Commentary

Waiting in worry is an unhealthy pastime

June 6, 2024   ·   0 Comments

Worry is like a worm eating the best parts of your favourite, freshly picked apple. He is satisfied, you are not. When we humans exchange pleasantries, we often wish someone good health. Without that, happiness is fleeting, maybe even non-existent.

Grant us the patience to endure the pain of waiting

Take it from me (and Bradley), waiting often sucks, big time. Some optimists say there’s always a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning, the start of a new day. Perhaps the magic, and the mystery of the universe, is waiting for us to become smarter, sharper.

We need to work together to end gender violence

Gender-based violence is on the rise in our country and it’s something that can’t be ignored. The stats are staggering and heart-breaking. I can’t understand this dark aspect of the human psyche. It can take physical and emotional forms, such as: name-calling, hitting, pushing, blocking, stalking/criminal harassment, rape, sexual assault, control, and manipulation. Many forms of this abuse are against the law. It can happen between people in romantic relationships. It can happen in families, at work, and between friends and acquaintances and strangers. It often occurs in private places between people who know each other.

Losing more than a shoe stuck in the mud

We all feel stuck at some point in our lives. Sometimes, this feeling is a signal that we need to change, or react differently to the challenges we’re facing. It’s been said the road to success and the road to failure are the same. It’s how we construct these paths that matters most.

Gambling is enshrined in our lives

It’s been said that everything’s a gamble in life. All the best gamblers quit when they’re ahead. It’s funny, this obsession of ours with gambling, playing the odds and the rush of winning. Does gambling imitate life?

Democracy impeded by unrest, conflict and politics

ur love-hate relationship with democracy is unique to the western world. While we find ourselves constantly at odds with government policies and decision-makers at all levels, we forget just how lucky and blessed we are. We’ve enjoyed ever-expanding human rights under our Charter since 1982. The anniversary was April 17 and every year we quietly (very Canadian) celebrate its anniversary. It solidifies the very essence of democratic rights – religion, speech, media, assembly and more.

Boomers have become wise ‘elders’

Respect for our elders seems to be waning. When I was young, this was a given, an unwritten rule. As we Baby Boomers age and wade into retirement, our accomplishments, and legacies should be recognized, not ignored. Okay, I realize that respect has to be earned, but most of us born in the 1960s have become society’s wise “elders.”

We must work together to forge a new mentality

"And the men who hold high places Must be the ones who start To mold a new reality Closer to the heart.” What Canadian band Rush was getting at here is that everyone – the blacksmith, artists, philosophers and ploughmen – all have to work together to forge and sow a new mentality. We have to do better. Yes, the politicians and government officials are indeed the ones in high places who can make a difference.

Fate, choice, destiny or divine intervention?

People have said that we can control our destiny, but not our fate. Even Napoleon believed there is no such things as accidents, calling them “fate misnamed.” Terry Pratchett once said that most gods throw dice, but “Fate plays chess, and you don’t find out til too late that he’s been playing with two queens all along.” Nice analogy.

Losing a friend, a piece of ourselves

Our home is a bit quieter than usual. It’s a strange silence, where you know something isn’t right. Our 14-year-old Lab Marley is no longer with us. For dogs, that’s a heck of a life, roughly equivalent to 98 human years! We don’t really “own” our best friends but merely “rent” them. We all hope for a long “lease.”

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