“If I were to name the three most precious resources of life, I should say books, friends, and nature; and the greatest of these, at least the most constant and always at hand, is nature.” -- John Burroughs
"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." -- Albert Camus
Welcome back, everyone!
It's been a while, I know. I randomly took August off of blogging, for a multitude of reasons.
a) I was organizing, instructing, and examining the advanced leadership classes at the pool
b) I had company over from Scotland, my sister returned from her extended stay in Australia
c) My computer caught an unfortunate virus and crashed.
So, it's been a busy few weeks finishing up work, entertaining company, and moving into the new house. By the way, we are starting a blog about living environmentally in a student house over at sustainable shots. Check it out, we'll be updating regularly in no time!
Anyway, back to the blog.
I've been trying to enjoy the summer as best I can, with work, entertaining, and getting things done. Most people love the summer months. I do, as most, enjoy warm weather.
But by far, my favourite time of year is fall. I crave the fall all year. I love the change of colour, the smell of cold air in the morning, the crinkle and crunch of leaves underfoot. Some people find fall depressing, as if it were a time of slow decay and sadness.
But think of it this way; all the trees losing their leaves are sowing seeds for next spring. Really, it's a time of great change, of an old generation passing onto the next. Thus the meaning of Albert Camus' quote; "every leaf is a flower"; as every leaf turns colour and glides down through the air, more seeds are spread for trees to further flourish in the spring.
I love fall because I find it refreshing. The cold snap of air that hits your face in the morning is a wake-up call; an alarm to rouse you from that seductive, sleepy pull of hazy summer nights. It reminds you that there are things that need to be done, but at the same time, it requires so much of your senses to experience the full breadth of autumn that you're almost preoccupied with it's beauty.
"Autumn is the eternal corrective. It is ripeness and color and a time of maturity;
but it is also breadth, and depth, and distance. What man can stand with autumn
on a hilltop and fail to see the span of his world and the meaning of the rolling
hills that reach to the far horizon?"- Hal Borland
Autumn makes me remember what I'm driven to do. It reminds me that time passes quickly, that each falling leaf is a passing second -- but each second should be enjoyed for what it will be worth later.
As I mentioned, autumn is a time of regeneration. What a wonderful time to go back to school; to learn bits of information from older generations that can teach us about the past and to help us understand what's to come. A time when nature ensures that life goes on is also a time when knowledge is passed on.
My suggestion to you is to go out and enjoy the fall weather; don't think of it as decay so much as a time of great change. Grab a chai tea, take some time on the bike path, have a good think, and get ready for the school year.
Take a minute to reset your goals; make a goal for the day, for the week, for the month, for the year. It'll help you be a little more driven and focused. It doesn't have to be an academic goal. It can be anything. For example, mine are:
Today: Practice harmonica for at least 15 minutes.
This Week: Learn 3 new songs on guitar.
This Month: Transfer all written lecture notes to OneNote as soon as I get home.
This Year: Look up sources for assignments as soon as I get them.
And, last but certainly not least,
Forever: Be nicer to everyone. :)
Ah, also, if you're in Peterborough or somewhere with decent bike trails or nice neighbourhoods, go for a nice little cruise on your bike; you'll feel awesome after, especially with the right playlist.
And do I have some great fall songs for you? Of course.
The Ballad of Hugo Chavez -- The Arkells
Winter Winds -- Mumford and Sons (current favourite)
Arizona -- Kings of Leon
Sweet Disposition -- The Temper Trap
Meo Bloonasir -- Sigur Ros
Don't Stop Believin' -- Journey
Peaches and Cream -- The John Butler Trio
Hoppipolla -- Sigur Ros
Bobcaygeon-- The Tragically Hip
Helpless -- Neil Young
Supersonic -- Oasis
Warning Sign -- Coldplay
King of the Road -- The Proclaimers
And just for fun:
We Speak No Americano -- Yolanda Be Cool feat. DCUP.
"Even though the global population is soaring into the billions, with thousands of religions, languages, philosophies, and cultures represented, ultimately, there are only two kinds of people.
There are those who are certain the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and those who believe in the best is yet to come.
(Actually, there is a third kind of person who thinks traditional Irish dance is the highest form of creative expression, but I really don't want to talk about them.)"
-- Bradley Trevor Grieve, Tomorrow: Adventures in an Uncertain World
This week, I have been disappointed. Many times, in many ways.
I am an optimistic person. I'm the one who sees the silver lining, the glass half full, the bright side. Even when I'm telling you my doubts, I'm still hoping against all odds that something good will happen.
And normally, it does.
