel, Denver, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Madrid & Toledo, Boston (lots), Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Austin, Madrid (again), Melbourne, Sydney, Dublin and with any luck Hong Kong and London.

I didn't run every day, nor am I dedicated enough to pursue another marathon.  I run to ward-off jet lag, and to feel human again.  It's hard for me, as I'm not in the best shape - but I do ok and more importantly for me - I keep doing it as to do it when you don't want to reflects a strength of willpower and character that I like about myself.

I run for fun, I run for fitness, and I run to see places that otherwise are invisible through the window of a car.  I run because I can.  One day I won't be able to, I know that, and I won't have regrets about things not done in 2017.

Is there always Fire where there's Smoke ?

I'll confess that this has been on mind a little lately, and yet I've only just decided to write it up.  It's a very sensitive subject and involves the "Me too" movement and the numerous victims that have begun ever more frequently it seems, to speak up about being preyed upon by sexually predatory behaviour.  

These acts been almost universally perpetrated by men, and there is lots and lots in the news and  popular opinion outlets about this, from the way business people and famous types have been removed from their functions, to the way that politicians seem to be able to apologize (or not) and escape unscathed (Roy Moore, Donald Trump, Al Franken).  But I'd like to raise a few underlying assumptions being made that I think don't hold up, and more pointedly are being ignored because a greater purpose is being served.

The first and obvious element of the situation is that elsewhere in society we hold a tenant to be true that says innocent until proven guilty.  Now - I'm not suggesting that this invalidates the veracity of the claims made, but I think we should acknowledge that these are claims made, not convictions.  All too easily in these times of pervasive media are witch hunts borne from simply repeating the same accusations until they are accepted as fact.  It is worth overtly admitting that half the story here is the lack of convictions that took place when claims were made in the past, and the victims' characters were attacked and discredited instead. Fair process never took place, (and doesn't still) and so it's only through populist outrage that the Harvey Weinsteins of the world have been karmically dealt with. But that result doesn't justify abandoning the principle of innocence first.  That isn't being said loudly, and it needs to be.

The second assumption I've heard a few times is "Why would the victim lie about this?" and while I'll admit to hearing that from the advantageous position of being a white male, I can't help but imagine a whole bunch of possible reasons why someone would lie to discredit and or hurt another.  I'm sure you can imagine these too.  Of course that doesn't mean everyone making an accusation is lying, but this ties directly back to the idea above.  We are too often dealing with a 1:1 situation where its he said/she said, and the truth isn't clear.  Corroboration by another victim or observer seems to swing opinion into predator guilt, but that isn't fool-proof.  

A different requirement for accusation and defence ought to be in place here, one that reflects the extremely personal nature of the predatory behaviours and takes into account societal norms (This is just how things were back then) much the same way drinking and driving rules and opinions have evolved over time. Half the issue we face on this today is that there isn't a defined line of behaviour, that if crossed constitutes sexual predation, or predation of other types. We are leaving this up to individual subjective judgements and that's confusing, as my standards vary from yours and so on.

It goes without saying that many people in power, abuse power and those less powerful around them.  Men as predators isn't new, and the current round of house-cleaning won't end this type of aggressive, abusive, and repulsive way of interacting.  If the current spotlight results in clarity on what is acceptable, all the better; but if it only remains a populist knee-jerk reaction against the worst (famous) offenders, than it will be an opportunity lost to move us all forward.

Travelling Incessantly

I recall years back reading a story about a man whose wife had passed away and he decided to treat himself and spend his retirement savings flying first class around the world. He enjoyed it - at first, hence the premise of the story as it unfolds.  I don't remember the exact details except that he seems to lose his passport at one point, and is trapped in airline transit purgatory.  I want to say it's a Graham Greene short story, but I could be mistaken.

I also travel extensively for work, albeit not in first class.  And I have also passed the threshold where I think this is fun.  It's alway interesting to me when discussing the topic with people that don't travel, or don't travel much and are enthralled with the idea that I might work in Europe one week, at home the next and in Asia the following week.  It's just a bus, though a comfortable one.  If we lost of our sense of global proportion and had friends, family or colleagues that had to commute to work and it took 8-18 hours to get to work on a bus, we'd pity them.  Yes, on the bus we're catered, and yes there are movies and quasi comfy chairs...but it's still public transport and as small as our world is - it takes time.  Saturday evening (or even Fridays at times) departures for work the next week are the norm.  Believe me when I say - it gets old, fast.

