Category Archives: musings

A sense of accomplishment

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The month of November came in like a lion and is going out like a hibernating bear.  But within the tumultuous days in what is quite possibly my least favorite month, there was a light, not only at the end of the month-long tunnel, but emanating from inside of it.  NaBloPoMo cast the glow of a warm light that bathed me in its radiance.

November is typically a month of dull, grey days that do nothing but merge into dark, lifeless evenings.  The clock has fallen back to make those days even shorter and without snow on the ground, November is nothing more than 30 days of lethargy and gloominess – until NaBloPoMo came into my life.  Since I am relatively new to the blogging world, and have only recently re-acquainted myself with the writing portion of my cerebral cortex, I wasn’t sure if I had enough verbiage that would span 30 days.  I couldn’t have been further off the mark.

Words seemed to tumble over themselves to jockey for positions on the screen.  They pushed and shoved each other until the line up resembled a bar code for the Tassimo brewer – everything had its place.  If one of those words lined up incorrectly, the flavor of the post left a bitter aftertaste.

It’s been a great month-long ride of diving into the fountain of my creativity.  I still find myself blissfully afloat in the calming waters and feeling like I am home.  The tepid water envelops me, yet keeps me buoyant and cradled in a sense of unity with its tides.

So I shall pat myself on the back for posting for thirty days successively,  and hope that the next 31 days find me still floating (face up) in that fountain of ideas.  I thank all of you for your continued support and encouragement and look forward to sharing more of my ideas as well as ingesting so many of yours.  I can honestly say I love the new community I find myself ensconced in and look forward to a continued journey of words, phrases and friendships.

Here’s my opinion…. and keep the change

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On February 4th of 2013, the Canadian Mint will stop distributing the penny to financial institutions and eventually take them out of circulation altogether.  This decision instills a small fear in me.  Not the fear of change, (pardon the pun), but the fear that my opinion may no longer count.  And yours too, for that matter, if you live in Canada.  You should all be concerned that friends and family may no longer ask us how we feel, because there will be less of a way to measure our input.  Putting in our two cents worth will become either non-existent, or result in a much higher cost.

(photo courtesy of Google)

And what happens to all those two cents worth we have volunteered in the past?  Are they negated because the currency of their voice no longer exists?  By changing the essence of the Canadian economy, they are creating instability in the people’s method of voicing their opinions.  Does my two cents worth increase in value because they are rounding up?  Does what I have to say really equate to five cents?  And, is what I have to say really worth that extra three cents?

And what about “a penny for your thoughts”?   Will we now be subjected to soliciting free advice, or will those seeking outside recommendations be paying more for what they thought was only worth one cent?

The monetary value on the weight of our words, when asked for, will no longer hold any financial worth.  Either that or it is going to become increasingly costly to ask for outside counsel.  What once would have cost a penny for a thought will now be rounded up to a nickel, and someone’s two cents worth will now become a dime.  This may have a long-term effect on mortgage rates and interest rates – this could lead to financial anarchy!

Perhaps this is the Bank of Canada’s way of insinuating its salacious attempt to create more wealth amongst those willing to bestow their wisdom upon others.  What would have once earned you a penny, will now net a profit of four more cents towards a retirement account and bring an earlier date of financial freedom.  And if you are willing to give up what would have once been your “two-cents worth”, your net profit is now a substantial increase on your original remuneration.

Perhaps the powers-that-be have converged to agree that our opinions truly do matter, and perhaps they see more value in that inference than we had originally anticipated.

For what it’s worth, that is my two-cent conjecture.  This blog post will no longer be worth anything on February 5th, 2013. (or you may owe me a few cents!)

The truth about cats and dogs

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I am a dog person.  I always have been.  I experimented with cats in my teens – and when I say that I don’t mean I had them hooked up to electrodes and monitored their brain waves.  I had a few cats during those formative years, but the experience left me questioning why I began the ‘experiment’ in the first place.

Cats are extremely fickle creatures with polar personalities.  My mother has six cats and when she had been in the hospital, we were responsible for tending to those six dynamic characters.  Although we treated them well, fed them, showed them some love – the majority of them, in turn, regarded us with disdain and utter contempt.  They each have unique qualities that endear them to my mom, but cats are all about cats.  Most of them could care less if they please you or not.

