Doppel-Craig'er

I have always taken the time to notice people. Being brutally shy growing up was one excuse to watch folks, to see how they act, what makes them tick and in the case of girls, how cute they were!
Over the years I have evolved out of any real shyness, but I still do pay attention. Hopefully to everything, so that I can enjoy each moment for what it is.
In particular however, I have noticed that it is a rare thing these days for people to remember you.
So Nila and I were particularly surprised the other day when we were walking past a small park in Yaletown and saw a lovely couple waving at us! It took us just a moment, but then we remembered meeting them just a few days previously in a new fashion boutique - Oze - that they have opened up in Yaletown. We spoke with the lady for a few moments about their move from Paris to Vancouver and of course, with our current infatutation with Paris could not figure out why anybody would do that . . .
In any event, I'd just like to point out that this 'remembrance' happens so infrequently that I can count on one hand the number of times it has happened since moving to the west coast, where everyone is so *ahem* friendly.
I may not recognize everyone I meet, but I wave and smile at more people than recognize me back, by about 50 to 1 I reckon.

Which brings me to my next point, and a recent embarassment.

So, I'm walking down the street with Nila, just outside our apartment building, when I look up and see . . . Craig, purveyor of fine videos at The Screening Room on Seymour Street.
I say to Nila, 'Hey, it's Craig!' and get ready for the big hello. And, seeing him on the street instead of behind his desk is obviously a special occasion, so this isn't going to be any regular hello.
NO, I'm going for the big hello. So, I wind up, flap my left arm around and say 'HEYYYY!'
Then he gets closer . . .
He sort of says hello . . .
When he's 2 feet away, my eyes widen a bit . . .
He walks past.

That wasn't Craig.

In the old days I would have felt REALLY sheepish, and turned red and such.
I got over it pretty quickly and then thought about how much that guy really looked like Craig!!

Which brings me to my last point, in all of this.
During my life, I have been 'recognized' as someone else many times. Many, many times.
At least 3 times, people have insisted that I am someone else and the one time, regardless of all my truthful explanations, did not convince the person that I was not who they thought I was.
Ever happen to you??

My advice: Pay attention, folks.
I'll do the same, although I may wave at you and smile anyway, which is still not quite a crime last I've heard.

Let The Music Play

I must be getting more sentimental as I grow older.
Actually, I wouldn't say getting more but actually expressing more.

I have to admit that I've always been easily affected by the mood of the world around me.
If someone is heartbroken and crying, I too become sad.
If someone is laughing uncontrollably, I'll have myself a little giggle.
Movies and programs that show true love being torn apart - I'm gone.

Of all mediums, the one I find the most surprising to get a sad reaction too is music.
I think we mostly listen to music to feel good, feel inspired, mellow out or party down. Somehow, I think we're missing an important part of the spectrum.

So, recently I've been listening to songs that inspire me and also those that simply move me. On the list:
Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven - could cry every time
Mission by Rush - very inspired and touching lyrics about finding your passion
Emerald by the Tea Party - a song that changed my life and connected me to Nila
Ohne Dich by Rammstein - yes, THE Rammstein made me cry
The End by the Doors - i get high without any help at all
Non Je Ne Regrette Rien by Edith Piaf - Possibly the most heart-wrenching and beautiful song I know
Run To The Water by Live - inspires me to live in love with life

And, lastly as a tribute to my father who left this world under unhappy circumstances, I listen to Gordon Lightfoot with him in mind.

Let the music play, folks . . . let you heart be moved, let a smile set upon your lips and let tears escape your eyes if they must.
But let the music play.

13 or 87?

Who's to say?
Numbers have significance, even if we make up the meaning.
Some say the universe is all numbers. Kabbalists see numbers in letters and words.
I've done my share of reading and love mysterious number - pi, phi and so on.

After all these years, though, I still love the number 13 and it pops up all over the place.
Invariably, when I make a purchase the total is either **.13 or **.87 (13 from 100).
Now you can probably guess, I do like the movie 'The Number 23' - very very underrated, on many levels.

I'm sure many of you have experiences with numbers as well, some of which can't really be explained.
Do you ever look at a clock at the same time, all the time???
I usually look when the numbers are all the same, and most often at 4:44, especially in the a.m..
Why?
I dunno.

I do like numbers, though.
Now, to get more of them into my bank account . . .

