Holidays 2020

Christmas 2020 has come and gone leaving behind it a wide swath of feelings and emotions. Being strongly encouraged to socially isolate during a time of year that has been hard-wired to practice generosity, gratitude, appreciation, inclusion and love with those that matter the most in your life is counter-intuitive, annoying, and mildly depressing. 

I come from a larger than normal sized family, by today's standards. As I have written in the past, I have three brothers, and three of our four have two children who are now adults, or nearly so. When my immediate family gathers for special occasions, and the unmarried ones bring their significant others, it makes for quite the hoard sitting round an obviously large table, overflowing with food. If you look at a photo of our hoard, you'll immediately notice that, in general, we've never accidentally eaten anything ... I like to call us "big boned". 

It goes without saying that the Holidays of 2020 were like that new kid in class who people aren't sure about as we nervously search the floorboards whether or not to engage in conversation. It's not that we shun him/her, but we're not sure how we feel about allowing him/her into our bubble. Even with technology like Zoom and Facetime trying its best to lend a hand, I still felt a large chasm in the experience. It's often said, but as social animals, humans crave the face-to-face interactions above almost anything else, its absences leaving a vast emptiness when unfulfilled. 

We felt truly blessed this holiday to share some quality time with both of our children. With Maddi and Chris' wedding in full planning mode, we knew that we would have to share them with Chris' parents, so social distancing was always in our thoughts. Keaton made the effort for a long-ish visit, something that his work doesn't allow for very often, and we enjoyed some very satisfying catch-up time. It goes without saying that each parent yearns to ensure that their now-adult children are fairing well, feeling good, and coping with life's ups and downs. Being able to engage our kids, have them regale their experiences out from under the umbrella of the Bank of Mom/Dad, and flesh out some pretty beefy topics of discussion over some drinks or treats is really what it's all about. At least at our age, it is.

Both of our mother's have been blessed with a long life meaning this pandemic has been a never ending stream of repetitive internal questions about where we've been, who we've come in close contact with, and whether or not we're safe to visit. We were always balancing the positives and negatives.

Joyce's mom's situation is a little more gut wrenching since she lives in a Senior's building, and factoring in face-to-face visits has potentially greater reach if we miscalculate. Keeping in mind her situation, and weighing the consequences, we decided it prudent to make the trip and her reaction was all the feedback needed. She was ear to ear smiles and thanked us repeatedly for making the trip. She was going to share a meal on Christmas Day with some of her friends who also live in the building so we were pretty confident that loneliness wouldn't creep its way into her thoughts. For that, we are eternally grateful.

My mother is in our social bubble so we feel very comfortable with the recommended guidelines to enjoy face-to-face visits. She is pretty gosh darned independent and quick to attest to a good state of comfort, but I garner a visceral sense of ease when we share some socially distanced time together. Even though we were relegated to "Facetiming" on Christmas Day, it was extremely strange to be barred from our long standing tradition of a Christmas hug and kiss. 

I just keep repeating the mantra that sacrificing normality this holiday should make future normal ones possible, when we can gather our loved ones around for some much missed hugs and kisses. I hope that your situation was as positive as possible, and that you came away with a little bit of satisfaction. If we can stay the course, we should be able to tunnel our way out of this mess.

My Sincerest well wishes for the Holiday Season and my prayers for continued health as we collectively hope for a vastly improved year in 2021.

CLANG goes the door!

Like the resounding CLANG of a prison door, Ontario is locked down again in its ever-present battle to stem the proliferation of Covid-19 with hopes of preventing the anticipated impact to the provincial Health Care system's efforts to prevent unnecessary deaths. After unchecked growth of the Novel Coronavirus this fall, with cases recently exceeding 2000 a day on a consistent basis, combined with modelling that forecasts unbridled growth following the holiday break, #fordnation has taken the very unpopular steps to re-institute lockdown measures. This will affect the entire province, regardless of regional conditions, with the only variations hinging on geography as northern areas will be only 14 days.

All of this is not new to anyone who has paid attention.

The only question I have surrounds the mechanism that has allowed for such ridiculous growth? 

With the each day, the media faithfully reports the day's newest infections for each region across the province, and invariably points to the GTA as the main culprits - Toronto, Peel, York, Durham, and Hamilton. Essex is the only outlier. These areas constitute roughly 75% of the reported cases, but infections have unfortunately begun to swell in other regions as well ... like Simcoe Muskoka. I'd like to consider myself intelligent enough to understand that larger populations = greater chance of spread, but I go back to my query of HOW is it spreading?

The obvious guess, since I couldn't possibly know for sure, is that the people in those "hot spots" are not cooperating with the guidelines as dictated by Health Care and the province. It's easy to point fingers at "Joe Public" when I am confronted with the nightly news broadcast's video footage showing large groups of socially huddled, unmasked hoards doing whatever strikes their fancy as they rush around like so many mice hankering for a morsel. Acknowledging the risk of spreading misinformation, what I can't know is whether the video footage I watch is recent or file footage from a time prior to the pandemic. 

I'm a rule follower ... 

a glass is half full guy ... 

I trust first until proven unwise ... 

so I naturally incline toward giving the news broadcast the nod for using pertinent footage.

Answering my own question, I would venture a guess that it's a healthy dose of negligence combined with the virus' ridiculous infectiousness, spiced up with a helping heap of pandemic-infused exhaustion. With news of a new strain of the coronavirus in Britain ... Covid-21 ... that scientists are reporting is more infectious, we Canadians need to give their collective heads a big shake and come together in a common mindset to do whatever is required to reduce the spread. I acknowledge that the mortality rate is not as high as first thought, but I'll go to my own grave with the opinion that even one preventable death is too many.

I grant you that there are no easy solutions or answers, and some parts of Canada are far more successful than others, but my fear is there will be a breaking point in the capacity of the Health Care system, and one of my loved ones is caught on the bad side of it.

Consider this a personal request from me to you. I am imploring all who may read this to join me, my loved ones, and good friends in our united acceptance of the conditions being imposed over the next few weeks to lessen the spread with a figurative "shot to the gut" of the virus. Vaccinations will make a difference, if they are available and voluntarily taken, but the timing of national inoculation plan leads me to believe that the Health Care crisis will crest before the various vaccines have a chance to make an impact. 

For my view, the simplest and easiest way to quickly make an impact is to follow the now oft repeated guidelines of WASH, WEAR and WATCH. It's a simple to understand as baking a cake ... you need all of the ingredients to work together to make something good. Using only the WEAR, or the WEAR with WASH, will not make it work, regardless of the time of year or any other such excuses. 

Again, please consider this post an impassioned request to join me in sacrificing a relatively short span of time for the greater good. Only working together can we truly have an impact on eradicating this scourge of humanity. Besides, with the way it's been going, you can bet your bottom dollar that this will not be the last pandemic that you face before the Reaper makes his visit. We need to get good at this.

Think about that as you enjoy your amazing Canadian quality of life. 

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Queen's once! Queen's Twice!

I am a proud graduate of Queen's University and an even prouder Football Gael alum ... although it was a Golden Gael when I played in the golden yellow uniforms of the early 80's. 

I can still hear the student section's chant, "They're BIG! They're YELLOW! They're BIG YELLOW guys!"


