Posted on October 24, 2019 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

Red Flags?

 

Oh Canada.

The people have spoken but no one is gloating over the results of the Federal Election. At least, they shouldn’t be. Like so many other countries, democracy seems to be under siege in the “true north strong and free”. I’ll leave the analysis to political scientists but there is something happening globally that is unsettling. Divisiveness and acrimony have replaced civility and compromise.

I have been fortunate to have lived in three of Canada’s provinces and have had the joy of traversing the country by car at least eight times. I haven’t walked it yet but the thought has crossed my mind. Hey, maybe I’ll walk for Canadian unity!

We can’t ignore the feelings of our friends and neighbours in other provinces. We do so at great peril. No one said that Canada has an inalienable right to stay together as a country and until such time that we figure out a way to co-exist, keeping our federation together is not a given. I am not pessimistic but I am very concerned.

I chose to ignore the rhetoric of the recent 40 day election campaign. So did many of you. However, the tone of the election was inescapable and this is troubling. Must we denigrate ourselves and get down in the dirt, slinging mud and invective? Surely we are better than this.

The threat of Quebec separation has reared its head again. Yes. I can see you nodding your head saying “Here we go again” but if we choose to ignore the alarm bells, one of these days we will find ourselves requiring a passport to get into “La Belle Province”.

Western alienation is real. I lived in Alberta in the late 70s (the 1970s, not the 1870s!). Even 40 years ago, there was a pervasive sentiment that Alberta was being taken for granted. The frustration in Alberta is palpable and if we’re not careful and thoughtful, we might be carrying another passport. I know this sounds alarming and it’s meant to be.

Lost in the shuffle and the noise is the ongoing embarrassment of our country’s treatment of our indigenous people. I continue to read and learn about the north and it is an ugly, brutal story. How can we call ourselves a nation that cares when there are still people living in the most atrocious conditions? Doesn’t every Canadian deserve the same opportunities, the same living conditions and the same access to education and health services? We have made a mess of the north. May I strongly suggest that everyone reading this go and pick up a copy of Tanya Telaga’s sobering book called “All Our Relations”. If you want a quick overview of the plight of our founding people, this book provides an excellent explanation. It is very depressing and disturbing. As a country, we are quick to pony up money and other resources when a crisis happens somewhere in the world. We have a crisis in our own back yard.

Is Canada too big to govern? Personally, I don’t think so but we must be very vigilant. This is a very tricky time in our history. I believe that we need to do a lot of listening and exhibit understanding and empathy to those whose views we do not share. If we don’t, trouble is on the horizon.

“We stand on guard for thee”.

Have a great weekend.

P.S. Hope you won’t mind if I puff out my chest just a wee bit. Our daughter, Betsy, ran for the NDP in Central Nova. It takes courage for anyone to put their names forward. While she didn’t prevail, she conducted herself in a dignified manner. I have been told that Central Nova had the highest voter turnout in Nova Scotia which speaks to the calibre of people who let their name stand. It also speaks of the people in the riding who cherish their democratic right to vote.

Posted on October 17, 2019 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

 

I want to talk about the upcoming Federal election in Canada.

Actually, this is the last thing in the world I want to be talking about. My disdain and despair for the discourse and conduct in this particular election is well known to regular readers of my column. Our country is starting to resemble our neighbors to the south and in other countries where respecting other point of views has gone the way of the dodo bird. Politics is becoming more and more tribal in our country. Respectful debate among politicians and ordinary citizens is hard to find these days. Everyone seems so entrenched in their own point of view.

I have had the privilege of driving across Canada from coast to coast on many occasions and I have lived, at times, in three different provinces. I understand why it is a difficult country to govern. There are so many competing interests and regional differences. But this doesn’t mean that we must be nasty to those who don’t share our politics or values.

Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky but it seems that we have lost the gift of civility when it comes to politics. I am not naïve. Politics has been a bare knuckle sport since Confederation. It may be because of social media, where news and fake news gets bandied about every second of the day, that the playing field has changed.

The only thing possibly more disturbing than the venomous rhetoric that we have become accustomed to might be apathy. When the stakes are so high, why do so many people sit on their hands and refuse to take the time to go and vote?

I voted in one of the advance polls. To me, this is one of the great privileges of living in a democracy. Please get out and vote next Monday.

In case you missed this yesterday on Facebook, I am alerting readers that my Camino books are going fast so if you’re planning to buy one or more (for Christmas presents!) you might want to do so sooner than later.

