28 December 2012 ~ THE YEAR OF 2012; ALL IN ALL, A GOOD YEAR

28 December 2012 ~ THE YEAR OF 2012; ALL IN ALL, A GOOD YEAR

 

 

This will not be like my usual blogs; this is also a newsletter of sorts.  Normal service will resume in the New Year!

Christmas was another great time this year.  It usually is in our household.  If we have taught our kids anything at all, it is how to keep Christmas well.  Martin may have been on the other side of Canada but, thanks to iPhone FaceTime, we have managed to share in the season over the miles.  As we were leaving for church on Christmas Eve it actually started to snow; it is such a beautiful thing, Christmas snow.  So we did get a white Christmas after all; perfect.  Boxing Day afforded me the chance to get my snow-blower out for the first time this winter and that was fun.  And again the day after because there was so much of the white stuff; bloody snow…

A lot of the ‘happenings’ of the year of 2012 I have already written about when I started publishing my writings with this blog; the second anniversary of my mum passing away, (ABBREVIATE OR AMPLIFY?), leaving the job I was in for only six months, (THE VIEW; OTHER-SIDE, INSIDE-OUT OR OUTSIDE-IN), some philosophical thoughts along the way (A WALK THROUGH THE WOODS; A MATTER OF FAITH and others), my business trips for training assignments, (FREE AND CLEAR and ECUADOR; A LAND OF BEAUTY), the visits from England with Jane’s mum, Brenda, (BRENDA  ~ ~ ~  MOTHER-IN-LAW ~ A DELIGHT ~ A PLEASURE ~ A MOM ~ GRANDMA) and step-mum, Joyce, (I HAVE TWO MOTHER-IN-LAWS ~ AND IT IS GOOD!), even the great Olympic experience from Great Britain (OLYMPICS AND ALL THAT). 

This newsletter/blog posting is really about filling in the gaps and also giving some of my global readers a chance to “come in and know me better, man” as the ghost of Christmas present would say to Scrooge in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

This year has brought great change in my kids.   Well, kids wise, they’re not actually kids anymore because they are adults in their own rite... 

I have only seen my son, Martin, in the summer when he came home from the west coast of this vast and beautiful country called Canada.  We had a couple of weeks together and managed to get in some golf and other ‘guy stuff’.  It was nice to have all the family together again.  But Martin has his own life now, as he should.  He is based on Vancouver Island with the Royal Canadian Air Force and is busy with his work in air traffic control.  We chat all the time, for which I am grateful.  I was never very good at that when I was his age in the Royal Air Force and I am sure my parents were not too pleased with my selfish self-indulgent attitude back then.  Martin is light-years ahead of me from when I was 23 years old.  He seems very happy of late; perhaps because he has found a young lady, Cara, with whom he shares his life now.  My wife, Jane, and I are hoping to meet her in 2013.  She seems like a nice young woman and it pleases Jane and I no-end to see Martin with a soul-mate and happy with his lot.

Zoe has celebrated her ‘first’ anniversary with her soul-mate, Tyson.  What a lovely couple they make, too.  Just like Martin will make a good husband, there is no doubt that Zoe will make a great wife and mother one day in the future; hopefully not the immediate future!  There’s no need to rush things.  My eldest daughter is a college girl now.  It does make me feel old when I see how my children are adults and in relationships.  But there is a reason for that; it’s because I am old!  The way Zoe interacts with young children really is quite impressive; so going in to early childhood education at college was a good choice. 

Alex, my other daughter, is in grade 12 and will be graduating very soon.  That will be the end of an era; no kids at high school anymore.  That will take a bit of adjusting.  Not sure which path Ally will take yet, and neither is she.  All I know is it won’t involve young children!  Whereas her big sister excels around young ones, Ally excels in other departments such as math, French, music.  Alex is definitely her own person; sometimes to the point that her defiance and stance on things can be enough to make a saint swear.  I admire that, though, and wouldn’t want to change her.  I don’t know which direction she will take, but I am confident that it will be on her terms; and I love that about her.  Ally will be alright in the adult working world, in fact I see her as being a great boss someday. 

I just hope that, when I am really old and wrinkly and sitting in the corner dribbling away under the tartan blanket, that my kids will still have time for me!

This was the year that I lost a good and faithful friend.  Our beautiful Irish Setter, Rosie left us all weeping back in October.  I was compelled to write a blog about her on the day she passed away, (ROSIE; A GREAT IDEA).  Such a remarkable dog and I miss her terribly.