I recently participated in a Zoom meeting with some of my former team mates that was aimed at getting to know the new Head Coach, Steve Snyder, while he shared his plans for the future successes of the team. Coach Snyder was looking to former players for an enhanced alumni presence as he puts his thumb mark on an already storied program. Coach's presentation was impressive, thorough, passionate and Uber exciting.

My team mates from those years are still some of my greatest friends, and in particular, the lads from the '83 team. We get together on a pretty regular basis since our playing days, and we are quick to slip back into a friendly war of good natured barbs about all facets of varsity life, past and present. To say that we're a pretty tight-knit group would be an understatement.

The question of the underlying reasons for the camaraderie was by put forth by Coach Snyder following his explanation surrounding his coaching group's insistence of developing a sense of family as one of his primary goals early in his tenure. Those of our group who went on to a professional career were queried how their post-Gael experiences compared to those in good old Kingston. What was already known to many was enthusiastically affirmed by all who had a voice to lend to the question, almost as if deep down they thought the question was ridiculous in nature.

Of course being a Gael was the best time in our life!
We have a 1000 stories that we re-hash each get together to prove it!

The core of the 100's of players who represented the university in the early part of the 80's decade share one particularly awesome experience ... the 1983 Vanier Cup and it's last second loss to the Calgary Dinos. So many people over the years have shared their wide-eyed amazement when they first find out that I was a part of the "underdog" '83 Gaels, but I am quick to retort that we never felt like we wouldn't win that game. For those that don't know about the 1983 CIS Football season, we were on the lips of many as we stumbled our way through the OQIFC division that fall. We burst out of the gate to win the first 4 games, causing a bit of a stir, but then slipped a little with back-to-back ties against Ottawa, and completely flopped with a Homecoming loss to McGill. Fortunately, we rallied in the playoffs, summarily defeating first Carleton (32-18) and then McGill (36-5) to earn a berth to the Churchill Bowl vs the University of Toronto in a national semifinal. I guess I would have to admit that losing to McGill in front of our feverishly passionate homecoming fans started the "underdog" label as detractors predicted a choke was in our future.

Sure, we were all a little nervous in the locker room the morning of the Carleton playoff game, wondering if we really had what was needed. Fortunately, the first quarter action was the nudge needed and it started a swelling collective belief, much to the relief of the student body and the coaching staff. The following weekend, OQIFC final vs McGill was over early and we were relieved that we had turned the season around.

If we harboured any doubts about our future, the week leading up to the national semifinal vs the U of T could have shaken our resolve as every newspaper ... you remember those, eh ... predicted a decisive U of T victory. We were more than happy to play the role of spoiler.

I remember the morning of the Churchill Bowl, looking out my window, and realizing that we were gifted with a thick blanket of snow. Arriving at Richardson Stadium early that day, I marvelled at the efforts being extended to clear the field, but the footing looked to be a potential problem. When the kickoff finally arrived, the sun was shining, and Richardson was rockin' and rollin' as the student fans put on a show of school spirit for the national TV audience that was rarely seen in Canada. Despite U of T scoring on their first possession, we slowly discovered our groove on route to our own lopsided victory, winning 22-7.

Leading up to the Vanier Cup, it was again predicted that Queen's was the overwhelming underdog, but the energy of the crowd (it was estimated that 80% of the Queen's student body of 11,000 were rockin' the stands) was almost palpable. I was playing O-Line that year, but at only 215 lbs, the guy across from me out-sized me by at least 70 lbs. Early in the game, we struggled to move the ball, putting our defence in terrible field position, but our defence intercepted three passes to keep the game close despite being vastly outplayed in offensive yardage. The action was all Dinos as they led 17-3 at halftime.

Just before the first half ended, the coaching staff pulled out our starting quarterback in favour of our backup quarterback, Pete Harrison, running the triple-option, an offence that the Calgary defence had not prepared for. It's difficult to execute, rarely used in those days, but we had great faith in it. Pete ran it brilliantly. It made my job a whole lot easier since I would be pulling and using my agility on people more my size like LBs and DBs.

We scored a couple of times in the beginning part of the 2nd half, and with 3 minutes left, we finally took the lead 21-20. The go-ahead touchdown was almost a catastrophe for us when Pete fumbled in the end zone on a QB sneak, but O-Line mate Steve Hudson recovered it and is still the only lineman in Vanier Cup history to score a TD. When you think about it, the final score doesn't really indicate how close and exciting that second half was. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, the stands were full of Queen's people, and I remember them getting louder and louder with each passing minute.

In the end, it wasn't meant to be and Calgary scored a late TD and FG to win 31-21.

There are a TON of memories of that experience stored in my brain cells! One of the most crystal clear was one that helped me deal with the disappointment of that last second loss. The final whistle had just sounded, Calgary was celebrating, I was completely spent, and obviously, pretty emotional. The thousands of Queen's fans had rushed the field, and from where I knelt, I could clearly see a young man, purple faced, wearing dyed coveralls, Queen's tam cocked to one side, on his knees, throwing haymakers into a stuffed dinosaur, sending chunks of stuffing into the air. I couldn't help myself. A smile emerged and I started to giggle, pushing the disappointment out of my core.

We had plenty to be proud of, despite the loss. Our head coach, Doug Hargreaves, was named Canadian Intercollegiate Coach of the Year. We had narrowly lost a Vanier despite our arguably two best players, FB Larry Mohr and LB Mike Schad, being sidelined with season ending injuries. We silenced all of the critics with our inspiring play, and dare I say, made some converts that day.

There's lots of stories ... not all fit to print.
Every year that passes, we get better and better.
I love those guys!

Remember the important stuff!

I think that we can all agree that 2020 more or less sucked! 

However, despite how bad it appears on the surface, taking stock of the most important things in life realigns our wants and needs with things that really matter ... see the graphic to the left. 

Despite Canada's #1 ranking in the quality of life for the 5th straight year (CLICK HERE), and while she still has communities of people that wouldn't be able to put check marks beside all 10, that doesn't change the fact that a high percentage of Canadians could. Anyone looking at the graphic should come to the realization that there are very few of those 10 signs that involve the size of your house, the allure of your vehicle, the version of your cell phone, or the threads that hide your nakedness. 

With thoughts of this list at the forefront of my thoughts, I was slapped upside the head this week when I received word that one of the young men that I coached in the Rugby Ontario program had passed away at the way too young age of 27. A quick survey of Social Media reveals 1000's of posts from people about the negative impacts of the pandemic, but the photos that adorn their Social Media profiles indicate the overwhelming majority are surrounded with the love of their immediate family's embrace, the warmth of shelter from our Canadian climate, and ready access to a wide variety of services and utilities. 

Jake Webster (Obituary), at 27 years old, won't enjoy any of that anymore.

Jake hailed from Fenlon Falls High School when I first met him, was an active member of the Lindsay RFC, and was a penultimate human being. An avid hunter, farmer, and athlete, Jake is being remembered as a devoted husband to wife Maggie and loving father to William and Millie. Being a member of the Pickering Fire Department, Jake was a parent's dream. I will personally remember Jake for both his prowess on the rugby pitch (representing Canada in both 7-a-side and 15-a-side internationally) and the quality of human being he was, even at an early age. His smile was always genuine, his friendship warm, his work ethic admirable, and his unsurpassed passion for life. 

