Posted on April 17, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

Boston 2011

 

 

Three years ago, I stood at the start line of the Boston Marathon. I was excited, frightened and relieved to be at this historic place. Of the three, relief was probably the strongest emotion. There is an incredible amount of time and effort that goes into preparing for this race. And when race day looms, it is hard to concentrate at work and sleep becomes difficult as you try to imagine the task in front of you. When you finally cross the start line, all of the pent up anxiety leaves your body as you leave the historic town of Hopkinton heading for downtown Boston.

I want to salute three friends who are making the journey this weekend: Cathy Langille, Lisa MacGrath and my long suffering (former! ) running partner, Charlene Druhan. Please join me in wishing them all the best.

I have a couple of brand new stories that I will debut at the Week45 Express fundraising show next Thursday ( 24^th. ). Got your tickets yet?  Ticket sales are coming along nicely and the program is being printed. All of the participants are keen and I’m sure will deliver a first class show.

There are still a lot of people travelling south. No wonder. It’s still winter. I hope spring wasn’t this past Tuesday. I have been talking with lots of people who’ve already made the trek somewhere warm. There are some common themes. At some of the resorts in the Carribean, some forms of nudity are acceptable. From all indicators, the people who are naked or partially naked should be fully clothed. And how about the dudes ( usually men well past their prime ) who think it’s still sexy to parade around the pool deck or the beach,  in their leopard skin Speedos. God. No wonder they let you drink as much as you want any time of the day or night.

This is a big week for Catholics and if you are unlucky enough to sing in the choir, you get to go to every church service. All joking aside, the church music at Easter is magnificent. Over the centuries, many of the great composers performed their works in the great cathedrals of Europe.

So, let’s see. I’ve covered the Boston Marathon, nudity at all inclusive resorts and Easter liturgical music. Sounds like randomness personified.

Have a great Easter weekend. I will be publishing a new story on Saturday.

Week45 never rests.

Posted on April 16, 2014 under Storytelling with no comments yet

Is your glass half full or half empty?

 

 

Other than solitary confinement, is there possibly any place worse than an airport departure lounge at 6:30 a.m.?  It’s not so bad if you are heading for a southern vacation to escape the icy grip of winter.  But if you are returning from a warm place, at the end of your vacation, heading north with snow in the forecast … that’s another feeling altogether.

You’ve had a wonderful vacation.  The weather has been spectacular.  You haven’t done anything resembling work.  Your only complaint is a bit too much sun.  Don’t mention this when you get back home, as those who shoveled in your absence will not have much sympathy.

Weary eyed travellers congregate in the stultifying atmosphere that is unique to departure lounges.

Just when despair is about to swallow up the entire area, Hudson News opens its doors …. hardly a reason to put on the party hats.  But this newspaper and book outlet has a secret weapon.  Jorge.

Can one person make a difference?  You betcha.  When the problems of the world seem beyond anyone’s power to fix, it is hard to imagine that a solitary human being can do anything about it.  But one person who radiates a positive outlook like a neon light can sure work wonders.

My quest was simple enough.  I wanted to purchase the morning paper to keep me amused on the flight from Orlando to Philadelphia.  I approached the cash register still wiping the sleep from my eyes.  And out leapt Jorge, greeting me with the force of an open fire hydrant.  His reaction to my purchase, his first sale of the day, had all the trappings of an announcement that he had won the Power Ball.

“Thank you for the business.  Thank you for the business.  And have a great day!”  This was followed by a full on fist bump.  His voice was loud enough (but not abrasive) that everyone in the departure lounge could hear him.  A few people smiled.

Next up was a sullen teenage boy.  “Every day is a great day. You gotta live it, kid.”  I’m not sure if the youth heard him with his head phones glued to his skull.  I like to think that I glimpsed a fleeting smile.  An attractive middle aged lady approached the till.  You could see that other passengers were now dialed in to this walking goodwill ambassador.  “Have a great day, ma’am.  It was a pleasure serving you today.  And thank you for the beautiful smile.”

You could see the mood change perceptibly as this amazing man cajoled people into good humour, single handily.  Here is someone who made a conscious decision when he got out of bed that he was going to make people feel good.  In the blink of an eye he transferred his positive attitude to a group of weary travellers.

What if each of us got out of bed and made up our mind that, for at least one day, we would think and say only positive things?   What if we went out of our way to make people smile, as Jorge had done?

It was evident that Jorge’s cup was half full that morning.  From now on, even on bad days, I’m not going to think that mine is half empty.

Can one person make a difference?  Absolutely.

 

Posted on April 14, 2014 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

A case for baskets or a basket case?

 

 

Happy Easter week!

Allow me to start out on the slightly serious side. If you have time, please read this excellent article by Ian Thompson. Ian is the Associate Publisher of the Chronicle Herald. This story appeared in the Herald Magazine this past weekend. I happen to agree with just about every word in the article. Here’s the link: http://thechronicleherald.ca/heraldmagazine/1199143-associate-publishers-letter-we-all-have-our-part-to-play.

Easter week means a lot of different things to different people. I have been in a church choir for most of my adult life so Easter week means spending a lot of time in church. Do you have Easter traditions like you do for Christmas?  Some people of the Catholic persuasion still observe Lent.  I gave up desserts for Lent but truth be told, this wasn’t as much about penance as it was about my waist line. I crave sweets and Lent is one time of the year that I have a convenient excuse to lay off them. Easter morning will not be pretty. I plan to go to S@L bakery on Saturday and buy a fresh lemon meringue pie. Betty is gluten free and won’t be partaking. You do the math.

Back in the dark ages, we could expect to receive a skipping rope, a hula hoop or a sponge rubber ball for Easter. And the women all wore Easter bonnets. Bring back the bonnets!

Oh yes. Speaking of math, I have a story just about ready to go about “new math.” I ask you, what was wrong with the old math? The story is called “ It Doesn’t Add Up.”

Question: Is your cup half full or half empty? I guess it depends on your view of the world when you first put your feet on the floor in the morning. My Tuesday story this week ( which will be published on Wednesday) is all about positivity and how each of us has the ability to make the world a little brighter. The story is called “ Making a Difference” and takes place at a newsstand in the Orlando airport.

I do believe I will be seeing golf balls in my sleep after the orgy of watching almost every shot from The Masters golf tournament this past weekend. Watching Bubba win a second green jacket was great entertainment

Have a great week.

P.S.  Just wanted to let you know that I have been asked to write a weekly column for a new weekly paper for Cape Breton, called “The Cape Breton Star.” The paper is owned by the Chronicle Herald and will be launched in May.