Musings
About retirement… and random other things!
These blogs first appear as weekly columns in the Red Deer Advocate
Siblings share a unique experience
(Grainy photo from around 1965, as the four of us gleefully surround my poor grandfather during a hospital visit. I'm second from left) My daughter often comments that she’s glad she doesn’t have siblings. She has seen her friends’ responsibility for younger brothers and sisters all her life, she sees siblings fighting and needing to learn to...
Challenge to self: be a regular blood donor
I’ve had a long-held desire to be a blood donor, but an equally long fear of it. It’s not a concern of fainting that intimidates me, which my personal research has revealed is a common reason people hesitate. For me, it’s a fear of possible pain as the needle goes in. This all stemmed from the time I needed a blood transfusion in my early 20s and...
Lost in a sea of cars
I often lose my way, which I’ve written about quite a bit. But I don’t often actually lose my car! Really only once before, when the first snow of the season covered it at the airport park & jet while I was away. The valet driver had to go round and round the parking lot before I spotted it, but really there was no harm done. This recent lost...
What would you do with 20 bucks?
If I gave you $20, what would you do with it? I asked various people and just sat back to see what they’d say. It’s a fairly inconsequential amount to many of us, while to others it represents bread and milk and enough gas to make it into work for a few more days. I found it such an interesting activity that I might just keep going with it, but...
The permission principle
Today I heard a radio announcer utter the phrase ‘the certainty of confusion’ and immediately fell in love with its irony. It was made in reference to the leader of the country to the south, but it was uttered during a week when I was diving deep into a reflection of my own relationship with the concept of permission. Certainty of confusion is a...
Challenge to self: make space for silence
A walk with Sheldon. If you’re out and about in Red Deer, you’ve seen Sheldon. He’s everywhere and he’s always walking. Slow and steady, through the pathways and streets of Red Deer in every season – usually wearing a hockey jersey or t-shirt. He’s a giant of a man, a friendly giant. He’s quick to smile and remove his earphones when you approach...
Stupid stuff we did as kids
Didn’t we all do ridiculous things back in the day when we were free roaming kids in the 60s and 70s? Novels could be written about the shenanigans, but when I narrow it down to things that were downright dangerous the list gets shorter. Thankfully. When we were really little and most of the mayhem took place inside, many of the casualties seemed...
I’m grounded enough, thank you
After watching a documentary on Grounding, I thought it might be just the ticket for my old pug. The concept is that by planting your bare feet on the ground you can start to heal yourself from all of the earth’s manmade electrical energy and reduce inflammation. We have disconnected from the earth, they declared, and just 15 minutes of bare skin...
There is still great optimism in volunteering
I had the privilege of attending the ‘International Year of Volunteers’ world conference in Amsterdam in January 2001. It was a monumental event – national committees from countries all over the world were there. Amazing guest speakers from the United Nations, Kings from small European countries, and thousands of delegates gathered to ‘prepare to...