I am deeply saddened by this news.

It is often said that one of the greatest tragedies of human life is the outpouring of profound love and admiration shared at the funerals of people we respect in lieu of sharing those sentiments with them when they are still with us. Judging by the words, pictures, videos and testaments being shared about Jake, he packed a lifetime's worth of goodness into a relatively few number of years, significantly impacting those who were obviously proud to call him a friend. As a testament to that sentiment, Courtney Tinkler, a close family friend, set up a Go Fund Me account with a goal of raising $10,000 to help Jake's family deal with their loss (CLICK HERE), but at the time of writing, it had raised over $184, 000. The outpouring of generosity is an incredible consequence of the impact Jake had on so many. 

Go grab your loved ones, hug them tight, and tell them how much they mean to you because you never know how much time you'll be given in this life. 

God Bless you Jake.
God grant you strength you Maggie, William and Mille.
God's grace to his parents Duane + Christine Webster, siblings Griffin, Oliver, Arianna and his relatives.

Driving in the last nail

In a recent virtual City Hall meeting, the last nail in Barrie Central Collegiate's coffin was driven home with finality when the city council reluctantly agreed that Fisher Auditorium, the last remaining vestige of the school, would be scheduled for the wrecker's ball. Despite the sadness that this decision brings, the reasons behind it are more than understandable, especially when factoring a multitude of mitigating circumstances, not the least of which is the huge financial implications of maintaining an out-dated shell. For a more complete background, click this link for the Barrie Today story surrounding the edict.

"Sitting" around the City Hall horseshoe (the meeting was done virtually thanks to C19) were a few that were emotionally connected to Barrie Central as alumni. In particular, both Mayor Jeff Lehman and Councillor Keenan Aylwin are proud graduates from BCC and are former members of the internationally acclaimed Barrie Central Band during their time inside it's walls. Having had conversations with both at various times over the years surrounding the demise of Central, I can certainly empathize with the internal tug-of-war each would have battled with making this decision, as each is a passionate as I am about our alma mater. 

Councillor Aylwin summed the situation best for me personally, “It’s about the people, not the building,” he said. “To just keep the building is a waste of money. I know we can honour the history of the Fisher auditorium.” 

As testament to that statement, the resulting chatter surrounding the decision amongst the retired Central teachers that I Zoom with each week echoed Alwyin's sentiments that the "magic" was in the relationships that were forged, not in the paint or bricks or mortar. 

I'm not in a position to point fingers. I'm just feeling a little down that the coffin lid will be forever sealed, and all that will be left of my beloved school will be the memories, videos and pictures. Like Councillor Aylwin, I whole heartedly acknowledge that buildings are shells with finite lifespans, and once their solid structural strength wanes, they require a transition plan. Even the most magnificent mountain will eventually succumb to the pressures of nature and time as its grandeur fades with each passing second. I have previously written about my feelings surrounding the decisions made by the SCDSB's treatment of the 174 year history of Central ... re-hashing serves no purpose ... but I will say that I am optimistic that the city will consciously decide to honour the legacy when future builds become reality, unlike the school board's neglect to honour Central's impact on the city, That continues to be a personal source of consternation.

On that fateful day when the last remaining vestige falls, an ethereal bugler will sound Taps as our collective chins will rest on our chests, a personal eulogy will be recited and we will embrace our precious memories as we would our own children in a caring embrace of love, avowing to never forget the impact Central had on us. The sense of loss will last for a short while, soon replaced with a stoic sense of pride, and we'll lift our chins and face the remainder of our lives without reservation. Dwelling on the past has never served the future well, and our Red, Black and White souls will simply not allow any more mourning. 

"... and when we die, we'll be Central dead."

Who knew?

After my last post, I felt a need to lighten up the mood, and maybe even bring a smile or grin to someone's face. There are obviously a large number of ways to do that, but being an educator, I think that learning something new to you that also makes you smile is the Dynamic Duo! There is no theme to these questions since they are just things that made me smile. I freely admit there are a lot of questions here from the world of sports, which will come as no surprise to those that know me well.

I've always been amazed by the sheer volume of useless information that we humans can store and retrieve, yet struggle to remember some of the most important, simplest things. In this day and age of Smartphones, most people can't recall a phone number of a loved one, yet can immediately recall ones for random individuals from their past. I know, at least for me, that some of that is due to my Kinesthetic learning style since I had to dial (on a rotary phone and yes, I'm that old) or push buttons to connect the call. The little bit that I have retained from learning about memory and recall, in the truest sense of irony, has to do with the concept of association, or the idea that finding connections between things you wish to remember, allows me to recall them more readily.

For each of the following little Trivial Challenge questions, scroll to the bottom for answers:

1) In what stadium would you be if you were looking down at Touchdown Jesus?
2) A line drive ricochets off the pitcher's mound into the 1st base dugout. What base does the batter go?
3) What are the colours of the 5 rings in the Olympic emblem?
4) A field goal kick grazes the helmet of the offensive lineman before clearing the uprights. Does it count?
5) Who has the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single club in Pro Sports history?
6) Who is the only NBA Hall of Famer to have his Harlem Globetrotter uniform number retired?
7) What is the rarest M&M colour?
8) In the football movie "Brian's Song", Brian Piccolo and Gayle Sanders were played by which actors?
9) Who is arguably the best athlete to come out of St May-St Vincent HS, in Akron, Ohio?
10) Who is the only player in North American sports history to wear a Roman numeral on his back?
11) Name the 4 NBA nicknames that don't end in an "S".
12) Who is the only man to set world records in both the 100m and 200m sprints in the same Olympics?
13) Alabama's Bear Bryant once famously said, "A tie is like kissing your _______."
14) Who is the "Say Hey Kid"?
15) Which country consumes the most chocolate, per capita?
16) Lambeau Field is named after which founder, player and head coach of the Green Bay Packers?
17) The official length and width of which professional playing surface is 200 feet x 85 feet?
18) Which Canadian hockey legend invented the goalie mask?
19) What is the largest type of deer?
20) Who is a former Heisman Trophy winner, Pro Football player and Major League Baseball player.
21) Who was the 1st athlete to appear on the Wheaties box?
22) Which Hall of Fame head coach was know as the "Wizard of Westwood"?
23) What year were the first Air Jordan sneakers released?
24) What is the tiny plastic piece at the end of a shoelace called?
25) In what year was the first Wimbledon tennis Championship held?

Doing a little Internet sleuthing, it turns out there are some biological reasons behind the rush of excitement we feel when we get a trivia question right. According to psychologist John Kounios, answering a trivia question correctly triggers a release of dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with ensuring we remember important keys to surviving) in the brain that gives the person answering a sense of pleasure. Beyond that short-term benefit, collecting and deploying information can exercise the brain as we age, supporting healthy neurological function. Trivia is like taking your brain to the gym, without the need to shower afterwards.

According to the site Man-Telligence, "Trivia is essentially cross training for our brains. When you answer trivia questions, you’re using your brain to answer questions on multiple topics, from language to sports or mathematics to history. In addition, our brains need not only to think critically, but also creatively, to find answers."

I got 21 of these 25 correct when I was researching questions to include ... just saying.
Hope that you found yourself learning ... and smiling.