But I'm old enough to know that it isn't routine either.  I had a taste of routine recently, a sober reminder of daily commuting and the joys it represents.. "Did I sit next to this person yesterday? - were they they one making smells?  Was it me? Why can't I stay awake on this train? Why is it always busy on this road..  So, the short answer is that the grass isn't greener, it's just different.  And different grass is admittedly interesting at times.

So I'm writing this 7-8 miles above the planet's surface, speeding (relatively) towards Australia where I'll work for the next few weeks.  Wow, hugely exotic, incredible, always wanted to go there...but in reality its just another business park, just another office and just another cafeteria.  We won't see kangaroos, Crocodile Dundee or drink Fosters during the day..I probably won't even say 'crikey'.  But it is different and a fun place to visit.  And sometimes that's enough to keep work fresh.

That in a nutshell is what it is all about - keeping it fresh.  The avoidance of routine should be the goal.  To the professional golfer or pilot or even the Cirque du Soleil performance artist -  to them the repetition in the work must make it seem mundane too.  So let's pledge to all keep it fresh.  And I'll go look for a beer.

We are All Human

Thematically, the stories of a man's struggle (or a woman's) with their principles and beliefs are the most compelling to me.  When we allow ourselves to be seen, truly seen as authors are able to share, then our human-ness rises to the surface in profound ways.  The whisky priest in Greene's Power and The Glory,  Marlow's quest up the Congo in Conrad's Heart of Darkness and much of what Le Carre writes where emotion and honour are fraught and mixed in the Cold War in his many wonderful stories.  In all these examples and many more, the humanity of our fellow person touches us.  The themes play out successfully in modern story-telling too as they transcend time - look no farther than Yondo's sacrifice for the same theme.

A grand struggle makes for a fine narrative, all the more compelling when we see the person underneath, laid bare before us in their pain, and truths.  I'm drawn to that as it allows a connection between us that's all too rare in these modern days we live in.  So with this mind to have seen this firsthand and to have played a role in it recently was wrenching and personal.  When any of us are reduced to have to question exactly who we are and what we believe is riveting theatre, but less so when it's the person next to you in the 'stage' of their lives.

'We must do, what we must do' is both enfeebling and empowering, knowing our destiny is uncertain and our choices all matter. To witness the decision making, knowing how very hard they are to make is humbling.  We are all human, no matter if we forget that or not.

Empathy

I was wrong recently, and my mistake was that I let frustration and then anger with someone overshadow a simple truth that I hold pretty dear - that we should all have a large degree of empathy for one another.

It's interesting to me in a clinical sense, as I knew something was wrong with the way I was looking at this situation and it was gnawing at me a little more than it should have.  I took that discomfort for a 'lingering' of the feelings of frustration I was having, but I also knew deep down that it shouldn't have lasted that long - it wasn't that big a thing.

So I did what I often do when I need to think clearly about something, I went for a run and thought it through.  That's a great way to run by the way, as you aren't thinking of the pounding of your feet or the pain you're experiencing, instead you can focus on the thing that's bugging you and the lack of distraction (for me) brings clarity.

I looked down at my left wrist and noticed the hand woven cloth bracelet I've been wearing since May 2016.  I bought it at a little village high in the Himalayas in Nepal, and it was memento for me of the time I'd had there around perhaps the most well rounded people I'd ever come across - kind, funny, warm and gracious and living in some of the harshest conditions I've ever seen.  I admired them so much and how they seemed to revel in the joy of life.

And it made me think about how I was feeling, and realized I'd let myself down by not aspiring to a level of graciousness, understanding and empathy with the person.   So, while I still think that the way they acted was incorrect, I also see that I don't know why they did that, and my own pettiness wouldn't have helped them, rather it would have piled onto what seems like what was probably already a bad day for them.

Empathy is easily accessed and costs us nothing.  Yet it's still a rare thing at times.  

Between Heaven & Earth

At 15,800 ft above sea level in Nepal, there is a graveyard.  It’s a set of stone cairns with little signs on each, identifying the occupants and for efficiency purposes of stone carvings, a short word or two on why the are there.  Draped across them are Buddhist prayer flags, signalling the significance of each passing flicker that was briefly a life lived.  It’s a solemn place, a peaceful place and a windy place.  The wind and flags tell a story that the stone cannot – it speaks of the turmoil of their final days and the constant that holds them together – the drive to stand atop the highest peak helping themselves or others to realize meaning from the top of the world.

