Venice statue

While I figure there are quite a few tourists who have a similar photo, I still chuckle when I look at this on. It was taken in St. Mark's Square in Venice.



I'm getting a bit lazy, but I hope you are enjoying my photos.

Storytelling Festival

This is the photo that has pretty much defined the St. Marys Storytelling Festival. It shows Mark Fletcher leading the kids from Holy Name of Mary School down to the flats like a Pied Piper.

I actually saw the photo in my head the day before. Everyone was coming down a hill, so I was able to get a nice camera angle. I persuaded the principal to allow the students to fan out and take up the whole street instead of walking safely on the sidewalk. Then I snapped away. I actually took two shots. This one turned out the best.

It appeared on the front page of one of the sections of the London Free Press's Saturday edition in 2004. Since then, it has been used on numerous posters and publicity opportunities.

What I like about it is the "you had to be there at the right moment" aspect. I love photos that can't be repeated. They capture a moment in time. It also tells a story.

A Winter's Morn

I don't know why I like this, but I do.

The Photo Shoot

I love photos that tell a story. I was at a wedding and quickly shot this one. On the left is the professional. On the right is the very young amateur. Each of them is trying to capture the moment of the joyous occasion.

Amber

In 1999, I had the good fortune to have a contract teaching computer courses at the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw, Poland.

While I was there I would pass the time on weekends browsing through the shops, often looking for mementos. When I travel I like to bring back unique items that remind me of each place. Venturing into a jewellery shop, I learned a valuable lesson about amber.

Amber is fossil tree resin. While it can be many colours, it is usually sort of a yellowish orange-brown. I found out that it could be rather expensive, too.

While I was looking at several necklaces, I noticed that there was a bug that had been stuck in one of them. The price was higher than one with clear amber. I asked the saleslady if a mistake had been made. Why should I pay for something with this imperfection? She laughed and quickly told me that it was this insect that had been trapped in the gooey resin that made it all the more valuable. She showed me more pieces containing other species. Each one told a story. The more creatures contained in the amber, the more valuable it was.

Sometimes I feel that my life is like amber. There are many things that have been “stuck” into my story through the years. Others may view them as imperfections. In fact, my amber has lots of things trapped inside. It shows a life well lived. Each speck reminds me of a lesson learned. My character has been built from the sum of all of them. I then realize just how valuable I am.

Happy Family Day

On Monday, Ontario celebrated its second Family Day. The idea was to create a February holiday for the clan to get together and spend quality time. It sounds like a great idea, but is it?

Before I sound too negative, let me applaud the idea. I think it is great that families get together and do stuff. We need more of that. It’s just that I think that the current Family Day needs a bit of tweaking.

I asked members of my ESL class yesterday what they did on Family Day. Most of them spent the day quietly at home. They worked on chores or watched television. None went out and did anything. The same happened in our household. Why?

I live in a small town. When everything is shut down, there isn’t much to do. I went to the YMCA in the morning. Its hours had been reduced so it closed at two in the afternoon. Other than that, only the swimming pool was open. I can’t swim.

If you live in Toronto or Ottawa, there are so many activities that are available to you. You can even go shopping because the Eaton Centre, a vast shopping mall, is considered a tourist attraction. I can’t imagine going to the Ontario Science Centre on Family Day. Wading through the noisy crowds is not my idea of quality time.

I guess I could have gone for a walk, but it wasn’t a very nice day. I prefer to take my strolls in warmer weather.

My guess is that many families did very little together. The kids sat in their rooms watching television or on the computer and the parents did their own thing.

Here are my suggestions to make Family Day a bit more practical.

Make it optional for storeowners. In today’s economic climate, why take away a potential day to make money from people who are trying to make an honest buck? Shopping could then be an option. I would have loved to have gone to a local bookstore and browsed. Another option would have been sauntering through hardware stores looking for that perfect gadget.

