Inner Circle

When you see them you are pleased, they make you laugh, they let you be yourself. You are willing to share and bare your soul, knowing that they will listen and give you a word or two. I feel at ease with them and can be just me. We do many things ensemble, we dine , drink wine and even break bread together. These people are from all walks of life, each one leaving there mark in one way or another. They express there desires and dreams and goals . We all have an appartenance in each other's lives. We enter and leave like ships coming into dock never knowing for how long we will stay, but always assured to come back another day. Each one of us sharing a link in the chain that keeps us as one. To see us together is to imagine the world as it could and should be, each one us representing a flavour of difference. Each one of us starting from somewhere and never knowing where it will lead, the unexpected, the challenge, always ready for the unknown. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but one thing in common ,we have a bond to always love and cherish that which is most important to us all, " Ladies and Gentleman "let me introduce you to the " Inner Circle "my most beloved mates, Geoff, Frank, Catherine,Louis and Momo.

To Whom It May Concern

We all seem to have an opinion about something, even though at times it does not mean that our expressed thoughts are always words of wisdom. I think at this moment people are trying to make the right choices to better there current situation. At the same time we see how people in high places are trying to woo voters in there proper camp. Honesty is not unfortunately the most cherished quality in the political sphere. People are searching for clear solutions to solve the immediate meltdown of their life savings. Frantically, economists are all giving their dire predictions to catastrophic consequences if the matter at hand is not rectified concerning these private instituions. People are wanting to believe that , yes these times are perlious , but generations ago not so far away lived through such terrible times. The human spirit is strong and we as a society when given the honest truth are able and willing to pull to-gether to help the downtrodden and those without. Mankind is a force to be recognized as a powerful tool that when needed will rise up and face the reality of what is at hand. All we ask is to be given the facts and not have the information spun and woven to satisfy certain interest groups. Self interest is a dead end solution that leads to know where and does not address the global problems facing us. We are all affected by this downturn so we need to hear words of truth and wisdom from our elected officials and those who wish to join those ranks. We will survive these challenges that we are about to confront, let us be bold and innovative in finding solutions. Attention politicians we too are concerned.

Situations,Solutions of hope.

I was thinking about the economic crisis that is happening at this time. Throughout the hemisphere there seems to be a nervousness about what is happening and how far reaching. We see people are no longer able to pay their mortgages because of being over extended. The world economy seems to be having jitters. One also can observe food prices have also risen causing the cost of living to rise. This situation is affecting affluent nations such as The United States of America and Canada to a lesser degree. We as a people have become overly indebt and now we are paying the price of our greed. Each one of us will have to find a way of downsizing our appetites of great expectations. The depth of this economic downturn is deep and will linger for a certain period of time leaving casualities along the way. Each and everyone one of us will have to become creative in finding ways to cope. Families will bear the brunt of this disaster inflicted in part by our desire to have more. Some of us feel untouched and others silently suffering along the way. We will have to scale back our friviolus desires of more, more and more. I have no solution for those in dire straits but only to pray that this crisis will teach us valuable lessons. Just maybe we will be able to come together and help one another and have a sense of community. In helping others you help your self, what do we have at this moment but hope.

Beliefs, Faith, Religion

Saturday evening , my parents who were visiting with me asked if I would go to a church service with them. The church where they worship when in Montréal is situated downtown. Many a time they have spoke of this Elder who is supposedly a very good orator. I replied that Sunday was a day where I always attend Mass at Basilica Notre-Dame. This is well known by close friends that Sunday mornings I will be out of circulation for at least an hour or two. We all have forms of belief.. Having values helps us carry ourself in a certain way.I believe that each one of us has values guided by those beliefs. Sunday morning arrived and each one of us went in our respective directions letting faith lead the way. Sitting in the Basilica for me is a time of listening to the choir sing, the organist playing the organ, and little one's running about as frantic parents try to silence their indisceplined angels. As the priest gives his sermon of the day I am able to find solace in his words of scripture. I do not profess to be religious or have religion but having a peace of mind at those moments of solitude surrounded by many a peoples. Young, old men women ,we are all there for different reasons but one in common to all, is to give thanks. The end of the Mass draws to it's final spoken word and now it is time to say good bye and meet again another Sunday. In leaving the Basilica I stop to light a candle to those dear to me , loved one's gone by and friends in need. Knowing that I will soon see my parents and we will compare notes about who said what. I feel that maybe this ritual is not for all, but each one of us is able to find his belief, express his faith in whatever religion it may be,with tolerance and respect for one another.

