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To The Hip…. thank you for the past 29 years… I became an avid fan with the original 87 EP (having an original with only 7 songs – I also have the 8 song CD). I followed you through the years seeing you at multiple venues in Kingston, Toronto and Markham to name a few… And am overjoyed that I was able to attend your concert last year with my entire family…. the kids loved seeing you live. Thought I am heartbroken we don’t get to do it again, you will live on in our hearts and your concert will forever remain active in our memories.

Enjoy your final tour together – it truly is for your benefit, not ours.

Our prayers are with Gord and his family.

 

http://www.thehip.com/news/an-important-message-from-the-band/

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The news of Gord Downie’s illness stopped me in my tracks…. quite literally.

http://www.thehip.com/news/an-important-message-from-the-band/

The gravity of the news poured over me like a chilled fog. As with most, I reflected on the impact to me…  the end of a legacy, an era and part of my identity – I have been a fan of the Hip for almost as long as they’ve played together – seeing them in bars in Kingston when they were starting out and in multiple other venues over the years!

Moments later I was less introspective… I realized the implications for his family; both the Tragically Hip members (30+ years of legacy) and his wife and 4 kids.

And he is only 52.

What can I say – thank you Gord (and The Hip) for all that you have given  us. Thank you to his family for allowing us to spend one last day rocking out to the songs the Tragically Hip have made legend and only Gord could enhance with interjected stories.

I’ll he there to see him one last time… but his memory will always bring thank you back!

Hey… whoa…. step back!

In the past year, I have taken public transit more than I ever have before (and I’ve lived in the city all my life).

Being in the suburbs, I take GO Transit (rail) most often and frequent the subway system throughout the day to accommodate meetings. Every time I do, I am faced with a wall of people standing at the door!

Naturally, I think – wow! a lot of people are getting off, lets clear some space… but they don’t move…

To add insult to injury, some of the people on the platform, that get on the train first, stop at the door as well. Now, those of us on the platform, have the of negotiating our way onto the train around the people standing at the door to get on to the train.

All I have to say is…. Take a step back will ya!

I understand that people want to be positioned to get off the train first… but we need to stop being so self-centred… everyone else wants to get off the train first too!

Make way for your fellow rider… its decent, its polite, is proper and it will help bring thank you back!

In loving memory…

Since Sunday was Mother’s Day,  had to carry on in the theme of remembering my Mother and reminding all to be thankful for your Mothers; last one until her birthday next month ;).

To all the Mother’s, Mom’s, Ma’s, Mum’s, Grandmother’s, Grandma’s, MeeMaw’s, Nona’s, Omma’s and every other way you can think of saying, spelling or terming it… thank you. Without you, we simply wouldn’t be! To all those in my life… thank you!

To my Mother specifically… thank you for being a pillar of courage, faith, hope and strength that I have been able to look-up to and admire – you were truly a gift! Rest in peace – you will live on in my heart, memories and dreams.

Brenda Gladys Gill – 1942 – 2015

Be thankful for your Mother, and you will help bring thank you back!

One year ago today….

On the anniversary of my mother’s passing, I am sharing the blog posted in her memory – I miss, love and think of you often Mom.

Writing this blog has helped me to change my perspective on life, events and even the tragedies that befall us – I seek to find reasons for thanks in almost everything around me.

On May 4, 2015 my mother died of Cancer (I wanted some time to pass before posting this). It was only a 10 month battle, the first five looked positive… the next 4 looked bad… the last month was very difficult…

 

At the end I was asked why would God let this happen… it’s a tough question… a good question… and a complex question. But my new way of thinking had provided me some insight to share… which I will share with you:

The way I see it is; God has a path for all of us. My Mother was suffering for us. God has used her cancer battle to show me how much my Father loves her, to remind me how strong she truly is, to reinforce how supportive and strong my sister is and how fantastic my family and friends are. It also showed me how many great people there are supporting the ill; the nurses (thanks Natasha) and support (you were great Heidi) and all the others that left a mark on my mother and all of our lives. We were truly blessed through this.

Obviously no one wants this for their love one, but ensuring you take the positives away from it will help bring thank you back. At least it did for me… I challenge you to make certain it does for you.

Appreciate life. Appreciate those you love. Be thankful.

For safety reasons… I pass on the right!

