RealLife

Another year later, and I still feel sad about it.

But in a different way. It’s not something I think about as often anymore. I realize that now. I suppose that’s normal though, healthy even. A coping mechanism, but a beneficial one.

Janet’s death rocked my world, in various ways, but I can’t live my whole life in the shadow of any one event, even something as tragic as the sudden death of a close friend in the prime of her life. And so I’ve “moved on”, in a sense, while still trying to preserve and dignify her legacy, and the memory of our friendship.

But too much introspection here would be selfish, and so instead, one of my favourite Janet-stories:

In grade one, I lived in a Toronto neighbourhood that had a large proportion of uneducated immigrant families. Although many people did not understand a word of English, they nonetheless lovingly attended their children’s school events as often as they could.

One evening, just before a school concert was about to start, the janitor went to the front of the room and reminded everybody to please place their litter into the appropriate garbage bins.

Nobody understood a word he said. Everybody applauded politely.

Miss you Janet. I wish I could still talk to you, a lot has happened in two years. Some things I’m sure you’d jokingly tease me about (uh, moving to Texas) but in other ways you’d be proud of me, happy for me. I know I’d have things to both jest and celebrate about you too.

I owe you a lot. In retrospect, it’s more obvious now than ever. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it at the time, or thank you for it. But I don’t think you realized it either, you were just being you, doing what you did best – being a friend to people who needed one.

You were always a good friend to me, and I’m a better person for having known you. Thank you for that, for everything.

and I’m feeling so

I love summer. Not just the season – the longer days, the warmer nights, nature in full bloom – but what summer represents, the very idea of summer. The high point of the year, the celebration of life, the adventure and enthusiasm that rejuvenates the senses for another celestial cycle. Other seasons are good too, and have their highlights (and hijinks), but I think summer will always be my among my favourite times of year.

As another summer slips away, I’m inclined to look back at summers gone by and reflect on how much I’ve enjoyed them. Many of the best times of my life happened during summer, or at least during the years that dominate my memory. I mean, I’ve always enjoyed school as much as the next nerd, but still, during university years September was a wave of rapidly-building stress, culminating in some funny-only-in-retrospect Decembers. (Not to mention that Canadian winters, despite the obvious benefits of winter sports, can be downright nasty.)

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Hey, peoples who read my blog! Something I need to talk to you about!

So, I’m sure you’ve heard about Hurricane Gustav, and how the end result was that New Orleans didn’t end up in chaos like it did for Katrina. But, the hidden story here is that Baton Rouge got pummeled by the storm, and now a lot of people there are pretty screwed. We’re talking like no electricity for weeks, stand in line to get fresh water rations, you can’t go home because a tree fell on your house screwed.

For specific details, you can always check out The Advocate, Baton Rouge’s primary newspaper.

You might wonder why you should care about this. Well, I can’t answer that for you. I really care about this, because Baton Rouge has become a place of extraordinary importance to me. There are people whose well-being I care about who live there, and these people are there in the first place because they’re helping the local community.

So, anything I can do to help them means a lot to me. And thus, anything you can do to help them means a lot to me too.

If you do feel like helping, I’ve been told by expert sources that the American Red Cross is not a great place to donate, and that your money will actually be used to help people if you donate instead to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. They have a fund for Hurricane Gustav Relief and Recovery, and that money is going directly to help people in the aftermath of this storm.

Also, a special bonus incentive! For anybody who does donate to the Gustav relief effort, if you tell me that you have (and I’ll just believe you because I’m trusting like that), I will take you out for lunch! And someplace nice too! Think of it – the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping people in need, plus a free lunch, PLUS my undivided attention for an hour or so of lunchtime conversation. Now that’s what I call an offer you can’t refuse. (If you live someplace I don’t… rain cheque!)

Seriously – I would immensely appreciate anything that any of you could do to help out Baton Rouge in this time of need. If you want more information, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks everybody!

seekin’ shelter from the storm

So I find myself back in Calgary at the exact time when, more than ever before, I really wish I could still be in Houston.

No offense to my C-town posse (great to see you guys again/eventually), but I’m already looking forward to going back to Texas soon.

I think it’s especially ironic that, a while ago, I was excited about the opportunity to return “home” at some point. But things change ever-so-quickly, and suddenly you find yourself heading away from where you most want to be, instead of towards it.

But hey, despite this ironic scenario I really can’t complain. I’m ridiculously fortunate, on so many levels, and I can’t let myself forget that. And despite futilely wishing I could be in Texas next week, I really do have a lot to be happy about :)

such a strange situation