In amongst the hierarchy of feline fortitude, my mom also has two dogs.  Dogs are very easy-going, for the most part, and simply want to please humans.  They are loyal to a fault and want nothing more than to have you lavish them with attention and affection. Dogs are profoundly attached to their owners and would risk their lives to defend and protect their pack leader.

The true nature of a dog is to be social and warm-hearted, and these are the qualities I admire and look for in a four-legged companion.  I’m sure there is some intuitive approach to understanding cats and their obscure nature, but I have not yet discovered that mystical secret.

I hold no ill will towards the six surreptitious creatures that roam about my mother’s house like they own it, but the soft spot in my heart will always be reserved for my canine sidekick.   For all intents and purposes, she is my child.  I love her with a part of my heart I didn’t know existed until she came into my life and I treat her like family.  I show her the same respect I would show a human child, or any other member of my family.

So, are you a cat person, or a dog person?

Be the change – a journey of self-discovery

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Today’s Daily Prompt was intriguing.  The question was posed –

What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?

It was a query that got my mind spinning.  I’d never really taken the time to think of my blog on a global scale, and that thought is extremely daunting.  Although my blog has reached readers on many continents (and I truly thank you all for following), it would be egotistical of me to think that my words could have any affect in the grand scheme of this ever evolving planet.

When I write, I am ensconced in a tiny living room, in a small town, in a very rural part of Ontario.   If the wind blows in the wrong direction, I lose power.  I’m sure if I sneezed with any velocity, I would be writing this in the darkness until the laptop battery ceased to exist and my creative world would be relegated to using the voice recorder on my iPhone to track my meandering thoughts.

Blogging for me has turned into a journey of self-discovery.  It may not make a change in this world, but it has definitely made a change in my world.  It has awakened a part of me that was hidden.  It has revealed a piece of my soul that was cowering from the possible reality that what I wrote may be of interest to no-one but myself.  But I forged ahead, because what I was writing was allowing me to truly be myself and giving me permission to uncover all of the things that I really wanted to say.

By following my passion, I evoked a change in myself.  I awakened my opinions, and within that awakening, I granted myself the indulgence to hold value in the things that were my truths.  I chose to not only put those words on a page, but to share them with whomever happened to stop by to read my thoughts.  Judgement aside, I wrote because I wanted to write.  I wanted to be the change in my world and discover how much of myself I was willing to share.  Even now, writing these words, I am overcome with emotion.  Tears fall as silent cries for the freedom I have given my words.

Perhaps by making that change in my world, I will, in turn, make a positive change on a grander scale.  Words can make me laugh, and words can make me cry.  And somewhere in the middle of those emotions is the true meaning of the language of writing.  Maybe the change I would like my blog to make on this world is to simply communicate to others to follow their passions, embrace their dreams.  Only you can know what will truly make you happy, and only you can be the change in your world.

Nicknames

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I have had the good fortune of growing up with a nickname.  It has defined me in a way my given name will never have the capacity of doing.  There is not a single person in my life that can recall how it originated, but I have nonetheless been called Tooie since I was a young child.

There have been many theories developed in an attempt to come up with the birth of the name, but none have resembled any sort of believable truth.   There are people in my life that would struggle to come up with my legal given name, and that has never struck me as an oddity.  It is a comforting feeling having people refer to my nickname as if it were the name on my birth certificate.  My dad, before he passed away, made sure that my legacy follows me everywhere, literally.  My last Christmas present from him was a license plate that says TOOIE.

Even though that moniker has followed me throughout my time on this earth, I would never change that part of my life.  It is how I define myself.  It is a term of endearment that was mysteriously bestowed on me at a young age and will follow me into my twilight years. When I am 90 years old, my nephews will still refer to me as Auntie Tooie.

Some people will shrug off a nickname as they get older, feeling like it is suspending them in an alternate linear timeline, but nicknames have a way of attaching themselves to our evolving reality.  They are usually given as a sign of affection, and I will continue to embrace mine. Perhaps I will never know how it truly came to be, but I will cherish the family and friends that keep the sentiment alive and well by always referring to me as Tooie.

If you’ve ever been given a nickname….share it with me.  I’d love to know what other names you go by!!