I have a pet peeve… why do slow moving cars avoid the right lane? Perhaps I shouldn’t focus on it so much, but it constantly amazes me. I see endless droves of slow moving people get on the highway and immediately dive for either the middle or left lane!

I thought maybe I was over-identifying until I watched this clip on CBC’s Marketplace:

In a seemingly unrelated debate about whether the speed limit is too low on Toronto highways the reporter does a 100 km/h test drive to see how their vehicle paces with traffic. Within 30 seconds of the start of the video, she is driving in the middle lane – at 100 km/h… A comment is made how everyone is passing them; while they drive the middle lane… a video is captured of other cars passing them; on both sides of the middle lane… comments are made on the driving habits and risks the speeding drivers are taking; while she adds risk filming a video driving slower than the flow of traffic in the middle lane… !?!

Until we understand how to use the highways properly I think we should consider keeping the speed limit at 100 km/h!

In the meantime, for safety reasons, I’ll pass on the right!

Can he swing, from a thread….

Take a look, overhead…. lookout! There goes the window man!

I kid you not! Do you think your job is stressful, risky and uncomfortable at times? This person is swinging from a rope with a  wooden board stitched into it over 30 story’s in the air (look for the red circle below):

Moreover, this person gets on that board by throwing themselves over the edge of the building to “hang-drop” into it (of course using fall-arrest devices – but still)!

So today I want to recognize these fearless people that risk life and limb to ensure we can enjoy our high-rise views and all the beauty they have to offer! Let’s recognize that the older, more ornate, architecture we appreciate makes it virtually impossible to clean the windows using caged apparatus many of us assume are used to maintain the windows…. the beautiful buildings, the ones we love and admire, actually require the “Window Man” <play Spiderman theme music here>…

Recognizing those that do what we won’t… what we never contemplated…. will help bring thank you back!

 

The good ole hockey game…

We bid farewell to another hockey season… the first for my kids… the first for me as a coach…

It was a tremendous year… and I have lots to be thankful for!

To all those who operate the West Hill Minor Hockey Association – thank you! A great deal of work in planning, coordinating and governing the league is undertaken as volunteer.

To the keepers of the ice – thank you! The kids had a great experience and the Zamboni operators, referee’s and rink staff contributed to making this possible!

The parents that brought their kids to games and practice, that participated in the vents and contributed to the experience – thank you!

The coaches and assistant coaches that put the effort into planning, motivating, coordinating and inspirng the kids – thank you! That was no small task!!!

But most of all, the players… the kids make the experience what it is. The energy, focus, camaraderie, team work, dedication and over all value the give to us all – thank you!

Everybody helped bring thank you back!

 

Corvettes… always brilliant!

There is no marketing stronger than that which reaches an individual directly. And a company has no better arm of marketing than its employees. Many employees do not embrace this opportunity… but I recently had an experience where one did – and I am not truly certain if they intended to our not… but kudos to him as it worked!

I love Corvettes – always have, always will. I have “pushed” this love onto my family. My wife tows the line, never truly embracing the love – but supporting it. The kids are in… hook, line and sinker. I take them regularly to the Corvette Museum. Recently I also took them to the Corvette manufacturing plan in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We toured the plant… they say Corvettes being made.. what a marketing win… I paid for the tour and GM made me fall more in love with the car, the experience, the potential – woo hoo!

Of course, we when a line worker gave my boys their own “Corvette”, they were won over in unique marketing as well:

What is most interesting is the cars are autographed by the line worker and cite their Union! This brought about favouritism of the staff at the Corvette plant and a lot of questions about Unions… double marketing whammy!

In short… the Corvette is awesome…. the experience was awesome… the marketing is awesome… the lines-people are awesome…. and to my kids and I, UAW 2164 is looking pretty awesome!

That is marketing at its finest… that helps bring thank you back!

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Sadly I am delayed in acknowledging that another St. Patrick’s Day behind us…

Whether you took in a parade, drank Guinness, dined on a feast of stew, potatoes and Guinness, hung out with your favorite Irish person or put them all together in a complete Irish binge!!! I am sure it was a day well spent.

I remind you that the reality is St. Patrick did not spend his time as we do – you can read about it here. But suffice it to say… having faith and giving thanks got him the status we enjoy today!

And knowing this should help bring thank you back!