My lovely bride of 26 years, Jane, is still the light of my life.  How lucky can you get?  Three great kids and a wonderful wife.  Jane is still, as always, busy with her child-care business.  On top of that, I don’t know how, but she has managed to decorate and transform the lower level of our house in to a really cozy place.  This is good for me because I was kicked out of the spare bedroom on the top level so Jane could convert it back in to a guest-room; I wasn’t too happy at first.  But wow!  It is absolutely brilliant downstairs in the basement now.  If Jane wasn’t looking after kids I would suggest that she start her own business as a designer of interior homes and gardens because her vision in those departments is amazing.  Of course, she still discusses everything with me in great detail before we do what she wants.  But hey, it’s worked for 26 years so why change it now; right?

Jane and I took Zoe and Alex on vacation to Cancun in Mexico back in April.  We went with two other families that are friends of ours.  It was a pity Martin could not be with us, but we all still managed to have a great time.  Ally got to spend a whole day with the dolphins and learned all kinds of things and has many photos and video to cherish from the experience.

As for me; I am now a self-employed guy.  And I love it!  I do a lot of work from my home-based office; usually courseware development for aircraft maintenance training courses, but also regulatory stuff for aviation, too.  I remember last Christmas; I was grateful for the break when I got home.  I had been away from my family a lot more than my new company had led me to believe.  As soon as January arrived I was away again almost immediately; this was very frustrating!  I think I got confused between a ‘secure job’ where I was literally owned, and the freedom and responsibility of being who and what I am today.  I am enjoying the latter much more.  I don’t mind the travel because that is the nature of being an aircraft maintenance instructor, but I was spending way too much time away from home with the company I left the airline for.  In May I flew out to Düsseldorf to meet with a Russian training company and I would have to say that the two gentlemen that I met with have impressed me very much.  Our relationship has continued through the year and that is why I am heading out to Russia next year to spend some time with them.  If things go as we hope they will, I shall be spending quite a bit of time in Russia in 2013. 

Upon reflection, our family has been blessed with a good year.  Nothing too traumatic, but a few ups and downs just like any other family.  No complaints but many blessings to count.

As for the rest of the world in 2012; hmm…  There have certainly been some great moments, but I won’t dwell on them here.  There are web-sites abound that address all of that.  There have also been some tragic moments, and again I am not going to dwell.  But through it all we have somehow survived another world-ending event!  So I will close out my last blog of 2012 by just focusing on the usual year-ending ritual; New Year Resolutions.  I don’t plan on publishing any of my own.  But here are three from an ancient list of ten that might be of interest to some; I’m particularly fond of all ten, myself.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

×          Honor thy father and thy mother.

×          Thou shalt not kill.

×          Thou shalt not steal.

 

8 December 2012 ~ WE; ARE FAMILY

8 December 2012 ~ WE; ARE FAMILY

 

I got a wee bit behind with my goal of two blogs a month in November.  Trying not to make that mistake again this month, even though I am still extremely busy with my work and not finding much time to sit and write.  Interesting that MS Word spell-checker likes ‘wee’.

I want to talk about the other one, though.  The ‘we’ one.  The Cold War has long since passed, yet a novel written before it, back in 1921, has ‘We’ as its title; Yevgeny Zamyatin writes about a frightening society.  At the other end of the social scale is ‘We the people…’ more commonly known to be the beginning of the American Constitution.  Not to be confused with the Floridian pop-punk group called ‘We the Kings’ that have actually written a song for the upcoming Hunger Games sequel, ‘Catching Fire’.  They even performed, as recent as this year, with another band called ‘We Are the In Crowd’ in Brazil.  Wow; a whole paragraph in which I completely digress!

We.  For me, ‘we’ is family.  Be that the “family of man” or whatever.  Simply put; we’re here to procreate so that our children can grow up in to adults, leave their family of origin and start their own ‘we’.  The nice thing about ‘we’ is the journey of getting there; to actually being ‘we’.  To live a life of ‘I’ would be a terribly lonely thing for this writer; though I understand, of course, that there are probably a lot of very happy ‘I’ people out there.  For me, I like the ‘we’ and all that it brings; love, frustration, joy, etc.  I like the building part; the building of a new relationship and the children it can bring and the growing up of the kids and the growing old of my soul-mate and myself.  But most of all it has to be the building of the memories.  How nice it is to sit here and tinkle on these keys like a concert pianist and recall memory after memory after memory; and every one of them has a ‘we’ in it. 

