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Is it well-considered?
If you’re a parent, you know how this goes. You’re in the middle of grocery shopping, speeding between the bakery and the milk cooler when your 3-yr-old looks up at you urgently: “Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom.” Mission aborted, new mission! Suddenly your urgent objective is to get to a bathroom before…
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The Trouble with Technology
We like to say that we live in an era of progress and innovation. The devices in our pockets have offered us new ways to communicate, make beautiful things and connect with people. I love technology (but not as much as you, you see). I spend most of my day behind one kind of screen…
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Slow Down, Be Creative
I’ve always seen myself as a creative person, but I’ve realized one main obstacle that often gets in my way. I am a speedwalker. No matter where I’m going, I’m trying to get there as quickly as possible. My posture is just like that of the familiar pedestrian icon, leaning forward, eyes on the destination.…
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Gumption is better than Hustle
We love to hustle these days, don’t we? Hustle is worn as a badge of honour, and is touted as the key to success by many a motivational speaker. But I’ve having my doubts. I’ve had seasons of hustle, where I worked through lunch, burned the midnight oil, and was out catching worms with the…
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It’s Not About the Richest 8
Yesterday a report came out showing that the 8 eight richest people in the world have as much wealth as the poorest 50% of the world. And I, for one, was relieved. This shocking statistic made me feel the same relief as I did in school when the teacher asked a difficult question (from the…
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How to fix what ain’t broke
We have a room in our basement, the office. “It’s our sewing room,” my wife would interject. But since my wife’s not here right now, is she? So for our purposes — and despite the fabric, patterns and thread covering the desk at the moment — it’s the office. We have been talking about how…
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The fears we teach our children
Teaching our children what to fear is important if we want them to stay safe. Watch out for cars. Don’t touch the stove. Don’t accept rides from strangers. A healthy fear of potential danger is what will keep them alive which, as a parent, is generally priority number 1. As humanity learns more about the…
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Cracks in the Pavement
December in Manitoba can be a cold, dark month. Winter threatens to take hold of the land with each northern gust of wind. Sunlight is in short supply during these shortest days of the year. The combination of darkness and cold have a way of working themselves into your bones as everyone settles in for…
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The Essential Art of Working in the Shadows
My friend Elena recently shared James Tissot’s “The Anxiety of Saint Joseph” as part of an Advent reflection, and the painting immediately resonated. This is a picture of Joseph, an often overlooked character in the Christmas story, sitting alone with his thoughts and inner turmoil among the wood shaving of his workshop. While his wife-to-be,…
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Is it time to graduate?
When we were kids, change was easy, and a natural part of growing up. Each summer we graduated from one school grade, and began the next one in fall. We started playing a sport in one league, and playedin that league until we were too old for it. Beginnings and endings were determined by our…