I'm a perfectionist. A vapid, raging perfectionist. Just ask the friend who stared at me this weekend as I painted and re-painted a wooden box four times and still proclaimed that I didn't like it. If something's not right, and I know it, I will do everything I can do fix it.
I'm not easily disappointed. Because, as you can see, I try, try again. It's not that I'm stubborn (ok maybe a little), it's just that I have a compulsive need to prove myself worthy; not only to other people, but namely to myself. I am likely my own worst enemy. And I can't stand to fall short of my own expectations.
Thus, I don't fail things. I don't lose things. I don't make mistakes very often.
And when I do...God, it hurts. And this week, I suppose I had some cosmic forces just waiting to throw all the shit into the fan at once...and hit high power. I'm talking my whole life's worth of fail I haven't experienced yet.
Yes, I have had an absolutely horrid week. And while I won't go into detail, I will tell you what I've learned.
As much as I loathe to admit, disappointment can be a good thing.
I learned that yes, I am the one I disappoint the most. It doesn't really matter all that much what other people think. And all my life, I've been living up to other people's expectations because I was afraid of not living up to them. So I've been setting my own bar higher so I can be sure I won't fall short of the mark.
The only problem with that is, when you don't quite reach it, you only have further to fall.
But disappointment has taught me something else; you can measure your happiness in hope. I've always been happy trying to strive for more. It's not the trying that's the hard part, it's dealing with the fall. But if you had the audacity to hope and to try in the beginning, then you sure as hell have the guts to keep on going no matter what.
So, I will keep trying, and I suppose I'll fail again at some point in my life. And when it happens, I can look back on Epically Crappy Week and remember the lessons I've learned; that I can only disappoint myself, and that I had the guts to go on now, so I better have the guts later, too.
I've also been thinking of this from an environmental standpoint. Disappointments come every day in environmental issues, from many different groups and many different people. The oil spill is still leaking, the ice sheets are melting, air quality is causing deaths, the cancer rate is on the rise. But there are the strong few who believe that there is hope. That we can get past the disappointments and keep working our way to the top.
I think I'm a good fit for environmental issues because I'm that person who will just keep going, no matter what. I don't give up. I see the bright side. I have faith that we can learn from our mistakes.
And if everyone could realize this, we'd be in a better place, personally and physically.
Disappointments aren't the worst thing that can happen. Deaths and tragedies and accidents aren't disappointments; they're horrible and unavoidable mishaps, most of the time.
So my week could have been much crappier. I realize this. Hey, I'm looking on the bright side already!
The thing with the environment is that we can stop mishaps from happening; we can stop global warming if we try and just have the hope and drive to continue.
There will always be disappointments. There will be things that are your fault, and things that are beyong your control. You will fail some tests, you will lose an opportunity; there will be environmental disasters and there will be failed prototypes.
Apparently my dad was destined to accidentally recycle a thousand dollars.
Shit happens.
But there's always tomorrow; your life isn't over yet. The world hasn't ended yet.
And it's the "yet" that keeps me going.
I highly recommend you read "Tomorrow: Adventures in an Uncertain World" by Bradley Trevor Grieve. It's a great book, made for kids and adults alike, that will guarantee you feel better after reading it. It certainly helped me this week. Here's another excerpt.
Although it may not be on your mind right now, the wisdom you glean from your joys and hardships can always be shared with someone else and, by doing so, you will leave the world a little better than when you found it.
In the meantime, I suggest you keep your chin up, put your walking shoes on, and follow your heart to the ends of the earth.
As you make this journey, always remember that each day is a precious gift. If you can enjoy it for what it is and make the most of it, then believe it or not, there is another extraordinary gift waiting for you.
"When Michael told me she said yes, I was surprised. Hell, I was doing somersaults!" -- Uncle Dennis
"Did ye have yer kilt oan then, too?" -- Random Wedding Guest
Okay, it's been too long. I really do love blogging, but I have been so busy lately! I didn't think my summer would be quite this full of working, entertaining family, traveling, and more working. This is just a quick post to let everyone know I'm still alive. I have a few ideas but literally no time to write, so I'll hopefully have something for you this weekend.
In the mean time, in case you're wondering what I've been up to, here are a few photos of a family wedding last weekend, and a link to the website I've started for the leadership course I'm teaching (which is eating up all my time): Bronze Medallion.
I love weddings, and my cousin's wedding was certainly a good one! I got to break out the ol' prom dress and try out a few new settings on the camera, so have a look-see.
Here are a taste of my "people shots" ... let me know what you think; do I have the chops to be a wedding photographer? I'm just starting on portraits now, and as you can see, I love the candid ones...