Move the day to a friendlier month. February in Ontario is no treat. I know that the timing was chosen to provide a break in the harsh winter, but forcing people to lose a day’s pay, which was my case, in a bleak month adds to the woes.

The people I talked to who liked the idea had kids who participated in winter sports. Family Day is the perfect weekend to hold a hockey tournament or skating competition. Wouldn’t it be great, though, if I traveled with my kids to another city or town that we could go strolling through the vibrant downtown between games instead of being holed up in a motel room?

I feel that in theory Family Day is great. Let’s just adjust it a bit so it gives people many more options of what they can do, especially if you live outside the main cities.

The Heron

OK, so maybe I'm getting a bit lazy. I'm approaching 500 articles that I've cranked out in the last year and a half or so. Some are pretty good; some are horrible. That's the way life goes. You have days of inspiration. Others are pretty mundane. Some are discouraging. Some of you have followed my chronicles faithfully. A few just dip your toe in the water as you pass throught the Internet. I have appreciated any comments that have been made. I have not had to censor anyone - I certainly will not allow anyone to show disrespect or be crass. Not everyone has agreed with what I have said, which is fine.

This all leads me to the fact that I am going to upload some of my photographs from time to time.

I remember a professor of mine at the University of Alberta, Dr. Oh. He asked the question, "What is the difference between a professional photographer and an amateur?" His answer was "A business card." Some people have a good eye for composition, but everyone is capable of taking a shot or two that is interesting.

I will share with you some that I have taken that I think are pretty good.



What I like about this one is that all of the conditions had to be just right to take it. The sun, the sky, the bird and I all had to be perfect to make this happen. It was taken at sunrise. The sky was cloudless. The bird blends into the tree. It almost looks like a black and white photo.

It’s Gone

Ok, it’s over. Another Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Many of you have bought some chocolates or flowers. Maybe you even took your honey somewhere to eat. There are many ways to express your love. And that’s my point.

Now that the big day is over, have fun expressing your love in other ways. Use your imagination. Give the whole you, not the you invented by Hallmark.

Love is an action verb, which means that it means doing something. Saying it is important, but if the words “I love you” are merely said with no visible sign other than the words, your love is about effective as an echo.

Let’s look at the phrase “I love you.”

First, there’s the “I” part. This means that if I truly love somebody, I give me. To me, that means the very essence of who I am. It is not smothering somebody like a tidal wave with gifts money can buy, but offering the deepest part of me.

Next, there’s the love part. As I said, make it an action verb. Do stuff.

Finally, there’s “you”. If you are like me, that means that you are not perfect, but it is great to feel you are loved in spite of all your flaws. My feeling is that for a love to be grand, the you has to be the very essence of who you are. If you truly love somebody back, you offer yourself. It’s easy to love the best part of me. I know I am truly loved if somebody loves all of me.

This love stuff sounds difficult! I think so. That’s why I like Valentine’s Day. It gives a time to reflect on love and to just give it. Maybe it starts with a box of chocolates and a store-bought card, but it can grow from there.

I hope you have many more Valentine’s Days this year.

Because It’s There

Sir Edmund Hillary, the man who first climbed Everest, was once asked why he did it. The answer was “because it’s there.” It is a line that many motivational speakers have used to inspire their followers. Set a goal. Keep your eye on it. Work your way towards it. Achieve it.

In today’s world this may not be as easy as it seems. What do I mean?

We live in a world that is changing rapidly. Students are being taught skills that might not be necessary in the future for jobs that might not exist.

For example, I worked in television until the mid-eighties. I figure if I went back to that profession I would have to be retrained. Certainly the theory of television production would still be there, but the technical side is totally different. When I started in 1972, we were using two-inch videotape. When I left in 1987, three-quarter inch cassettes were the norm. Now everything is digital.

How do you predict where you are going when where you are going might not be there when you arrive? What do you do if your target keeps moving?

Rather than planting your roots in the soil, perhaps it will be the person who reacts to change the best, like a surfboarder, who will drink the victor’s champagne. People used to work for one company for most of their lives. Now this is the exception rather than the rule.