As I write this, all of my ladies are out Christmas shopping; my lovely bride, Jane and my two adult daughters, Zoe and Alex.  I have got one of my favourite movies on, White Christmas.  Tonight we are all over at my sister’s place for a Christmas party.  The Christmas trees are up.  All we need is some snow because it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

If ever there was a time of year when ‘we’ becomes the most important thing in my world it has to be at Christmas.  We won’t all be together as a complete ‘we’ this Christmas because our son, Martin, will still be at his base all the way out on the west coast of Canada in British Columbia.  But this is exactly what is supposed to happen; your kids grow up and move on.  Martin will be working over Christmas in the Royal Canadian Air Force, but his girlfriend, Cara, will be with him over Christmas; and so it seems that the ‘we’ process is starting to repeat itself as it naturally does.  Also this will be a Christmas without Rosie, our lovely Irish Setter that we lost back in October.  So this is my first Christmas without our full complement of ‘we’.  All the more reason to never take your ‘we’ for granted; love every bit of it, warts and all!

‘We’; are family!

30 November 2012 ~ COMMITMENT; NOT JUST ANOTHER CLICHÉ

30 November 2012 ~ COMMITMENT; NOT JUST ANOTHER CLICHÉ

 

 

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  True?  I don’t know.  But just suppose it is true, and it’s five minutes to midnight and you haven’t eaten yours yet; munch away!  Perhaps it’s just a cliché.

Life is full of clichés and ‘sayings’ and definitions and sales slogans that call out for our attention.  I’m not in marketing as a career and that is probably a good thing; I would go hungry, for sure.  Imagine if I was a marketing director for some major vacuum cleaner company and I was tasked with coming up with next year’s big slogan for their new line of upright models and all I could come up with is “Dysell; we’ve seen the future of our new vacuum cleaner; and it sucks.”  I guess I will stick to aviation maintenance, and all that it entails, because that is my life.

How about life?  Here’s my definition of life; keeping death at a comfortable distance.  Now, as much as I may commit to that, at some point I know I will fail in my commitment.  Why?  Simple; because that’s life!  We are not here ad infinitum; and neither is your vacuum cleaner.

Commitment; I made a commitment to post two blogs a month in my quest to become a good writer.  After all, one has to engage in the activity of ‘doing’ in order to become good at it; whether that activity is writing, learning the piano, loving your partner, or whatever.  So this, my second blog for the month of November, and second blog this afternoon, is me achieving my commitment.  It is not a monumental blog by any means; but a commitment is a commitment.

It may not be five minutes to midnight yet; I still have a little less than one hour before November closes out.  I have eaten my apple already, and I feel good knowing that my second blog is published before the midnight hour; monumental or not!  That was, and is, my commitment.

So, to close out this blog, here’s another good definition for you --- Commitment; doing the thing you said you would do, long after the mood that you said it in has left you.

Commitment may be just another cliché to some; but to this writer, at this moment in time, it feels like much more than that.

Two blogs a month is my commitment; this travellin’ man is still staying on course.

30 November 2012 ~ THEN AND NOW; A TURN OF EVENTS

30 November 2012 ~ THEN AND NOW; A TURN OF EVENTS

 

 

 

My commitment was to post two blogs a month.  Here we are on 30 November 2012 and I haven’t posted one yet! It has been an incredibly busy month for me, work-wise, and there hasn’t been a free ‘moment’ to focus on my blog posts. So I am going to cheat a little. My commitment was to ‘post’ two blogs a month… not necessarily ‘write’ two blogs a month! So my first post is from some of my old ‘Notes’ that I wrote before I really went public with my writings in this blog; however I did add a comment or two here and there in this 'Then and now...'!

This was written last year.  It is interesting how things have turned out since then!

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New Beginnings ~ Part 2;  Written on Monday 19 September 2011

After ten+ years with my airline (Air Ontario, Air Canada Regional, Air Canada Jazz, Jazz Air, Jazz Aviation --- and all that Jazz!) another ‘New Beginning’ awaits.  My time as a technical instructor in aircraft maintenance with Air Canada Jazz is coming to a close.  Another opportunity has come my way that will allow me to continue doing what I love best; training.  But it will also afford me a chance to build, improve and grow as an instructor

Fond memories of what was at Air Canada Jazz, and excitement for what will be.  Watch out world; Freeman is taking his training expertise global!!!

