Let's Talk about Mental Health

Today is the second annual Let's Talk about Mental Health day. It's a Twitter bomb of slacktivism. The goal is to have a conversation, so, I'll bite, let's have a conversation. One a little longer than 140 characters.

We Three Magi

It's the midst of the Christmas season, which means visiting family and friends far and wide. A lovely, if stressful, time of year. And visiting all that family means that I've seen a wide variety of gift-giving traditions and their evolution over time. This has got me thinking.

Look Both Ways Before You Run a Red Light

This is an open letter to the guy driving the white van with no company logo on the side. The guy who saw a light turn red a full block away and held his speed steady. The guy who took his hands off the wheel as he plowed through the intersection and gave me the "ooops" shrug.

You're welcome.

You see, if I wasn't one of those people who always looks both ways before I cross the street, regardless of the inviting walk signal (or in this case the flashing hand that comes on five seconds after the inviting walk signal), both our lives would be quite different right now. You'd be in a holding cell, and I'd be in a hospital or morgue.

Actually, that's probably not true. If I wasn't one of those people who looks both ways before I cross a street, I'd've been hit by a car years ago, and we never would've crossed paths. I've lost count of the number of people who have ignored the most basic rule of intersections (look both ways before you proceed). I realize, as a pedestrian, I'm invisible, but it also happens when I'm driving a car - other cars ignore me, pedestrians ignore me, cyclists ignore me, cabbies ignore me (I know I'm not alone here - cabbies ignore everyone who isn't paying a fare, and even some people who would like to hire them). Other people blindly fly into intersections so often around me that I'm beginning to think that I'm the problem. It can't be a coincidence.

So to each and every one of you who has been inconvenienced by me in an intersection, I'm sorry for being invisible. I'm sorry for getting in your way. I'm sorry if our encounter (if you even noticed it) made you feel guilty or contemplate how lucky you are. It's clearly all my fault ...

And also, you're welcome. It's hard to remain this humble when I've changed so many lives (including my own), but I'm doing the best I can.

Blowouts and Sportsmanship

I played enough recreational slopitch this summer to have come out on either end of a blowout (extremely lopsided score), which got me thinking about the various codes of behaviour (sportsmanship) that govern how athletes interact.