On the difference between writers and editors

"Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers."
T. S. Eliot

Watching TV in the morning

I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately. Lots of reasons why, but one of the good ones revolves around my double-life as a talking tech head.

I've spoken to Canada AM a couple of times this week, and as always the experience was delightfully eye-opening and pinch-me-now fun. In case you missed the segments, the good folks at CTV posted them online. Here they are:

.sucks domains, and how companies can protect their reputations online
Monday, June 01
Interviewer: Beverly Thomson

Apps, Dark Web, Deep Web, and keeping your data safe
Thursday, June 04
Interviewer: Marci Ien

And, yes, I still find it a little surreal that I said the word "sucks" on national television and regulators didn't show up at my house afterward. I lead a crazy life.

On (not) having it all

"I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better."
A. J. Liebling

If only I could figure out how to do both simultaneously. I'll keep working on it, as I'm just that much of an optimist.

Andy Warhol would be proud

Somewhere in the back of the local grocery store - blessedly renamed Loblaws after an earlier rebranding removed the s - there's an employee who deserves a high-five or two for taking the time to ensure the labels in this display of cans are perfectly and consistently aligned.

Does a stack of cans like this bring us world peace? Or does it somehow compensate for all the nastiness that washes over our planet every day? Not even remotely. But this isn't about fixing the planet or the people on it. It's a small act in a small place by a single person that reminds us of the need to start with an individual act.

Sure, it's all part of the job. And it doesn't make the contents taste any better, either. But it is nevertheless a job well done. And we need as much of that as we can possibly get. Bon appetit!

Your turn: A small example of excellence is...?

On making today yours

"Either you run the day, or the day runs you."
Jim Rohn

Your turn: How will you make today yours?

Life's a not-always-picture-perfect journey

Take a long walk
London, ON
May 2015

I'll never get tired of perspective-type views down long hallways or pathways. This particular one may seem to be more Soviet-era drab than most, but it serves as a reminder that not all parts of the journey will be perfect.

And lovely or not, it's how we choose to hold our heads up along the way that determines how successful we'll ultimately be as we pass through them.

I'm going to keep this in mind as I set off on the workweek that will be, and I hope you consider doing the same. Enjoy...

Where I speak to college grads...

I'll admit I lead a bit of a surreal life. Married to a woman I probably don't deserve. With kids any parent would be proud of. And pursuing a career that often has me pinching myself that I get to do what I do.

Add another one of those moments to the list, because I've been asked by Fanshawe College to deliver a speech to the students in its IT program at this spring's graduation ceremony.

It's humbling to be asked, because speaking to graduating students as they get ready to close off one chapter and begin another - probably the most significant life-related inflection point any of them has had up until that point - is an incalculably huge honour, and I'm already feeling the responsibility of ensuring every single word I say resonates with them. Lots of weight there.

Graduation speeches have long been powerful venues for established leaders - captains of industry like Steve Jobs, world leaders like Bill Clinton, even entertainment figures as diverse as Robert DeNiro and Jim Carrey - and I often find myself studying their narratives for clues to inform my own writing and speaking.

Some of their best quotations come from these speeches, and I feel the need to ensure my own words measure up. So I've been waking up at 2 a.m. most nights, my mind racing with ideas about what will stick in their minds most profoundly. I grab my smartphone and jam my ideas in before they're lost to time, then drift back to sleep for a bit. Sometimes my scribblings make sense in the brightening light of morning, and sometimes not.

But come June 18th, I'll have between 5 and 7 minutes to chat with a few hundred folks whose lives are about to take them on adventures that not so long ago awaited me as I nervously fidgeted with my own graduation cap and gown. And I hope I can come up with the right words.

In a word, surreal. More to come...

Keeping pace on the treadmill

Rushed
London, ON
May 2015

The scene: It's 7:40 a.m. in the parking garage. I've just locked the car and am walking, quickly, to the exit. My office phone six storeys above my head is scheduled to ring at 7:45, at which point I'll be talking tech with a couple of radio hosts in a faraway city. I'm so worried about the time that I don't slow down to take this shot. I know it's going to be blurry, but I don't have the time to care. Silly, I know.

While I normally like to get into the office early enough that I can settle in and get ready for the day, I was rather slow getting out of the house today. Couple that with a bit of uncharacteristically early traffic and I ended up cutting it closer than usual. I know journalists like to do things on deadline, but this by-the-second existence can be a bit much.

Tomorrow I think I'll leave the newspaper-reading till later. And I think I'll leave the car at home and take the bike. Time to shake things up a bit.

Your turn: What's the one change you'll make to improve your life?

She chases the sun

Our daughter came bounding down the stairs earlier tonight and headed for the rear patio door. The dog had been fed, had been let out, then let back inside, and he had gotten his needle, so it wasn't immediately clear to me what the rush was all about.

But the sky was glowing something akin to salmon, pink or soft-orange, the kind of near-sunset that almost begs for a little extra attention. And she needed to grab the picture while the magic was still happening.

She quickly explained what she was up to before stepping outside and raising her lens to the sky. I watched from afar as she composed the scene and tried to commit the moment to memorable pixels.

She's so my kid. And I'm so very proud to be her dad.

On treasuring your next hour

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."
Charles Darwin

Which begs the question: What will you do with the next hour of your life?
 

Take the time to stare

I woke up early this morning and stared at the dog. He sleeps at the foot of our bed, and while I'm sure dog behaviorists are probably cringing at this fact, his being there, where my toes can feel him and where I can hear his little Schnauzer-ish snorting at various points through the night, makes me feel just a little bit better about the world. He's accepted us as his family, and I kinda like having him close by.