It is in many ways the perfect graveyard, for it celebrates those that tried and gave it their all – literally.  A gathering of Nobel prize winners that stumbled in their quest for greatness would be its equal, but this small place, isolated from all except those that tread in the same footsteps and dream the same dream is celebrated by the few.

The stones carry names of legends… Each merits their own story, and each story deserves to be told.  But on any cold and windy day the stone cairns stand resolute against the surrounding peaks, saying these souls, these people too were mountains in their own right, and they belong here amongst the cathedral of the gods.

There is a little tree

It's alone.  It's stands in clearing atop a high ridge, clinging to life.  It's free and clear, our little tree and enjoys the hours of sunshine and abundant rains.  There is no shade to block it.  There is no obstacle to block it.  But it stays little.  For to grow big risks everything.  

There is a little tree on a washout basin, a rockslide basin.   When the mountain rumbles it takes everything in it's wake.  And the little tree with its little soil and roots would not stand a chance the next time the mountain moves.   But it grows, it perseveres and hopes.

Before our little tree there were other little trees and they are gone now, relics to our memory of hope.  And tomorrow there will still be a little tree.  Just maybe not ours. 

But today, there is a little tree. 

What is Canada ?

I travel a little bit, and am frequently asked what Canada is.  On the occasion of Canada's 150th birthday, I thought I'd give answering this seemingly easy, but actually quite deep question a try.

Like some other countries with big neighbours (Ukraine, New Zealand), Canada is frequently defined in relation to the USA.  If I had a nickel for every time I'd heard 51st state jokes, well I'd have about $2.00.  But there's more to my country than the shadow our neighbour casts upon us.

Canada embraces a social sensibility that crosses what I like to think of as the best of Europe, with the pragmatism of the US.  We have a social safety net as Canadians repeatedly elect governments that put this in place.  It means that we are willing to extend our wallets to help those less fortunate around us.  That results in "free" medical care, deep programs and acknowledgement for lots of people in disadvantaged situations in an economic, health, personal and other senses.  It's important to note that this willingness to reach into our pockets (in a taxation sense) to help others, extends beyond our borders as well - Canada is the country that has contributed the most to UN 'Blue Helmet' missions in the last 50 years - and it extends when we see those in need wherever they are.  Canada has opened its borders and communities to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in the last two years and local 'person to person' support was in place at a local level to shepherd these newcomers from life as they knew it, into jobs, schools and our society so they can become self-supporting.

Are we perfect ? Of course not, but arguments about which social investments to make, which bridges to build and mend are different I'd argue than arguments about how much to take take away from the disadvantaged and only give to those with advantages.

Canada is bilingual, and though we complain at times, we have a Swiss style approach with defined territories with distinct cultures and this is enshrined in who we are.  Think about that a moment, not many countries are able to do that - understand the variances that separate  us, embrace them and turn it into a strength. Vive la Canada!

Canada is economically conservative.  It manifests in our banks and spending.  Our economy will never be a world beater or leader - but it is solidly and consistently in the top ranks globally.  In these days of massive economic fluxes - Japan, America, and Russia I'm talking about you - this is a pretty good achievement.

I like to think that we are a mosaic, and not a melting pot.  It's hard to define being Canadian, so instead anyone that comes here - and many do -  simply contribute to make all of our society a little richer, a little deeper instead of having to conform to some 'norm'.  It benefits us all when people with new cultures chose to live here.

And any discussion of what it means to be Canadian can't avoid the massive scale of our land, stretching to three oceans.  The scope of Canada - it takes 7-8 hours to fly nonstop across and the varied geographies we have - it is in our soul.  Beaver, and elk adorn our money and are national symbols.  While most Canadians live within 500kms of our southern border, we all appreciate that the vast majority of our country is wild, beautiful and untapped.

Canada is all of these things, and for a 150-year old it's looking pretty good.

Are You Happy? - It's the Wrong Question

Are you happy?  You've had this question, so have I.  We ask it of each other innocuously, however it has some real implications. You may have struggled to answer it - I certainly have.  I’d put forth that while we’re each genuinely interested in the answer when we ask it, it’s actually the wrong question most of the time.

Let me illustrate this by offering a few variations:

Are you lonely?
Are you afraid?
Are you fulfilled?
Are you hungry?