Cars and Effect

I don't own a car. Goes with not having a TV, or microwave and all that jazz.
I have owned a few cars over the last 20 years, however. Four to be exact, two of which were pick-up trucks to use for work.
I only ever loved one of those vehicles, though, and that was my 1970 Mustang Mach I. The colour was 'grabber blue' and it had rear louvres, black detailing and a nice little 302 engine. I paid way too much (I was in love, after all) and sold it for a huge loss. Why DID I sell that car?
Well, when I went to University at Guelph a few things affected my life forever.
1. I saw the animal labs in the veterinary medicine section of the school. Now I'm vegan.
2. I met a girl, got married for the wrong reasons. I'm re-married after figuring out who I really wanted.
3. I learned about the environment through various classes and awareness programs. I sold my mustang.

I remember the days when, on a balmy Friday evening in Ottawa, I would get into the car, plug in a Rush tape (Moving Pictures featuring 'Red Barchetta' most often) and drive. Around town, to the old neighbourhoods where I grew up, along the parkway. Anywhere, really, but just to drive. Of course, my foot dropped more than a few times to not only feel the car give 'er, but also to hear that sound that you just don't hear from today's tin cans that kids attempt to 'supe up'.

But I wouldn't go back or change any decisions I've made. I was still happy the day I sold her.

I haven't owned my own vehicle for about 7 years now, relying mostly on work vehicles and public transportation until about 6 months ago.
Now I use the Co-operative Auto Network in Vancouver and just drive as needed for work, groceries, or what have you.
Sometimes . . . just to drive.

You see, I really don't think that it is actually the number of cars on the road that is ultimately the problem (global warming, et. al.). It's how much you drive and each of us can control that.

Smell Phone

I never really was much of a talker.
Then came the telephone - yes, old school. I never really did get the hang of it beyond just saying what needs to be said.
And, of course now everyone has a cell phone.

I got my first and only one nearly 3 years ago, mostly for work.
Well, that job no longer exists and the use I have for this phone is dwindling daily.

Now, we read about the new iphone controversy in Canada and I read about people lining up for it.
Crazy.
All I see daily is a sea of people driving badly while talking on their cell; bumping into you or meandering on the street while being distracted; cell phones going off at the movies, at the opera or wherever;kids staring at their cell on the bus instead of taking a deep breath and enjoying the world outside of technology. When I hear them talk, which they do less coherently than I can ever remember, it's usually meaningless and just occupying time. Half the time they are talking about the last 'text' they sent.

So, in keeping with my love of the direction of distractedness this world is coming to, I called to find out that my contract ends on October 23rd of this year.

They may have sold the rest of you on the 'need' for the technology, but I seem to be able to get by with a landline and a laptop with a DSL connection.

The cell still looks new, but I won't miss it. It can go in the imaginary pile beside my last television.

No, they can't 'cell' me.

Believe in Choice

I've been thinking a lot lately about both belief and choice.

In your life you often believe one thing and choose another.
Beliefs change and the decision to make a choice isn't always acted upon.
I guess that's part of the challenge, especially when faced with so many daily life choices.
Definately part of the reason for me simplifying life and focusing on fewer things lately.
After all, being happy and having fun is assessed by each of us with everything we do.

A few things I'd like to throw out there about me and some of my beliefs and choices:

- I believe in Life and so I choose not to be scared of death
- I don't believe in religion but I have chosen to read about many of them
- I believe that everyone has an ingrained ability unique to them and I choose to take the time to find mine
- I don't use any drugs and never have but I believe in everyone's right to
- I believe in freedom of expression but I choose to listen to what I want to
- I don't believe monogomy is a natural human instinct but I choose to do it anyway
- I believe that world peace is a pipe-dream but I choose to take actions that theoretically support the idea
- I don't believe in politics so I choose to vote with my daily choices
- I believe in myself after a long, long search and I choose to act upon that belief

Believe in what you do and make your choices.
That's life.

You Can Always Leave

Nila and I went to see the Bard on the Beach production of 'King Lear' tonight. After having been enraptured and wholly entertained by 'Twelfth Night' just a few evenings ago, we felt good about the prospect of another worthwhile show.
As it turned out, the first half was pretty lacklustre . . . but the good news is that the cab ride home was far more entertaining than the second half probably would have been, as we had to bypass the Burrard Street bridge in favour of Granville due to some filming going on.