So in the still-dim light of the gathering dawn, I watched his ears subconsciously twitch to the sound of a single bird in the bank of trees across the street, and wondered what he was dreaming about. It seemed like one of those moments worthy of a mental snapshot, if only because they don't happen as often as we'd like, and because they seem to disappear into history almost as quickly as they first present themselves.

I don't do this early-morning observation thing nearly as often as I should. If I'm up early - which is ridiculously often of late, as evidenced by this tweet, this one and, oh yes, this one - I'm usually in motion before my feet hit the ground. These pre-dawn workfests usually involve furtive writing sessions in the kitchen, darkened drives to a deserted parking structure downtown, and interviews on-camera or by phone with not-so-random media folks across the country. Which doesn't leave a lot of time to slow down and pet the dog while he snoozes. Or just stare at him as I did this morning.

I really need to change that. Because things have been brutally busy lately. And as a result I've had a lot of early-morning wakeups over these past couple of weeks - hence the relative silence here on the blog - and not enough moments where I slowed things down enough to appreciate the moment. I love this media-centric, tech-filled brand/career/life that I've built for myself and my family, but sometimes I think I need to hold onto the day-to-day of it all a little more tightly.

Because someday we all run out of moments. And I'd hate to think we didn't grab them while we had the opportunity.

On knowing how much a moment is worth

‎"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

Dr. Seuss

Or sometimes you never take the time to figure it out at all.

So take the time.

On learning where happiness comes from

"Happy people plan actions, they don't plan results."
Dennis Wholey

The universe has a funny way of teaching us who's in control. Assuming we can dictate the outcome is either amusing or tragic, depending on your perspective.

When beans refuse to sing

Count 'em
London, ON
April 2015
Thematic. Strange foods we eat. Add yours here.

‎I tried so very hard to hear the medley. I cupped my ear to the can and listened as intently as I could.

Alas, no music at all.

False advertising.

On being nice

"Be nice to everyone. You never know when your paths will cross again." 
Sarah Warren

I find it rather shocking how many folks on this planet seem to misunderstand - or completely ignore - this very simple, basic truth. It's sad, really, as life would be a lot less stressful for all of us if people simply tried harder to be kind.

I'll stop screaming into the wind now.

A good day all around

I'm generally not one to toot my own horn: I figure people hear from me enough by virtue of what I do, as being a journalist tends to put your work "out there" on a fairly regular basis. But I had a neat day on Tuesday and thought that writing about it here would be the online equivalent of pinching myself.

The day started rather happily with an article - Track your stuff anywhere in the world, without GPS - that quoted me being published in USA Today. Byline is Simon Cohen, and the piece profiles iTraq, an interesting approach to keeping your things from getting lost.

The day got better with news that a magazine article I wrote last year had been nominated for the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards in the Best One-of-a-Kind-Article category. The piece was called The Millenial Factor (PDF here - the article is on page 18) and it was published as the cover article in Connections+ Magazine's September/October 2014 issue. The awards recognize the best business-to-business (B2B) magazine writing in Canada.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for June 2nd in Toronto, so I'll hold my breath till then. Whatever happens, it's a delightful and unexpected honor.

/EndPinch

On writing when everyone else is asleep

"You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.."
Saul Bellow

I might disagree with the "never" part, but I'll admit middle-of-the-night writing jags are pretty inspirational in their own right. If you can live without the sleep, the magic of writing when the rest of the world around you is quiet can be intoxicating.

Thematic Photographic 335 - Strange foods we eat

Prehistoric
London, ON
April 2015

‎I've been wandering back into the grocery store with my camera, largely because I enjoy the rush of composing and shooting quickly, before anyone figures out what I'm up to. It's a curious subset of urban/street photography that I seem to have fallen into, and I don't want to give it up.

This is some of the oddest-looking edible stuff I've ever seen. The label said‎ karella, but my eyes couldn't stop thinking of some long-extinct dinosaur-like creature. Indeed, we live on an incredible planet.

Your turn: Take a picture of weird food - or choose a pic you may have already posted‎ - and post it to your blog or website. Leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it. Visit other participants to spread the photographic goodness, and feel free to add additional submissions through the week. If you're new to Thematic, head here and all will be explained. Thanks...and have fun with it!

A pause before I leave

I decided to take a ride yesterday. Not because I was particularly motivated to do so. If we're being completely transparent, I would have been perfectly happy to stay home and enjoy the peacefulness of a rare weekend afternoon.

In the end, it was my wife who got me over the speed bump and into the garage. Bless her. Because sometimes we all need a little push to do the things we know we need to do.

The ensuing ride was short, sharp and fast. ‎The data from the Garmin validated it (cycling tip: GPS rules) but what stuck with me was how I felt when I turned the last corner before home and let the bike coast in to the driveway. Refreshed. Happy. As if 25km of hammering away on the pedals in the countryside was enough to wash away the remnants of the past week and set the stage for whatever good might - indeed will - come next.

For that moment, at least, that's exactly how it felt. So as my left foot touched down on terra firma, I silently reminded myself that I need to do this more often. Because taking the time to turn off the outside world and focus on nothing more than speed, balance, endurance and survival is better for the soul that anyone could have ever imagined.

Your turn: How do you rejuvenate yourself?

On leading a life of value

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."

Albert Einstein

Sadly, the world is filled with entirely too many people who can't tell the difference. You'd think it would be a simple thing to learn. You'd think wrong.

Through the looking glass (door)

‎I tend to look down a lot. Part of it is based on my fear of tripping on the unseen - I am rather clumsy on a good day - and another part likely has to do with my needing to pick the interesting stuff out of the mundane.

