Yesterday I had my first haircut in 24 years. Since 1990 I have kept my hair in a braid that was probably 18 inches long, for all kinds of reasons. Yesterday, for all kinds of reasons, it was time for that braid to come off. It’s been a bit of a conversation on my facebook page and folks here on Bowen Island are starting to get a look at my new head. News travels fast in small communities. And commonly I am asked, does it feel lighter? And surprisingly, the answer is no. Because when you chop off your hair …
Every year on this day I mark the remembrance of the 14 women that were killed at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal in 1989. It was one of the most transformational experiences of my life, to be alive and aware on that day. Since then, the long gun registry that was put in place as a result of that murder has been disbanded and we aren’t making much progress on dealing with violence against women in this country And so from now on my December 6 posts will include both the 14 roses and images that capture something …
For a couple of years now I have been teaching myself how to SUP (stand up paddle board). It’s a pretty simple process. But like all simple things there is a depth to practice and technique that helps you get better and better. And the changing context of the ocean and the winds and weather means there is never a way to “win” at it. The thing about SUP is that the conditions change radically all the time. One day is flat calm and the water is like glass. Another day – like today – it’s windy and the chop …
Crane Stookey on a kind of “I don’t know” leadership. To keep the defenses down I rarely give the teenagers in the Sea School crews a straight answer, so that after a while their dependence on me as the “leader” breaks down. They need to feel that in the big picture I am trustworthy, that they are safe with me, but they also need to learn to distrust me and trust themselves, with a self-confidence that doesn’t depend on knowing. Rather than knowing on my terms, it’s better that they don’t know on their own terms, so they are inspired …