Life Coaching, Observations, Reflections, Things that make you go hmmmmm
I got out for a walk last evening and found me a rainbow.
I like rainbows, one from Jersey and one from Niagara Falls.
Here in the City it looked like the rainbow sprung from one building and touched down on a different building. You decide which is which.
I wasn’t the only person grabbing a few shots of the rainbow. Ran in to someone I know and suggested they have a walk around the corner to see what I just told you, roof to roof.
Standing there watching the rainbow, sure it made me think of Kermit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS3Lkc6Gzlk
It also made me think that maybe it was 2 rainbows with a common beginning or end, you decide.
G.R. Hambley ©
August 14, 2018
One of the community friendlies stopped to speak with me in a coffee spot. We know each other to smile and nod. The personable “I know you as part of my community” stuff that personable people do.
It was related to me that this individual had their bicycle stolen. Three locks cut right off the bike rack of their car which was in their condo parking spot and stolen.
I was being asked to do something if I saw the bike. I noted that risking a confrontation could lead to violence and it isn’t worth it over a bike.
We talked about policing in Toronto. Naturally enough, this person wasn’t pleased and to a degree, understandable. This person went further with their distaste for the police. I was rebutting with what Toronto’s finest must cope with in violent crime among other things.
The individual went on to tell me they were going to a 50th anniversary party that night.
The party was for an individual who was marking 50 years as a draft dodger.
There were a goodly number of low frequency words used by me to illustrate my disgust. None of the words I used were curses.
The individual brought up the politics and I cut that short with the politics of the Viet Nam war are a different argument and I don’t disagree with the futility geo and political of that police action that became a war.
Dodging the draft is an absolute hot button for me. You are a coward.
There is no argument “for” the dodging the draft and I told the individual so. I explained my reasoning, directly.
There is a level of service in my family. The small piece I have is just a scratch compared to others in my family and the good people who serve and have stood in service to our countries. Yes countries, I have American family who have served.
Along with being draft dodgers, they’re illegals. I have zero tolerance for both. Draft dodgers are also illegal aliens, period end of story. Neither will ever be welcomed by me in my Canada. I’m far from the minority on this one.
It is my position that all illegals should be returned to their country of origin so naturally that includes draft dodgers.
There is a status of “Conscientious Objector”. The “CO” was used by Cassius Clay and you probably know him better as Muhammad Ali. You can if you care to, research what it cost Ali to take the position he did.
My Time as a Vietnam War-era Conscientious Objector
A Conscientious Objector in a War Zone
Muhammad Ali: the world’s ‘greatest’ conscientious objector
The point is that these individuals didn’t turn their backs to their country and run!
I also said to the individual I was speaking with that the person celebrating his 50th anniversary of the dodge is a coward. There were avenues and I fucking grant you that Leavenworth isn’t exactly palatable but…
G.R. Hambley ©
July 09, 2018
G.R. Hambley ©
June 30, 2018
ADDENDUM MAY 27 (early), 2018
I heard yesterday, after this piece was already scheduled for posting that today is the last show. We are going to need a top 500 list from Pschedelic Psunday!
“Good Friend” is more of an aficionado of the “Theme Song” than I am and did ask if I was going to have to live in monochrome. To which I replied that there is only 1 thing I can say to that and it does qualify for this spot with a 1973 release date…. KODACHROME
And as I start this little tale up, my coffee spot has a staple of “Psychedelic Psunday” playing, “Ooh La La, The Faces”. A little Ronnie Wood on YouTube for you. This one will get you to the original on Spotify.
From the beginning…
You could of course hop over to the Mighty Q and listen to what they got going on.
The wiki regarding Psychedelic Psunday needs updated. It starts at noon now.
The art. I was working on an image and as I told “Good Friend”, I screwed up right on this one. I didn’t select everything I wanted thinking I had and when I made the new image, the mask is pretty much what my copy got.
I sent the capture along to “Good Friend” who responded with, “This is you on Psychedeic Sunday isn’t it?”. I agreed and said, “That’s actually a good idea”.
Yes I added some touches from my repertoire to make it exactly to my liking and added the word imagery. Exactly to mu liking can be construed as perfect, to me.