The geometry of this particular scene seemed to grab my eye. It made me wonder who might come through these doors, and what they might find on the other side.

Every scene, after all, tells a story. What is this one telling you?

On why we brave the storm

"When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person that walked in. That's what the storm is all about."
Haruki Murakami

Some quotes seem to stick with you. For some odd reason, this one refuses to stop bouncing around my brain. Storm as metaphor. I like it.

Office space that inspires

Cool work digs
London, ON
April 2015
Thematic. Where you work. Here.

‎For the record, I do not work in the office you see here, but I know a bunch of people who do, and they are quite likely some of the luckiest techies in London right about now.

I was lucky enough to attend the ribbon-cutting for this remarkable new space the other night. It's called the London Roundhouse, and it's where locomotives in train-centric London used to be serviced and sent back on their way. This building was integral to the building of this city, and it's poetic perfection that it's now home to some of London's top technology talent.

The place was packed. Our Mayor, Matt Brown, was there, as was a veritable who's who of London's business and cultural community. I still can't get that feeling - a curious mixture of inspiration, comfort, community and anticipation for a bright future - out of my head. Nor do I want to.

We live in interesting times. Cool that we get to witness it all first-hand.

Your turn: What makes a space - work, home, whatever - inspirational to you?

On failing for the greater good

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."
Robert F. Kennedy

I'll never understand the fear of failure that is so strong that it compels those victimized by it to stand frozen in place. Somewhere along the way, we seem to have lost the script.

Thematic Photographic 334 - Where you work

Angles and glass
London, ON
April 2015

We all work somewhere. Unless we sit in a lounger 24/7 washing down endless waves of Cool Ranch Doritos with equally endless waves of Mountain Dew and/or protein shakes, we all have at least one place on the planet that qualifies as a place of work.

I work in lots of places, including my home office, an assortment of TV and radio studios, and the shady corners of countless Starbucks where I hope the baristas don't notice I'm doing live interviews in between overly large cups of overpriced black tea. But by day, this is where I hang out, 6 floors up in the rather angular downtown building you see here.

The inside story is even cooler, and I'll share snippets of that throughout the week. For now, however, I hope you'll start pondering what your workplace looks like, and how you'd like to share it as part of this week's Thematic theme.

Your turn: Take a picture that suggests, evokes or even barely relates to this week's theme - where you work - and share it on your blog or website. Already posted something usable? Share that, too! Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Feel free to share more through the week, and visit other participants to spread the photographic goodness. New to Thematic? Head here for more details on our weekly photo-sharing/learning/interacting activity.

Giving the gift of garbage, everywhere...

Someone didn't get enough protein
London, ON
April 2015

‎Maybe it's just me, but I find it disgusting when I come across half-empty coffee cups or food containers left in public places. Like grocery store floors, elevators or, as you can see from the photo above, mere inches from my parked car.

I'm not sure which chromosomes are out of place and/or damaged, or what other factors might be in play that seemingly compel otherwise reasonable adults to leave their garbage wherever they feel it's most convenient for them. I keep wondering whether I'm the abnormal one for being raised to look for a garbage or recycling bin whenever I'm done with whatever it is that I've consumed or used.

Funny, but it strikes me as more work to surreptitiously stash something on a filthy, shady parking structure floor than it would be to take a few seconds to toss it in a clearly marked bin nearby. Whoever did the deed, I hope you're pleased with yourself. For what it's worth, you're the only one who is.

Your turn: Does this kind of thing bother you as much as it bothers me?

Looking for signs in the grass

Frasier and I came across this fascinating scene last week, and try as we could, we simply couldn't figure out what it all meant.

A message from aliens? A planned highway interchange soon to overrun our quiet neighborhood? Leftovers from an impromptu archaeological dig looking for evidence of a misplaced ancient Inca tribe?

It was all a little much for us. So I went back to my usual job of scanning for wayward skunks, and he returned to his genetic need to sniff, lick and occasionally nibble on whatever managed to attract his attention.

The life of a dog is a charmed one. One can say the same thing about the humans lucky enough to welcome one into our family.

On why failure matters

‎"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless."

Thomas Edison

Taking the time to look up

I was headed to an early studio session the other morning when I decided to take a new route. Instead of using the sidewalk, I walked through the grounds of a nearby church.

As I passed the main entrance, the combination of low morning sun and insanely detailed brickwork caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks. I stood there for a couple of minutes and drank it in.

I really didn't have the time to spare, and ended up cutting things pretty close because of my little architectural detour. But sometimes, you just have to take the time. Because if not now, when?

Thematic Photographic 333 - Multiples

Packets of tea-filled goodness
London, ON
April 2015

There's a certain amount of comforting symmetry when lots of somethings occur in a limited amount of space or time. Repeating patterns often seem to make for neat photography, and I can't resist the lure whenever I come across multiples of anything.

So for the next week, Thematic explores multiples, and I hope you will, too.

Your turn: Take a photo that suggests this week's theme, multiples. Share it on your blog and leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Already have a pic posted online? Share that, too! Visit other participants to spread the photographic goodness far and wide. Head here if you're new to Thematic and want to learn more. And feel free to share more pics through the week: Serial photo-sharing is a good thing, after all. Have fun with it, and thanks!

Messiness. Everywhere.

It's easy to become discouraged by humanity when you keep coming across scenes like this.

I try to ease the disappointment by convincing myself that the long-gone litterbugs simply forgot their drinks there - or on the supermarket shelf, or the bus stop bench, or... - but then I realize there can't be that many forgetful people in the world.

