Lumber jack…
Forget those clever techniques and self-improvement programs,
and everybody will be better off…
Do not promise to cure people,
to make people feel good,
to make life sane or fair or humane…
— in The TAO of Leadership by John Heider
While I was waiting,
to fill out some paper work,
I overheard a conversation,
from down the corridor,
about MSP premiums,
going into gross revenues,
and how users should learn,
to pay for,
the real costs,
of what they’ve been taking…
I couldn’t agree more,
and put the argument,
directly into,
my filing cabinet…
When I arrived home,
after completing a cycle,
around Stanley Park,
there was a little surprise,
from Costco,
on my door mat,
which included a coupon,
for blade refills,
and some fine print,
about the best a man can get…
I have no idea what it means,
but I put the message,
under safety deposit,
until further notice…
Apparently Cory Schneider lunches,
on a roast beef sandwich,
and takes a 90 minute nap,
before he goes in net…
Every player has a routine,
to get ready,
for what needs to be done,
to bring home,
the Stanley Cup…
And what I do,
pre-game,
is both personal,
private,
and quite frankly,
none of your GD business…
Except for the part,
about joining up…
That goes without saying,
and is all anyone,
really needs,
to know,
about finding,
the honey…
When it's quiet and I don't hear a thing...
Trouble shooting…
I have decided I will not shave again until we meet…
My beard will be a token of universal friendship,
and the love between us…
— King Henry the VIII in The Tudors
Yesterday I went out,
on the ice,
for the first time,
in a couple of years,
and fell flat on my face…
I couldn’t figure out why,
I’d pancaked,
until I tried to get back up,
and realized,
in a major brainiac move,
I’d left my skate guards on…
By the time I got home,
from Little Gem’s school field-trip,
to the rink,
were in place,
to lift the house,
across the street…
This little old house,
was once a box set,
ordered from,
the Eaton’s catalogue,
brought to site,
and reassembled into rental housing,
back in the late 1800’s…
It is the oldest one,
of its kind…
A young woman,
employed in construction,
bought the house a few years ago,
and has finally played the city hall,
permit game,
long enough,
to start renovation,
with her own two hands…
The other day,
I found her in the dirt,
blasting sections,
of the makeshift foundation,
with a jackhammer…
Her partner,
who was wheeling fill,
told me,
She’s a force to be reckoned with…
I just ride on her coat tails…
I begged to differ,
because I’d watched him taking care of her,
for months,
after she’d been thrown off her bicycle,
and came home wearing a cast,
from her ankle,
up to her hip…
I reminded him,
We each have our own strengths,
and I’ve seen yours…
She couldn’t do what she’s doing without your support…
Never forget that…
I set up a research station,
on the sidewalk,
to keep an eye,
on how the house lifters,
were all working together,
without saying anything…
I knew I was in the company of genius,
to witness such subtle,
and precise communication,
under the roar,
of a winch…
I asked partner when the crew had arrived,
and how long his woman had been working with them,
because I saw the joint effort,
was seamless…
He knew what I was talking about,
and confirmed,
All morning…
But it took mere seconds for the gel to set…
They had their jokes,
their common language,
and partner and I were on the outside of it,
looking in…
My guess is,
that if I asked each one of those men,
about success in school,
the answers would be unanimous…
If I were premier,
I would make it a right,
of every single classroom in this province,
to have a wheelbarrow full,
of the language of Lego,
by tomorrow,
with the minimum amount,
of mandated building time,
retroactive to 2004,
locked in to the schedule…
Funny how a number of years ago,
I went out for dessert with some teachers,
and someone’s boyfriend just happened,
to drop by,
and pick up the tab…
At the time,
I had no idea who Kevin Falcon was,
or what he was trying to become,
and I really didn’t give a rat’s ass…
As it wasn’t clear,
whether to spank,
or burp him,
I filled his ears,
with stories,
of experience…
He listened,
and heard,
and wondered,
about the magic,
because there was no where else to go…
And I knew a time would come,
when the messages would sink in,
with action not being optional…
Last week a friend asked me,
if my ears had been burning,