A few years ago, despite front row seats, we also had to flee a showing of 'The King and I' at the Theatre Under the Stars in Stanley Park. The beautiful walk home with my lovely wife was a million times more rewarding and the simple time spent with her instead of beside her being pummelled with boredom made for a perfect decision.

You always have choices.
You can choose to do something. You can choose to get excited about it. You can choose to watch and interpret whether you are spending your time in a worthwhile manner. You can choose to leave.

Some would say this is a bit hasty and a waste of money, time or effort.

I say that any time I get to spend with Nila is my best choice, but especially so when our attention is not being used up on something we are both not enjoying. And we usually agree.

Life is too valuable a commodity to waste.
I spent 7 years in a relationship where time stood still, and not in the positive 'Power of Now' Tolle-ian kind of way. Eventually, I made the perfect choice and never looked back.

Choose wisely, my friend.

Carbon Based

Carbon Tax - 2.4 cents/litre.

Solution without complaining - drive at least 2.4 cents/litre less.

Walk, run, skip, dance or catapult your way along.
Combine daily driving trips into one weekly one.
Don't idle.

A Few Simple Rules

So I'm jogging this morning around B.C. Place and stop to do some stretches at a point where I can see the traffic below on Pacific Boulevard zipping by. And I mean zipping!
If you've ever driven there, past the Costco, it's a nice little series of turns that makes you feel like you're in the Molson Indy for just a second.

Now I've been watching this woman mosey, and I mean mosey along, toward the traffic light.
It's 6:30 a.m. and traffic is pretty light. I see her push the button to change the light. There appear to be no cars coming, although I can hear one in the distance.
Here we go . . . it's showtime.

Halfway across, she looks over, apparently surprised to see A CAR on the ROAD!
He honks at her, rightfully, and slows down only enough to be somewhat zippy in his approach to the next corner.
She scoots a little bit to get out of the way and he drives narrowly, and I mean narrowly by.

WHY?

I must see this same thing happen a hundred times a day - when I venture out for that long, that is.
Why can't people just obey the simplest little rules of everyday conduct (most of which are in fact laws, anyway):
- wait for the light to change before crossing
- walk on the right side of the sidewalk
- wait for folks to get out of the elevator before trying to get in
- if you can't exit an intersection with a traffic light, don't go in
(BUSES, please ignore all said rules, we all know you can do as you please)

Little things like that.

It's these little things, happening over and over and over all day that add up to a lot of frustration that nobody really needs.
Do your part. Behave when the situation calls for it.
You won't get there that much faster.
You won't be less of 'an individual' for having to conform to society's rules.
You'll have less to think about!

And you may live a little longer, although whether or not that's a good thing for everybody out there is still open to debate . . .

In Defense

Of Women.

I'd like to commend Canada for bestowing upon Dr. Morgentaler the Order of Canada.
Not so much for the award itself, but for being progressive enough to realize that we don't live in the dark ages and someone needs to take a stand for women.

In case you don't know, Dr. Morgentaler fought the Supreme Court of Canada and won for the right to perform abortions back in the 80's. I don't know much more than that, you can look it up.

What I do know is this - I have a great admiration for anyone who helps out women.
In these 'modern' times, I can barely accept what I see in our 'civilized' society day in and day out, let alone the major atrocities that occur on a larger scale - violence towards women, rape, genital mutilation, unfair pay, and the list goes on.
If a man were EVER told what he could or could not do with his body, I don't even think we'd be talking about this.

I've recently struck upon the notion that I'd like to do more to help in what I consider to be one of the biggest flaws in society today - the treatment of women by their men.
We can all become happy, peaceful enlightened beings, living in green bliss on this little planet, but if we don't get along and live and love together, I don't really see the point all the time.

In researching just a little bit, I got nothing when i googled 'men helping women' and yet got page after page for 'women helping women'.
Come on guys, seriously, get over your damn selves, step up and act like real men.
The world is not about money or business or countries or politics or competing or any of the daily bullshit. That just keeps us busy.

It's about women. We love them, we want them, we need them and we cannot live without them.

To that end, and in honour and support of women everywhere I have started another blog, 'A Gentlemans Pursuit', aimed at being positive in its outlook as we move forward in our treatment of the fairer sex in our society.
I have A LOT to say about that, and I'm absolutely sure it will be beautifully controversial, but I'll leave here for now with this:
We're all brought into this world through a woman and it is only together that we can make great lives for ourselves.
We need to try harder.