Shawn L. Bird

Original poetry, commentary, and fiction. All copyrights reserved.

THAT’S more like it! June 17, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:30 am
Tags: , , , , , ,

Only hours after the riot in Vancouver, the citizens stood up to declare that they did not approve.   The rioters were not disappointed fans, as some are saying on the news reports that have spread around the world.  They were folks who deliberately wanted to cause trouble.  They came prepared for chaos, and they incited it. They no more represent the Canuck fans, than soccer hooligans represent theirs.  The regular citizens were as disgusted as the rest of the world, and they were mortified about the negative image that was represented by the obnoxious  participants. 

Those regular citizens showed up by the thousands this morning to help clean up.  They created a wall of messages declaring their feelings about the rioters and their embarrassment and their pride in the city. 

This is the real Vancouver: 

  • The people who tried to get between rioters and buildings to stop looting. 
  • The people who stood up for others and risked or suffered injury themselves. 
  • The people who came with gloves, brooms, shovels and garbage bags to clear up the mess.
  • The people who signed the boarded up windows of the Bay flagship store, with apologies, declarations of purpose, and hopeful encouragement

I wonder how many police corps could have dispersed so many people as calmly and with as little injury as the Vancouver Police and the RCMP did last night.  True, there was significant property damage, but there was very little personal injury.  The police kept their cool while being provoked, insulted and attacked.  I was totally impressed with them.

The rioters may have given the city a black eye, but the citizens have pulled together to show the true spirit of Vancouver.  Be proud people.

.

PS. Here’s the story from the Canucks point of view:

http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=566199

 

for shame June 16, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:05 am
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Vancouverites packed downtown to celebrate the Stanley Cup.  Game 7 Canucks vs Bruins.  Vancouver needed to win.  They didn’t.  I was unimpressed with Vancouver’s play, but I was absolutely disgusted with the adolescent behaviour of the ‘fans’ afterwards.  The lack of basic citizenship, shown by refusing to disperse, cheering trouble makers, and filming every moment demonstrates a disturbing trend.

What could have been a really great memory of community spirit is marred by idiots who don’t know what civilized behavior looks like.  Kelowna lost its wonderful community Regatta because the same sort of people started coming into town with rocks in their trunks to riot for fun.  Alcohol fuels such behaviour, and although the police and security tried to prepare in order to prevent these kinds of riots, when good citizens do not stand up to decry such actions, fools are going to do stupid things.

Who is going to pay for the clean up and the policing bills?  Business insurance will go up.   The Orca Bay Group raked in some tidy profits in seven games.  I sincerely hope they will take some financial responsibility.  As well, all those cameras and phones filming every moment should make it fairly easy for the police to identify the trouble makers.  I hope they are all caught and severely fined so that hard-working, respectable citizens who weren’t rioting in the streets for amusement, don’t have to pay for their foolishness.

——————————————-

At the same time that I was writing this blog, those respectable citizens were making plans.  This is social media at its best, mobilizing the citizenry to positive ends.  Smitty Smith has created a Facebook event inviting Vancouverites to come downtown and help clean up the mess.  How inspiring is that?  Good on you, Smitty.  If you’re in Vancouver, the details are here: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=219286898091948

 

love through it June 15, 2011

Filed under: Friendship — Shawn L. Bird @ 8:42 pm
Tags: , , ,


Cancer is everywhere these days, but since 1980 when Terry Fox set out on his Marathon of Hope, things have changed. In so many cases the treatments have helped many win the battle that would have been lost 30 years ago. Early detection, better treatment and improved follow up care have been the cure for many. Salmon Arm is a community with a big heart for cancer. Our Relay for Life consistently brings in more donations than the cities of Vernon (several times our size) and Kelowna (10 times our size). Sometimes the fight is general, but sometimes it has a precious focus.

At the moment, a member of Jamila Mai Bellydance is undergoing chemo for breast cancer. It is so great when a community gathers together to support one of its own in a time like this. Wrapped in pink ribbons, Jamila Mai celebrates Barb, the Chest Pop Queen.

Read about the event here.  As you admire the beautiful photos you will see the love shining through each person there.  Barb is very loving, and she is very loved.

 

watch June 14, 2011

Filed under: Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 5:25 pm
Tags: , ,

A paraphrased quote to ponder from Angie Abdou, from notes taken while she was presenting at the Shuswap Lake Writers’ Conference last month:

Be open to the story all around you.

There is a world of story in every moment

and it can be told a thousand ways.

 

broken heart June 13, 2011

Filed under: Pondering — Shawn L. Bird @ 1:12 pm
Tags: , ,

Topic #157:  Describe the first person who broke your heart. And if you could take revenge on them now, would you? Did you ever think about it? What would you say to them now if you met them on the street?

I am sure that I am an oddity, but my heart has never been broken from a romantic attachment.

The first boy I loved remained a precious part of my life, and even though the time came when it was mutually understood there was not going to be a romantic future for us, the friendship remained strong and I can say that is probably is just as strong today though we haven’t seen each other in over a decade. If I saw him today I’d give him a big hug and prepare to start laughing at the way our lives are working out. Far from revenge, I’d be handing him a copy of Grace Awakening and challenging him to figure out all the minute memories of our real past that were the germs for the fantastic voyage that Grace experiences.

I was engaged, and the engagement was broken off, and even that seemed right under the circumstances and didn’t cause me to feel like my world was over. It was just the right decision at the moment. Of course, a week later everything had changed and two weeks later, we were married, a month earlier than planned. We remain so, today, thoroughly attached and very appreciative of each other.