Y’all are seeing what a friend triggered with a little banter. I probably wouldn’t have thought of giving the piece a tie to how much I enjoy the Radio on Psunday afternoon.
If you want to use the image as a desktop background, feel free. If you can stand me looking at you all the time that is.
G.R. Hambley May 27, 2018 ©
The Spire of St. James Cathedral here in Toronto.
I love walking around my city. Got a couple other things in the works too.
I am standing on, “The Esplanade” looking north. The white automobile you see is on “Front Street. Those are condos in front of the Spire.
G.R. Hambley May 23, 2018 ©
G.R. Hambley © March 31, 2018
The time is March 04, 2018 and in in one of those favoured coffee spots I had a brief conversation with a couple of young women who are students in higher education. They were studying and doing schoolwork. They are articulate, concerned and conduct themselves well. Nice kids.
Yes, some of them kids are alright and other kids are perfect shits. This is about a couple of alright ones. Nothing different in that analysis as compared to my generation at that age.
Everybody was minding their own business and one of the girls lamented a lack of money. Having been a student and knowing what it’s like to be a financially depressed student, I can appreciate their laments.
We talked for a few minutes about school, getting the higher education and getting a job after graduation. These two women are cognizant of the fact that you don’t get big money when you start out. We talked about starting out and the current state of business and what you could well encounter in today’s business climate.
I was interested in hearing what they had to say. We can call that observational writing and professional development with me being both a writer and a teacher.
I did reveal to these 2 young ones of peoplekind* that I am a teacher and when asked by one of them, I copped to my field being English.
One of the young ladies emphatically stated I look like an English Teacher** and the other quickly agreed. As a point of information and I didn’t share it with the young ladies, my official title is, “Curmudgeonly Philosopher Poet”.
I thanked them and noted it must be my pony tail; we laughed.
I did not get in to the rest of my skill set, mostly. Starting out in a trade was spoken of but the Life Coach and Writer were left in the wings.
We talked about what they’re encountering with education. I did not go in to the higher education indoctrination as it wasn’t the place for it. One of the young ladies did state with some frustration and tone of resignation in her expression about the shoving of there being “one way and one way only” at them.
Yeah, I wanted to drop the indoctrination piece on them and didn’t do it. These two are already cognizant and aware.
I did show them the poster for an event promoted by George Brown College where they take the position of anti-trump and do not support him.
These two kids agreed that George Brown had no business interjecting their beliefs on a foreign election.
I would like to say that the frustration is from something other than higher education’s social sciences but I believe I would be wrong to say that and, well unlike the seats of higher learning, I’m never wrong.
We talked about what their generation is facing in the job quest as compared to what my generation encountered when starting out on the after school adult life. The two young women figured my generation had it tougher than theirs does starting out.
I believe their generation has a more difficult time than mine did and we talked about why from both our perspectives.
This would be a good time to identify the conversationalists. We have me, a Caucasian male who’ll be 60 in a few weeks. One young woman, whom if you were going to categorize based on her features and complexion, you would probably say Middle Eastern. The 2nd young woman, based on features, East Indian.
All of us with an above average vocabulary and the ability to convey our thoughts.
Whether they are first gen Canadian or not is irrelevant. What is relevant are the concerns and values.
Everyone the age of these women, male and female alike consider themselves to be so grown up. These 2 from my brief experience are on the right path but they are still kids. No, no I didn’t use the “Well you’re a kid and….” approach. That condescending and dismissive behaviour pissed me off when I was their age so why would I lay that trip on them?
At their age I was an apprentice and the 3 of us talked about the trades. Both of them related the “Stigma” of the trades. Both spoke on how (paraphrasing) the trades are manual labour and seen as being beneath so many other jobs.
I told them it was a trade I started in and yes, the trades are demanding and dirty. We touched a little on the fact that you can’t be stupid and be a good tradesman.
I can move my mouth, my hands and my mind on different things all at the same time.
The women agreed there just aren’t many who are working and or looking to be employed in the “White Collar Sector” can do what I and other tradesmen learned how to do.