Cyberspace, Internet, Relationships, Writing a Letter

As some of you know my penmanship is atrocious. My handwriting is at certain times unreadable by even myself. I feel that with all the technology at our beck and call we are able to type a letter, a quick response or send an e-mail to a friend or loved one. Our mode of communication is that an invitation R.S.V.P. is now the norm accepted by e-mail. This type of technology has in some ways increased the accesability to many who would want to be in touch with there friends, co-workers, family and more often personal relationships. I ask myself has this mode of communicating de-humanized us in some way. I remember when we would write to each other in little school , and how the teachers would write by hand our bulletin grades with always remarks written on the side. I cherish letters that my mother writes to me and I am always in awe as how beautiful her and my father's penmanship is to this day. After much hesitation I now type my letters and invitations by computer as reading my handwriting is a most difficult task. In our cyberspace of mankind we are now able to chat with perfect strangers who are from far away lands. People now go on the net for many different reasons including pleasure. In speaking with people there seems to be a certain desillusion to the fact the cyberspace can also be a unenjoyable voyage. It is so easy to click and there you have all the world or almost in front of you on the screen, the good , the bad and sometimes the ugly. If we do not like what we see we, click off and go no further, or go to the next human offerings.We as human beings have now become desensistized to no longer take the time to know someone or take the time to learn something. Everything is now at our hands literally. The human aspect of writing the note of encouragement, or thank-you, the love letter written by hand has now become almost obselete. We have become the enemy of ourselves, progress. " I Want It Now" and by any means. I shall try to improve my penmanship to win back a piece of the human pie, the written letter is such a precious personal treasure that I will always cherish, a testimony to that person who loves , who writes again by hand.

Childhood Memories, Parents

Yesterday my parents arrived. This has been in the planning for a few weeks now. Of course I waited until the last moment to prepare for this anticipated visit. Telling friends that my parents were about to arrive seemed to be concieved already as a blessed event. Sarcasm plays a major role in my family matters. The first sighting give's one a pang of nostalgia flash of days gone by with your parents holding your hand making sure you do not fall. Now it is not quite the holding of their hands but making sure that they watch there step , don't forget to have breakfast, where are you going for lunch?, what do you want to do to-night? The roles have almost reversed each jocking for there respective new identitiy. I look at a distance and see two people who have stood the test of time. This has not always been a kind and easy road, there were moments of sheer suffering by the loss of my baby sister, I will always remember as my mother said ," Normally you children should be standing here putting us in the ground " These words have stayed with me and have never left. I shall maybe never have an experience of being a parent but those words repeated by my mother left an emptiness and my dear Michelle who departed to soon never had a chance to say au revoir. As the clock of life continues to tick we have all become independent and yet dependent for news from each other. This visit has given us all a chance to share meals to-gether, take walks in the Old City, attend cultural events, sharing laughter and just simply being a family.

Quiet Moments, A Time of Reflexion, Parents

As I began to write I was thinking what will I write about to-day. I have been having a quiet moment since this morning engaging in conversation only when necessary. The fact that I am often involved with people for hours at a time I appreciate ever so often a quiet moment. During these quiet moments I like to lose myself doing absolutely nothing, even going so far as daydreaming. This time of intellectual emptiness gives me a chance to be nonchalant caring about little. At one point or another I hear things that I probably would not have necessarily heard and notice the small things that may have been missed. The quiet time is a vacum at one moment waiting to be filled. As I slowly submerge from this cocoon of emptiness I slowly become aware of the immediate surroundings around me. I remember that my parents will be arriving this Monday and I have many things to take care of before they arrive. It is always good to receive family, mine visit for 10 days. I always find this a busy hectic time and with family, Mother and Father and myself at times it can become stressful as the fact is I continue my work schedule . Thus, as an only garcon in the family you feel that just maybe you could be neglecting them during there stay. Also as you observe your parents and you see them maturing as time goes by you reflect on the time factor and push aside the thought that this could be the last visit.