These are also states we could find ourselves in, and they can change.  I may be hungry right now, but won’t be later after I’ve eaten.  Likewise when something wonderful happens that seems to validate some work or efforts we’re involved in as a professional, parent, or volunteer it does offer the lovely glowing feeling of fulfilment.  But chances are when stuck in traffic later that day or week, that same glow is diminished.  I can be afraid of something, but it probably wouldn’t define me.  I can be thrilled with something, but that excitement fades too.

For reasons I think I may understand however, we want to treat the sometimes fleeting emotion of happiness as a state of being, as if we walk around with a big grin constantly.  That’s because when we ask one another if we’re happy, it’s not intended to be about the precise moment it happens, but rather it’s a general query, that is intended to be more precisely interpreted as “Are you not unhappy?”.

The avoidance of unhappiness I’d argue though doesn’t result in happiness.  Just as some numbers such as 2,3,6, and 478 are all positive while -2,-4 and -17 are all negative numbers, 0 is neutral, and is neither positive or negative, it just is.  (Feeling neutral isn’t positive however and wouldn’t be considered a positive answer if asked about on a 'Are you happy' scale.)  Here, context matters I’d think.  If my dog just passed away, feeling neutral is a pretty good result.  On a daily basis if you’re doing something that you don’t enjoy, neutral is fine.  Happiness is too large a hurdle to aim for.

That’s the crux of the problem.  Asking about happiness, or setting the expectation for happiness when being neutral is a fine result at times, sets the bar too high.  Add to that that we ask about this incorrectly 99% of the time, and all of a sudden happiness, that elusive social goal seems unattainable.  And that makes many people unhappy.

So going forward, I’ll try not to ask that tired old question when the moment arises, setting up anyone that answers for an often-sad moment of self-reflection.  Instead I’ll ask if they have successfully avoided unhappiness lately.  For even if the answer they offer is ‘sometimes’, that in itself is worth celebrating and smiling about.

Life, Happiness and Everything

I think I've figured it out.

For me.  You have to figure it out for you.

This is a question I've struggled with for a very long time.  Five decades plus. You see, like you perhaps I thought there might be a universal answer.  A key piece of knowledge I wasn't aware of, that upon learning would turn on this glow of wisdom and contentment.  I was wrong of course, in a manner anyway.

I was told, like you have been perhaps, by many people that the answer was this or that, taking this attitude or perspective, or pills, or drink.  I think that I've figured out that  the pursuit of the knowledge of life, happiness and everything isn't actually something that we can pass along to one another.  It's more like religion in the sense that some annoying person is always trying to shove their beliefs down your throat as some absolute and obvious truth.  To the recipient of that message who is without that same sense of conviction, faith or guile, those attempts seems putrid and self righteous.  They are rejected in the same manner we reject ideas from the supporters of the 'other' political party.

So, it's something we all have to determine for ourselves.  The destination - the understanding of the answer is meaningless unless you've made the journey to find it.  That in itself is beyond the cliche and verging into the profound. I'd argue that anyway as it took me so long to find it.

I don't plan on telling you what it is by the way, as its the answer to life, happiness and everything - for me. You have to figure it out for you.

Good luck in your journey and Godspeed as they say.

The Root Issues with the United Airlines Re-Accomodation

There has been so much written and recorded about United's issues this past week that it's become tiresome already.  As I want this post to stand the test of time, here's a recap though as we won't recall it in 3-9 months.

 Flight 3411 was due to depart from United hub at Chicago O'Hare to Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday April 9th.  The flight was operated by United Express (Republic Airlines) an EMB-170 that accommodates 71 passengers and was booked full - but not oversold..  At some point in the boarding process, or immediately after, it was made known to the United ground staff - their gate agents - that the company needed 4 seats on the aircraft to position a set of flight attendants to Louisville to operate a another flight.  So they asked for volunteers and offered them the standard $400 rates and a hotel stay to take a  flight the next day.  No takers.  The flight finished boarding and was full, and then they repeated the denied boarding volunteer offers on-board, doubling the offer to $800 and the accommodation details that go with it.  A couple took that offer, freeing up 2 seats, or United had indicated that this couple would be involuntarily denied boarding, and they took the offer. That part isn't clear.  Regardless 2 people left the aircraft.  United then indicated that Dr. Dao was next on the list selected and he'd be denied boarding too.  He refused, United escalated the situation to the aviation security force that acts as police at O'Hare and they dragged him off the plane in the now infamous videos, injuring him and causing no end of harsh critique's of their handling of the situation from anyone with an opinion worldwide.  