I’m not going to have the pronoun gender debate either. If you make it you’re a mechanic or journeyman or as in my case, a Smithy.
Does the expression, “Less chatter more clatter” mean anything to anyone reading this tale? If yes, were you on the receiving or delivery end?
I asked the young ladies what they figured a union mechanic in my trade makes an hour. They missed it on the low side by about 50%.
Lets use the person who cuts, styles, blows your hair. This is a trade and if you’ve never thought about it, that person is most probably talking to you about something that isn’t hair related while they work on you. If their hands aren’t moving and their mouth is, that person needs to stop talking and just do the work. I chose a hair care because of the interaction that usually takes place between the parties in that industry.
We talked about starting out and the different dynamics for them now and for me then.
When I started out there was still quite a bit of “Find that one secure company”, get a job and put in your 40 years. A couple people I went to High school with went on to work for “Bell Canada”, the phone company.
The one company until you’re done days are long gone and I don’t see them coming back. These days if you spend more than about 10 years with any company your personal motivation is questioned.
Me and the kids talked about some of the factors that affect how business gets done these days and the conversation went to outsourcing which led in to taking care of your own first.
We agreed that there is far too much outsourcing.
For these kids, and they know it, working in the industry where their degree is may not happen. When I came out of my last session of trade school, those that went on to colleges and universities were finishing up their studies and looking to join the work force.
I’m certain some Free Range Globalist will object to what I relate now because it smacks of “POPULISM”. GASP!
Canadian values have been in and out of the social media spotlight.
Me and the women talked about values and they feel like I feel. You take care of your own first and then if you have extra, you can help others.
We have issues and infrastructures that must take precedent. Canadians without clean water and adequate housing take precedent over others in other countries.
People like to say charity starts at home. Taking care of our issues and matters is not charity and it is the correct thing to do.
Most Canadians feel this way. The number is probably right around 66%.
Them kids and me, we also agreed that the people must be more diligent with removing the old bad politicians for new good ones.
Canadian values are fine and being relayed to the kids. I was lucky enough to encounter a couple of good ones.
G.R. Hambley ©
March 20, 2018
*PEOPLEKIND
This is what we call a joke. Should someone care to pass it along to Canada’s Prime Minister, “Gerald Butts” and the Clown Prince, “Justin Trudeau”, please do.
** “Ray Barnes of the purple granny glasses, my grade 9 English Teacher would be so proud.
I wake this morning and I am now in my 60th year on this little blue planet 3rd from the sun. Doesn’t feel much different than yesteryear but it is!
It’s so cold in this country the Calgary Zoo took the Penguins inside. Yet, I go out and forage coffee. Priorities my good reader, priorities. Writing can not be done without coffee. No it can’t, hush yourself!
Last year and in previous years, I would write in two things at the same time, narrative and poetry. This behaviour has continued in to this year I’m pleased to say.
Sneak peek of the poetry… it aint close to there yet!
Should’ve taken the umbrella because it looks like pain
I can see and it looks like you’re headed for hell
I see it’s not a place where you’re going to fare well
You can trust me because everyone knows I’m insane
It’s good to be me!
Here in Ontario, I’m expecting it to be frigid until June 7th. Gonna get real warm that day, and if you’re of the liberally minded RITE, I don’t see you liking it one damn bit.
I took a cab late last year and the driver was real sociable. For all you immigrants, just because I’m Canadian it doesn’t mean I like frickin’ winter! I like winter in the country where it’s pretty. I like winter in California where you go visit the snow! Been there, done that, short pants 70-degree weather.
Winter in the city is mostly ugly. The snow don’t stay as it was purely driven very long.
This narrative interlude is complete. Poetry is staring me in the face. Word!
G.R. Hambley 01/01/2018 ©
Have you ever received a letter?
No, not like in a welcome from your new bank or local chapter of the Willie Wonka Candy Crush Club.
I was sitting on the patio of a favoured coffee spot and one of the good coffee elves asked me what I was doing as what I was doing didn’t include my computer. I had my big book of blank pages open in front of me and one of my 2 pens in hand. I have other utensils that make inky marks but they aint pens!