Like the microsecond images in a music video that keep raining down to be processed by our brains, much of our time will be spent sifting through the input. We will then have to quickly act upon it before the next onslaught of information.

All of this leads to stress. Hopefully the technology we are creating will help us deal with this rapid change.

The person standing on top of the mountain will be the one who can manage change and the mountains of information the best and take advantage of it.

Babe

I have been working with Ray and William to try to get the 1949 Tip Top Tailors team in Softball Canada’s Hall of Fame. It won the 1949 World Championship. We’ll see what happens.

In order to get the submission together, I have had to contact two of the four remaining players on the team, Ray and William. I've used the name William, but everybody calls him Babe, including me.

Over the months I have developed a special relationship with both of these men. While they could have rested on their laurels, they haven’t. They have given back to the sport much more than they have taken out of it.

Babe has shown me the amount of love he has in so many ways. The greatest example I see is the love for his wife.

About fifteen years ago, she had a stroke and has been unable to speak. Faithfully he goes to visit her almost every day. He remains dedicated to her when many more would have given up. He finds a way to fit other activities around seeing her. This is a priority. There is no sign of regret or bitterness in his voice. I’m sure he would love to have his wife’s health restored, but he simply goes on playing with the cards he is dealt.

It’s easy to show love when everything is going great and you are on top of the world. Babe has taught me that true love is something that reaches out and touches somebody when it involves sacrifice.

“The greatest love you can show is to give your life for your friends.” Babe personifies this verse.

Barry Hearn

Barry died on Tuesday. Throat cancer took him down.

He owned the ice cream place in town. On a warm summer evening, many in town would congregate there, enjoying the treats and catching up on the news.

I got to know him through the hockey club in town, the St. Marys Lincolns. Barry was on the committee to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary. So was I.

What I remember about him was the stories he told about the people who had come through his life. You could tell that he loved people. He rarely had anything negative to say about anyone.

Apparently the teens who worked at his ice cream shop were treated with great dignity, too. Barry was always interested in their lives.

As much as he might have loved people, you could tell that he touched many lives. I was told that the line at the afternoon visitation extended out the door of the funeral parlour. I went on the Friday night and I was in line for about half an hour. What a testament to his life! I can only hope that my life will be as significant to those around me.

Where Are The Protesters?

There is supposed to be a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel. Jews have stopped bombing targets in Gaza. Yet, Hamas continues to send missiles into Israel.

What’s happening here?

If Israel was wrong in invading the Gaza Strip after months and years of being attacked by this terrorist group, isn’t Hamas equally as wrong for refusing to respect the ceasefire? Is it more justifiable killing Jews than Palestinians? I think not!

But where are the protesters? Where are the people on the street urging Hamas to stop? Why aren’t they there?

The way I see it, you either believe in peace or you don’t. Working differences out solves problems, which means getting together and discussing the issues instead of bombing innocent people.

Meanwhile, many stay silent. Silence is the worst way to solve any issue. Disagreements are a part of life. Running away from them means failing to deal with them. They don’t go away, but remain often to resurface in other ways. If Hamas and Israel can’t sit down and talk, then it demonstrates a total lack of love and respect for each other. As Barack Obama said, we may agree to disagree, but at least we are talking.

Yet, silence is the way the world often responds. We were silent when Jews were marched to the gas chambers in the Second World War. We were silent during the killing fields of Cambodia. We are silent today about the atrocities that are going on in many parts of Africa.

Meanwhile Jews in Venezuela and other parts of the world, people who are trying to lead peaceful existences, are being attacked for Israel’s position on Palestine. Funny that after 9-11 people were rightfully warned not to paint all Moslem’s with the same brush. Is this comment not equally valid for all? It appears that it isn’t.