Answers:

1) Notre Dame Stadium
2) Home - foul ball
3) Blue, Yellow, Black, Green and Red
4) Nope
5) Vin Scully with the Dodgers
6) Wilt Chamberlain #13
7) Brown
8) Piccolo was played by James Caan and Gayle Sayers by Billy Dee Williams
9) LeBron James
10) Robert Griffin III
11) Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder
12) Usain Bolt in 2008
13) "A tie is like kissing your SISTER."
14) Willie Mays
15) Switzerland
16) Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau
17) An NHL hockey rink
18) Jacques Plante
19) A moose
20) Bo Jackson
21) Lou Gehrig in 1934
22) UCLA's John Wooden
23) 1984
24) An Aglet
25) 1877

Seriously 2020? What else?

I'm not at all confident that in some way, shape, or form, I may get some backlash for this post. While it is rare that I actively seek to "land in hot water", I feel this occasion is warranted since it caused me quite the emotional reaction.

I recently received the quarterly College of Teachers magazine, Professionally Speaking, and viewing the front cover, the image of an adult male hand around the neck of an adolescent girl under the title of "Professional Boundaries" immediately created a queazy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why would they choose this to be the first-impression image? What was the intention?

Once I recovered from the fleeting sense of nausea, I felt an all overwhelming sense of indignation ignite in that same place as I struggled to come to grips with the thought processes of a media team that thought it an appropriate image to adorn the cover of a professional magazine. Admittedly, I am not so naive as to disavow the presence of predators in education, nor to espouse keeping the issue in the shadows, but considering the mandate of the College of Teachers, to have an image of questionable taste sit atop the dinner, coffee, and kitchen tables ... and now this Blog ... of each Ontario educational household crosses a line IMHO. The issue deserves to be acknowledged, addressed, discussed, and proactively dealt with, but the perpetuation of a stereotype that this is (a) prevalent and (b) a male phenomenon is both perplexing and concerning as the cover image of professional college's communique.

I will be the first to admit that I am not in favour of the College's existence, its mandate, or its role in my educational life, and I annually begrudge the mandatory membership fee of $170 for a group that I see has little or no value to me. I am told that to teach in any form ... full contract, LTO, or occasional ... I must "be a member in good standing" with the College which translates solely as "I've paid them their money." I faithfully read the magazine every time it arrives hoping to find some nugget of information, some recommendation, some morsel of guidance that will justify my forced membership, but I have never come away with a feeling of satisfaction. 

Perhaps some of my colleagues have, but I have not. 100%.

One of the more contentious portions of the publication are the "blue" pages. For those not familiar with the publication, this is the portion that lists all of the people in Ontario's educational profession who have been discovered to have stepped across the line of decorum, in one shape or another. If warranted following an investigation, each subsection lists a name, a brief synopsis of the transgression, and the formal ruling, be it reprimand, suspension, or revocation. I have always felt very uncomfortable with this section of the magazine, acknowledging the severity of each situation and the appropriateness of the ruling, since it lists full names and consequences. I fully support formal proceedings that dole out consequences for the extremely poor choices listed in those pages, and I am glad that the "bad apples" are removed, but the magazine goes out to all members, all across the province, in almost 120, 000 homes, where it can be viewed by both immature and impressionable eyes. If it was important enough for me to know about these situations, I would actively seek out the knowledge, and would be much happier it it was in a password protected section of the College's membership site.

You might ask, "If you don't like it, why not just tell the College not to send it to you?"

A supplemental issue I have surrounding this magazine is the fact that I cannot "unsubscribe" to its delivery since the only options available are to receive it in its very expensive full colour, glossy absurdity or to receive it via email as a PDF. There is no choice to not receive it, and even though I take care to recycle it each time, I would wager that the amount of money its production must demand is significant. In this day and age, would not the prudent choice be to relegate the distribution to ONLY the e-form? Perhaps removing its printing costs would have a desirable effect on my membership fees? 

I am not alone in this fight. I have become aware of a number of actively teaching and occasional teacher friends that were also quite put off when the magazine arrived in their mailbox, and are equally frustrated with the decisions that the College is making, supposedly on our behalf. Some are taking the next step and mailing the offensive front cover back to the College in a show of displeasure and protest. I will combine that act with a print out of this post, clearly outlining my objection.

Seriously, what else can 2020 bring to my doorstep?

On this day ...

Some people think the study of history is a waste of time.
I'm not one of those types.

From my perspective, history serves two vital roles;
(1) To celebrate the accomplishments of past successes or remember the losses of past tragedies
(2) To learn lessons valuable for decisions of the present.

As a sport-loving Canadian, two pretty cool things happened on December 4th in history:
(A) The first CFL Grey Cup was awarded in 1909 when the University of Toronto Blues defeated the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club 26-6 at Rosedale Field, preserving the Blues undefeated record, and enshrining the Grey Cup as the crowning achievement of Canadian Football.

Some interesting notes regarding the Grey Cup include a transformation from what Gov Earl Grey desired as an amateur championship to its present form as the championship of the CFL, Canada's professional football league, and a change in direction from the original focus on rugby to its present focus on the football Canadians envision when they hear the word. In the early years from 1909 to 1924 (minus the years during WW1), university teams were invariably the Grey Cup champions. From 1925 to 1945 the representatives from senior city leagues were supreme, and they continued to contest the cup until the early 1950s, when the professional teams that later comprised the CFL began to dominate. Interestingly, in 1962, the Grey Cup became an instrument of national unity when Parliament forced the hand of the Canadian televisions networks to make the game available so that the entire country could watch, a decision that has made the game consistently one of the nation's highest-rated programs.

(B) The oldest still-operating NHL franchise was established when J. Ambrose O'Brien and Jack Laviolette created the "Club de Hockey Canadien", or as it is better known these days, the Montreal Canadiens.

I am not really a hockey guy, but if pressed, I would admit that I cheer for the Boston Bruins to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup each season, a fact that is a consequence of a bet lost to my father many years ago when the Blanc, Bleu et Rouge squared off against the Bruins in the 1971 semifinals. Les Canadien won, and my object of my hockey fanaticism was forever cemented, much like my head as it would turn out, considering their prolonged periods of futility over my life. I shouldn't be too hard on the Bruins though, Montreal has had more than their fair share of success, winning more cups than any other NHL franchise with 24 in all, and at least one every decade from 1910 to 1990. Montreal also boasts consistency, being the only NHL franchise to win 5 Stanley Cups in a row from 1956-1960. After winning 4 out of 5 years from 1965-1969 (spoiled by the Maple Laughs ... I am a Bruins fan remember ... in 1967), and 4 in a row from 1976-1979, they amassed an immensely impressive 10 cups in 15 years. 44 of the Canadien's players have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Learning lessons from the past to make great decisions for the present is, IMHO, the single biggest reason to study historical events. As George Santayana is quoted with saying, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Using the lessons of the past to bolster the decisions of the present is highly recommended, not only to prevent egregious error, but to better understand the potential consequences of today's decisions. We humans are a vicious lot, extinguishing both each other and the natural world with alarming regularity and sweeping finality. We don't have to think very hard or look very far to find events from the past that could grant us wisdom for the present ... climate change, pandemics, social revolt, or ecology to site a few ... but I fear deeply that we are collectively failing.