Texo ~ Amplexus ~ Crescere

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The bottom line is that things did not work out as I was led to believe; but you can read all about that in my blog titled ‘THE VIEW; OTHER-SIDE, INSIDE-OUT OR OUTSIDE-IN’ because that, as diplomatically as I could, sums up the events that took place when I left a great job, with great people and a great boss, to take on a more ambitious challenge.  And it proved to be challenging in more ways than one.  Perhaps someday I will write more about the events that transpired between October 2011 and April 2012, but now is not the time.  I will write about it when the time is right.

So, since I wrote those exiting words back on 19 September 2011, a lot has changed.  I am now very happy with the path my career has taken and I am amazed at what I have found out that I can do.  The following is another one of my ‘Notes’ that was written shortly after the one above.

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Last Day at the Airline; Written on Friday 30 September 2011

Yup; Laptop handed in.  Keys handed in.  Security Passes handed in.  Today is the first time I have left the building without all of the above - - and the last time I will leave the building as an employee.  Next week the new beginning starts; still as an aircraft maintenance instructor.

Things I have learned during my eleven years with the airline; nine of them as an instructor:
 

• I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

• I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
 

• I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
 

• I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
 

• I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.
   

• I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
 

• I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.
 

• I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
 

• I've learned that writing helps me to ease my emotional pains.
 

• I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

 

"Men do less than they ought, unless they do all they can" ~~~ Thomas Carlyle

"Onwards and upwards" ~~~ Paul Freeman

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Regarding that last bullet above; I’m getting there.  But now I believe that ‘there’ is not a destination; it is a journey.  I'm a travellin' man...

16 October 2012 ~ ROSIE; A GREAT IDEA

16 October 2012 ~ ROSIE; A GREAT IDEA
 

It started out as just an idea.  We were moving to a new town and the kids were already starting to get upset at not “ever” being able to see their friends again; oh, the agony of it all!  So my wife, Jane, and I thought it might be a good idea to get a dog; an Irish Setter.  We had one in the early years of our married life, back in England, when kids weren’t even on the distant horizon.  Her name was Holly and she emigrated from England with us and we loved her.

So, the idea turned in to an internet search.  And the digital trail took us all across Ontario, Canada to a small town called Clinton, ironically just a short drive by Canadian standards; and that is where Rosie was born.  And that is where our idea became a reality; this little vulnerable bundle of red with a tail like a rat.

The idea of getting another Irish Setter was never in ‘the cards’ after we bade farewell to Holly because that hurt; she was the first family member for Jane and me.  Yes, dogs are family members in my book.  I am not detracting from cats or hamsters or any other of God’s creatures.  But show me a dog and I can show you a natural bond.  It doesn’t matter how short you throw the stick, your budgie isn’t going to fetch it again and again and again.

Our children grew up with Rosie and Rosie grew up with our children.  Rosie’s personality was as effervescent as any other healthy, happy dog.  But my goodness, her character!  Those that knew Rosie know all about her character.  My children learned a lot about character from Rosie and so did I.  Personality is who you are, but character is what you are.  Some people are known to have a split personality but you never hear about a split character.  Character is being afraid but doing it anyway; like barking your objection at a stranger whilst making a run for it behind the couch.  Like ripping up the Thanksgiving decorations (probably because there were no tissues available) in protest for being left alone one Sunday morning and knowing there’ll be hell to pay when everyone returns.  Character is spirit and Rosie’s spirit was not to be broken; not that we ever tried.  If ripping up tissues was the main vice of her character then so be it; and so it was, right up to as recently as this month.  As much as her back legs gave her such pain it would not deter Rosie from scrambling up the stairs to check out all rooms for tissues whenever left alone, no matter how brief.  I adored Rosie’s character; fearless but afraid, stubborn but unconditionally loving, pureness within mischief, honest deceit.  There was certainly some fiery Irish blood coursing through the veins of this red haired wonder. Unleashed, she could outrun the wind itself.  What a sight it was; her beautiful red ‘feathers’ from her ears to the end of her tail just flying in her wake.

I know dogs bark at cars and even sometimes chase said cars, but Rosie is the only dog I am aware of that actively pursued cars vigorously whilst being a passenger in one!  It was hilarious; for a short time there we actually had to use a collar and leash on her, while she was in the vehicle, for her safety and ours.  But, like the tissues, she never really gave it up; at least she toned it down enough.