United subsequently handled this exceptionally poorly, initially blaming the passenger, lauding their staff, finally acknowledging that this was a horror story for those involved and apologizing to the Doctor in question from a humbled CEO. They've lost hundreds of millions in market capitalization, endured many boycott calls and the airport aviation officers in question have all been placed on leave pending disciplinary hearings.

There are so many badly handled elements of this that it's hard to know where to begin.

1. United should take PR lessons
2. United ground staff ought to have had the common sense to avoid this outcome
3. United ground staff should not have boarded people to then have to un-board them
4. United shouldn't be allowed to use police to enforce a business practice
5. Dr. Dao should and will sue the pants-off of United and he'll win
6. United's CEO should resign - not because it happened, but because of the way he handled this, which prolonged and inflamed the outrage.
7. The aviation security force at O'Hare itself is under review now, as those officers are are not Police, and receive far less training than Police do.

I want to focus on one aspect however that is out of control and this incident illuminates it well.  It's the use of and acceptance of a police or security presence at airports to deal with 'security issues'.  In the post 9-11 age, with new threats emerging on a weekly basis, what constitutes a security threat..?Almost anything the airline wants to call a security threat it seems.  We've become so accustomed to this, so accepting of the hassles and personal affronts that airports represent these days that we don't question anything any longer.

Let me offer this - I've been denied boarding off of confirmed flights, and when younger I worked in an international airport and performed denied boarding.  The process and approach is 'accepted' and it goes hand in hand with over-selling flights.  So that's not the issue to me.  But if I go into a McDonalds and order a burger, and a few other people also order burgers at the same which exceeds the supply of burgers, McDonald's has no right to ask the Police to intercede and remove the burger I bought and paid for from them.  It's ludicrous.  But that's the situation that we face in an airport, and on an airplane these days.

A little while ago I was flying home from Europe from a business trip and wanted to use the forward lavatory.  It was busy and the crew mingling in the galley area next to it didn't seem to mind someone standing there.  So I waited as one does, and a flight attendant told me to return to my seat.  I politely let her know that I was waiting for the lav, and would just wait here a moment or two.  She looked me dead in the eye and asked if I was threatening the security of the flight.   What was an innocent enough situation that anyone who flies has been in before, turned very quickly into a super tense discussion.  What struck me from that encounter - I did go and sit down - was that in using that magic little security stick was the argument that couldn't be argued with.  I wasn't impressed and later made a comment back to the airplane about her pettiness, but in the moment, all of us are defenceless as Dr. Dao was when the cloud of security overshadows air travel.

The rebuttal to this is of course - would I still fly without these measure designed to protect me ?  You bet I would.

I am not a fan of being mothered and controlled because it's in my best interest.  I'd far prefer less security and more common sense, and am willing to forego any greater good of knowing we're being looked after.  It doesn't work on the roads (are you the worst driver you've seen? - no one is) and yet we all have licenses, and it has reached epically silly proportions at the airport.  This isn't the law enforcement agencies issue alone as they don't write the laws, though they are clearly part of the problem.  Why isn't every single car exceeding a speed limit pulled over - because they use judgement.  And judgement combined with common sense is what's missing from air travel.

What I Learned During a 30day Running Challenge

A month ago, I undertook a personal task - to run every day (at least 5km) for a month.  Rain or shine, regardless of how I was feeling.  In that month, I travelled for fun and went out in rain, sleet and snow, I ran in -20 degree days and oppressive heat, putting a little over 218kms/130+ miles onto my shoes. My distance varied daily on purpose, and I tried not to run my daily minimum 5kms on consecutive days, and likewise wouldn't run my maximum  - which was about 14kms -  back to back.

First off - I did it.  :)

It's worth noting that I'm a casual runner anyway, this wasn't my first foray into what I was doing. I've
done a couple marathon's and about a dozen half -  marathons and am signed up for the next one of those in May this year.  Any given run can be wonderful, painful, an emotional blackhole, or as I heard someone say yesterday - make you feel like you're a bag of milk - or it can make you dance.  I think over the past month I've had at least one of each of those and a few of some.  Running is like a box of chocolates, as Mr Gump might say, you never know what you're going to get.  Just run, Forest, just run.

