It is so easy to dismiss others who surprise or disconcert us. They may look different, eat foods we’ve never tried, listen to music whose rhythms and melodies surprise us, speak a language we don’t understand or wear clothes that we find strange or immodest. They may have a different skin colour, or perhaps practice …
Continue reading “Life-Love 58: Feeling kinship with someone different”
As a race, we humans have always liked to move. To make progress. To feel our bodies as we dance, walk, hike, run and climb. We like to feel the earth beneath us, its changing terrain of hills and valleys, rocks and clumps of grass. As we move over ground, our bodies adapt to the …
Tonight was a wonderful night. My parents and I were invited by my oldest friend, Fencing Master Stanley Yee, to a banquet celebrating the 5th Anniversary of his pride and joy: the Dragon Fencing Academy. Stanley and I have been friends since the first night that either of us signed up for fencing lessons at …
Last night I gave a guest lecture at Ernescliff College, a residence and community for men in Toronto. It’s run by the Opus Dei, a Catholic lay apostolate (evangelical organisation) started by St. Josemaria Escriva. I had never had any experience with the Opus Dei – the only Catholic lay apostolate that I have been …
Continue reading “Gave a lecture on “Social Media & Christianity” at Ernescliff College (Toronto)”
I just got home after a wonderful evening that blended all the things I like: politics, public affairs, government, food and fascinating people who wanted to talk. I spoke on the topic of “Wikileaks: Has government communication changed forever?” I was speaking to the Hamilton Chapter of the Canadian International Council. I was amazed to …
Well, I thought about it and realised that making new year’s resolutions is actually not that bad an idea. The new year is a symbol of change, renewal and a new start. So here they are: 1. Get fit and lose weight. I need to be able to run and fence and swim the way …
This is a bittersweet life-love. There are few things in the world that are as poignant as saying good-bye to people with whom you’ve worked closely for a good stretch of time. As a university professor, for me this often means the last day of class. I have felt this in office or community projects, …
Continue reading “Life-Love 44: Saying good-bye to a good class”
Last weekend, I traveled to Washington, DC, one of my favourite cities in the world. It was a bit of a working vacation for me, since I have been going quite hard, with research and teaching. I arrived on Saturday morning, flying on Jetblue out of Buffalo. It was a funny flight, because I was …
A note I sent to the people who participated in “TOO RUDE?” … Dear Friends, I thought that I would write to you and tell you what a great success TOO RUDE? was. According the Hamilton Spectator’s write-up we had 150 people in attendance on Nov 10, 2010. We also made the front page of …
Continue reading ““TOO RUDE?” political civility panel a great success!”
Our days are so very full of worry and concern. We worry about our work, our friends, even our own level of fatigue. Our minds crackle with the static of constant concern and often we feel a electric jolt of anxiety at something that we forgot or that has just popped up. Perhaps it was …
Continue reading “Life-Love 39: Receiving a friendly note of support”