If you’ve never had the joy, and pain, of having a dog as a companion then you may not understand why tears are flowing right now; and that my nose hasn’t run like this since I was but a child myself.  So if you’re even the least bit curious, I highly recommend these three books because these authors are professional writers and I am not. 

• The Art of Racing in the Rain ~~~ Garth Stein
• A Dog's Purpose ~~~ W. Bruce Cameron
• Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog ~~~ John Grogan

These writers will take you on a journey that every dog owner already knows; the journey of joy and love and frustration and pathetic helplessness at one’s own yearning to make your faithful friend better again.  The aching wont of not being able to tell your friend how grateful you are to have been a part of such an amazing experience of unconditional and non-judgemental love.  Oh, what an absolutely great idea our Rosie was.  You need to read these three books.

Today I had to let the idea go.  Today, whilst our caring vet and my wife and one of my now adult children and me were in tears but at her side, we had to let Rosie go to sleep.  But I’m not sure if I will sleep so well on this night.  Already, my home is too big without her.

My heart, though, is so full of her love and my memories of her that it feels like it is too full and fit for bursting.  Rosie was the best idea ever. 

Rosie in the Summer 2009
A Brief Video of Rosie; puppy to a beautiful old lady.

 

 

2 October 2012 ~ ALL IN GOOD TIME; 1, 2…

2 October 2012 ~ ALL IN GOOD TIME; 1, 2…

Apparently the time is now.  As a young lad, when my mum would tell me to do something, she usually meant now.  Of course there were also times when the time isn’t now; it’s right now.  I learned a lot as a child.

Sometimes, I think it was to ensure I wasn’t lost in some sort of space-time continuum, assistance would be offered to encourage me in the pursuit of doing something now, or right now.  It involved the counting of numbers; but hearing the number ‘three’ was usually followed swiftly by some form of adult vocabularic verbage that didn’t involve numbers.  It was more like suggestively violent, ‘out-loud’ thoughts.

I can recall that old “you can’t leave the table until you’ve finished your dinner” parenting rule; and also wishing we had a dog.  Time, as a child, was of no consequence unless you were sitting alone at the dinner table with about three brussel sprouts on a plate to keep you company.  Interestingly enough, as an adult I have noticed that after a ‘few drinks’ I can pretty much eat things that I would normally not eat.  Now I am not saying that we should slip a few shots in to our kids’ but, in the pursuit of science, it would be an interesting finding if youngsters had a glass or three of wine at the dinner table and then you hear “Blimey, those brussels look a bit good.  Can you pass some over here please, dad?”

For me, time, as a child, was measured by my stomach and the street lights.  If my stomach growled then it was probably meal-time and if the lights came on it was time to be home.

Today, as a fifty-plus adult, I rely on digital time in many different time zones because of the nature of my work.  I rely on electronic prompts to do this and to do that because of the nature of my memory.

Oh, and I don’t think that, as parents, we ever employed the “you can’t leave the table…” rule.  Maybe the suggestive violence; but just a little!  But now my kids are adults in their own right; in fact my son, Martin, is bigger than me so I daren't talk back to him now.

Time flies and times have changed!

30 September 2012 ~ I HAVE TWO MOTHER-IN-LAWS ~ AND IT IS GOOD!

30 September 2012 ~ I HAVE TWO MOTHER-IN-LAWS ~ AND IT IS GOOD!

 

It’s two in the morning.  I just know I can’t go to sleep until this is written.

Yes I do have two mother-in-laws.  My own mum sadly passed away just over two years ago, and it was a great loss to me, as her son.  My lovely bride’s mum flew over to visit us here in Canada in the early summer.  I wrote a blog about Brenda (Grandma) and now I feel compelled to write another, for my lovely bride’s step-mum, Joyce; the second wife of about twenty years, of Jane’s now late father, Jack. 

So what does this all mean?  It means my kids; albeit young adults now in their own right, are still blessed with two grandmothers that love them unconditionally.  And yes, that is important.  Joyce Norman (aka Nana and/or Nanny) has started her journey back to England to where her life is lived. My wife, and my teenage daughters, Zoe (in college) and Alex (Grade 12) have had an absolute blast with their dear Nanny Norman.  And you could tell by the devastating heartbreak that was rife in our home when it was time for Joyce to leave.  Even my girls’ boyfriends had their hearts won over by her too.  As a father, it was a pleasure to watch.

