Commentary

Why ‘doing nothing’ just isn’t an option

February 12, 2025   ·   0 Comments

We are reminded, time and again, to use our time wisely while we’re running around on this planet. We should make the most out of every day, every hour in fact. And yet, there are days, maybe even weeks, when we are struggling, and resort to just doing nothing at all.

We should celebrate our very existence

I have a good story to tell. It’s not just my story. It may not be impressive, but it’s like many others out there – all of us in fact. Experts estimate that the odds of my (our) existence today is roughly one in 400 quadrillion. Yes, that’s a huge number – approximately the volume in cubic metres of the Atlantic Ocean. A Buddhist version of our existence notes that if there was just one life preserver floating around the ocean and only one turtle in the water, our odds would be the same as that turtle sticking its head out in exactly the centre of that preserver.

Every day is a challenge for many

For those who are suffering – from any kind of illness – every day is a challenge. It takes every ounce of strength just to get out of bed, go through the motions, only to sink back into your pillow at night with a sense of indifference, even dread. We put on a brave face – for our friends and loved ones. When asked how we are doing, we mutter something like “okay.”

Courage, fortitude needed to face the year ahead

Jan. 1 was like any other Wednesday, other than it was a day off. It was a day to reflect, ponder and look ahead, because looking back was no longer an option. Like a “bridge over troubled water,” I had been weary, feeling small, with tears in my eyes. There were multiple times in the past year when I simply had “to lay me down.”

Humour makes my world go ‘round

While I’m nowhere near the comedic talent of one of the most talented men on the planet, I am a funny guy. That’s funny haha not funny strange. Okay … Jorge Garcia once said that mixing humour and harsh reality is a very human behaviour – “it’s the way people stay sane in their daily lives.”

Knowledge isn’t enough to advance our species

Knowledge itself is power, and it’s also not free – you have to pay attention! Adam Growe, Canadian comedian and host of the TV quiz show Cash Cab, is my companion on quiet Sunday mornings. I cheer for the contestants and celebrate my own knowledge of general trivia.

Santa Claus has along and cherished history

For children and adults around the world, Santa Claus is the epitome of the holiday season. While “Christ is the reason for the season,” Claus is a close second. In his famous response to a letter from a child, Francis P. Church explained in the New York newspaper, The Sun: “Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.”

Holidays shouldn’t be financially stressful

Harley Pasternak once said that “life is all about balance, and there are certain times of the year … that are meant to be enjoyed without guilt.” They say Christmas is not a season, but a state of mind. Well, the state of mind among our fellow Canadians is a bit depressing this year. According Spring Financial’s annual holiday survey, Canadians are stressed out, in debt and taxed to the limit when it comes to holiday spending.

Try to avoid the evil urges of consumerism

We are entering the holiday season and the infamous “Black Friday.” Sounds more like a reason to panic, than to save. And yet, millions of consumers across North America and beyond will dash to retail stores and wear out their keyboards for a flurry of shopping.

The ‘village’ is here to help one another

We’re all familiar with the phrase, “it takes a village to raise a child.” And it’s here to help adults, too. Originally an African proverb, the phrase picked up steam here in North America following Hillary Clinton’s 1996 book, “It takes a Village.”

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