Aside from my finding a convenient place to dispose of the evidence, I see no way, save for DNA matching and facial recognition-based video surveillance, of fixing it. Because you can't teach manners, apparently, and too many people around us have decided they no longer care.

Kinda sad, isn't it?

Sesame Street destroys the planet

Eons from now, when archaeologists are digging through what remains of 21st century earthbound humanity, I'm guessing they'll happen upon something like this and decide it represented the beginning of the end.

Perhaps I'm overthinking it. Maybe it's just an innocent package of "juice" boxes. Or maybe I'm becoming a curmudgeon. If that's the case, then please get off my lawn. And take your faux, animated-celebrity-shilled sugary-water with you.

On doing right by others

‎"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart."

Eleanor Roosevelt

Quite possibly the most wise words for leaders I've seen in quite some time.

Thematic Photographic 332 - Flowers

Open wide
London, ON
April 2015

I kind of hinted at this week's theme with this entry, so my bad for doing things a bit out of order.

I keep coming back to flowers because they're so transient, so achingly lovely for such a brief blink of time. And a picture is the only way to remember what it's like before time takes its inevitable toll.

Not that decline doesn't have its own innate beauty, of course. But still, I'd hate to miss out on an opportunity to freeze time. If only the real world worked that way.

Your turn: Grab a flower-themed picture and share it on your website or blog. Already posted something? Share that, too! Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants to share the photographic joy, and check back through the week in case you've got more to share. Head here for more background on how Thematic works. Thanks for making this the kick that it is. Enjoy!

Pretty. Doomed. But still pretty.

An invitation to tiptoe
London, ON
April 2015

Flowers, at least in their commercial, buy-them-on-the-way-home form, don't represent the most logical of purchases. Even while they sit in their refrigerated-display-case perfection, they're dying a slow death. They've already been cut from whence they grew, and the vibrant colours, textures and scents that define their present stand in stark contrast to the shrivelled Miss Havisham-ish reality that they will soon become.

That's right, folks, I'm such a romantic, already pondering the dark side before it's even had a chance to show itself.

And yet, I can't look away. And I can't resist the occasional seemingly irrational urge to pull out my wallet and detour through the florist shop as I pack up the groceries or otherwise finish off an errand and point myself toward home.

Why buy something that'll be garden fodder within days? Because for the blink of time that they're at their peak, they have value that extends far beyond the physical. Because they send a message. That you cared enough to do something illogical. That you cared, period.

I don't buy flowers often - at least not as often as I probably should. But when I do, the feeling of having someone worth bringing them home to is priceless.

Life at the crossroads: Wonderland & Nine Mile Road

‎

An unplanned change in direction
Middlesex County, ON
March 2015

As intersections go, this one shouldn't be particularly memorable.

It's a few miles north of the edge of town, surrounded by farmland and little else. It looks remarkably like countless other intersections in the southern Ontario countryside, differentiated only by the street signs poking out of the still-thawing ditch.

And yet, I found myself standing here with my bike last weekend, on a brilliantly sunny, bitterly cold and windy afternoon, taking pictures to remember the moment. But why?

This place has something of a hold on me. See, this is where, on a similarly sunny yet much hotter summer's afternoon, I had stopped my bike.‎ And on this day, I had approached from the west, near the end of a long loop of a ride that had taken me on a high-speed tour of the hinterlands deep in ag country. The plan was to turn right on Wonderland and follow it back to town, then home.

Problem was, Wonderland was under construction‎, and I learned this only after turning right and running straight into a hopelessly blocked road. I peered over the barriers, figuring it was a small enough interruption that I could walk the bike past. No such luck: It seemed to go on for miles, and I was going to have to detour far around it.

So I turned my head waaaaay to the left to make sure I wasn't about to become some motorist's new hood ornament, executed a neat u-turn and headed back to the open road.

Although I didn't know it at the time, my little head‎-turn prompted a nasty chain of events, as it caused a tear in my carotid artery that later that evening prompted blood clots to break free, lodge in my brain and touch off a stroke.

It's been close to two years since that rather pivotal day, and this corner continues to serve as something of my own personal Ground Zero, the spot where my life took a decidedly unplanned turn. It isn't a bad place, nor is it a good one. It just is.

And on this day, my first ride of the season, as I sped past still-dormant fields and heard the electricity crackling through the wires overhead, I knew it felt right to stop here and reflect on the bike season that lay ahead, and why something as simple as a bike ride far from home means so much more now than it did before August 5, 2013.

I realize how lucky I am to have been given the chance to return here, and to continue to use my legs to cover ridiculous distances in impossibly lovely countryside. I returned from what, for so many others, is permanent disability, or worse, and continue to write, speak, tell stories, and simply live my life with my incredible family.

If stopping by the place where it all began becomes an occasional ritual to remind myself how precious all of this is, and why riding my bike is now a treasured act of defiance and a sign that the universe didn't win this time, then it's a visit I'm all too willing to make whenever I feel the need.

Your turn: ‎Do you have a spot in the world that you need to return to every once in a while?

Related blog entries:

- So, about that stroke...
- When even "thank you" seems lame
- More stroke stuff...
- Coming up on Canada AM

On seeing beauty

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
Andy Warhol

Which begs the question: Where do YOU see beauty?

The view from the hot seat

Anchorman
London, ON
March 2015
Thematic. Please be seated. Here. Because you want to.

This is what it looks like from the seat in the studio at CTV London. I do most of my remote interviews from this place - known as the Windsor Studio - and in many ways this storied room with decades of television history quietly tucked into its darkened walls has become a very comforting place for me.