Our son Martin, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia on the far west coast of Canada, spent almost an hour on the phone with Nanny just to say goodbye.  This, again, is a true testament to family love.  Love is, indeed, one of God’s greatest gifts bestowed on us all.

And the joy was all so simple!  We enjoyed those good old fashioned evenings of Rummy-Cub and Rumolli and had laugh after constant laugh around the family dining table.  Now, that is what it is really all about.  Not all that pretentious money driven stuff; but the simple family stuff. 

I’ve heard of those stereotypical horror stories about mother-in-laws, but I am blessed with two great ones.  And my kids are blessed with two brilliant grandparents, in Grandma and Nanny.  And it all leads to happiness and harmony and respect and love and laughter abound.

Thank you Joyce.  Thank you Nana (Nanny).  Thank you for flying over from England and spending four magnificent weeks in our home with our family; your family.  I am only sorry I missed out on the first two weeks because of being in a foreign country plying my wares in order to make my living to support your daughter and grandkids.  But I had the pleasure of two weeks of your company; and for that I am grateful.  But what makes me even more grateful is your promise not to leave it five years, like you did before, until you visit again.  I know you came close, tonight, to spending some money to delay your flight back to England by another week or two.  A noble thought on your part.   And as selfishly as we would have let you, you also realised that other family members have been waiting, patiently, for you to return.  You were welcome to stay, but you made the right and selfless choice.  Nanas have to spread their time over many people because you are at the top of the ‘love list’.  A position that is earned, over time, by acts of selfless love, kindness and devotion to others.  I tip my hat to you, but you know I don’t where one because I clearly do not have a hat head.  But if I did, it would have been tipped!

Safe trip home in this brightly lit harvest moon night as you also make your way back in these overnight skies to your England.  I know you will pass along all of the hugs and kisses to everyone when you get there.

You are not just a Nana or Nanny; with your cell phone and computer and all the other gizmos, you are clearly a techno-Nanny; savvy in the digital world that folks younger than you still find themselves alienated from.

Like a Mary Poppins, you came and left and it was all too soon.  Come back soon Nana (Joyce) because you will always be welcome here and a bed will always have your name on it.

God bless you for your delightful sense of humour and your unconditional love.  If you think, for whatever reason, that two years might be too long, then just come anyway.  Always knowing that with us, our hearts are always overflowing with love, thoughts and memories of you, you dear sweet lady.  And always know you are welcome to come back whenever you feel the need; two year, two months, two weeks or two days… we will all be waiting!

God speed, as I go to bed now, at 2:35 in the morning. This writer can go and peacefully rest, knowing that Bob will collect you when you land and then take you safely back to that place that you call home.  The home that my lovely bride, and her two siblings Richard and Helen, grew up in.

We look forward to your call in the morning to say that you are home; safe and sound.  Thank you for coming... and come back soon!

27 September 2012 ~ ECUADOR; A LAND OF BEAUTY

27 September 2012 ~ ECUADOR; A LAND OF BEAUTY

I have recently returned from a 2-week training assignment in the city of Quito, the nation’s capital for Ecuador.  This is a truly magnificent place to visit.  Here, at 9,650 feet above sea-level, it is a whole new world to experience.

You can go on the internet and read all about Ecuador.  You can learn all about the diversity, both natural and cultural, of this nation of about 14 million people.  You can discover that there are four regions, called the Amazon rainforest, the highland Andes, the Coast and the Galapagos Archipelago; whose inhabitants of amazing giant tortoise always fascinated me at high school in my geography studies.  You can read all about the intriguing story of the so-called ‘Panama Hat’ that actually originated in Ecuador and is worn by both men and women.  In fact there is so much that you can read about this country of almost 170,000 square miles that has the equator running through its northern parts.  But how do you, as an aspiring writer, put in to words that, which you experienced, first-hand?  I can only equate it (no pun intended) to the dilemma an accomplished writer would have when trying to explain to you, in words, the flavour of vanilla ice-cream.  It’s practically impossible; you just have to lick it yourself in order to experience and appreciate it.  And that is the case for this wondrous country of Ecuador.

I was staying at the Best Western Plaza Hotel and Casino in the heart of the modern area of the city of Quito, in the region of the highland Andes, and I now have a better understanding of ‘altitude training’ that many athletes go through in their quest for sporting achievement.  Upon arrival I became aware of the lack of oxygen that my body was normally accustomed to.  The bouts of breathlessness, at first, was startling and I really did have to pace myself for tasks as simple as climbing a few flights of stairs.  Oh, but the trade-off was worth it!

