With Glowing Hearts

Finally. Something newsworthy we can all cheer about. Hayley Wickenheiser will be the Canadian flag bearer at the Sochi Olympics. I could not be more proud or delighted. She is truly Canada at its best, a terrific representation of our dreams and accomplishments. These will be her fifth Olympic games since the debut of women’s hockey in the 1998 games. Hayley has played in all of them, and she has helped her team bring home the gold not once, not twice, but 3 times. So while the media gorges on the latest antics of Justin Bieber and Rob Ford, there are better stories ready and waiting that depict Canada as we deserve to be seen. Who didn’t cheer themselves hoarse when the Canadian women’s team went for the gold in Salt Lake City? And the girls managed to celebrate their win without getting in trouble like the guys did. These elite athletes know their responsibility extends beyond just playing the game. They are ambassadors, representing our country.  They don’t get paid nearly as much as Bieber or even Ford, but you don’t hear them complaining about that, or saying that what they do in private is their own business. With every hard-won goal scored, Hayley taught us all – boys, girls, adults – the importance of teamwork, good sportsmanship, not being afraid of challenges, and of following a dream. So while certain public figures have chosen to forget their responsibilities to our country, Hayley and her team will stand on guard for thee. Oh, Canada!

New Year, New Blog

Welcome to my first post on my new blog. This is a really big deal and thanks for stopping by to read! I’ve been postulating about world events and how they pertain to my writing on my website for the past year and change, but I thought it was time to take my news and views a little more public. Because we really do live in interesting times…
With that, after careful consideration because I’ve held my tongue to this point, my first post will be a brief treatise on how Not to be the Mayor of FordNation (or anywhere else). By now the world knows, ad nauseum, all they never wanted to know about Rob Ford. And we Torontonians suffered the indignities of guilt by association, as did the rest of Canada, while pundits around the globe found endless fodder in Ford’s antics. Yes, there was much fun to be poked at the gloriously obese crack-smoking mayor with a penchant for profanity. Never mind the darker side of his purported associations with gangs and drug dealers. But Ford, along with his defensive brother, assured our city and anyone else listening that he was not an addict, he was done with drink, “guaranteed”, and he would not be keeping questionable company.
But now there is yet another damning video of Ford, profane and intoxicated. And if that is not bad enough, he is filmed in the company of Sandro Lisi, the one person he knows he should not be seen with.
What is Ford’s response to his actions? An indignant assertion that what he does on his own time is his own business. That may all be well and good for regular folk, but it does not apply to elected officials, especially those with high ranking and high visibility. Contrary to what Ford so vehemently espouses, he is entirely accountable to the rest of us for his actions. Because we voted him in. Be sure to remember that, Rob, when elections come up in the fall. The elections you have assured us all you will win again.