The running itself became easier, as I guess the strength in my legs increased.  That was a pleasant surprise.  There's more than a few days that I don't recall the running part of the run, which given the task at hand is a little surprising. While I tried a second workout on about a quarter of the days, it always came back to me on the next day's run as a really strong feeling of fatigue. Overall however the running part of the running challenge got better.

The route choices were tiresome, as I grew bored with the places I'd run repeatedly.  I became an avid user of MayMyRun to find that 6, 8 or 12 km path that was a little new.  Wind and therefore direction was a concern as I mentioned that at least two weeks of this was quite cold, varying between -5 and -20 with strong winds. Routing choices to avoid large open areas where I'd have to run into the wind factored largely into the daily decision.  Snow too affected where I went, as we have some lovely trails near me, however snow covered, or (worse) water saturated mud isn't really nice to run through.

Injury was ever-present in my mind - I wasn't running to outpace Usain Bolt or anything, but I did track my pace daily and wanted to see some improvement.  So I was careful, perhaps moreso than I normally am.  I'd stop and walk 20 paces if I felt anything amiss.

Technology was helpful as I track my distance, speed etc with two devices and my little old ipod nano with it's Nike app was key to the success of this.  It's screen is broken, and it congratulates me on another 500km accomplished after every single complete effort (which I secretly enjoy), but I can get lost in the podcast, or music and the last half-a-km audible warning is always welcome.

Importantly, I think I could keep going if I wanted.  My legs, and back are tired and need a day or two off but it's not a must-stop.  That's probably for me the biggest single reward in all of this - the knowledge that if I wanted to, I could continue this. Our own hidden reserves of capability are all too often invisible to us.

The most interesting thing I picked up was the surety that this activity is cathartic for me.  Yes, some mornings I couldn't get the sound of my own wheezy breath out of my conscious mind, but the best runs allowed me to deconstruct an issue or problem I needed to think through, my body on autopilot as I could focus into the moment and think clearly, or listen clearly, or even just be in the moment knowing I was lucky to be able to be doing what I was doing just then.  I had a few of those days in the past month, and that made this all worthwhile.

Dear Dave & Morley...

I've been fumbling, starting then stopping, and putting off the writing of this letter for a little while, as I'm not quite sure how to write it, or how to say what needs to be said. A letter is both a personal communication and an hierloom that can be revisited numerous times in one's life, kept in a drawer or cabinet and relived time and again.  It's also a story telling device that shares our authors thoughts and feelings, joy - and in my case anguish, over what news I feel I need to share.

Dear Dave & Morley I'd begin, and let the sentence trail-off in my head.  I'd heard Stuart start many stories this way, and always appreciated the depth of character he'd uncover in the telling.

He was good at that - good at using a covering imagery like the history of a town in Cape Breton, or the writing of a letter to a neighbour's son to curl around us, engaging our curiosity into the details that he vividly painted into our ears and embraced our imaginations with.  We were drawn in until we were so deeply sunk into his narrative that we missed a set-up  - until it was sitting on us, smiling down like a cheshire cat and Stuart's voice would deepen and lift at the same time, cueing us to notice the situation, or the character's reaction, or the absurdity of where we'd all gone.  Together. And he'd pause.

People remember that he made them laugh. Hilariously so, about turkey's, a drip from a lightbulb onto our forehead, or even Dave's hypochondria.  They recall the sweet little tears he brought out as he unearthed someone's empathy, kind spirit, or resilience -  illustrating it poignantly, helping us all recognize those same feelings in ourselves. Without doubt he touched many people. Stuart taught us about parenting, our own fears and anxieties, and life in our own communities through his invitation to the Cafe and the adventures of Dave, Steph, Sam and Morley.  The key was his voice, wistful and knowing. Richly rhythmic with stunning timing and the expert knowledge of how to say ..... nothing, drawing out our anticipation in knowing smiles and pre-laughter. Listen yourself to a few stories, and you'll see.  But I digress... Dear Dave and Morley, I have some news.

There are an estimated 400+ stories, about the universe that Stuart created and I can't say that I've heard them all.  There's a great big board the way I imagine it - with names, dates, places and relationships linked all together, probably with yarn.  Otherwise how could he have kept it all straight. As we listened it was those little details, Morley's love of figure skating, or characters from his hometown in Cape Breton when growing up with Annie, or the neighbours running the shops next to the Cafe, like Kenny Wong and his Scottish Meat Pies that made it all come to life.  There's a depth to these tales that binds them together and would have allowed for the next story, and the next one and the next. Only there won't be a next one. Dear Dave and Morley, I have some news. Some bad news...