I loved the mornings.  If there are no clouds, you are guaranteed a view of a most extraordinary dawn.  The sun rises quickly on the equator.  One morning, whilst having my coffee, enjoying the panoramic view from my hotel window, and at the same time watching the city of Quito wake up, I was able watch one of the peaks of the Andes mountain range get lit up by the dawn sun.  There were a few clouds swirling around the peak that changed colour very quickly with the rising sun.  Then, it was as if a veil of warm light was rolling down the mountain side as the sun rose and covered it with a magnificent glow.  It was absolutely breathtaking.

Across the road from my hotel window, on the Avenida Naciones Unidas (United Nations Avenue), was a large park; La Carolina, where I could view, at my leisure, the people and their activities.  I have seen the same juggler using the same spot in the park at the same time on most days.  About 5:00PM, on the same avenue that borders one side of the park, there is a guy bobbing in and out of the on-coming traffic trying to make a buck by cleaning your windshield… in a wheel chair!  In the park there was always some activity going on because it was such a lively place within the bustling city of Quito.  It reminded, somewhat, of Central Park in New York City; a haven within the metropolis.

At first, it was somewhat surprising to notice that people were selling just about anything on the streets of Quito; literally.  I mean, they would come up to the cars that were waiting for a green light and would offer you their wares; be it mandarins, candy, linens, ice cream, etc.  This did not seem to pose an inconvenience because some drivers would wave them over to buy a netted string of about six mandarins or whatever.  It was eventually clear to me that this is part of the delightful culture of Ecuador.

Although I was there on a business trip, I was able to have a weekend free.  On my first Friday I was able to get a ticket to watch Ecuador play Bolivia at the Estadio Olympico Atahualpamore, in a qualifier for the soccer World Cup Finals in Brazil, 2014.  As a football fanatic this was a brilliant experience.  I’m just glad of two things; one, Ecuador only scored once and two that I was located only three rows from the top of the stadium.  Why?  Because when Ecuador scored everyone, in their delight, stood up and cheered whilst launching their beers up in to the air.  Well, they have to come down; and they did, all over the fans that were in front of me.  It literally rained beer for a few moments and some of these guys were soaking wet.  Not that they seemed to mind.  They were happy their team, and country, scored and they were not surprised by what took place regarding the beer.  I was both surprised and relieved.

The Saturday afforded me the time to be a tourist.  Outside the park La Carolina is a double-decker open topped tour bus.  Once you have paid for your ticket, you can get on and off any time at any place you like because of the designated stops along the route.  This allowed me to take in some wonderful places; the Plaza Grande and all of the historic district of Quito.  El Panecillo was really nice, with a statue of the Virgin Mary, and its view over the city from the elevated hill located in the middle of the city.  But the view from El Tererifco was a true sight to behold.  You had to take a cable car up the last 4,000 feet or so to an altitude of over 13,200 feet.   I have never been so high above sea level outside of a perfectly serviceable airplane.  At such a height, even the silence is deafening.  But at least there weren’t any car horns that I could hear, just the wind.  The view from this altitude was simply stunning.  I felt overwhelmed by the beauty of it all.  But the giddiness that I felt wasn’t just from the sights and sounds; the air was very thin up there!  I actually felt relieved when I took the cable car back down the mountain and felt I was at sea level, even though I wasn’t; yet a week previous I was struggling with an elevation of 9,650 feet!  The human body is quite remarkable when it comes to adjusting itself to its climate and surroundings.  I actually felt I could breathe without too much difficulty!

To say that I enjoyed this whole experience would be an understatement.  I had the privilege to train seven true gentlemen for two weeks.  Although mostly in a classroom environment, we had a day where we took a two hour drive south, through the Andes mountain-range, to Cotopaxi Airport, just outside a small town called Latacunga.  We spent the day on a live aircraft going through a series of exercises.  Outside the hangar, looking north, was a spectacular view of Cotopaxi Volcano; elevation over 19,000 feet, and, even on the equator, the peak was high enough that it was snow-capped.  After our busy day in the hangar, the guys took me into Latacunga, to a genuine Ecuadorian diner, for some local food and a cold beer.  I don’t think that this would be something a tourist would have had the opportunity to experience because my guess is that it was not a resort, of sorts; just the local folks going about their regular daily lives.

I think that as you get older, you lose some of the courage you had in your youth.  I would not have wanted to drive around Quito because I am not sure what (if any) high-way code they use other than car horns.  I was amazed that I didn’t see one single accident.  These guys seemed to know what they’re doing, but I didn’t have a clue!