I'm pretty sure the first impression can be terrifying, as staring down the barrel of a camera broadcasting live to folks you don't even know can be intimidating. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little nervous in the pit of my stomach before every interview.

But here's the thing: This entire studio is something of a home away from home for me. And the folks who work here are part of my extended family. I trust them implicitly to always do what it takes to make TV magic happen. The folks at the other end of the line are similarly incredible, and it always settles me down when they talk in my ear and walk me through a process that, even now, is insanely complex. I learn a lot about being a better person by hanging around the people I work with here.

Your turn: How do the people who surround you help you succeed?

April Fool, April Idiocy

‎I'll apologize now if this seems a bit curmudgeonly, but I don't get the whole April Fool thing. I never did as a kid, and nothing has changed in adulthood.

Aside from the ridiculous notion of having a set day on the calendar for pranks and practical jokes - really, Alphonse, I had absolutely NO idea that you were pulling my figurative leg...such a surprise! - there's the somewhat darker veil of nastiness that pervades a good chunk of the day's activities. The notion that it's perfectly acceptable on this one day to "get" others in some way, all under the veil of supposed humor, is ridiculous. And mean.

Where I come from, none of this is funny. In fact, it smacks of bullying. Which is more than a little ironic given the anti-bullying mantras we all spout on the other 364 days of the year.

Now, please don't get me wrong: I do, in fact, have a sense of humor. And anyone who knows me knows I like to use it. Broadly and often.

But there's something about today, and the way we've evolved this tradition of trickery, that rubs me in all the wrong ways. The journalist in me similarly bristles at the notion of trusted operations willingly turning their coverage streams into "jokes" for the day. There's nothing funny about fake news if it makes you wonder whether they're being serious or not.

I hope this doesn't come across as get-off-my-lawn-ish, but please count me out today, and leave the funnies for times when they are neither expected nor programmed. To be truly funny, one never needs to schedule it.

Your turn: April Fool...pro or con? Why?

Thematic Photographic 331 - Please be seated

Waiting for Godot
London, ON
March 2015

This week's Thematic theme, please be seated, is a rather personal one because I tend to spend more time than I should sitting on chairs. Call it a writer's occupational hazard.

Thankfully I don't have to spend much time in chairs like the one you see here. It was parent-teacher interview night at our kids' school, and as I waited for the final appointment of the night, I found myself facing this rather forlorn-looking scene. It struck me as dimensionally perfect, so plain yet so richly full of detail about what it felt like to be Right There.

Indeed, at various times in our lives we've all been seated out in the hall on an uncomfortable chair, institutional linoleum at our feet, institutional concrete block around us, and institutional fluorescent lights and pock-marked drop-ceilings above us. Within that context, this may be one of the most relatable pics I've shared in a while.

At least that's what I hope the principal was thinking when she busted me.

Your turn: Take a photo that evokes, suggests or merely breathes the name of this week's please be seated theme. Post it to your blog or website, then leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it. Already got something online? Share that, too! Head here for more background on Thematic. Visit other participants and come back through the week - we encourage serial sharing. And friends. Because photography is more fun when it's shared.

On mulling over your impact on others

"A life isn't significant except for its impact on other lives."
Jackie Robinson

Which begs the inevitable question: What's your impact on the lives of others?

Aaaand...go!

The cat who cast a long shadow

10 years ago today, we put our cat down. In a world where millions live in fear and whatever the opposite of freedom is, where children grow up hungry and without hope of breaking the cycle, where good people die young and those who take advantage of others so often seem to escape justice, the life of a cat seems ridiculously trivial indeed. And in virtually all respects, it is.

But he was our cat, and he was a part of our lives for a dozen years. And small memories, however trivial they may seem at first - or even second - glance, still matter in the lives of those who retain them.

We had had Shadow since he was a tiny little thing, and after a late-night escape attempt outside the pound from which we had just adopted him, some tenuous nights spent hiding under the covers hoping he wouldn't claw us in the dark, and a disturbing sequence of broken glass, chewed-up flowers and destroyed furniture, he settled into quite the contented life with us.

He was there when we brought our first munchkin home from the hospital, when we pulled up stakes and moved to London in the dead of winter, when we settled into our new home here and welcomed two more little people into the family. As he imprinted himself on the top of our couch, he also imprinted himself on us.

He taught our kids what it was like to treat others with care, and how to communicate non-verbally. Through him, they learned empathy, patience and gentleness. When he got sick, they learned how precious life is, and ultimately what loss feels like. He was their first real pet, and they continue to carry those early lessons as they continue their own journeys into adulthood.

So, yes, he was a silly cat who wrecked the house, ruined our sleep and drained our wallet. But a decade after we said goodbye, his rather long shadow continues to touch us. And as I look at our kids who were lucky enough to have their "Best Cat" in the house for as long as they did, I can't help but think that they're better people because of him.

On balance, it ended up being a reasonable tradeoff.

Related links:

• The before entry - March 27, 2005
• The after entry - March 29, 2005
• Diagnosis - January 09, 2005

She's a dirty girl

‎
Poor Henrietta has had a tough winter. From a mangled tire to hard-packed snow in the wheel wells and enough -30C cold-cranked starts in the pre-dawn murk, I'm guessing my little wagon is just as happy to see spring as I am.

Considering the state of her rear hatch, I'm guessing a careful washing might be in order. I love Canada and all, but ‎the on-road grime makes me wish we lived in a less messy part of the world.

Thematic Photographic 330 - Get Dirty

Free parking
London, ON
February 2015

The world is a dirty place. Maybe it's because we're in that early-spring netherworld where the snow hasn't quite finished melting and the city cleaning crews haven't had a chance to sweep away the grit and grime of the receding winter.

