Home for Christmas

At Christmas time, I am always far more aware of the people who don’t have anywhere to go, or anyone to share Christmas with. As I walk to work every morning down the bright, bustling streets of Toronto, I always feel a little bit guilty as the same homeless gentleman wishes me a good day. And I keep on walking. Every morning this week, he has stood there with a smile on his face and told me to have a nice day. Every morning, he is filled with joy and life and warmth that I rarely see in people who are well-employed, with families, and fulfilling lives. And every morning, I walk right past him without much more than a smile and a nod.

It reminds of a moment last week when I was walking downtown to run some errands; specifically, I was picking my ticket to go home for Christmas. As I was walking, there was a young homeless man sitting on the sidewalk with a sign that said something about helping him to get home to Saskatoon to spend Christmas with his family. I couldn’t help but talk to him. I realized I didn’t have any money, but I did have a $5 gift card for a nearby coffee shop that had been given to me. I gave him the card and told him that it wouldn’t help him get home, but it would get him some lunch, at least. And as I walked away, I realized that I didn’t feel any better. In fact, I felt worse that I couldn’t help someone, anyone, more significantly. That all I could do was pass on a silly gift card that I hadn’t even paid for! It makes me wonder how much of our social and economic situation is self-made and how much of it is luck. This year, more than ever, I feel blessed that I have a ticket in my pocket to take me home for the holidays, I have a job that I love, and friends that have stuck by me. I feel so grateful and so fulfilled that I have been blessed with this life and that my stars have, thankfully, continued to align in my favour. I wish all of you the same good fortune, the same happiness, and that you will also extend some of this to others over the holidays. And on a side note, I don’t think I’ll keep on walking the next time that gentleman wishes me a good day. I think, perhaps, I’ll at least return the warm wishes.

How Rich are You?

I stole this from my friend John's blog. Pretty amazing. http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

I find at Christmas, I am much more aware of how lucky I am to have friends, family, and a home to spend the holidays. Check this out to gain some extra perspective!

Warm wishes for the holidays!

Are there Nation Builders in our Midst?

The Globe and Mail has recently opened a contest calling for nominations of Canada's Nation Builders to "honour those among us who make a special contribution to Canada as a nation...looking for those outstanding Canadians who unify us and inspire us and, in so doing, make us a better people and a better country."

Thinking about this...who really is a NATION Builder?? Past winners include Mike Lazaridis, Sidney Crosby, Stephen Lewis, Sheila Fraser, and George Bush (apparently nobody did more to unify Canadians)?? Now...would you really consider Crosby a Nation Builder? Or George Bush? I can see how Lazaridis is a great candidate...he's created one of the most international and well-recognized Canadian brands. And Sheila Fraser certainly gave people a greater interest in the political scene...or anti-Liberal scene anyway.

What are we, as Canadians, proud of and want to be known for? Is it Science? Innovation? I've been thinking about this for days and cannot think of anyone who I would really consider to be a Nation Builder.

If you could nominate someone...who would it be?

Is passion lacking in today's society?

First blog posting...third blogging attempt. Here goes another try! Happy reading!

I found this article today that had me emailing my friends around the world...from Cairo to Columbia...to share my insights. I had a few responses back that said: "Can I post this on my blog?" or "You should start a blog!!!" So here goes.

The article, "Democracy's quiet downfall" by Calvin White is on the Globe and Mail website "Facts & Arguments" column at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061205.FACTS05/TPStory/Facts%20&%20Arguments

The author writes: "Peace and love were in. Non-violence was a concept about which everyone seemed to be aware; an idea everyone seemed to ponder. The point is not that anyone was right or wrong in their views. The point is that people actually had views and they actively expressed those views. They had discovered they had a voice and they used it to dress differently, to behave differently, to argue, to march, to demand change. All of this made Canada and the United States more alive, more capable of growth, and more progressive. It made for a healthier world."

The scary thing to me is that I feel young people today are absolutely lacking in passion. It isn't that we are right or wrong but that we are using our voice for productive, thought-provoking discussion.

The article goes on to talk about how youth especially have lost their "voice" and the loss of that voice only makes us better consumers, more predictable for market planning, unaware dupes for political manipulation, etc. It even says "nothing seems to get a rise out of us, raise us out of our dullness." Isn't that true? What do we really talk about now besides our new shoes, our bad haircut, or our lost keys?

What will it take to bring passion back to life? I'd love to hear your thoughts...