E=MC2

"Energy," stated Einstein in 1907, "cannot be created or destroyed; It can only be changed from one form to another."My recent experiences reinforced that this is absolutely true, in multiple instances.

The last days of summer faded quietly into the past, and with it went the frenetic energy of tourism at Wasaga Beach, the world's longest freshwater beach. The end of traditional vacation time signals the reformation of that frenetic energy in the form of another school year start. I was asked by my former colleagues at BNC to come in on the opening week to assist with the bedlam that ensued from cramming another 300 students inside its walls, as the roll increased from just under 1200 to over 1500. Just walking through the front door you could feel the impact of those billions of atoms zooming chaotically, the cacophony of frenzied voices crashed like waves against my eardrums as hundreds of excited teens reacquainted and reconnected. If you haven't experienced the vivacity and zest of a school year start, you would be incredulous of it's electrical pulse.

Sticking with my energy theme, I truly and wholly believe that this swelling population at BNC is a direct consequence of the outstanding quality of teachers who toil each day trying to, "stamp out the seeds of ignorance" with their tremendous caring, empathic energy wrapped up inside a competency burrito. I am continually in awe of the creativity and dedication of my former colleagues as their smiles and twinkling eyes betray their love of their vocation. There is a saying that, paraphrased, says, "You become the people you surround yourself with" and from the top down, BNC is a shining example of that.

My metamorphosis into pure bred Border Collie came to fruition as my first-week duties included herding stragglers into class, corralling AWOL'ers back into class, and lending an empathetic ear to hoards of lost niners as they frantically searched for their new classrooms. In between the laps of the halls, I assisted in the Student Success room eradicating frustrations and unveiling understanding! The energy of the room was abundant in a plethora of forms!

I've said it many, many times in my conversations over the 2.5 years of my retirement, I LOVE TEACHING, it's education that I escaped from, and that's why I still supply teach.

My love affair with cycling is certainly not a secret, and although I dearly love expending energy in a solo effort amidst the astute beauty of Simcoe's wondrous offerings, I hold social rides near and dear for the sheer glory of a group of like-minded crazies zooming around her gnarly trails and gravelly concessions. Training alone certainly challenges my energy stores, like when I recently solo'd the 175 km's of the Simcoe County Rail Trail, but when you share a hilly hump like the route I conquered with some cycling buddies that included climbing the escarpment 3 different times, let's agree that the humongous energy cost is mitigated by the collective buzz of brotherhood. Likely exposing my lunacy, I chose to add a ride from Wasaga to our meeting place in Stayner that day, both before and after that 95 km roller coaster ride my biking idol and good friend Kevin Simms had concocted. In a cloaked effort to challenge our energy systems, he had us ascend almost 1300 m of total elevation as the route took us south past Creemore, west around Singhampton, and back to Stayner. The icing on the day's cake was dipping my dusty, salt-encrusted, weary corpse into Georgian Bay's waters after cycling back to Wasaga, proud of the day's stats: 

139.36 km,
1591 m,
6:06.16 of riding time,
1 Frosty pint of Creemore lager,

1 gargantuan tomato/bell pepper soup at Mylar+Loretta's in Singhampton,
1/2 can of recovery of salt+vinegar Pringles,

15 minutes soak in the cooling expanse of G Bay.

In support of Einstein, the copious energy ingested was equal to the sweaty energy expended as I slogged up those 3 gravelly ascents. The energy required for the banter, chirps, belly laughs, and congratulatory fist-bumps came from the stores of jiggly energy I brought with me from home, hidden under my skin.

Way, way back in the 'Stone Ages', a younger version of the infamous BCC science teacher Bio Bob taught me about the relationship between light wavelengths and colour, a lesson that has recently percolated to the retrievable surface of my grey matter as Joyce and I regularly drink in the incredible spectacle that Wasaga offers each night that we venture to the shores to sneak a peak. I now see the energy relationships that exist all around us between the natural world and our senses, flowing this way and that. We have been gifted some nigh kaleidoscopic vistas, a wide swath of colour continuums illuminating the western sky as Mother Earth signals the end of another glorious day in paradise. Some have claimed, "If you've seen one sunset, you seen them all." but I say unto you that just like snowflakes, not all sunsets are the same, and I feel confident in my assertion after witnessing dozens since we established roots here in Wasaga.

Yep, Einstein was bang on. 

Energy is changing faster than a chameleon in a Holi celebration (CLICK), but the amount is as constant as death and taxes. Even with my science background and many years on this planet, I am continually astounded by the gloriousness around me on a daily basis.

#lifeisgood