Until they do, it's everywhere, and as much as we'd like to toss the boots back into storage in favor of sneakers, the monster slush-puddles and endless gunkiness make dressing for better weather a bit of a risk. For now, anyway.

Your turn: Take a pic that ‎evokes, supports or merely suggests this week's theme, Get Dirty. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Already posted something online or in your archives? Share it, too! Visit other participants to raise the fun quotient and feel free to post more contributions through the week. For more info on how Thematic works, head here. Most important of all, have fun with it!

On inspiration - and not just sitting around waiting for it

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."

Jack London

As the new work week gets underway, how will you pursue your own source of inspiration?

On pushing past your boundaries

"You must do the things you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Don't let me stop you. Go. Do.

And when you do, what will one of those things be?

Half a roof over my head

‎As my son and I were walking back to the car after running some errands at the local mall, we happened to walk past the empty shell of a former anchor store. I stared at the now-dusty exterior of the building and couldn't help but realize how forlorn it looked, and how much it had been allowed to deteriorate since this place last closed it's doors just over a year ago.

The store that was once a magnet, a destination for thousands of people from the entire region, was now a derelict piece of 80s-era brown-brick architecture, with no sign of recovery in sight.

As we stood on the sidewalk in front of the now-shuttered front doors, taking in the sad spectacle of suburban obsolescence, my son said he hoped something would soon fill the quiet space and give it the kind of life it once had.

Although he's just as cynical as I am when it comes to the uber-commercial nature of modern retail fixtures like big box stores and shopping malls, it struck me as an incredibly profound statement from a very sensitive 14-year-old.‎ He understood how stores like the one that was once here contribute to the fabric of the communities they serve, and what we lose when they disappear. It's more than mere picetags and shopping bags.

Almost as soon as he finished the thought, we both looked up at the overhang that once protected shoppers from the elements as they waited to be picked up out front.‎ The still-vibrant yellow against the brilliant blue sky suggested, perhaps, a brighter future for this place than its dreary present might suggest.

Either way, my son will be watching.

On keeping time

"I wish I could stand on a busy street corner, hat in hand and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours."

Bernard Berenson

Some folks figure it out in retrospect. Others never do. It needn't be so complex.

A draining experience

Beneath the (non)waves
Deerfield Beach, FL
December 2014
Thematic. Bodies of water. Here.

This is a picture of a pool drain. I had to perch myself at the very edge of the deck, then point my camera straight down. Thankfully the weather was meh, so the pool was empty and only a few card players were nearby. I'm rather sorry I didn't take a picture of them as they alternated between arguing over the rules of the game and trying to hide their curiosity as they cast bewildered stares in my general direction.

It was kind of funny to watch them, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't milk the moment for all it was worth.

Your turn: ‎Do you ever shoot with an audience?

Thematic Photographic 329 - Bodies of water

Lucky 7
Pompano Beach, FL
December 2014

It's that time once again, that special time on Monday - 7:00 p.m. Eastern - When we announce the week's new photo theme. This time out, it is: Bodies of water.

I was looking through my photo archives and in between kicking myself for dragging my feet processing the pictures from our recent vacation - bad Carmi! - I realized I had returned home with lots of scenes from bodies of water. Beaches, swimming pools, brackish streams and even bathtubs:

My camera captured it all. Well, most of it. I hope yours does, too.

Your turn: Take a picture that suggests, supports or otherwise evokes this week's theme, bodies of water. Post it to your blog or website and then leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it. If you've already got something shareable online, feel free to toss it into the mix, as well‎. Visit other participants to spread the photographic joy, and don't hesitate to share additional pics through the week. For more background on how Thematic Photographic works, head here. Otherwise, I'll just back away and let you start shooting and sharing. Have fun!

Do not shoot the Customs officer

Always know where you are
Port Huron, MI
December 2014
For more Thematic road tripping, head here
New theme goes live tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern

This is what 6:38 a.m. looks like when you're about to cross the Canada-U.S. border on the way to a much warmer place. When everyone was more or less parked in place while the Customs officers finished up their strategic games of Solitaire, ‎I thought a quick pixel-grab wouldn't be terribly out of line.

I know, I know, I'm now the poster child for the distracted driving generation. Let the debate begin: And let the record show we hadn't budged for 10 minutes. There, I feel better.

All other issues aside, I've fallen into the habit of taking what I like to call placeholder pictures, or photos that aren't necessarily "of" anything in particular, but ones that pinpoint a certain time and place in our day-to-day lives, perhaps milestone moments that we don't otherwise want to forget. They aren't necessarily great compositions, but they fulfill an important storytelling role in the life of my family.

Looking back at them brings me right back to those moments, and at this moment we were sitting quietly in the car and wondering how many of the ‎2,269 kilometres ahead of us we'd have to drive before we could kick off our boots and woolies and swap them for shorts and sandals. The kids were happily bantering in the back, and I was thankful to be in this delightful cocoon of family, a place where life, for a snapshot moment, was as perfect as I'd ever imagined.

Amazing what one otherwise unremarkable picture can do. Do you take placeholder photos? Do tell...

Desperately seeking...a car wash

Dirty girl
London, ON
March 2015
Thematic. Hit the road. Here.

Impending spring is a lovely time of year. Except for the grime that seems to coat everything that isn't hermetically sealed.

I think Henrietta needs a bit of a cleaning. Anyone up for a car wash?

On not letting Alzheimer's have the final word

‎"If you don't turn your life into a story, you just become part of someone else's story."
Terry Pratchett

Sir Terry certainly told his own life's story with eloquence and grace. May we all have the will and the ability to follow in his footsteps.
 