The web site History Today provides an interesting read with its post on a historical turning point (https://www.historytoday.com/archive/making-history/historic-turning-point), posing the question, "Will historians see 2020 as the peak of a global crisis – or will the world continue on its perilous course?" Author Suzannah Lipscomb, a Professor of History at the University of Roehampton and published author, poses some powerfully spiced thoughts that certainly weigh heavily on the minds of many, asking the question if we are collectively ready to learn from our past grievances. Even if you don't agree with her, she makes you pause and contemplate the things that you think you know.

No, the study of history is NOT a waste of time.
It is an integral to civilization's survival as oxygen is to our's.
It's not too late to make a good decision about that.

It's up to you to choose!

Have a look at the graphic on the left.
Read it over thoroughly.
Maybe you've read this before ... but maybe you haven't.
It's pretty powerful stuff, IMHO.

One thing that I have learned over my 57 years walking this chunk of interstellar rock is that we have sole control of our attitude surrounding the life we live. We are the masters of our seconds, how we choose to spend them, and how productive we view their use to be. If you're like me, you've caught yourself uttering the dreaded, "I don't have time to ..." in response to a request or suggestion, but is that really the truth? Or is it a case of poor prioritization skills? A key concept in managing those seconds is honestly identifying what is important and creating a hierarchy of To Do's.

I'll be the first to admit to any reader that there are many things that are beyond the realm of personal influence, and that occasionally those seconds get sucked into a vortex external to our control. Having said that, if you examine the root of the issue and honestly identify the causative factors leading to the issue or event, you might find that you're like me and what was originally shrugged off as an external locus was impacted by decisions made with those seconds, creating a vulnerable position.

The point of this occurred to me when examining the "state of the union" as the autumn slowly gave way to winter, and being caught in that transitional time between bare versus snow covered roads/trails. I feel the need to adjust how I use my seconds to really cash in on life. While I don't see myself as person content with being idle, quite likely born from a long educational career being pulled in multiple directions creating a daily pace quite different from the retirement pace I find myself experiencing, I also don't see a perpetual need to continue grinding forward. Keeping that in mind, I find that I am far more content to use my new found freedom to use those seconds for things that for so long were on the back burner. I'm still being pulled in a variety of directions, but those directions are all acceptable and desirable choices now.

Getting up on my personal soapbox, I feel strongly that society today bombards our collective eyeballs with unrealistic and unnecessary expectations for how we should look, be, and live, with the goal of influencing our decisions surrounding our daily use of those seconds. It's not an easy task, but one could step back, look at the big picture, honestly evaluate needs vs wants, and prioritize the important things. It has been my experience that one can alleviate a tremendous amount of stress/internal conflict through effective prioritization leading to a significantly enhanced feeling of control over those seconds. 

One of the most over-looked needs for your seconds is sleep ... are you budgeting enough seconds for that? How about some form of exercise? Even a brisk walk on a lunch break provides enormous health benefits ... look it up! How about spending quality time with loved one? I will admit I allowed far too many of my own seconds to be swallowed by the Community Service vortex.

More "Success is being happy with what you get" and less "Success is getting what you want". 

So, you might be thinking, "How do I actually do that?"
I am by no means an expert in this field, but I do know what has worked for me:
1) arrange quiet time with a recording method - tech if you're inclined; old school pencil+paper if desired
2) Brainstorm a list of what's important to you ... I mean, REALLY important, not "fluff stuff"
3) Review that list and prioritize from MOST important to LEAST important
4) Starting with MOST, examine how many seconds each day it will take to achieve success (Hard to do!)
5) Continue with each other item on the list ... you might even decide to discard something
6) Here's the tough part ... Do a good copy of this list and post it somewhere easily visible
7) Ever time you see the list, ask yourself, "Am I making good use of my seconds?"

I wish you good luck and happy decision making in your pursuit of enhanced control of your seconds!

27 years of AWESOME!

Today is November 24th, 2020. 27 years ago from today, at 6:28 am, our lives changed ... for the better ... with the arrival of Maddison Leigh, our first born. She came into the world as howling, ginger-haired bundle of energy and, if we're honest, not a lot has changed in those 27 years. The howling morphed into belly laughs, the ginger hair is fiery red, and she still lights up a room like she did that early morning years ago with her infectious smile or laugh. She has found her shining star in Chris Cove and they are spending these crazy times transitioning their lives from separate entities into the melting pot of married life, cautiously planned for fall 2021, pandemic willing.

Maddi has accomplished a lot thus far, not the least of which was successfully growing up in a household with yours truly, what with my obsessions, opinions, and workaholic mindset. Genetics being what they are, she inherited most of the best things Joyce and I had to offer, not the least of which is a 24 karat soul and a gargantuan loving heart wrapped up inside an empathetically charged personality, topped off with gingery sweetness. To say that we're proud of the woman she's become doesn't remotely come close to describing the feelings we have.

If you've not had the privilege of meeting our Maddi, here's a few things you've missed out on:
- She's loves to laugh, smiles more often than not, and is quick to share her love with those deserving
- Finding a soulmate in Chris, despite being her first and only love, she smiles demurely and boasts, "Didn't I choose well the first time?"
- As the saying goes, she wears her heart on her sleeve, living her days full of zesty energy
- A talented baker, she spoils those in her bubble with sugary delicacies that look as good as they taste
- She is not afraid of a day's hard work, often going above and beyond the scope of expectations
- An animal lover who has selflessly cared for a wide variety of pets, her present fur-babies Remy (a Portuguese Water Dog) and Pekoe (a orange Tabby cat) are second only to Chris as the apple of her eye
- She possesses a laser sharp focus when required, plying that trait in a successful competitive swimming career, a stellar undergraduate performance, and managing a sports rehab clinic's office, much to the delight of the owners

- While she'll claim to NOT be competitive ... we had our fair share of discussions about this surrounding her swimming ... she'll be the first to admit that she holds herself to a high standard, taking pride in things she chooses to participate in

I'm sure that Chris is very aware that he won the lottery when Maddi chose him to be her forever "Boo", but in case it's escaped his notice, I'll publicly state that ... IMHO ... he is one very lucky young man. Maddi loves large, passionately, and long-time which bodes well when entering into a marriage. When Chris was contemplating proposing to Maddi, he chose the "Old School" approach and sought our approval. Considering the opinion we had formed through our time getting to know Chris, offering our blessing was one of the easiest decisions we ever had to make since we were very confident that their love for each other was deep and strong. 

This could potentially be Maddi's last birthday as a "single" woman, considering this pandemic, and we'd like to gift her our prayers for health, wealth, happiness, and love ... not necessarily in that order ... as she navigates this crazy journey called life. Oh, and just so we're clear, the clock is ticking on Joyce and I, so a grand-baby or two would be greatly appreciated.

We love you forever, 
We'll like you for always,
As long as you're living,
Our baby you'll be.

Happy Birthday sweetie!

Going where (this) man has never gone before!

In the event that this is the first of my Blog posts you've read, I am a recently retired educator, and being retired, I had the choice to "throw my hat into the ring" and become a daily occasional educator ... more commonly referred to as a supply teacher. I made the choice to delay my initial return back into the classroom until I had a better understanding of how the school system would operate under pandemic conditions. Now that I have been back in the classroom, off and on, for 7 weeks, as regular readers can guess, I have formed some thoughts about my experiences.