I have had my share of gut wrenching rejections in other scenarios, but never by a young man to whom I had entrusted my heart. I guess that means that I chose wisely where to put my affections. Those were the biggies, but there were a few small crushes over the years, and even those dissolved amicably. There might have been a tinge of sadness, but no anger, frustration, pain or agony. I can divide myself into the feeling part who celebrates the joy, and when the opportunity for more painful emotions arrives, then I can switch to the logical part to understand the pros and cons of the relationship. It makes it easier to cope with the more unpleasant realities when you can see it logically. (It works for rejection notes from publishers and discussions with editors as well!)

When I was the source of the affection, and I didn’t return the feelings being tentatively expressed, I hope I was as kind and gentle to my suitors as the young men I had crushes on were to me. I would like have left them fond memories and no regrets.

 

wiggle, jiggle and giggle… June 12, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:59 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

Today a group of us went to Kelowna to watch a performance of belly dancers.  A group from Kelowna performed in the first half, and in the second half the headliners from Get Bent Active Arts Society in Penticton performed their Bollywood Hollywood. Their show was upbeat, energetic and commanding.  I have never seen such fast costume changes in my long theatrical life!  (In the finale, they revisited every number in the costume with about 2 seconds transition).  Beaming smiles, excellent skills, and narrative choreography added to audience enjoyment.  Of particular  notice was the kewpie doll grin of Marianne (her solo begins at 2:19 in the video).  She has matured even more in skills and still conveys absolute joy and good humour to the audience.  It was an delightful  afternoon and so I thought I’d give you the opportunity to participate in our fun by sharing this youtube video of the tour group from a previous tour:

.

.

For more information about classes or to support Get Bent’s work with youth  in the community, please see their website at http://www.getbentyogaandbellydancing.com/  We are hoping that we’ll be able to participate in a workshop with them or go see another performance again.  It was a show that exceeded our expectations.

 

summer invocation June 10, 2011

Filed under: Rotary invocations — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:39 am
Tags: , , , ,

Of course, officially there are still 11 days until summer.  However, I hear that the Americans are already out of school, and with our temperatures in the high-20s it feels like summer at long last!  So to celebrate here is a summer invocation for myRotary friends!

We are thankful for the warmth that summer brings

For friends from afar gathered ’round our table.

For the warmth of the caressing summer air,

humming with chittering, twittering things

For time off work  to do what we are able,

to embrace a hurting world into our care

.

Available for free use within Rotary; however, please indicate in the comment section below that you have used it at your club (date and name).
 

ruffling June 9, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:42 pm
Tags: , ,

Oh- this is a beauty.It takes some talent to do such impressive pattern drafting. This skirt is gorgeous, and it is an intriguing thing to add to my project list!

http://communingwithfabric.blogspot.com/2009/09/self-drafted-anthropologie-skirt.html

 

waving dad June 8, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 6:01 pm
Tags: , , ,

I love two things about http://waveatthebus.blogspot.com 

First, I love the sense of fun and creativity that Dale Price has shown waking up every morning to wave at his son’s schoolbus as it goes past their house. 

Secondly, I like that his son is 15/16, not 5 or 6.  I love any parent who loves his/her teen age kid enough to be willing to embarass them by goofy fun.  It’s  teaching him something.  You can be cool, or you can be a little wacky.  Coolness is just aloofness.  A little wackiness adds a lot to a day to whomever is touched by it. 

Rain Price will never forget this year and neither will any of the other kids on his bus.  In years to come they’ll be smiling and discussing their favorite costume.  The joy will travel forward in time.

While the website is worth a visit if you want to get a really good look, you can see the whole year’s worth of wackiness here.  Which is your favorite?

 

xyz June 7, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 9:08 pm
Tags: , ,

I teach Middle School these days.  One of the hallmarks of this age level is a bravado that overtly declares a certainty over the rightness of their ideas, combined with a secret insecurity about almost everything.  One of the things they’re most interested in and confused by is sexuality.  The idea of any sexual ambiguity seems to really disturb them.

They ask a lot of questions and I lay it out a little more bluntly than some would.  I point out that if 10% of the population doesn’t fit into the neat little box, then that means in a class of 30, 3 people in the room are not going to fit in the box.   Those stats challenge their thinking. 

I want it to.  They are already friends with someone who doesn’t fit in that box they’ve built.  They might be the one who doesn’t fit in the box!    While they’re stewing about the statistics I ask, “and SO WHAT?”  What does it matter?  You are what YOU are, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else is.  Like your friends for who they are.  Don’t worry about their sexuality.   It just doesn’t matter.  

They don’t like that.  They desperately long for the world to be black and white.  They want it to be clear and straight-forward.  While they’re trying to sort out their black from their white, I throw in some more grey.  What about those who aren’t either gender? 

What happens to the people who have physical or genetic components of both sexes?   According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission  4% of births are intersex (the term that replaces hermaphrodite).  Hmm.  In 2009-10 there were 381,382 births in Canada.  That means there were 15,255 parents filling out a birth certificate form who could not put a definitive check mark in either the box that says male or the one that says female.  Consider that in the Canadian population of approximately 34 million, 1.36 million people are in between M and F. 

This begs a question: why don’t we have another option on the paperwork for over a million of our citizens?  This doesn’t even touch upon the transgendered population.  Oi vay.  Our world is not black and white.  Let’s accept the grey and put another box on the questionaires.  I suggest “N.”  You can decide for yourself whether it means neither or neutral.