Eight dog years

Love me
London, ON
February 2015

We all know that time flies when you're having fun. But as a dog owner, I can also confirm that time also flies when you're cleaning up a kitchen floor strewn with garbage, walking seemingly endlessly through the neighborhood when the temperature is cold enough to flash-freeze small birds in flight, or waking up to the sound of a little four-legged being quietly throwing up at your feet.

Ah yes, dog ownership is a trip. And today we mark eight years of it. On this day in 2007, we brought Frasier home. He was a rescue from a home where his "normal" was a too-small cage and not much else, and after spending the first months of his life mostly alone and afraid, he very quickly became one of us.

This isn't a fairy tale, mind you. He was, is and presumably always will be less than convenient. Between the garbage, the weather and the horking up, he is as labour-intensive as he sounds. He's diabetic, too, so insulin shots and eternal worry are now part of our family vocabulary. And speaking of sounds, he is no stranger to them. Loud is his middle name. I know it's a miniature schnauzer thing, but still.

I was once walking Frasier with a member of our extended family who shall remain nameless. As usual, Frasier was wandering like a bad drunk from side to side, following his nose wherever his DNA deemed worthy. Pulling on the leash didn't seem to do much good, and I lost count of how many times I had to physically move him in the direction I wanted him to go.

Of course, distant-family-member-guy's dog was infinitely better behaved. And he proceeded to lecture me on all the things I was doing wrong in training - or, I'm guessing, not training - our dog.  He then explained why a dog from a breeder is better than a dog like Frasier, "Where you really don't know what you're getting."

I bit my tongue at that one. Hard. I think it even bled a little. Didn't say anything to him as we continued our walk and returned to the house. Because I think we have very different definitions of what "better" is.

We may not have known what we were getting when we brought this little troublemaker home. We may have been taking something of a risk given what he had been through. He sure didn't end up as the perfectly trained, breeder-supplied, by-the-checkmark ideal that seems to occupy centre stage in the Christmas card scenes of so many families.

But he's ours. With a kind heart that defies description. And a way of connecting with us no matter what we're going through. So we'll take him, warts and all. After all, he decided long ago that we were his, and I'm not about to disagree with him.

Thank you for eight wonderful years, you furry ball of insanity. May we all be lucky enough to have many more together.

Related links:
Frasier's 1st day
Frasier's 2nd day
Frasier's posts: Act of Dog 
Dahlia's Instagram pic today

Looking at life through an open sunroof

‎If it were up to me, I wouldn't own a car. I don't much enjoy driving. Nor do I enjoy paying for a car, caring for it, worrying about it, or otherwise having it on my mind. I also feel a whole lotta guilt for burning fossilized dinosaur juice that pollutes the atmosphere and sullies the planet. I rather despise that feeling of perpetual laziness that goes along with letting an internal combustion engine do all the heavy lifting for me. All things considered, I'd much rather take my bike wherever I need to go.

But the realities of life in a northern town, where I have a family to cart around, a career to build and a life to lead, mean I'm somewhat stuck with the four-wheeled thing. Cities are built and lives are laid out in such a way that going carless would be an even bigger pain than owning one.

My schedule doesn't afford me the luxury of time to get my kids where they need to go, or for me to zip quickly between home, office, studio and a million points in between and beyond. Even if it did, winter has a nasty way of interrupting even the best laid urban-commuter-cyclist's plans. And so I reluctantly find myself ‎getting into my little machine every morning and turning the key.

With all the reasons to hate driving, I find myself looking for small touchstones in the experience‎ that make it, if not satisfying, at least tolerable. Enter the sunroof.

My car has one. Every car I ever own must have one. Because nothing feels quite as soothing as sliding it open before setting off on a journey. Because feeling the open sky just above my head is a small reward when I absolutely have to drive somewhere.‎ Because even when it's too cold outside to allow open-air driving, the extra light it lets in makes me feel a little happier wherever I happen to be headed. Because we all deserve small luxuries that, despite their outwardly trivial nature, mean the world to us within our own day-to-day existence.

And on this brilliantly sunny afternoon, the temperature had gone above zero for the first time in months. So I looked at our son in the passenger seat and cracked a half-smile as I suggested opening it for the first time this season. He half-smiled back and me and before either of us could say a word my finger was reaching toward the switch.

I remember the animated conversation, the tone of that shared moment as we slowly backed out of the driveway, far more than I do the actual sensation of the roof sliding open. We felt delightfully happy at the sudden and welcome release from winter's grip. And as much as I still don't much enjoy the whole driving thing, a shared moment of renewed joy with my little man is more than enough to make me wish for countless more drives just like it. With him. Because an open sky is always best experienced with someone special.

Your turn:‎ Do you have a small luxury that makes you crack a half-smile? Or even a whole one?

Looking back at a harrowing drive home

Some road trips are best forgotten. Yet for some odd reason I keep taking pictures of them. Maybe blizzards bring me comfort. Perhaps there's something soul-soothing about picking your way home on a night like tonight, knowing the warmth that awaits your arrival.

Like I said, odd. But I'll take it with snow or without.

Thematic Photographic 328 - Hit the road

Life beckons
London, ON
March 2015

A funny thing happened when I stepped outside on Saturday afternoon. The temperature had warmed up - to above freezing for the first time in what seemed like eons - and the road was strangely free of snow and ice. Neighbors to the left and right of our house had emerged into this strange streetscape, rubbing their eyes in the bright sunshine, almost as if they were groundhogs awaking from a long hibernation.