I told the good elf I was writing a letter to a cousin. I asked if they’d ever received a letter and I was told no. We talked for just a couple minutes and the Elf made the bank reference. I said, “that’s a shame”.
For those of you that are semantically challenged, in this usage, shame can also be interpreted as unfortunate and/or sad. No person real or imagined was shamed or ashamed.
I’ve received and written and sent letters. Recently I received a letter from South Korea written by a lovely lady that I had the good fortune to encounter. You can read about her and me and our prattling in my “Foreign Liaisons” piece.
I care to share something with all of you that the Lady said to me in her letter.
Being a Torontonian and a life long Boston Bruins fan, I’m not really buying that Montreal part. Centre Hice, TABERNAC! That would be a cultural reference so don’t go offending me by appropriating it!
A letter, the second one I’ve written to the Lady is making its way from me to her. I say in my letter, we Canadians are for the most part, a good people. I didn’t bust the Lady’s Montreal bubble.
Have you ever written a letter to someone and later been told by that person how it made them feel when they discovered your hand-written letter waiting for them? When they told you about that letter you sent, were you exhilarated?
If you’ve written a letter to someone, how did you feel when you were writing that letter? Were you more reflective? Were you more thoughtful and deliberate with that which you put down so as not to mar the page with strikeouts? When you were writing the letter did you appreciate that time within your own head?
There were a couple letters I wrote that I didn’t send. Have you ever written your heart out in a letter and not sent it?
If you did send a letter, did you make it so the person you sent your letter to could take it to their dreams without having to remember what you wrote? Was the letter you sent scented?
Do you care to share what you felt when you tucked that scented letter you received partly under your pillow? How’d you sleep with that scented missive beside your head? Did you wake in the night and reach to make sure that letter was still there? How did you feel when your fingers touched the envelope and you knew that letter was right where you put it?
Did you maybe reach for that letter and it wasn’t there under your pillow? It felt so good when you discovered your letter had only slipped to the floor in your slumber didn’t it. Not a question. Would you care to offer up reasoning as to why my statement wasn’t a question?
When you retrieved that letter from the floor did it join other letters you’d received that had been bound together with ribbon?
How long did you hold that bundle of letters before tucking them safely in to your sock drawer? Socks and letters, both can be warm and fuzzy don’tcha know.
The handwritten letter is a wonderful thing. Cursive writing is pretty and has character. Have you ever wondered why there are so many elegantly flowing script fonts for your electronic use? Now you know.
My penmanship is far from the best and this is because my brain insists on moving faster than my hand. This is not unusual and can be somewhat counteracted with thought. You can counteract right up to the point your brain takes off leaving your hand behind. Trust me on this.
The state of the word as it lands on the page doesn’t stop me from writing by mine own hand. I have a journal too. If you would like to call it diary you are free to do so and it won’t phase me in the least because I’m just not that insecure in my sexuality.
This is mine. There are other Journals like it but this one is mine, unique. If you’d like one, write one and before you start, get a real pen and not some cheap writing utensil.
Good pens have a different feel. A good pen has substance just like those words you’re gifting to the page. In truth I call it bleeding on the page and if that analogy works for you, help yourself. A good pen doesn’t get heavy or uncomfortable in your hand.
There are a great many people who will tell you the “Art of Letter Writing” is gone. Those people will tell you that with our technology it is just oh so much easier and faster than writing a letter. Those people would be correct but what they don’t take in to consideration is how thoughtless emails and text messages are.
I have another letter to write that will give more context to a piece of the content in a previous letter. Yes, I know that sounds terribly clinical. All I did was tell you what I’m going to do and not how I’m going to do it. You already know what I say will be thoughtful and heartfelt.
A cup of coffee, a big book with blank pages, music playing and a pen. It appears I’m being threatened with a good time.
G.R. Hambley ©
October 13, 2017
Letters bound by ribbon from;
cdn.skim.gs/image/upload/v1456343885/msi/stack-of-old-letters-tied-with-ribbon-isolated_poequj.jpg
G.R. Hambley in Toronto August 13, 2017 ©
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