Ecuador is a country that, to me looking on the outside, is a happy place.  People talk to each other and they are friendly.  This is something you don't see too much when in a big city in North America.  I only wished that I could speak Spanish so that I could engage with the locals, and my students, more than I did.

I would love to go back to Ecuador, but I think I would prefer to go as a tourist so that I could have more time and take in the coastal area and the Galapagos Islands.  Not sure if I'm brave enough to take on the Amazonia just yet; but you could tempt me!

16 September 2012 ~ HOLDING HANDS

16 September 2012 ~ HOLDING HANDS

 

 

A lot of good folks have emailed me to say that they’re looking forward to my blog about Ecuador; it’s coming.  But first, I would like to write about something I saw at Miami International Airport, on my journey back from Ecuador.  I had a rather long layover in Miami.  There’s nothing like people watching when you have lots of time to kill at a busy airport.

When you’re not caught up in your own world, you get the chance to look at other peoples’ worlds; albeit the view is from the outside looking in (read my blog on views).  But first we need to take a quick journey back in time…

One of the first dates my lovely bride and I ventured on when we were a young couple was to spend a day taking in the beautiful cathedral in the city of Lincoln, England.  Jane used to take the train to come and visit me in Lincoln on weekends.  The cathedral, like any other, is magnificent.  I particularly wanted to see the Battle of Britain window.  As we were meandering through this magnificent gothic building, Jane reached out to hold my hand.  As surprising as this may sound, it took me completely off guard.  I couldn’t actually recall the time previous, when a hand was held in mine.  I felt a bit uncomfortable, but I tried to hide it.  It just didn’t seem natural to me, at that time in my younger man’s life.

I’m older now, and (hopefully) wiser.  I am not some psycho-analytic babbler here, but I think I might have figured out why I felt as I did that day when Jane took my hand in hers.  I do not actually recall my parents ever holding my hand.  It wasn’t that they didn’t love or care for my sister and I.  It is just that they never held my hand.  I recall my dad holding my hand on only one occasion; we were all getting in to a Mini Cooper that belonged to his friend.  In those days you could get a lot of passengers in a Mini Cooper; no seatbelts, no safety regulations.  Mum, my sister and the girlfriend of my dad’s friend in the back, with me sitting in between Dad’s legs on the front seat.  One Mini-Cooper, six people.   I was eight years old.  I trapped my fingers in the car door and it hurt and I cried.  All the way back to our house my dad held my hand and massaged my aching fingers.  By God I wish he was here to do it for me again today.  I never forgot how much it meant to me when he held my hurting hand. 

Thanks to Jane, I am very comfortable holding hands.  I have always held the hands of our three children.  My son, Martin, and I held hands all of his young life, but sadly that ‘day’ arrived.  We were walking up to the mall to do some ‘guys’ Christmas shopping together and we were holding hands.  Then we realised that Martin might actually be too big for dad to be holding his hand.  After all, his shoe size was already three more than mine!  We had a chuckle when the thought came to us that we may have looked like lovers rather than father and son.  Society is strange, if it had been one my daughters, Zoe or Alex, it would be acceptable.  In fact it is socially acceptable to hold the hand of the opposite sex at any age; and thankfully our societal view is slowly changing, such, that you can hold any hand at any age.

So, at Miami airport, whilst people watching, the holding of hands is something that I always notice.  Airports of today are a stressful event.  But you can see both sides of love; especially between the departure level and the arrival level.  So in between the frustrations and other emotions of the travelling masses, I always seem to notice when hands are being held.  It is such a sight to behold, whether young or old. 

But in Miami airport I saw the most beautiful sight of my day.  The last passengers to deplane from an aircraft are the passengers that need assistance.  I don’t know if this gentleman working that day was a staff member of Miami International Airport, or if he was a Ground/Customer Service Agent for American Airlines.  But he escorted the last passenger off the aircraft, in to the terminal, and continued on towards the exit.  This older lady was obviously unsure of anything that was going on based on the worried and perplexed look on her face.  But even I, from a distance, could tell she was in good hands; his kind black hand held on to her fragile white hand.  They were strangers just a few minutes ago when he boarded to help her deplane.  Now they were locked in one of the most important gestures that we, as living, thinking, caring human beings, by God’s design, are all able and capable of doing; holding hands.

I like holding hands!