Tag Archive "mark-pavilons"
Humans have the itch to travel and explore
Theo was spot on with many of his tidbits that he shared with generations of readers. “We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment,” read a mural at Hamilton International Airport. I saw the quote when I picked up my eldest from a short trip to Alberta to visit her cousin. Lexie is the world traveller of our family and “oh the things she has seen.” She’s been to Europe, New York and LA. She did humanitarian work in Rwanda and Kenya. She’s done work in Guatemala and spent time in a small fishing village.
Laughter saved the human species!
“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” Victor Borge didn’t know how right he was when he said that. Charles Dickens noted that nothing in the world is so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour. This truly human quality, one we take for granted, is likely responsible for us being at the top of the food chain.
Food woes compounded by questionable practices
Canadians are in the midst of one of the worst inflationary periods for food in our history. We’re plagued by high prices and scarce products on shelves. As polite Canucks, we didn’t say much when butter hit $7 per pound or a good steak breached the $30 mark. Those who do the grocery shopping each week know all too well how food prices are dinging the bank account.
Unclench and enjoy the simple pleasures
Imagine this: a man and his dog, sitting on a sidewalk bench on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. The little pup, whose adventures in the real world are limited, stayed close by the man’s side, watching as each car and person passed by. It was a lot for the little one to take in.
The inhospitable land of spoiled milk and tainted honey
Most of us are products (offspring) of immigrants to this great country of ours. As home-grown Canadians, we have never known anything else but the bounty this land has given us. For those who are multi-generational, their ancestors likely toiled the land, built lives and families here in Ontario.
Going ‘home’ through nostalgic lenses
There are plenty of songs, poems and quotes about the desire to “go home.” Sorry to say, it’s just not possible. We can never really go back home. Time is not very kind to us humans. If we could only freeze it, capture those special moments and hold on to them like the safety harness on a roller coaster.
Let’s remember to enjoy life as puppies do!
Dogs’ lives are too short. That’s really their only flaw. Dog owners know that once you have one, it’s hard to live without one. They are what they seem – curious, loving, mischievous, intelligent and well, crazy, at times. Sounds a lot like people.
Living a lie: The hypocrisy of land use
“We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territories of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee and the Anishinaabe peoples, whose presence here continues to this day. We also would like to acknowledge that these are the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit and to thank them and other Indigenous peoples for sharing this land with us.”
Post-pandemic mental health issues remain
What’s wrong with the current picture of our society? I’m talking about the big picture lens of society, which is plagued with problems, exacerbated by mental health issues. In our post-pandemic world, few are still talking about the COVID impacts – the loss, displacement, upheaval. The last virus has been handled, so let’s move on.
An ordinary or extraordinary life?
Roman emperor Augustus once said everyone wants to lead an extraordinary life. It seems humankind has been obsessed with the extraordinary. We’re afraid to be typical, normal or even humdrum. There is a Zen saying: “Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.”
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