As I sat and turned over on the ideas of what I needed to pass along, days drew long as I stumbled time and time again.  How do you tell someone that their world changed and they had no future  At the same time how do we share the tremendous gratitude that you deeply feel, that so many feel for the times spent together. It's an end, as surely and completely as an end ever was, but at the same time it's a time to acknowledge the hours spent together, and the moments we were assembled as one in laughter, sadness and life's precious lessons.

Dear Dave And Morley,  I re-started, I have some news. Some bad news.  But you're going to be fine, in fact we're all going to be fine as we still have one another.  It seems that...........

It is I'd hope, all that Stuart would have asked for.

______________________________

Stuart McLean was the host and creator of The Vinyl Cafe on CBC Radio.  On a weekly basis he created the worlds that Dave, Morley, Sam, Stephanie and countless others inhabited and allowed the rest of us to visit, observe and learn from. Luckily for us, Stuart was prolific.  Stuart passed away on Feb 15th, 2017.

The Vinyl Cafe can be visited still, and it's a worthwhile way to hear how well stories can be told. 

"I Inherited a Mess"

This is a verbatim quote from the President of the United States from last week.  At the time that I heard him say it, and since then too, I've been aghast at the implications of this innocuous statement by the (new) leader of the free world.

Let's start with the the full quotation as there's no fake news here:

"I inherited a mess, it's a mess at home and abroad. A mess. Jobs are pouring out of the country. See what's going on with all of the companies leaving. Going to Mexico and other places. Low minimum wages. Mass instability overseas no matter where you go. The Middle East, a disaster. North Korea. We'll take care of it folks. We'll take care of it all."

So he's begun his term blaming the previous guy.  That's actually playbook 'new president' and not objectionable as such as it's been done before over and over.

What galls me here is the idea that this is all a surprise.  It's too bad he hadn't campaigned on keeping America's jobs, or the 'threat' of Mexico, and mass instability in other parts of the world.  What's that ?...He did ? - well then why act if it's a surprise now ?  Because I'd argue he's starting to appreciate the complexity of his role.  That's a good thing in some ways, but a frightening one when you imagine he may not actually have understood the depth of the issues he was ranting about pre-election.  If we acknowledge that, then we just handed the keys to the country to an individual who seems to have lied on their driving test.

Let's the honest, being President isn't a job for everybody.  The stresses, tough calls and incredibly intricate negotiations to keep everything moving must be like dancing on a pinhead.  Politically, you can't screw up your Israeli question or your China policy for fear of what impact it has on trade policy and other foreign relationships.  Everything is linked, and it's not just complex, it's a political-economic ecosystem where only 'balance' works.  To think a domestic matter isn't effected by trade is to not understand the linkages between current account deficits and mortgage rates, amongst other things. Jobs in any country are driven from a myriad of factors including (but not limited to) technology, GDP, demand from your home market and the trade agreements in place with others and these sands are always shifting.  

Is it a mess ?  No it's not, but to an uneducated eye the nature of the layers and movement could make it appear so.  Provided he's surrounded himself with smart people, and he listens to them, he'll get through this learning curve.  He's got a positive economy, no ongoing international troop deployments of size and a degree of domestic security.  Looking at the last few presidential transitions, this is a gift. 

The Cradle We Share

Visiting one of the earliest civilizations and seeing it's technical brilliance, and incredible feats, while learning of the customs and language used back then is a tremendous treat. Catching glimpses of all too familiar human nature in their actions - etched into stone - makes it all come to life.

The areas around modern day Cairo are filled with royal graveyards, typified by the expensive monuments to ego in the life thereafter we refer to as pyramids today. Over a thousand years and almost 30 dynasties, Egyptian Pharaohs ruled what was their modern world.  They changed where the capital was, and built up many areas north and south on the Nile from where Cairo is today.  As impressive as the nice Giza pyramids are (three larger familiar ones, flanked by two sets of three smaller ones each for Queens), what really tells the story of Egypt is the detail inside. 

Depending upon the date of the dynasties, certain trends were in place.  In the all-too-familiar larger pyramids, the burial chambers have blank walls.  Indeed while they may have been packed with papyrus scrolls delineating instructions, these are long gone as the very prominence of the structures made them targets across the ages.  It’s the smaller, less impressive structures near Memphis and Saqqaa (also suburban Cairo) that were constructed more cheaply in later Dynasties that have the stories we have come to know.   Here the stories are told on the walls of the journey to the after-life, complete with supplies and intentions.  While these too were looted down the ages, the stories remained etched in stone for us to piece together a look at the culture and history of this country and it’s individual rulers.

