My Story of an African Farm
<1156 words> Apparently it was necessary for me to have a crazy dream of registering for a farmers’ expo here in Nova Scotia. The rule was that if you could register a VOF (Very Old Farm) you somehow could claim senior status. I thought I might use my grandfather’s farm outside Mafikeng in South Africa – […]
Like a River Flows
<1230 words> They say that our thoughts naturally turn to contemplation of the future when we watch water in motion. When I was about to turn 60, my brother, Guillaume, died of a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumour and I came across ‘The Waterfall’ by Zen philosopher Shunryu Suzuki. It is his reflection on life, upon a […]
Four Decades of Being a ‘Senior’
<1243 words> FOUR DECADES OF BEING A ‘SENIOR’ WARRANTS A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCES There are more and more forecasts that more and more of us will live to be one hundred. Our eligibility for Canada Pension kicks in at 60. For many of us that marks the beginning of our new status – we’ve […]
PERSONAL SAFETY IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL TERRORISM
The recent spate of fundamentalist terrorist attacks across the globe had triggered exactly the weapon it was intended to unleash: fear expressed as anger, causing confusion, separating us rather than bringing us together. It is a time when we may be so exhausted by confusion and fear that we readily sacrifice the rights and freedoms that are so hugely important to us. We’re at risk of running backwards. I’m not prepare to do that.
5 Leadership Outcomes offered by the Trudeau Leadership School (TLS)
The Trudeau Leadership School offers an innovative child-transportation method that builds leadership in the next generation, as can be seen in the featured photograph. 1. Close physical contact with Dad without being mushy or coddled. 2. Eyes forward to take it all in. 3. Build responsibility for keeping self in balance with just enough support to make […]
I want to live in a good country
A new way of measuring and comparing countries is discussed in a TED talk by Simon Anholt, which triggers for Delphine a series of questions about the choice she made in immigrating to Canada “is Canada a good country?” from South Africa. “Good” in this context is not the opposite of “bad”. Instead, it is juxtaposed against “selfish”, but it isn’t synonymous with “generous”. The blog concludes with the realisation that there is a persona contribution to be made towards “good”. It’s not just up to politicians and big business.