Growing Versions

Here we go. Hold my hand, let's go ahead. We know we cannot go back. My heart still lurches when I wait for the speeding cars to stop at the crosswalk with my kids, even now, when they are old enough to remember.  I reach down, hold their hands, and tell them. "I do not trust the drivers. Look the driver in the eye, and wait for them to stop." Let's cross now.

In the past few weeks, we have been in the throes of a brewing labour dispute between our province's teacher's union and the government.  The simmering pot boiled over last weekend when the government unexpectedly shut down the schools on Monday, citing safety concerns during the planned work to rule actions that the union was set to start on that day. Parents were thrown into chaos as we all tried to figure out what the heck to do with our kids. Those who could afford it, signed up for hastily created day camps.  People teamed up and took turns parenting each other's kids and some were in the unfortunate situation of having to give up work for what turned out, thankfully, to be only one day out of school. Luckily one of us could be home with the kids, but to our great surprise, they took a lot of time setting up a curriculum for Monday.  Most of the tasks were internet based, but classes in "structures" and cooking also got thrown into the mix. They a...

I live in a four season climate. Some seasons are portioned out more liberally than others. We hanker for more than our fair share of the summer one.  Others prefer the winter for all the fun activities they bring, some swear by the shortening fall days with the shimmering colours and tendrils of woodsmoke, grounding us once more. I think about the seasons like a series of corners around which we turn and where we are given a new chance to pivot, to turn a corner.

Write down your thoughts. Write down your dreams, even if you only remember half of them. Write down your fears. Write down the books you want to read. Write down the books you want to write. Write down the movies you want to see again. Write down every detail of that room that used to be yours. Write down what he said. Write down what you said. Write down what you should have said. Write down your passwords, no matter what they say. Write down your demands. Write down the license plate number, just in case. Write down the thing you heard on the radio. Write down the cost. Write down your needs. Write down your extravagant wants. Write down the weather that day. Write down what you ate. Write down his name. Write down to the ground.