Category Archives: Uncategorized

We’ve been had!  From my years in high school I remember only two lines of “poetry” – the one famous – “to be or not to be…” the other – “herded like bone-headed cattle.”  Our culture has clearly become the … Continue reading →

The flashing red sign on the church’s electronic billboard read: “Happy New Year – another chance to Get It Right.”  I groaned.  As if we know what “right” is!  Sure, we were all taught various versions of right and wrong, … Continue reading →

I have been resisting writing this blog.  Why?  The short answer is in the title, a line from Brené Brown whose work I will say more about in a moment.  Here is what unfolded.  Two weeks ago I was preparing … Continue reading →

            “Who of us here has not had one of those heart stopping moments of terror as a vehicle speeds past, leaving little space  and almost throwing us off balance?”  The older woman dressed in a crossing-guard style vest addressed … Continue reading →

It seems I’m in good company.  The Ontario Art Gallery currently has a Marc Chagall exhibit.  It includes a movie about his life, in which the famous Russian artist expresses the self-doubt he felt when commissioned, at age 75, to … Continue reading →

Two recent news items sparked this reflection.  His show “The Rick Mercer Report” on Tuesday October 25th, included one of the most popular parts of the show, Mercer’s “rant.”  Mercer is a well-known Canadian comedian and television personality.  He brings … Continue reading →

On the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation programme “The Current”[1] on Thursday September 29th, 2011, host Ann- Maria Tremonti interviewed Janine di Giovanni, a fellow journalist and war correspondent whom she has known for a many years.  DiGiovanni‘s recent book Ghosts By … Continue reading →

As I lay on the yoga mat early this morning, it went through my mind that last Tuesday, a week ago today, was the last day of my brother’s life.  No one, let alone he himself, considered this to be … Continue reading →

As the kids roared down the hill, the adults above called out to stop running lest they trip and fall.  A chorus came from the group of 9ish year old boys who kept running:  “If we want to trip, we’ll … Continue reading →

A colleague sent me an article he had written titled “no funeral service.”  It has become “fashionable”, if that is the correct word, for people to express this wish before they die.  That is the topic for another piece, but … Continue reading →