They made the list!

Warning: This post contains some strong opinions about some stuff that got under my skin lately!

Gripe #1: You being offended doesn't mean we all have to change!

There's been a lot of talk on the news and on social media over the past 3 or so years about being offended, and I truly feel that many have forgotten both the meaning and application of the word. Cambridge.org defines offended as "to cause to be upset or to hurt the feelings of someone, esp. by being rude or showing a lack of respect." Listen, I fully acknowledge that we think for ourselves, create opinions that dovetail with our mores and values, and hold true to those opinions when challenged by dissent. As long as what you say is not extremism, I'll listen, attempt to understand your side, and accept your stance without offense. If I don't agree with your reasoning, I will very likely hold true to what I believe, but I'll let you go your merry way without a fracas. If we're already friends, having opposing opinions will in no way, shape, or form threaten the relationship.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms grants its citizens the right to hold an opinion and express said opinion freely, without fear of reprisal, as long as the opinion is not slanderous or hate speech. IMHO, much of the publicly expressed caterwauling about being offended with accompanying demands that those who hold contrary views change their ways are the purest examples of spoilt adolescent whining, and both our political and legal systems have caved under what is viewed as overwhelming public desire. 

Baldredash, says I!

Number one, we all don't have to agree! Other than a cult or other extreme situations of the like, I'm not sure that there have been many times in human history where 100% agreement existed, and prior to the bellyaching age of social media, democratic societies accepted that the majority voted in favour of one side or the other of a problem, prompting the legal system to debate and discuss the repercussions prior to instituting a guideline intended for the greater good. Some may not agree with it, but demands that the majority kowtow to the minority is a travesty in the purest sense, and personal attacks on my character simply because I don't agree with you are the surest way to ensure I won't listen any more.

Number two, just because you happen to fall in the minority doesn't mean you have a justified beef by crying foul over being offended. Moreover, if you do find yourself offended, you're entitled to the resultant feelings, but you don't get leapfrog the process in place simply because you feel slighted. 

It really boils down to respect. 

In its essence, you have a right to feel offended by things that grate you. You have a responsibility to act in a civil manner. You have a right to hold an opinion. You have a responsibility to accept the will of the majority. You have a right to express your opinion without fear of reprisal. You have a responsibility to accept that others don't have to agree.

Gripe #2: Roads are for everyone so let's try to get along!

Stating the obvious, it's summer time in Ontario, the weather is cooperating, the siren's call of my Argon18 is omnipresent, and I've a boatload of time on my hands. All of that equates to many hours each week pedalling my way to good health around the byways of Simcoe County, often times solo, sometimes in the company of the like-minded. 

I practice safe cycling habits each and every time I'm out and about by wearing high-visibility clothing, daytime lights, obeying the traffic laws, and cycling defensively, but with the summer weather comes an increase in traffic with vacationers (I'm assuming) racing to their destination, all in an effort to preserve as many precious minutes as possible. Our chance encounters are usually respectful, but of late there have been emotional encounters with drivers I can only imagine are of questionable character, shaking fists, expletive filled hollers, and aggressive driving practices leaving me and my cycling mates shaking our heads and filling the discussions during our coffee stops. 

We fully admit that we're not perfect and may occasionally roll through a stop sign after ensuring that the coast is clear both ways. Additionally, believe it or not, riding 2 abreast is intentional on less busy roads because it means when you pass us, it takes less time in the opposite lane than if we're a big string of single file riders. Please be reminded that we might swing a little wide around sketchy sections of gravel, potholes, or debris causing some of you to feel like we're hogging the road. 

If I've personally pissed you off or made you feel uncomfortable, please know that I'm not doing it on purpose and I extend my apologies.

Early in my cycling adventures, I developed a disdain for the pick-up driving 25-35 young male age group because it seemed that an overwhelming number delighted in whizzing past at reckless speeds, narrowly avoiding my shoulder, spraying throat-closing dust clouds, and spraying stinging gravel despite the empty flat concession or side road in front of us both.

This summer, it would seem that the ranks have swollen somewhat to include all manner of vehicles, not just pick ups.

Case in point, I was on a ride recently out in the Collingwood area, slogging my way up County Rd #19, an 11 km rolling uphill climb that has benefitted from a recent re-paving. The gradient is significant enough that in my present level of fitness, I have to stand on the pedals occasionally, especially near the end of said climb. As I crested one particular steep section, a Hyundai sports car gave me a 3 second blast of his horn, shouted something expletive-filled about not belonging on the road, all the while narrowly missing my shoulder by far less than HTA mandated 1.5 m. 

Exasperated only marginally covers my reaction.

Look, there are some terrible cyclists out there, that I fully admit. Likewise, there are a TON of good drivers out there who are courteous and respectful of me and my brethren. It's the very small minorities on both sides of the argument that are causing grief, and although I surmise they'll never see this post NOR will it have a positive effect on those that need reminding, I really felt I needed to get it off my chest. 

It's really the same issue as gripe #1, let's simply try to be civil towards each other.

Gripe #3: I don't match!

As many will recall, my brother Rob was diagnosed and underwent chemo/radiation treatments for cancer last fall, treatments that very nearly had the complete opposite effect with his body's reaction putting him one foot over the edge. After dealing with blood clots and bed sores, he finally got the A-Okay for cancer but his body was still reeling, requiring a a couple of rounds of transfusions to stem issues with blood chemistry.

Here we are 8 months later and he still has daily bouts of fatigue and lethargy. About 3 months ago, one of the 11 doctors involved in his case ... yes, ELEVEN ... decided a bone marrow transplant was the ticket. He got tests done at RVH and the results were forwarded to Princess Margaret Hospital because they are considered one of the top facilities in the world for this sort of treatment. As I'm led to believe, PM didn't like the way RVH did things, so off to The Big Smoke again so PM can run their own version, delays piling up high enough that our family finds ourselves a month and a half further down the road with no transfusion in sight.

During his RVH testing, the doctors asked our family to get tested to see if any of us were potential donors. The statistics favour testing siblings first so Mike, Dave and I did our duty. They next step down would fall in the laps of children, meaning Marcus and Krystyn are willingly waiting in the wings. For obvious reasons, Dave is no longer able, and my other nephew Jackson cannot due for health reasons of his own.

I just heard back from PM today, with news that I'm NOT a favourable match. Completely frustrating and maddening, to say the least. Well, lo and behold, a text blast from Mike revealed that he is positive, but not perfect. That kind of describes the four warts to a T. Of course, the crickets are chirping pretty loud from PM on whether or not they'll go with a less than perfect match. Marcus and Krystyn are still waiting in the starter's blocks.

I just want Rob to have a chance to feel closer to normal.

Despite all that we've been through over the last two weeks, I was really hoping for some good news, but here's the kicker ... the Doctors are telling Rob that his blood chemistry keeps hovering right around the cut off mark, adding more delays to an already massively delayed process. You may have guessed, but with all of these delays, Rob's recovery gets pushed back endlessly, meaning his return to some semblance of normality is also pushed back endlessly.

I hope that you can see how this got under my skin.

If you've reached this point in my little rant, thanks for seeing it through to the end. I'll fully agree that we all have things that get under our skins from time to time, but I really felt that writing about these three would help lift some of the frustration ...

IT DID!