To offer some perspective here, we need to understand that economics came into play then, just as it does today.  A burial chamber was an expensive proposition, and was constructed in one’s life with clear direction, rather than after death as some sort of testament to one’s greatness.  So the costs of regular servicing one’s afterlife had to be financed during one’s life. Decisions around how often post-death nourishment and adornment that should be dropped into a crypt by the priests were weighed carefully.  In tomb after tomb the stories on the walls are clearly laid out, and are quite similar. I imagine there was a standard budget and approach of sorts, just as we have burial standards that are largely the same. 

 In one tomb close to the pyramid of Djoser, a queen’s tomb was adjacent to her son’s nearby to where her husband the King was buried.  Her name was Inefrt. Unlike the typical sarcophagus (empty now of course) alone in a room, this chamber featured an alter, and a bench.  At first reflection, one might conclude she was a caring person, offering a place to rest.  Looking up from the bench however was a clearest set of

instructions (in hieroglyphics of course) you might imagine, of what should be brought, in what quantities, and on what date.  The alter was present to ensure the slaughter (lambs) took place within her prevue.  So, I might guess this was an early ‘type A’ queen, not leaving anything to chance, and not trusting her servants to get it right.  It was this revelation perhaps more than the engineering feats that made the most impression on me.  This were just people, royal or not, and as us, they were individuals.  To be able to gain a glimpse into the person 4500 years later is remarkable and the thousands of as yet undiscovered burial chambers will doubtless help us understand ourselves even more in the coming years.

-->

Into Danger

The world is actually a pretty small place.  We can fly around it in a weekend in any of a number of ways. While there are 7 Billion+ of us, there are remarkable similarities and what we hold in common is often more striking than what we consider to be our differences. In New York, London, Singapore, Sydney and Nairobi we are bound to find the same shops, foods and outlets in addition to similar working customs and more.

It's not surprising (to me anyway) that the search for the new places and cultures occupies such a large chunk of what we seek at times.  Lately, that means crossing into a 'dangerous' place - one that is populated with those that have very different beliefs, customs and standards.  Because there can be uneasiness about these differences, we often classify them as dangerous - and while I wouldn't suggest that South Sudan is as safe as Northern Canada - it's really the variation in values and our preconceived ideas that sets places apart.  South Sudan has no polar bears for example.

This weekend I'm venturing into a dangerous place, one that my country's travel advisories suggest I shouldn't under any circumstances go to.  I understand that - it falls into the same thought process that now requires us to label the package of peanuts with the "May contain Nuts" warning.  You don't want someone stumbling in unprepared.  But I believe that if we're careful, and respectful, and we have an open mind, it's these dangerous places that help us broaden our horizons and inform us about the greater mosaic that is the beauty of our species.  And yes there is violence there, but there's also violence throughout the world now, and the old way of looking at 'bad neighbourhoods' simply doesn't apply when it can happen in Paris, Brussels, Quebec City or New York.   Travel bans affect the innocents, not the determined. So into the valley I go.

And for a Change, let's talk about Work

I was flattered this past week, and it felt good.  I took some work on that I had thought was behind me, and it was fine - not special, or insightful except that it required a degree of focus to do well.  That in itself was a nice change from what I’m doing normally, but what will stick with me is the discussion around some original future work ideas.

A colleague and I discussed what a 2.0 version looked like for something we both knew well.  I had some ideas that I’ll admit must have been latently pent up in my head, as I’d certainly never given them voice before.  But once the cork was popped, it kept flowing. And that “original thought’ was stimulating.  It was a needed intellectual release, and to be recognised for it by someone I respect was very nice.

I can’t speak for anyone other than myself, but lately my brain has been tied into spikey little knots by the ‘trumpetting’ than seems relentless in the news cycle.  It’s the oozing sore that will be with us for a number of years I fear and like any well designed reality show, it’s hard to take your eyes and ears away.  So the chance to do that, to think deeply about matters that are not politics and are complex was viscerally satisfying.

We don’t often gain fulfillment from our work, but when it does happen -  it’s quite good isn’t it ? Sure beats reading twitter lately.