Pride and Predujice....

How time flies when you are having fun. Its been over a year since my last 'blog'. Im not sure I really enjoy the act of 'blogging' but I do enjoy writing. Having said that, we now live in a day and age of people wanting to be listened to, as opposed to listening...

Mind you, who said that anyone has to read my words?

As I type, winter is claiming its grip on the soggy landscape, trying to make headway in to covering over the scars of yesteryear, and looking forward to the next. Its been yo-yoing this year, and we have had an extended autumn. I don’t do the +3C and rain very well. I feel the cold more than I do at -10C. I just want the snow to dump and stay. Then we can play!

This last year has been excellent, marred by an ailing mother in England. She is in a bad place right now - there is simply no dignity in getting old. So sad, I feel helpless. My sister, Claire is being a rock, but even she is helpless to stop the rot. Dementia is setting in, and mum knows it. Her dignity is still there, and I only hope that she is taken away from this changing world quickly, to free her of the pain and the vision of herself she has. Claire has been a prominent part of my life during 2013 - she came over to visit in the summer and for the first time I really spent quality time with her - and loved every minute of it. Sadly I think we will meet next in slightly less joyous times....

Natasha, Claire and I on Idaho Peak

Today I have been listening to the radio, something I do not do enough of. Kennedy was shot 50 years back, in 1963. My mother would have been 38 at the time, in her prime, but pre Tim! Back then, England had winters, now we have more extremes to deal with and winters come and go within days. Funnily enough, Claire had more winter days off school last  year than we did here in Canada, known for its cold, harsh white winters. Who knows what will happen this year, as climate change takes an ever deepening grip on us all.

As I grow older,  I learn the importance of history, its message, its story, its account and the fresh light we can now throw on it. I find the Kennedy story intriguing. But what of politics now? We seem to be immersed in the mire of people being very bad at being politicians. These rogues are dragging politics down further into the dirt, and with it the public's perception and opinions of not just politicians but politics. Here in Canada the latest scandal concerning the Mayor of Toronto and also the mess in the Senate is simply appalling. So much time, tax payers money and energy spent on trying to battle a way through the mess they have all wrecked upon themselves, all because of power, opportunity and greed. There should be a body overseeing all politicians from the local council to the highest quarter - a Watchdog of sorts, who have powers of dismissal... and no dismissal with benefits still intact. If Natasha was dismissed as a Principal, that would be it. Closed book. What makes a politician so special? It’s a privileged position and needs to be treated with respect, which Mayor Ford certainly has not.

It’s been a great year for my / our running. I have become immersed, willingly sucked in, to the World of Sufferfest (www.kaslosufferfest.com). I love what it is and stands for, and it has helped my joy of running. However, looks like I will hang my shoes up for a couple of months now, just like the bees have. My next race? Kamloops Hypothermic half marathon in late Feb. I’m up for it!

Till thoughts hit me later, Tim