the day before,
when a spontaneous cotton-ball fight,
instigated by a five year old,
erupted,
in their Kindergarten classroom,
as she was telling her teaching partner,
how much I live for,
little moments,
like that…
Did you say pretty ponies??? (staging and photo by Little Gem)
Split seconds…
Little Fur hung her head…
“I did want to ask you something…”
“You are curious about the fox,” the owl said…
“Is it wrong???” she asked humbly…
The Sett Owl’s answer was kind…
“There is no evil in you curiosity…
It arises from your healing senses,
and you need not feel shamed by it…
But the questions you ask must be put to the fox himself…
Yet know this one thing:
for him,
sorrow is remembering and a reverence…”
— in little fur: A Fox Called Sorrow by Isobelle Carmody
Sometimes,
when you’ve been housebound,
for one reason,
or another,
it may seem,
as if you will never again,
have the strength,
or fitness,
to climb a mountain…
I often think about Nelson Mandela,
and his twenty-seven years,
of imprisonment…
No matter where you stand,
on the inside,
or outside,
of those shoes,
one could choose to name those years,
behind bars,
a wasted life…
But what happened during,
and what came after,
the confinement,
was sure proof,
of some powerful pudding…
Yesterday I got out of bed,
and after freshening up,
the litter box,
made good use of the seasonally rare,
sunny weather,
by climbing a mountain,
in my snow shoes…
At every vantage point,
I wondered if I should go a little further,
or turn back,
and following every wondering,
I heard a whisper,
which said,
You’ve come this far,
why not go all the way…
Most of the time I walked solo,
through the trail,
of snowy evergreens…
But on the occasion of meeting,
a fellow traveler,
on their return,
I asked,
rhetorically,
When will I reach the top???
The answer to that question is personal,
and qualitative,
with no straightforward measure…
It depends on how many steps,
and how many stops,
and so many other,
more mysterious,
things…
I liked the responses I received,
to the question…
Such as,
It doesn’t really matter does it,
you’re almost there,
and the view is so worth it…
The last part is the steepest…
It’s harder than any part of the trail so far,
but you’ll be happy you did it,
once you get up there…
If I can do it,
YOU can do it…
I wouldn’t turn around now…
There are whiskey jacks,
and ravens,
just waiting,
for some company…
It’s just one more,
little push,
so you might as well,
giv’er…
I took five,
ten,
fifteen,
steps at a time…
And then one after the other,
when the going got,
super vertical…
The whole time I was listening to the melt,
and slide,
of ice,
off the high branches,
in the late afternoon sun,
thinking,
You don’t have anything else pressing,
so you might as well,
just plough on…
When I got to the top,
I could see 360 degrees,
including,
but not exclusive to,
that magnificent pair of lions,
resting,
due North…
Making a magic carpet,
out of my backside,
I rode down,
to the parking lot,
in the blink of an eye…
Like it was all a dream…
By the time I got home for a soak in the tub,
I felt like a whole new person…
And this morning I woke up with a start,
from a scenario,
where a man,
bless his heart,
said to me,
I’m here to help move things…
But the truck I’m going to have to build,
to bring that elephant along,
is going to be costly,
so what do you want to do???
I looked at him,
and asked,
Which elephant is it???
And when I heard the name,
and past due date,
from somewhere way behind me,
I said,
I don’t even know how that one managed,
to squeeze past security…
But yes,
it is definitely time,
to expose the stowaway,
Last year,
sometime around now,
I was purchasing equipment,
for a home repair…
When I was settling up the bill,
the shopkeeper said to me,
You’ve now got all the tools you need,
to run a business…
But you can’t be afraid to get dirty,
because this is certainly going to be messy work…
A few days ago,
I was standing at the counter,
trying to speak a language I do not know…
The woman on the other side of it,
was sensitive to my inexperience,
and my concern…
She gave me the forms,
and took the time to write some post-its,
with the quantities required,
despite the huffing,
and puffing,
of those in line behind…
Then before I walked away,
she spoke to one of my patterns,
by saying,
There’s no need for panic…
You’ve got all the time in the world…
Did the clown, make you smile???
Canuck'd 