Those who know me will already be aware that I spent most of my career in both Special Education and HPE (Phys Ed), with the last few years plying my skill set in the Arts with Comm Tech and Photography. Although I have a functioning knowledge ... just enough to be dangerous though ... of Art theory, I have never been blessed with the opportunity to discover the world of Visual Arts. 

That is, at least until now.

I recently spent 4 days subbing for a friend in a Gr10 Visual Art course. To make it even more intimidating, it was the first 4 days of a new "quad-mester" meaning that I had some organization items to take care of, not the least of which was enlightening the class about how the D2L ... the on-line component of the class ... was going to work for Visual Art. I will tell you right here and now that, despite my initial trepidation, the experience was most enjoyable, uplifting, and satisfying. The students were Uber talented, displaying incredible talent and vision for 15 and 16 year olds. I was blown out of the water by the pieces I witnessed being created. I think they may have even enjoyed the few days together ... wishful but hopeful thinking.

Supplying in these pandemic conditions is a darn sight stranger than I anticipated, mostly due to the protocols associated with the conditions surrounding masks, sanitizers, distancing, and interactions in class. Combined, they certainly change the day to day operations. However, when you stop to reflect on things, zoom out, and look and the "big picture", it really isn't as different as you first think. Kids are still kids and most are in school because they wish to continue to expand their minds, with all that entails. In the few supply days that I have done, I have found the students to be very aware and accommodating when it comes to the masking and sanitizing, plus they seem genuinely interested in being in school. I really can't comment on students outside of the class I'm supplying for, since the hallways are pretty vacant most of the time, but the few interactions that I've had were positive. I recognize that there are a significant number of North students who are opting for the "Learn at Home" model, making the total number of bodies in the school quite a bit lower, but the ones here are willing participants in keeping the virus at bay.

Being in my late 50's, I made a conscious decision to limit my supply offerings to a single school, to limit my exposure to the fewest number of people. It made perfect sense, at least to me, that I choose North as the only school I'd accept supply jobs for because I already knew the layout, I had friendships already established (both staff and students), and I was already familiar with the admin. I'm not really looking to return to full time work so I have mentally resigned myself to 3 days in a row, or 3 days a week, as the upper limit of assignments, but as friends situations change and they need assistance, I'll have to be flexible. 

One thing that supply teaching has shown me is that the conditions the government has asked everyone else to live by DEFINITELY are not possible in the classroom environment! The students are very aware and accommodating, but the physical set up is just not able to meet the general expectations. I would venture a guess that the increasing numbers of active cases in Ontario schools is not a coincidence. 

Thanks to the students of that Art class ... It was a good time!

Biking is my new social circle V2.0

In a previous posts, I detailed the curious transformation I have experienced in my physique, attitude, and social circle ... the subject of this particular writing.

As the autumn wanes, and a good ol' Canadian winter looms, I have found myself scouring the various weather forecasting web sites to see if I can reach an understanding of an accurate prediction for the upcoming days. As the calendar flips by, it leaves a sense of anxiety that my 2020 cycling days are numbered. Those feelings of anxiety are a direct result of the sheer exuberance I have discovered as I join like-minded cycling enthusiasts in exploring the beauty that Ontario offers to those who care to explore. With Joyce and I doing our part to isolate during this pandemic, I have taken full advantage of expanding my health-conscious, masked, distanced social circle to include people that many of my older friends would raise an eyebrow or crinkle a forehead over. It has been refreshing to expand the circle to include many of whom I would never had the chance to know.

Some see the glass half consumed; I see half of a delicious treat left to enjoy ... it's all about attitude. 

As Mother Nature granted us a November reprieve from the normal gusty, bone-chilling gales we've become accustomed to, I have continued to venture out into the surrounding countryside on my trusty two-wheeled stallion, albeit donning the requisite multiple layers of my MAMIL attire. Much of that has been solo but I have encountered a number of like-minded stalwarts who have extended an invitation to accompany them as they do the same. 

There is some obvious crossover from my "old" circle to this "new" one as those that were the reason I even ventured into the world of cycling offer opportunities to meet others that fill their own circles. A while ago, my good friend Kevin Simms ... my guru of all things cycling ... said to me that I will know that I have embraced the #bikelife when I choose to drive to new locations to experience what those areas have to offer atop the saddle of my stallion. What was originally met with curious denial has become entrenched in my psyche. 

Another cycling enthusiast I have accepted into my circle during this transformation is Jay Rothenburg, a former Barrie North colleague and long-time avid biker. Recently, I joined a group of new-to-me friends of Jay's on a ride from Stayner to Meaford, taking advantage of the tremendous trail system in Clearview Township. We all drove out to Stayner to take advantage of the designated parking there for access to the Georgian Trail, geared up, clipped in and set out in the early hours of the morn on our odyssey. The composition of this new cadre included those from Barrie (Ruth and I), Springwater (Jay), Newmarket (JP), Aurora (Steve B) and Midhurst (Steve K). 

The great difference between solo training and social riding, besides the obvious opportunity for conversational interaction, is the willingness to take a small break spurred by a gorgeous vista or curious happenstance. On the journey to Meaford, we marvelled at the natural beauty of Georgian Bay, pulling out our Smartphones to capture the sights by mugging in a bicycle sort of way. Arriving at the harbour in Meaford beneath an incredible cloudless sky, we took a silent moment of reflection to commune with the "Great Outdoors" and recharge the "batteries" drained by the toils of this pandemic. A quick refuel at the Leaky Canoe ... highly recommended ... we completed the journey to the tune of 100 km round trip with the arrival back in Stayner. 

The level of enjoyment was so high on the Meaford trip, an encore was hatched to include the sights and sounds of Ontario's south-central Elora Gorge by using the Elora Cataract Trailway. Carpooling from the Barrie area, Jay + Ruth + I were joined by Hardy (see previous posts) and we pointed south and finally arrived at Alton, meeting Steve, JP and a new friend Barry (Toronto). We hit the trailhead at the infamous Forkes of the Credit Inn and were summarily impressed by the large variety of terrain we encountered, but topping the list ... much to the delight of this former fat guy ... was the slight detour to the Belwood Country Market at the insistence of JP who raved about the quality of the buttertarts they offer. My family has always harboured an affinity for Newmarket's Maid's Cottage so JP and I shared an animated discussion on each bakery's merits. I will admit that while Belwood's version did not unseat my personal #1, they will become a very close 2nd, forcing Creemore's Affairs Catering to the bronze medal spot. The lay-over for the trip was Elora's famous brewery where some of the local wares were tasted before reversing course for the trip back to Alton. In the end, a respectable 108 km was clocked. 

I feel like we cyclists are living on borrowed time now that the middle of November has arrived, so I am not at all optimistic about the 3rd odyssey of 2020, but it's been a pretty strange year, so there's always a little hope. Pretty soon, I'll have to decide how my compulsion for fitness-related activities will be satiated with a blanket of the fluff-stuff coating the countryside. Nordic Skiing? Perhaps. Snowshoeing? A big maybe. Yoga? A long shot but this year's been full of new experiences so why buck the trend?

Those that knew my former 280-320 lb self just experienced a little giggle as images of me doing Yoga popped into their head!

You're welcome for adding a little laughter to your life.