Smile

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“A smile is the curve that can set everything straight.”  ~ Phyllis Diller

Whether a smile is formed to placate another person, or the muscles are drawn upwards in a genuine feeling of pleasure, that smile sends a great deal of positive energy into the surrounding space.  It is contagious.  The small amount of effort used to contort the facial muscles required to smile is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the return on your investment.  We all live in a business world, and the bottom line, the ROI, is the quintessential pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow.  But what if the corporations and the highly educated leaders at the helm of those business models are missing the most important, yet the simplest element?

An effortless expression of friendliness can break down barriers – far beyond any tangible barriers we can grasp.  A smile can lighten the mood, set the tone for a conversation and alleviate any preconceived anxiety.  A smile – something so simple that can envelop so many with the least amount of effort.

With the overwhelming number of things that can be taken as misfortunes, each facet of our lives still presents beauty, depth and a myriad of things to be able to create that smile.  Life has not always been a bouquet of roses, but standing on my deck tonight in temperatures far colder than anticipated, I looked up into a very starry night and smiled.  I smiled because I chose to live in a place that allows me to see those stars.  I smiled because, even though not every thing is perfect in my life,  I am content.  I smiled because there is so much potential for me to conquer my dreams.  And I smiled because every time I inhale and exhale, I breathe life into my life.

Smile because you are here.  Smile because every day affords you a clean slate and you can choose to do whatever you want to do.  Smile because people love you.  Whatever reason makes you feel that joy, just smile, and pass that joy on to someone else.  It is the best gift you can give.

 

The circle of a relationship, not the chain of command

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The family resort at which I have been employed for many years has just closed again after another successful season.  If I were to describe it, I would tell you to picture Kellerman’s from Dirty Dancing,  and that is where I work (sans Patrick Swayze and the watermelons!)

I began working there in 1986 and after leaving and coming back, and leaving and coming back, I have been there consistently for the last 10 years.  A lot has changed in the economy and much has changed in terms of the expectations of guests, but the relationship between staff and management remains the one constant that you can take to the bank.

Creating a work environment that everyone can thrive in is the key to a successful business.  Not only do we put great pride in creating a summer experience for our guests that they will cherish for years to come, but we put the same effort into making the staff experience a summer that they will never forget.  The chain of command still exists, but we are focused on harnessing the positive energy and feedback we get from creating that circle of a relationship and leaving the hierarchy of those chains of command to less fortunate businesses that just don’t get it.

It’s like living a continual episode of Undercover Boss, but we are never under cover.  We embrace our employees and engage them in dialogue. We value their input from a perspective that we may never be fortunate enough to have and make them feel like they are part of the progression. And in turn, we gain the true respect of those summer employees because they not only feel like a part of the process, but they are able to have their own experience within that ever-moving mechanism.

The true value of any business is its employees, and the more energized and interactive they are, the more true success you will obtain from both sides of the work experience.  I truly appreciate everyone I have had the pleasure to have had work with me, not for me, and look forward to many more years of our staff and guest experiences being unparalleled.

Chasing the dream

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Do you ever take a moment to ask yourself if you are really doing what you want to?  Are you living the dream?

Nine to five, Monday through Friday.  This is the reality for so many us…..toiling, sweating, dealing with people we would not wish on even the worst of our enemies, and for what?  Sure, the steady pay cheque each second Friday is somewhat rewarding and it pays the bills.  But are we missing a very important piece of the bigger puzzle?

So often we tread through life in a direction that we never thought we would be heading.  Circumstances and obligations seem to navigate our course and we lose sight of the things that are most important – our dreams.  Reality has a way of shifting those dreams to the back burner and we are left knowing that what we truly desire simmers on low heat and never gets a chance to reach a full boil.

Please don’t misinterpret my musings and think that I am not appreciative of my job, my co-workers and my current career.  That is not the emotion I wish to convey or the drive behind my words.  But there is a piece of my puzzle that I have yet to obtain, and a dream unrealized is a dream worth fighting for.

I have many passions.  Some stave themselves from parading in the forefront of my reality and some seep into my subconscious to give me subtle reminders that they are awaiting recognition.  Some have been recently awakened and welcome you each time you read my thoughts on this blog site.  But there are still dreams to be realized.

The cafe awaits…..and as my soups come to a boil on the stove and my cakes are in the bakery counter, I will be the one writing in the corner at the small table with the laptop and the glass of red wine.  See you there!