Most of the pictures are of my Goddaughter and cousin...but they're so cute! Enjoy -- gotta love Scottish weddings, if not for the open bar and all the kilts!
Congrats Mike and Meghan :)
So...future as an amateur photographer, yes or no?
"Canada is a good country to be from. It has a gentler slower pace - it lends perspective." -- Paul Anka
After two consecutive cottage weekends, I'm feeling refreshed, inspired, and a little bit tired. Okay, maybe slightly hungover too, but I'm sure Canada didn't mind me celebrating her birthday with a local Laker or two.
I know that I'm very in touch with my 'nature side', as my dad would call it, but I do think it's important for everyone to really appreciate where we live and the beauty of our country...as well as gain some insight as to why it's important to keep it as beautiful and producitve as it is now.
I can only hope that my kids can spend weekends up North as I have for years now and swim in clean lakes and rivers, climb hundred year old trees, sit out in the sun...It's as important as it is fun to take some time to relax and live life at a slower pace, see the world and our beautiful surroundings as they should be.
People are always questioning Canada's identity. I feel, however, that although we don't boast about much, Canadians are the type of people that live in small towns; the type that sit back and relax in their backyard, simply appreciating who they are and what they have, and not really putting too much worry on what others think. Locals know the best spots, and if they know what's best for those spots, they'll share them with a select few people they love, lest that place become ruined by traffic or tourism. I think Canada is much like this...we know and love our country, and aren't in a rush to define anything about it.
I think that's actually a good thing.
I could go on and on about this amazing country, but pictures say a thousand words, so here are a few Canada Day Weekend shots for you :)
"Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink."
-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
When I was a kid, I would get what my father called my "rain face". I would sit by our big bay window in the summer months and stare out as our court became a whirpool of swirling water. I was perfectly content to sit there for hours, just watching the droplets ping up from puddles, only to be swallowed again.
And my Dad never understood why.
"Why don't you play downstairs, or watch TV?" he'd ask me.
"I don't feel like it," I'd always respond.
So one day, he said, "Why don't you go outside?"
And I replied, "Because it's raining."
"Go outside anyway," he told me, with a smile.
"I can do that?" I asked, my mind still stuck on the strict rules of childhood.
"I'll give you five bucks if you do," he said.
I ran out the door in a split second, in only shorts and a t-shirt, barefoot. And I ran around the court, feet splashing up puddles behind me, my hair sticking to my face. I ran, and ran, and ran, until I couldn't anymore and collapsed laughing onto the grass. I can't remember many times in my life that I've been happier than I was at that moment; it's still so clear in my mind.
I've always been attracted to water. I'm not one to believe in Zodiacs or earth signs, but it's pretty clear to me that water and I have a strong relationship; it calms me, it soothes me, it fascinates me.
And so it pains me to know that we're running out of it; and fast.
I've been following water issues since I became interested in the environment, and I feel that I will continue to study it for the rest of my life.
So, I present to you an edited version of an essay I wrote in Gr. 12 about water issues, policy, and social justice. You may find it eye-opening and intriguing; I know my research had me captivated for weeks.
Dictionary.com defines the term ‘finite’ as “subject to limitations or conditions, as of space, time, circumstances, or the laws of nature: man's finite existence on earth” (dictionary.com). Just as man’s existence on this planet is under the constraints of a time limit, so are the earth’s goods. Our Earth is a miracle. Astrologists suggest that for our world to have been created with the ability to sustain life the way it does is nearly impossible. Yet, we live. The Earth lives. The reason for the Earth’s sustenance is water. Water fuels us; helps us to travel, cook, clean, and swim in. A world without water would be nothing. The Earth would be a barren desert incapable of supporting any living thing, such as Mars.
Water is a finite substance. We never have any more or any less water then what we started with when the Earth was formed about 4.55 billion years ago. Basically, yes, you are drinking recycled water that the dinosaurs drank. Water is important in everyday life. You yourself are about 70% water. You need it to live. You could go without food for 2 to 3 weeks. You cannot go without water for even 3 days. Our planet’s population of humans is increasing at an alarming rate. The more people we have, the less water available for all of us. And only about 1% of all the Earth’s abundance of water is drinkable.
The other 99% is either salinated in salt water, up in the atmosphere, or underground in aquifers that we cannot reach. As of now, over one sixth of the Earth’s people go without access to safe drinking water every day. This number will only increase as populations, especially those in Third World countries, continue to grow. “Ten years from now, India will have an extra 250 million people and Pakistan’s population will almost double, to 210 million…the world will house an additional 26 billion people – a 57 percent increase over today’s level of 6.1 billion” (Barlow & Clarke 6).