When I first started publishing books, I was forced to buy large quantities of books to keep the unit cost down. This only works if you have walk in closets in your home to store them or a separate baby barn… or an industrial sized dumpster! Storing books is a pain in the butt. Over time, I have been able to source smaller runs of books so I basically order what I think I can sell. For some reason, my Camino book is selling very well and I am not likely to do a second run. I have learned from experience not to get too overzealous and order a second run.

Of course, this does NOT apply to my books on sale through Amazon. They can be purchased at any time as they are printed on demand, one copy at a time.

So if you’re living near my hometown and want to get a copy of my book you can either contact me directly as some of you have already done (lenpdmacdonald@gmail.com) and I can arrange to meet you. Alternatively, you can go to the Antigonish 5 to $1.00 and pick one up there. They will charge you tax. I won’t. If you live outside the area (anywhere in North America) and want an autographed copy, just fire me off an e-mail with your address. I’ll sign the book, package it up and ship it to you. You can send me an e-transfer.

If you have any thoughts of ever doing the Camino (I know a few people who are going next year!), this book would be quite helpful as each chapter has a “Camino tip”. I learned a lot about doing a long walk. If you want to know what to pack (and what not to pack), how much cash you need to keep on hand and the merits of carrying toilet paper, then this book is a must.

P.S. I’m hoping to drive around the Cabot Trail next week and can personally deliver books to any of my friends that I met during my recent walk.

Sorry for all this shameful self-promotion but unfortunately this is what a self-published author ends up doing to survive and pay fixed costs.

I know enough about the book business now to do a seminar if any of you are thinking of writing a book. Or, you can try your luck at the slots in Vegas. The odds of success are about the same!

Have a great weekend.

Posted on October 10, 2019 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

MacCormick’s trees

 

“Together we’ve climbed hills and trees,

Learned of love and ABC’s,

Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.”

Seasons in the Sun. Terry Jacks

Trees are in the news a lot these days. Trees use the energy of sunlight and take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and water.  Climate experts figure that if we planted billions of new trees, this might arrest the proliferation of greenhouse gases, at least in part. Sometimes we take trees for granted and scarcely notice them.

Maybe all of us retirees should volunteer one day a year to plant trees. I’m sure there’s a device we could use so that we didn’t have to get so low to the ground that we might not be able to return to the upright position.

Yes. We skinned our hearts, knees, elbows and every other part of our body when we spent our childhood climbing and playing in trees. Our neighbors, the MacCormick’s, had a stand of trees on their property that became a magnet for kids in the neighborhood. There was a huge rope tied to the top of one of them. We became the incarnation of Tarzan and Jane.

We took turns on the swing, one of the early lessons in democracy and sharing. Anyone who hogged the rope would quickly be excluded from this activity. In order to play the rope game, one first had to climb the tree. From high up, you grabbed the rope and swung into the great unknown. It created butterflies in your stomach as you soared through space. A line was marked on the ground and the objective was to swing with enough speed to let go of the rope and jump across the line in mid- flight. If you managed to get across the line, that became the new target. Sounds pretty mundane but that rope kept a whole generation of kids highly entertained for hours on end.

Speaking of trees, Cape Breton has monopolized on the majesty of the fall colors by creating a two week music festival with trees as the backdrop. People come from all over the world to attend Celtic Colors. They get to witness a dazzling display of colors as the fall leaves put on a show. They are equally dazzled by world class musicians. I am wondering if the trees receive a royalty for being the supporting cast?!

Since you asked. Why anyone would want my autograph remains a great mystery to me. A few people have contacted me because they want my new book. These are people who don’t live in this part of the world. True. They can get the book from Amazon but I don’t have the technology to autograph these purchases. If you want to get a signed copy of my Camino book, just send me an e-mail at lenpdmacdonald@gmail.com along with your mailing address. I will sign the book and take it to the post office for delivery. Once I know the shipping cost, I’ll send this information to you and you can e-transfer the payment.

Show of hands. How many of you listen to podcasts? I’m thinking of starting a weekly podcast where I will feature some of my favourite stories along with my usual ramblings and insights into the mysteries of life. Just think, you could listen to me drone on while you’re making pies or doing the laundry. Let me know if you’d listen in.

Have a happy Thanksgiving weekend.

If you’re healthy and reasonably happy, count your blessings.