Muscle group…
Honestly,
by the time I was done with Youngblood,
that movie destroyed me…
I had post-traumatic stress disorder…
Here’s my philosophy:
Any sport where it’s exerting just putting on the gear is something to be avoided…
I don’t want to be sweating before I’m actually doing the thing I’m suiting up to do…
— Rob Lowe in conversation with Jian on The Q, and why someone should put a skirt on him, ASAP…
One of the things,
Starshine loves most,
about soccer,
is the preparation…
Esp. the shin-pads,
and pulling up her socks,
while we’re on the road,
to games,
in our big red car…
And when she mentions,
how much she enjoys,
getting ready,
for soccer,
I try not,
to send her,
telepathic messages,
about how much better,
it could be,
if she played hockey,
with so much more,
to get ready for,
because I know,
how important it is,
to allow people,
the space,
to come to things,
on their own terms…
Sometime during,
the pre-season,
I had a dream that,
Alain Vigneault,
and Mike Gillis,
were super angry…
And even though,
I perceived,
the anger,
to be directed,
at me,
I made a major,
operational decision,
not to take it on,
because quite frankly,
it was none of,
my GD business…
This afternoon,
as the rain poured down,
Little Gem said,
Mama,
I’m drawing another picture,
of you,
singing the national anthem,
at Roger’s Arena…
You know,
for when you’re ready…
I watched her adding,
the official sponsors,
in block letters,
across the boards…
She said,
I have space for one more sponsor…
What do you want it to be???
I said,
How about Viagra.ca???
She looked at me,
patiently,
and said,
Some maturity,
would be nice,
right about now…
I said,
Can you add a thought bubble,
full of Raffi Torres,
over my head???
Starshine rolled her eyes,
in my general direction,
and said,
Mama,
stick a fork in it,
it’s done…
You have to learn,
to travel a little lighter…
I said,
One day,
you too,
will find out,
that some baggage,
is specifically made,
for carry-on…
God gave me you for the ups and downs...
Pirate pack…
October 6th 1942:
The last of Japanese-Canadians leave Vancouver for internment camps,
in the Interior of BC,
and the Prairies…
Despite government promises to return their land after the war,
it was auctioned off cheaply instead.
Most were unaware they were going to prison camps,
and were initially told they were being sent away,
for safety…
Not only did their families lose their land,
much of it now worth millions,
but all of their personal belongings…
— in A Sign for the City as read in the Georgia Straight October 6-13/2011
Thursday, October 5th
marked the grand opening,
of NHL’s 2011-2012 season,
and the peddling,
of new standards,
for the enforcement,
of good,
clean,
hard,
body-to-body,
hits,
as headlined,
by Brendan Shanahan…
Last weekend,
standing by,
the Mission Bridge,
I got knocked,
in the jaw,
by 65 pounds,
of leaping,
German Shorthaired Pointer,
and I felt my brain,
crash,
against my skull…
I stood at the tailgate,
for a few minutes,
before I could gather,
my wits,
about me…
Starshine,
Little Gem,
and her two friends,
called from the seats,
of our big red car,
to see,
if I was alright,
and I couldn’t find,
the words…
But through,
this gift,
of experience,
I got a clearer picture,
of what it might be like,
to be made,
for fighting,
and it wasn’t good…
I don’t know why,
the NHL,
needs medical research,
to figure out,
that ANY blow,
to the body,
is a potential,
land mine,
just waiting,
to happen…
I’ve never had,
a cluster migraine,
but there must be,
a good reason why,
they’re called,
suicide headaches…
How else can one,
get away,
from the pain,
when it has outgrown,
the self-medication???
And furthermore,
how many more,
GD lives lost,
does a major league need,
to get the job done???
Wade Belak wore,
the names of his children,
and the images,
of angels,
on his sleeve…
I read him quoted,
in black and white,
to please not move me from Nashville,
and my family’s home,
when he was given word,
of forced re-assignment…
When our roots are threatened,
and pulled up,
from the very ground,
we walk on,
some carry on,
one step,
at a time…
But for others,
the loss is too great,
and the wings,
are always there,
for the flying…
Just after Labour Day,
I got called in,
to work with a horse,
who’d been traumatized,
by a member,
of her own herd,
with a swift kick,
to the head…
I stood with her,
in her manger,
as she shook,
and held,
her injured side,
against a wall,
for self-protection…
I asked her,
What do you need me to do???
and,
Will you show me???
I watched her eye fill,
with the pain of betrayal,
and mistrust,
as I stood there,
and released,
the tears,
her body isn’t made,
for crying…
And after,
an hour,
or so,
I saw a drop fall,
down her face,
in a crooked line,
of infinity,
and the words,
THANK YOU,
flash,
in our sky…
I've got two chickens to paralyze...
Hour glass…
His truthfulness is written across his face in a childlike scrawl…
If he tells you his cabbages grew as big as beach balls,
you know it is true…
When he tells you he is overlighted by the Master of the Seventh Ray,
you believe it,
even though you don’t have a clue as to what the Seventh Ray is…
And when he tells you he has been given the Training for lifetimes in order that the Will of God be brought down to earth to fuse with mankind in a new evolutionary leap beginning right here at Findhorn,
you say,
“Why not???”
Whatever the preconceptions that were carried up the tarmac road to Findhorn they have now blown away like a dandelion thistle in a gale…
You are left with a gaping and naked mind in front of one of the most unusual men you are ever likely to meet,
sitting quietly in his cedar bungalow against a background of the most radiant collection of flowers and plants you will ever see…
And how do we explain THIS,
Mr. Scholar???
— in The MAGIC of FINDHORN: An eyewitness account by Paul Hawken
From some strange reason,
I’ve taken to waking at 5:30 am.
to start my day,
and it feels,
like a perfect,
progression…
I told Starshine,
that I’m now,
out of my habit,
of going back to bed,
after the school bus leaves,
just in case,
she’s under,
the mistaken impression,
that I’m spending my time,
laying around on the couch,
eating chocolates,
while she’s doing hard time,
in a classroom…
She said,
Mama,
It’s your subconscious,
preparing you,
for THINGS…
Like taking me to the rink,
for morning practice…
Then she laughed,
saying,
As if…
I told her I’d turned down,
the resolution,
on that dream,
several months ago…
Kind of like,
I’ve put,
the Stanley Cup,
on soft focus,
for the time being…
Yesterday,
when I arrived home,
from the day’s adventures,
the waiting room,
on my sidewalk,
was chock o’ block…
Girl Cat,
is an awesome receptionist…
She keeps everyone,
entertained,
while I review,
the charts…
The first person in line,
called me Sherry…
When I wondered,
where in the ether,
that one came from,
and reminded him,
of my given name,
he said,
I have no idea how,
I could have made,
that grave error???
You have the same name,
as a main character,
in the Days of Our Lives…
It’s my favorite show…
Right behind him,
a woman,
pushing a stroller,
with a new set,
of twins,
was followed by,
four more,
of her youngest children,
with skin,
as black,
as night…
And in her walk,
I saw,
the story,
of a thousand years,
in reel time…
Just in case,
you too,
felt all sticky,
and like you were having,
a day long,
hot flash,
this Autumnal Equinox,
know that,
you are in,
fine company,
and someone,
way out there,
in the universe,
is fully on,
the exact same,
First thing we'll climb a tree... (Photo: Little Gem)
Canuck'd 