Post-birthday musings

Just how lucky can a feller get? 

As the day dawned on Tuesday November 3rd, I awoke early enough to witness the orangy-pink hues of a glorious sunrise peeking from behind the now barren Maples at the back of the yard, and it occurred to me that I was most certainly blessed to be in the position I find myself. My 57th birthday was my first as a retired old fart and the plan was to point the Tacoma northward to spend it with my beloved wife and her mother, who also celebrates each year on November 3rd. How's that for Kismit? Not enough? Her brother - Joyce's Uncle Dick - was also born on November 3rd. And a host of Facebook friends too! 

Now, I have to tell you, I'm not a huge birthday guy, and unless my own mother can correct me, I'm not sure I ever have been. Sure, I'd wager that things were pretty high strung in the Porter household when I was a wee lad, but I'm talking about the days that are still accessible in the dusty cobwebbed corners of my brain. Having said that, and absolutely no surprise to anyone who has known me for a while, I do really enjoy the traditional birthday treats. My personal ride on the the body shape rollercoaster is all the proof you need to confirm sweets as my Kryptonite.

This year, the love of my life set to work in the kitchen to create a unique celebration treat - FROM SCRATCH - called Monkey Bread, or at least the version we call Monkey Bread. To us, that means home made bread nuggets coated in cinnamon sugary goodness. When it's fresh out of the oven, with ooey gooey deliciousness tantalizing your entire olfactory system, and pulls apart leaving strings of yummy caramel strung from nugget to mound, it's food fit for the Gods. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I consumed a significant portion of the creation myself. 

Hey, I have to fuel up the muscles with glycogen in preparation for another epic ride!

It would come as no surprise that the Monkey Bread was made from scratch if you were talking about our daughter Maddison, what with her near legendary status as baker par excellence. That is not to say that Joyce is not talented, because she most definitely is, but she doesn't embrace the FROM SCRATCH idea with regularity. With retirement's attempts to eat a more health conscious diet, we haven't had very many "cheat days" but a birthday cries out to be an exception. 

The drive to Haliburton was an uneventful one, arriving at the MIL's building PDQ. We had a lovely visit, I took charge of the Instapot pasta dish we had prepped for lunch, and the three of us enjoyed a wonderful meal capped off with Pearl's Angel Food Cake adorned with two blazing beacons of birthday joy. Between Pearl's 91 and my 57, the Fire Marshall would have taken exception if we attempted a true representation! The coup de grace to the day came with the emergence of one of the most incredible sunsets ever, as the sky was ablaze with fire-coloured hues of yellow+orange+pink, on the journey home.

Man, Life really is Good!

To the 250+ friends who took time out of their Covid-infused lives to jot me a short note of well wishes, I offer my most sincere and humblest thanks for brightening my day. Say what you will about the evils of Social Media, it can be used for greatness with it's convenience for sharing messages of congratulations and joy. I feel very blessed to have people who so willingly gift me a portion of their love. I'm still awash in the after-glow of those amazing feelings. Much love to all!

Changing roles feels somehow wrong?

Like so many of us during this pandemic, the wife and I have occupied our evenings with entertainment from Netflix, the latest of which is the series "The Crown", chronicling the life of Queen Elisabeth. The unenviable task of portraying the early years of such an iconic historical figure was first accepted by Claire Foy. I have to admit that I thought she was my favourite character in the first 2 seasons. Although I'm in no way, shape or form a "Royal" (monarchy supporter), I felt that Foy captured what I understood the Queen to be, right down to her Windsor accent.

Taking a break from the series, we happened on the 4th instalment of the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series, and we decided to take a chance since we had watched .. and enjoyed ... the first 3 in the quadrilogy. Is that even a word? It took about 15 minutes of the opening action to come to the realization that Foy was the latest female in the lead of the heroine, Lizbeth Salander. It won't mean much to you if you haven't watched the two roles play out on the "big screen", but believe you me that the two characters couldn't be more diametrically opposed. While Foy's Queen Elisabeth was a very believable British aristocrat and all that you could expect as Queen, her Salander continued the dark and deeply troubled lesbian computer hacker who has more lives than a cat, as the saying goes. 

That brings me to the subject of this particular ditty ... the phenomenon of getting used to actresses/actors in significantly different roles, and more to the point, my acceptance of the stark contrast that arises. This is not a new occurrence, especially considering that being nearly 57 I have watched a ridiculous number of films and shows that have featured the re-casting of characters I came to identify with certain characteristics. Accepting that is a whole different matter. 

Being COMPLETELY unfair to Daniel Radcliffe ... Harry Potter ... I simply cannot accept him in any other role. I've tried to make it through a couple of his other pieces of work and have failed miserably. The cherubic, cunning, courageous hero that thrilled us through eight blockbuster films (plus I read all of the books with my kids as they grew up) became so synonymous with the Harry Potter character that I cannot believe his subsequent roles and came away with an empty feeling each time I tried. It was hard enough watching the adolescent Radcliffe physically mature over the 11 years that it took to make all 8 movies, losing his innocent boyish charm for the whiskered, deeply troubled young man who finally bested Voldemort in the epic culmination, but some of the other films were, IMHO, not very entertaining. Incredibly, Radcliffe has a lengthy bio (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0705356/) that far exceeds the comparably short list of Potter movies. Good for him!

One of the other Netflix series we watched the entirety of was "Outlander", the story of a romance between a 20th century New England surgeon and a 17th century Highlander that spanned the ages due to some curiously odd time travel. In the series, Jamie Fraser's (Sam Heughan) chief nemesis is Jonathan Randall (Tobias Menzies), a British officer who is a sociopathic gay man with a hankering for rugged kilted Scots like Fraser. Imagine my horror, if you can, to find the middle aged Prince Phillip in the series "The Crown" being portrayed by Menzies, in all of his posh, polished accented glory. It's just not okay says my brain!

Now, using all of your imagination, try to understand the dichotomy that presented itself when we started the 3rd season of "The Crown" and were challenged with Helena Bonham-Carter's casting as Princess Margaret. Considering my introduction to Bohnam-Carter as the profoundly detestable Bellatrix Lestrange from the Potter series, I found the portrayal of the spoilt, party-hound, bratty Princess slightly more on point than others I have posed in this post. Still, it is hard to get my mind around.

I am not standing on my soap box, trumpeting type-casting as the way to do things. I am not insinuating that actresses/actors limit themselves to a particular type of role/character. I am simply saying that it becomes a lot for my aged, routined, regimented mind to deal with. 

And that's enough of that.

Think like a "HOG"!

The position of lineman in American Football is indeed one lacking the appropriate appreciation. As the graphic points out, there are many redeemable qualities that lineman exemplify which, if applied generously across society, could make the world a better place. One of my TRUE pet peeves with the state of civilization right now is the notion that everyone should strive to be the star, consequences be damned. IMHO, this has led to enormous negative impacts on the health of the planet as humans rape the natural world for the almighty dollar. I am not belittling anyone's work ethic or effort, and those that work the hardest should enjoy the fruits of their labour. If, however, that the hunt for the gain results in irreparable harm to the global ecology, wiping out immeasurable numbers of species and tipping the balance toward irreversible sweeping changes, then I see that as tragic. These changes are facts, not opinions. If you wish to give your conscience a jolt, watch David Attenborough's new documentary on Netflix.