I wonder if we show our concern and love when it is convenient, when it is easy and not pushing up against resistance. A few weeks ago, it didn’t seem much of a problem for people to march against Israel’s attack on Gaza. I guess the Canadian winter is too cold now for people who abhor violence to do something about what is happening all around the world now. We would rather give lip service about how we abhor violence, love peace and love people without doing anything about it.

If we say we love the people in Africa, for example, and they feel no effect of that love, aren’t we just kidding ourselves? I feel that indifference can be worse than hatred. Love is an action word, and it means speaking out and sharing honestly how we feel, even to those who oppress us.

That’s why I still dream of having Johnny V’s Rock and Roll Weekend For Peace on the Internet. The idea came from an idea of mine that started with this question: What if you had a party, invited the whole world and everyone came?

I want to have an Internet party, spread the word that is happening and invite everyone to tune in. People will show their webcams. Palestinians will be dancing on the same screen as Jews. Hindus, Moslems, Christians and atheists will share a common cause. Everyone regardless of their beliefs will come together for peace.

If anybody can put me in touch with somebody to help make this happen, let me know.

I Believed

I woke up the other morning and the first thought on my mind was Shania Twain. It was like her face was right in front of me and suddenly the first few lines of the following poem flew into my head. I immediately ran down to my computer and wrote them down. It was before five in the morning. Do you like these lyrics? I hope so, but even more, if you can get them to Shania, I hope she likes them even more.

I Believed
I believed (I believed) that you were a man that I could trust.
You’re with her (you’re with her) and all of our dreams have turned to dust.
What went wrong? Why did you have to treat me badly this way?
What went wrong? Now I’m searching my heart for the perfect words to say
That I love you still in spite of what you’ve done
That I hope you will work on the love that we’ve begun
So many hours I sit and think of you
But I need your help – tell me what I have to do
To make it all go away.

I believed and I can believe once more
Because believing means that you are really sure
That there’s hope for tomorrow, let’s forget about today
Come join me now and we will find a way
To make it happen

I am human. (Oh, so human) Yes, there are times when I made mistakes
I’m not perfect (not perfect at all), see I bleed and you know that my heart aches
I don’t stand a chance, though, as long as she’s with you
Don’t stand a chance when your feelings for her are new
Give it time and will she become more like me
You’ll see flaws and maybe you will begin to see
That may be we can save what we had
You got to want it. You got to want it really bad
We can make it right again.

I believed and I can believe once more
Because believing means that you are really sure
That there’s hope for tomorrow, let’s forget about today
Come join me now and we will find a way
To make it happen

Super Bowl Sunday

I’ve got to get a life! Every year Super Bowl Sunday comes around and I usually watch the game alone.

Marie tries hard to make me feel like I’m watching in a room with a bunch of jocks, but when she can’t name one player on either team, it’s not the same.

Not only that, when I asked her what she was thinking of for dinner, you could tell that she wasn’t thinking like a guy. She was planning a stir-fry, something healthy. Now every self-respecting man knows that a Super Bowl meal has to have things like pizza, onion rings and wings. Any that is thrown on a grill is permissible, too. Bean sprouts, tofu and vegetables are definitely not on the menu.

Fortunately, I got her interested in a romantic movie and she didn’t feel like making supper, so I told her to rest and I would make it. You guessed it, pizza!

We had to go out this evening, so I knew I wasn’t going to watch the whole game. We had a half an hour to spend. Marie decided she would join me to keep me company. Great, I thought, at least I didn’t have to watch the game alone. She promptly came in and fell asleep in the chair.

I’m not angry with Marie at all. Not everyone likes football. In fact, for most of the season, I don’t like it, but this is the Super Bowl.

We got back early enough for me to catch the final five minutes or so. Fortunately, a lot of the excitement happened in those fleeting moments. It certainly was an exciting game.

Tomorrow she will probably ask me who won, but the way she figures it, there are many more important things in the world than the outcome of a football game. Come to think of it, she’s right. But for one night my hope is next year I will be surrounded by a bunch of the guys and forgetting about all of the things that are more important.