Water is a growing industry. In times of recession, it is important to have a dependable income in our economy, but the rising of the water privatization sector is proving to be dangerous. There are three things that people will always need; graves, houses, and water. If you’ll excuse the pun, the World Bank has ‘tapped in’ to this knowledge, and are investing much of their money into subsidizing water corporations. They understand that water is a $400 billion dollar industry, and is closely following oil and electricity. They know that once the other two resources run out, there will be one left. These corporations are claiming rights to water all over the world and are taxing municipalities and companies to use it. But who can own water? Water has never belonged to anyone. It is a public right that all people have in common. Maude Barlow, author of Blue Gold and Blue Covenant, stated that “water is a right, not a commodity” (FLOW).
The World Bank endorses a group known as the World Water Council, which deals with water issues worldwide. However, the two vice presidents of the WWC have worked for Suez and Vivendi, water corporation giants. This corrupt system of money-making does not end there. The World Bank and its subsidiaries cannot be sued; they have legal immunity. They can go bankrupt, but as long as people are paying money for anything, the water corporations will always be floated back up to the top. In interview on the documentary, FLOW, Jim Schultz stated; “The World Bank knows how to spend a billion dollars in one place. They don’t know how to do is spend a thousand dollars in a million places…and yet in many places we don’t need a million dollar answer, we need a thousand dollar answer!” (FLOW). The World Bank’s solution to the current global crisis is money. Not humanity.
It is unfair that companies with no rights to water in any country can sell it back to the people who live there and depend on it. The three biggest water corporations of today are the United Kingdom’s Thames Water, France and EU’s Vivendi (which has now expanded to include Veolia), and South America’s Suez. These three companies are responsible for the extortionate prices of water, especially in developing countries, where they know people must pay for water in order to survive. Thus, their market is geared towards such places as South America, Asia, and Africa. The Big Three are all listed in the top 100 wealthiest companies of the world. They prey upon the weak and vulnerable of society in order to keep them afloat during harsh economic times. They are privatizing water. Even worse, they are privatizing water that isn’t theirs, and causing the painful deaths of those who are in the most need of water but who cannot afford it. Instead of selling the poor’s water to them, they should be providing safe water alternatives.
In Varda Bustyn’s fictional novel, Water Inc., a ‘water cartel’ of sorts attempts to use Quebec’s civil unrest with the rest of Canada in order to build a pipeline for water from Canada’s North down into the United States. Although this did not really happen, it is certainly plausible that other countries will plot to steal water from others. “Over 215 major rivers and 300 groundwater basins and aquifers are shared by two or more countries, creating tensions over ownership and use of the precious waters they contain” (Barlow & Clarke). Canada and the US share 5 of the world’s largest lakes. The US’ populations by far surpasses Canada’s. Who is to say that in desperate times our neighbors to the South won’t turn on us?
And to make matters worse, the Great Lakes’ water levels have dropped to their lowest in about 100 years. Above the border, in Canada’s many lakes, rivers, streams, and glaciers lies 9% of the Earth’s total fresh water. Keep in mind that the other 91% is elsewhere, but very little of this is readily accessible to humans. Wars may be fought over water. Burstyn theorizes that the next World War will be over water. Canada must set a course of action in place to protect our water. Already, agreements have been made with other countries over the selling rights of our water. So far, attempts have not been in Canada’s best interests. “Massive water diversions from Canada do not make economic or environmental sense, according to water experts. Far better and cheaper is to improve water efficiency and eliminate waste. The United States and Canada lead the world in water consumption and are extraordinarily wasteful, Pentland says” (Leahy). Much to our dismay, this is true. North Americans are the worst for wasteful water consumption. Just one of our toilet flushes – the low water-use ones—is equal to the amount of water one person in Mozambique uses per day. The distribution of water is uneven, and disputes will arise. Things have to change.
The third issue with the water crisis is the increase in use of plastic water bottles. These are ‘disposable’ containers made of a thin plastic that often contains harmful chemicals such as BPA. About one fifth of all Americans will only drink bottled water. 1.5 million tones of plastic from these types of bottles has been dumped into waterways and landfills. But is it worth it? The answer is up to you. “The FDA has less than one person regulating bottled water” (Penn & Teller). Bottled water does not currently have any regulations in North America. This means that any sort of heavy metals, chemicals, or pesticides from nearby industrial areas, farmland, or mines could be in the water you’re drinking! Municipalities treat their tap water and have better regulations than just about any bottled water company you could find. The prices being charged for this falsely advertized water are extortionate. In fact, Nestle bottling company has seventy-four brands of water on the market alone. They all have different prices. Chances are that almost all of these water ‘brands’ aren’t regulated. In fact, an individual company in Massachusets is selling water labeled as ‘glacial water’, when in fact, it is really from a well in an industrial factory parking lot.
