Curve balls at Christmas

This time of year just about everyone has a hectic schedule and we find ourselves running from appointment to party to yet another shopping excursion. Our plans don't usually provide for the surprise changes that inevitably pop up to throw off our carefully orchestrated "to do" lists. It's helpful to keep something in mind… It's Christmas. It's a time of giving, so be prepared to give your time to others. That may be taking a child out to help them get their Christmas shopping done. Or talking with a friend that is having a hard time because the Christmas season intensifies just about everything and everyone.

The most valuable gift we have to give is our time. Be as generous as you can with your time and you will find that it is it's own reward.

Have a very Merry Christmas.

Peace

Curve balls at Christmas

This time of year just about everyone has a hectic schedule and we find ourselves running from one appointment to another party to another shopping excursion. Our plans don't usually provide for the surprise changes that inevitably pop up to throw off our carefully orchestrated "to do" list.

It's helpful to keep in mind that it's Christmas. It's a time of giving, so be prepared to give your time to others. That may be taking a child out to help them get their Christmas shopping done.

Imagine Peace 2010, October 8 at Hamilton Place Studio Theatre

I did this doodle, based on John Lennon's style, for an upcoming tribute to John celebrating what would have been his 70th Birthday.

Never too old to rock'n'roll: Being in a band as a grownup!

Okay, so almost all of the big groups from the sixties that are still around are full of guys (mostly) in their sixties now. They have been playing their respective style of rock/pop/whatever for literally ages now, and I don't even think it feels weird to them to be doing it in the September of their years either. I have seen and met many veteran performers in the last few years and they seem pretty happy to me. Some are happy to still have an appreciative audience… some are happy just to still be around to play at all.

But what about people like me? And I am part of a large and growing group. We've never been famous, we don't even have a one-hit -wonder in our back catalogue, and most of us missed out on being in a band when we were young. We were too busy finishing school, having kids of our own, or working on our career. But now? Today we are starting bands, writing songs, releasing CDs and playing bar gigs. Not because we have to. Just because we can. Realizing a dream from our younger days, we have found others who share our passion, or at least our interest, and we are getting out there and doing it.

I thought of this today because I am now in my second serious (sort of) band of my forties. And this one is awesome. Musically we have some real potential, but the awesome part comes from the people. We are having a ball playing together and everyone looks forward to our weekly practices. It has become a big part of all our lives.

I played in a punk band that had some actual success… industry award nominations, songs that charted on respected alternative radio, great media support. My favourite thing to tell people was that "I was 42 before I owned my first electric guitar". It was mostly fun. Like a poker night but without all the drinking. I did that for four years and have no regrets at all. But what is happening now is so much better. The music is beautiful, the company is beautiful, and I encourage any and all of my friends to do it too. You are never too old to start a band my friend.

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Social media mistakes

Inspired by some recent posts made by friends and colleagues, I thought I would offer some friendly advice on using social media responsibly. I hope they read this soon…

When we put ourselves out there on social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and even multi-recipient emails, we are going public with our personal brands. As such, it's a good idea to remember the following:

1. What you post is out there forever. There is the very real possibility that what you have posted may be available to view long after you have forgotten you ever wrote it.
2. You are judged by all aspects of your posts: the content and ideas you express and how you choose to express them, your language, spelling and grammar, even your punctuation decisions matter.
3. You never know who might be reading your posts. Just because you only sent it to your selected friends doesn't necessarily mean they will be the only ones to view your pearls of wisdom. Forwarding, reposting, and unattended computers can spread your message beyond your intended audience.
4. Your personal world and your professional/business world may be difficult if not impossible to be kept completely separate online.

Here are some friendly suggestions to consider:

1. Don't swear.
2. Don't be mean.
3. Don't post while intoxicated.
4. When in doubt, enter your text into something with a spelling checker (Word, Text Edit, even Google search will flag mistakes), then copy and paste the corrected version into the text box on the site you are posting to.
5. Do a Google check on yourself now and then. Put your name inside quotes and see what comes up. This is especially important if you have a rare or even unique name (like Yours Truly). It's always better to know what ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY can read about you at the push of a button.
6. Finally, I think it's a great idea to assume that everything you post will be read by your (fill in the most sensitive or influential people in your life here: parents, children, boss, or probation officer)

Proofing this one very carefully ;)

Mark

Still swimming

Have you ever read the short story The Swimmer by John Cheever (1912-1982)? It's ostensibly about a man who decides to swim home across county from a garden party he is attending. The final paragraph always gives me a chill:

The place was dark. Was it so late that they had all gone to bed? Had Lucinda stayed at the Westerhazys' for supper? Had the girls joined her there or gone someplace else? Hadn't they agreed, as they usually did on Sunday, to regret all their invitations and stay at home? He tried the garage doors to see what cars were in but the doors were locked and rust came off the handles onto his hands. Going toward the house, he saw that the force of the thunderstorm had knocked one of the rain gutters loose. It hung down over the front door like an umbrella rib, but it could be fixed in the morning. The house was locked, and he thought that the stupid cook or the stupid maid must have locked the place up until he remembered that it had been some time since they had employed a maid or a cook. He shouted, pounded on the door, tried to force it with his shoulder, and then, looking in at the windows, saw that the place was empty.

This time of year always makes me think of this story. I suppose that it is fitting. Autumn is, after all, the season of death and decay. Then why is it my favourite season? And why do I feel more alive as the temperature and humidity and leaves start to drop? Everything seems more romantic in the fall… more important in the fall. Here are some things that matter even more to me in the fall… The Kinks, When Harry Met Sally, Brian Ferry's version of These Foolish Things, sweaters and tweedy skirts, kites, single malts, dogs and walks, walks in the woods, smoke from a fireplace, fairs, holding hands, dogs…
I hope you enjoy this autumn, wherever you are.