I have played A LOT of football in my life! I started like most kids of my generation with the Junior team when I entered high school. I was a late maturer, but I was still of a decent enough stature that the coaches figured me to be a lineman. Of course, not being much different from others my age, I had delusions of grandeur, and I felt that I could have more of an impact role, lineman not being quite up to par in my mind. Being the most dangerous type of competitor ... one with illusions of grandeur ... I begrudgingly accepted the coach's decision and hoped my practice habits would show my true abilities and worth. My plight was exasperated when genetics kicked in and a 14 year old growth spurt made my physique resemble the stereotypical lineman, proving my Jr coaches to be clairvoyant. As the high school experience played out, I moved laterally along the line, and finished it as a Tight End, or quasi-lineman.

When I made the transition from High School to University, I had dreams of making the move to an impact role, but I was "pigeon holed" yet again, despite being a sapling in a forest of mighty oaks. Who was I to complain, though? I started every game as a freshman, enjoying considerable success, eventually losing in the conference finals. Imagine my delight ... cue the sarcasm ... when I was rewarded for my hard work in the weight room, moving from Tight End to Guard for my sophomore year. Thankfully, maturity had struck my brain like it had my body, and I willingly adopted my new role. Yet again, the coaches proved to be fortune tellers as we made it all the way to the Vanier Cup game, the CIS version of the Super Bowl. Returning for my Junior year, I was surprised to see a change in offensive philosophy toward a "PRO" style scheme and was asked to go move laterally along the line again to almost the same. The new position was coined Wingback but, truth be told, I was still a lineman, both in body and soul, having embraced my value to the overall system. 

Where does this all lead, you might be pondering?

My life in the trench warfare of football has taught me some valuable life lessons:

1. I don't need to be exalted, put on a pedestal, or shine in the spot light. The pride I feel for performing my task with military precision, clearing a path for the TEAM to succeed creates a warming glow in my soul. Do the drone bees who devote their whole lives to caring for the queen, constructing and protecting the nest, foraging for food, and tending the larvae begrudge their role? Like millions of examples in the natural world, life is about team work, with one role being no more important than the next.
2. Regardless of the role, embracing the excellence that is required to complete the action at 100% effectiveness should be the aim. Having said that, it is incumbent on the more "visible" members to acknowledge the contributions of all members as valid and necessary for the team's success, and the rewards earned should be shared appropriately. Again, look to the natural world for countless examples of symbiotic relationships and colonies.
3. We are a species that is populated by piano builders, piano players and piano movers. The concerts of life will not happen unless all involved work harmoniously to achieve the end goal and create extraordinary music. If giving out medals for tree climbing, the fish will never best the squirrel, nor should it be expected to since its skill set is a polar opposite. Embrace your strengths and talents while acknowledging your weaknesses and you'll be content with your station in life.
4. Avoid a sense of entitlement. My father was a Queen's Hall of Famer. Being completely honest, the athletic gifts he bestowed upon my chromosomes put me on par with him. I could have chosen to react negatively to being viewed as a lineman, but I instead chose to embrace it, and in the process, made some of my dearest friendships toiling in the trenches at Queen's ... I'm talking about you Sam Ashton, Mike Schad, Steve Hudson, John Larsen, Frank Kakouris, Mark Oakley, Tom Stefopoulos, Chris Stefopoulos, Vince Panetta, Tony McDowell, Charlie Galunic. We are the masters of our destiny, not some otherworldly power, so get busy controlling what you can control and accepting what you cannot. It all boils down to your attitude! Former Notre Dame Football coach Lou Holtz says, "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it."

For what it's worth, those are my thoughts and opinions. 

Use them how you see fit.

Attitude is everything!

I have been competitive my whole life. I started in house leagues as a wee lad and soon developed a need for something more substantial, eventually moving up to the provincial level, where winning the game became more of a focus. I have always had the attitude that if they are going to keep score, you should do whatever is in your power to win.

Being a sports fan with all that sport offers, I have always gravitated toward amateur versions over the Pros. Having said that, I do have the utmost respect for Vince Lombardi of the NFL's Green Bay Packers, and his approach to competitions. Quite while back, my mother ... aka THE Super Shopper ... gave me the plaque at the left as a Christmas present, and I have displayed it proudly on the desks of my life since. I completely agree with Coach Lombardi's thoughts enshrined in the quote ... when a competitor gives everything he/she has, so much so that he/she collapses from the effort, the result is often victorious in nature. IMHO, the best part of the way the quote is worded, it leaves the actual definition of victorious open for interpretation, and could mean quite different things to different people. For me, it is the 100% effort that is key, not the total on the scoreboard.

I feel that I should admit that I hate to lose! 

However, I am able to accept being beat. 

For those reading this that don't have the benefit of competition experience, the difference boils down to the effort you extend. If you can truthfully be content that you did everything within your power to perform at your highest possible level, yet you come out on the short end of the score, IMHO, you should hold your chin high as you applaud the victory of your adversary. I have a personal bias against people who choose to involve themselves in competition, and for some inexplicable reason, do not do everything they can to be their best so they have a ready-made excuse if not successful. Call me unfair, but I have ZERO time for people who choose to behave this way.

This scenario plays out in the classroom too. I struggled all my life with students who choose to be unprepared just so they can have a ready-made excuse, "Well, I didn't try. That's why I failed." The difference between winning/achieving and losing/failing is so small that accepting the risk of competing really boils down to attitude and belief.

Along those lines, educators are always looking for new knowledge and techniques to enhance student learning. One of those that presented itself to me a number of years ago was proposed by Harvard's Dr John Ratey. In his highly successful book, "SPARK", he uses sound biological proof that activity, especially the kind that results in a raise in heart rate, activates the necessary regions in the frontal cortex for enhanced learning. My principal at the time, Russ Atkinson, embraced the research and brought it to us as a staff, where many of us digested the information and fell "hook, line and sinker" for the idea. The photo at the right is the group of Simcoe County teachers ... many that were from Central ... that gave up a week of their summer to travel to Eagle Hill Academy, a private school just outside of Boston, to fully immerse ourselves in the movement and knowledge. The proof was in the pudding! As a staff, we noted that over a 3 year period, academic improvement steadily increased in the classes led by teacher's who embraced SPARK. The students were generally happier and more confident. An unexpected bonus for the administration was the dramatic decline in suspensionable behaviours. All because we got them movin' and groovin' more regularly.

So, how are the Lombardi quote and SPARK connected? 

Both ideas are born out of the idea that attitude is everything. When you enter the "fight" with a can-do attitude, carry with you confidence that the task is achievable, you will be mentally prepared to give a best effort at succeeding, and the activity of preparing will permeate ideal neural conditions for that success. By accepting the possibility of failing because you do not yet possess sufficient levels to succeed, despite giving your very best effort, you will more often than not find that little extra was the difference-maker. We all can't be Olympic Champions or Nobel Laureates, but we can ensure that we are the best versions of ourselves possible, and that will allow for an infectious positivism that will be readily apparent to those around us. 

Like good old Vince says, "... his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear ... is that moment when he has to work his heart out in a good cause and he's exhausted in the field of battle ..."

So, what are you waiting for?

What have you got to lose? 

Not as much as you think!