By polluting, diverting, stealing, and wasting water, we are preventing others from having their most basic rights; the right to live and the right to water. It is important that we realize that we are affecting others and our planet in each small action we do. According to the Principle of the Common Good, “the common good includes the social conditions that permit people to reach their full human potential and to realize their human dignity.” There are three essential elements of the common good: respect for the person, the social well-being and development of the group, and thirdly, peace and security. (Pennock 14). In order for us as global citizens to fulfill our call to contribute to the common good, we must change. We must respect others by not polluting their land. We must look after the social and economical aspects of water-sharing throughout the world. And we must also make sure that treaties are signed and followed so that no conflicts arise over this already terrifying crisis.
The United Nations stated that the US alone spent $90 billion dollars on bottled water alone last year. The UN also estimates that for all humans to have access to safe and clean drinking water, it would cost only $3 billion dollars. If Americans did not buy a third of the water they are buying now, all people on earth could have their basic needs met! Humans can potentially provide water to everyone across the globe. It is just getting everyone on board that is the issue. There are solutions to this problem. It starts with you. Donate to causes such as Development and Peace, Planet Blue Run, and Me to We. Sign government petitions to make trade agreements over Canada’s water sales. Buy local products, and make sure you know where you products are coming from and how they’re getting to you. Boycott companies like Coke and Nestle, for buying from them is only fueling their fire. Be an ecoconsumer.
People do not need to suffer for our ignorance. We can change things before they get too bad. Maude Barlow, author of two books on the water crisis, paraphrased an old saying on the documentary FLOW; “Never doubt that a small group of commited individuals can change the world.” Imagine what we could do if we were all commited!
"Sometimes I d get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter." --Ansel Adams
Hello, all!
Don't mind my fiddlings with layout, it'll all be fixed soon...
Just thought I'd let you know that I finally got that SLR I've been dreaming of for a few years now. I spend an extremely pleasant day with a friend learning the ins and outs of my latest gadget, and here are the fruits of my labour (isn't that an awkward saying?).
Enjoy!
That's what I call "blue"!
Love those clouds...
And that's my "intense photography moment" look.
So, there you have it. Some of my fiddlings. Anyone need an amateur photographer? Seriously...
(Oh, again, please ask before using any of these; might use them later for contests and such)
"The proper words in the proper places are the true definition of style."-- Jonathan Swift
I've been thinking, as I do, about words.
Writing is such a funny thing. It has so many dimensions; you can write a sentence that no one has ever uttered before, without much of a thought. You can create anything with words -- pictures, melodies, feelings.
But there are so many to choose from, and so many ways to place them; which makes them so fun. If you haven't noticed, I have an addiction to quotes. Jonathan Swift said it well "proper words in the proper places are the true definition of style". We like quotes because of their style, because they've been placed in such an order that we find them intriguing and thought provoking.
All the best quotes are the simplest ones -- small words in the perfect order.
Words are like threads that we pick out and weave until we make something tangible.
I like writing because it takes my thoughts and turns them out into neat, compact little threads that I can see. And once I can see them, I can weave them into a Big Picture that I can look back at and understand. But that's just me writing for me. Of course, this blog is me writing for me, and for you. My short stories and other pieces I've worked on are for other people.
I'm a fairly creative person. I like making art, I like appreciating it, I like knowing other people appreciate my own efforts.
But what I love is knowing that for a few moments, however small, my words are slipping into your mind like little silver ribbons of thought. Honestly, what could be more amazing? The true essence of art is that extra dimension of communication, where you, the reader -- or the listener or observer -- slip out of your own thoughts for a moment and let yourself fall completely into the world of someone else.
How beautiful!
Here's what's been niggling at me lately:
What gives me the right to do that? What is giving me the right to fill your mind up with my own thoughts? What makes me worth your time, what makes me give my own time to try?
I don't quite know. I suppose you do. When I read someone else's work, I like to forget myself for a few moments and be somewhere else. I guess, then, when I'm writing it's my job to create a world for you to get lost in, a world you haven't experienced before.
Either way, I like knowing that all these tiny letters on this page can make a reader feel something, that all these miniscule punctuation marks and spaces mean something; maybe not something important, but something you appreciate.
It's flattering!
I guess though, in the end, even if no one reads this, I'm at least enjoying writing for myself.
