Everybody Hurts……

A recent Sunday night television program caught my eye on the listings schedule, so I tuned in to The Choir, a series about Choirmaster Gareth Malone whose efforts are focused on assembling people to unite as a choir. The Part 1 episode I watched revolved around a hospital choir-in-the-making, destined for a competition with other “workplace choirs”.

The song selected by Gareth Malone; entitled “Everybody Hurts”, was composed and released by American rock band members Berry/Buck/Mills and Stipe – most commonly known as R.E.M..

"The challenge with Lewisham Hospital was getting them to open up and sing with emotion. By their own admission they tend to be quite clinical, quite matter-of-fact."

The similarity to many people struck me, few are inclined to “wear their hearts on their sleeve” for fear of making themselves vulnerable. In this faceless world of too-busy/too much everything, anonymity is a defence mechanism we might wrap around ourselves like a cloak.

Professional salespeople are tenacious in their efforts to secure a client and follow through to the completion of the order; and this includes a REALTOR®.

The process of meeting and greeting, spending time together in a vehicle and discussing the process and progress can evolve to include personal subjects.

In my own business I try to lend my utmost accountability to either Buyer or Seller clients – if there’s ever a doubt about anything I visualize a loved member of my own family in the client’s shoes – and my caring becomes even more keen.

 As with the Lewisham Hospital Choir members’ self-discipline, not daring to be too gushy or mushy –  most dedicated professionals find it impossible to leave work at work when the business day ends.

Regardless of the line of work we perform, it can feel personal – and from time to time, “Everybody Hurts”.

What's The Buzz...

Die-hard campers, fisherpeople, hikers or bikers, and runners all have one thing in common – insects in late spring and summer! Speed or agility are not necessarily a winning accomplishment, winging stingers will catch up somehow and then an owie to remember.

Fragrance free and clad in light colours is recommended, and many portable repellents are available to increase protection. Wasp traps, pseudo nests that identify territory, and even mosquito magnets and defoggers may be seen in use.

A one and only encounter last August with a yellow jacket was not only aggravating, it became serious. A secondary leg infection developed, resulting in treatment - the cellulitis further impacted my recovery.

Once someone has suffered a frightening reaction of any kind, anxiety can surface quickly when there is even the tiniest possibility of being stung again. Companions may also be acutely alert – wide eyed and their own antennae twitching in both apprehension and anticipation. I once knew of a well-meaning guest whose energetic swatting bruised the metal screen and actually pierced a small hole where the weave was compromised!

If you or anyone you know carries an epi-pen™ to be administered promptly, please ensure that whomever you’re with is aware of the how-tos should the need arise. Like all creatures in nature, ourselves included, there are good practices and not-so-wise activities. Be safe, be smart, and don’t panic when your ears become pointier and you query “What’s the Buzz?”. 

Welcome Visitors!!

The Canada Day weekend is really the advent of summer fun and visitors pouring out of city confines and hitting the open road to cottage country. The highways and byways can sometimes clog the time schedule in mind, however, with the car crammed and everyone ready for at least a weekend away it’s exciting!

I had occasion to be heading southbound along Highway 12 south of Orillia when a series of delightful sights caught my eye as I passed through the Town of Brechin.

Parked and secured along sidewalks and fences were a series of colourfully painted bicycles, each festooned with cascades of flowers spilling from handlebar baskets, seat brackets and even a tag-along cart in front of the Post Office.

The bright sunshine and abundance of fluttering national flags added to the feeling of celebration. There were lineups at the chip-truck, drivers were jockeying for a spot in parking lots at both the grocery store and hot pop shop.

School’s out, vacation time is here, and summer weekends offer plenty of varied and interesting events and points of interest.

Small town spirit is robust even when the budget isn’t – the folks of Brechin deserve special mention for their wonderful display of folksy and delightful pedal-power flower power.

What an imaginative and cheerful way to welcome visitors!

Wearing Horseshoes….

I was musing the other day about how often we hear expressions about horse shoes being symbols of good luck…A generalization is that if a horseshoe is hung as an adornment on a house it should be mounted so it looks like a “U” shape rather than an “n” shape.

My thoughts then wandered to querying different kinds of horseshoes, knowing only that different materials and customized adjustments are used for both specific uses and for hoof or gait correction.   A Google™ search returned that there are two distinct styles –

“An open heeled shoe is rounded over the front of the hoof,

but does not cross in the back.

A bar horse shoe is a closed shoe, wrapping

around the entire hoof and back of the foot.”

Similarly, in the fashion world of women’s’ shoe styles which may be referred to as a sling-back or a pump. Gentlemen sport sandal-styles either an open back or dress-type shoes styles. Athletic shoes of many kinds are designed and intended for more specific use.

At a young man’s recent graduation from elementary school, the intended dress code was white shirt, dress pants and dress shoes for the on-stage presentation of certificates. My own grandson reluctantly acceded to his parents’ insistence and reluctantly donned dress shoes to complete “the look”.

Mom and Dad were both horrorstruck and thunderstruck, too late to intervene, when they observed their son striding across the stage. The designated footwear indeed had been surreptitiously switched to the young man’s preferred style!

I feel hopeful that this fellow has an ample supply of horseshoes, preferably of the racing kind. He will need all the luck he can muster to circumvent any repercussions.

The possibility now of summertime hobbles to correct his gait may prove without question that a wiser choice would have instead been to wear bar-style horseshoes.