My neighbour asked me last week if I’d be going to the Relay for Life. When I heard the music still going strong into the wee small hours on Friday night, I put on my walking shoes and went over to the John Rhodes Community Centre, awed by the number of people still there. For those who haven’t been to …
Post-university life isn’t that different from post-secondary life
I keep thinking about graduating students and how excited they are to get into the work world. Graduates should be rightly proud of their achievement, and I don’t want to sully that and take anything away from them and their moment; but I have to ask, should we burst their bubble now? They’re so happy that the school phase of …
Strike two on predicting the end of the world
If you’re reading this, it’s because you’ve got a copy of The Heavenly Times, or Harold Camping has again had a little trouble with his biblical decoding and mathematic calculations. Camping and his movement said that May 21, 2011 would be Judgment Day: the day when because of our sins, the Earth would be destroyed and Christian believers would be …
Haven’t you heard, not reading a column to the end causes bad luck
Friday the 13th is only two days away. Are you superstitious? Merriam-Webster.com says you are if you’re swayed by “a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation.” Perhaps because of the negative connotation of the definition, people seem to deny being superstitious. If you bring up …
Abracadabra: cherish life’s moments of enchantment
The holidays always remind me of the importance and power of magic. Oh to be happily enchanted like a child over the holidays. As the Easter Bunny hopped through our house, it left not only a bunch of hidden chocolate eggs, but it left smiles on my children’s faces. Some of that glow and wonder spread to all the adults …
Take the byte out of bullying and be glad our antics weren’t documented
With anti-bullying day recently behind us, I have to wonder if we’ve really achieved all that much in light of a story I heard recently. Here’s the story: a mother was called by her daughter’s teacher about an emergency with her daughter. Mom was panic-stricken, but the school told her not to worry as her daughter was not hurt. Mom …
Readers have learned a lot about this writer through 100 columns
Today is a milestone for me: this is my 100th column. The only reason I know that it’s my centennial column is that I started putting my columns into a scrapbook. I was motivated by the Mae West quote: “Keep a diary and one day it’ll keep you.” I hope that, in the future, my children may know me as …
The long and short of it: Why women’s cuts don’t cost 2 bits
Why are women’s haircuts so much more expensive than men’s? I set out to answer this question and find out if a decent woman’s haircut under $20 was as elusive as finding a unicorn to ride to the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. I started by asking unisex salons their prices: a woman’s cut averaged $35 …
There is glamour and magic in the memories of our youth
Today is my son’s birthday; he’s five years old. Five is so young, but so old at the same time. He’s changed so much. I’m already missing things about his “youth.” I miss the way his head used to fit against my shoulder so perfectly as a baby. I miss the way he used to say “ephelant,” “Indy Nana Jones,” …
Find peace of mind in getting your tests done, whether for lumps or lead
Like the classrooms of yesteryear, I’ve received a reminder that: some tests are easier than others; some test results are easier to wait for than others; and avoiding these tests won’t improve the situation. If you’ve been following my columns, you’ll know that last month I was told I had to get a lead test for my water, and a …