I quietly paced the cul-de-sac in front of the house, and for what seemed like a long while debated with myself the merits of hauling my bicycle out of the basement, prepping it and taking it for a shakedown ride through the 'hood. It sure seemed warm enough, and the nearly bare pavement beneath my feet beckoned for more. The road was calling.

As it was, the rest of the neighborhood road network turned out to be a soggy, icy, pothole-filled mess. So with visions of trashing my rims and ending up in a dirty snowbank, I went back into the house and got back into daddy-weekend-errand mode. The ride will have to wait, but not for too much longer.

Your turn: It's hit the road week, and I'd like to use this new Thematic Theme to explore anything and everything associated with the road. They take us near and far, connect us, and call us. In the process, they make us feel something, too, and I'm hoping everyone's photos this week evoke that sentiment. Are you in? If so, grab a shot of something that suggests "road", and share it on your blog or website. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Already posted something earlier? Share that, too: We love sharing, after all. Visit other participants to spread the fun, and be sure to pop back through the week to see what everyone else is up to. Here's more info on how Thematic works. Thanks, and enjoy!

Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Start me up
London, ON
March 2015
Thematic. Drink. Here.

Welcome to my office, the place where words get spun and cool things are created. As far as offices go, it's a pretty neat, welcoming place. And when I'm sitting in front of all of that technology - seriously, I have way too much LCD in my life - I can't help but think that I'm in the right place, in a spot that makes me feel both comfortable and very much alive.

Of course, technology can only get you so far, so a mug of steeped tea is usually called for. And unlike Star Trek: TNG's Captain Picard, who simply had to call for it out of a replicator, I actually have to boil the kettle, stick the infuser in, and wait for the convective magic to happen.

Our 21st century primitive tea-making technology aside, I think I prefer to make it myself. Some things just feel better when you don't have to rely on some unseen circuitry. Not everything needs an app, and I think my tea mug may very well be the last holdout.

Your turn: What's the appeal of a warm mug of coffee/tea/whatever?

On the treasure that is today

"Today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day."
Francis Gray

My wife shared this with me via email this week, smack in the middle of the day when I really needed it. She's amazing that way: Always knowing what I need, and when.

Wherever you are, I hope you've got someone in your corner, too, who manages to find moments to remind you how precious time is.

Your turn: What do you have to look forward to on this day?

Start the day with juice

Life is a serious business, but that doesn't mean there isn't a little room at the margins to have a little fun.

This photo is Exhibit A. I was attending a presentation at a London hotel by Jean-Pierre Blais, the chair of the CRTC, Canada's broadcast regulator. I'd been writing and speaking about the man for years, so it was quite the thing for me to finally be able to meet him. I'm geeky like that.

Now, to most people, telecom regulation is as exciting as watching paint dry. And for the most part, I can't disagree with them. But there's something about this space that pulls me in and can't let go. For this supposedly most sober, bureaucratic and often impossibly complex topic of all is also a crucial factor in how ‎we connect with each other and how we lead our lives.

And making the Byzantine world of telecom regulation easy for everyone to understand is kinda my thing. So here I was super-early, ready to listen to M. Blais's first of a planned series of significant policy announcements, surrounded by some of the heaviest hitters in regional broadcast media. Reporters from national newsrooms had made the trip in to observe the spectacle, and the stage was set for a major kind of day.

So I thought a juice glass picture would be just the ticket for putting it all in perspective. Because as groundbreaking as the day turned out to be - I was, ah, rather riled up by the eventual message, and ended up somewhat forcefully disagreeing with M. Blais on his vision for local broadcasting - I didn't want to forget the simple pleasures of being in an amazing place surrounded by brilliant people whose decisions could potentially affect us all.

Before I spun my brain up and joined the media fray, I wanted to enjoy the moment with a few captured pixels. Not a bad way to keep my head on straight.

Your turn: Do you look for small ways to ground yourself during otherwise stressful times? How so?

Thematic Photographic 327 - Drink

This is how we start the day
London, ON
February 2015

I've been staring into mugs a lot lately, a necessary byproduct of a ridiculously cold and snowy winter. There's something comforting about taking the time to make a mug of something that radiates so much warmth and tone, and then simply hold it quietly as a counter to whatever's blowing up just outside the door or window. It works every time.

So it got me thinking: This would make a great topic for Thematic. Which brings us to...

Your turn: Thematic celebrates the humble drink for the next week. Whatever you're drinking - coffee, tea, juice, water, or something a little stronger - I hope you'll shoot it on your blog or website, then share it here. If you've already posted something, that'll work, too. Leave a comment letting everyone know where to find it, and be sure to visit other participants. Return as often as you wish, as Thematic is all about shooting, sharing and enjoying the photographic art. For more info on how it all works, head here. Otherwise, grab your camera and go for it.

Purple and proud

The color of nature
London, ON
October 2014
Photo by Dahlia Levy

It's been a long, tough winter here in the Great White North, and as much as Canadians seem to revel in beating back the worst of it, I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to more moderate weather.

One of the things I miss most when the snow falls is the abundance of color that surrounds us for the rest of the year. I'm aware that the typically winter shades of white, grey and brown-ish are all colors, as well, but they're nowhere near as kind to the soul as scenes like this.

I'm looking forward to more purples like this. And I'm looking forward to more walks with my kids so they can capture more moments like this one through the lens.

Your turn: Your favorite color is...? Why?

Do these look like baby seals?

‎I'm not entirely sure what baby seals look like, but I'm somehow reminded of tiny little animal beings when I look at this shot.

I think I may need to find another hobby, because this one is getting too weird.