Sometimes time can get away on a person. If my calendar is correct, it’s been four days since I last dealt with questions of substance. Perhaps the intervening moments actually have raised so many questions or interruptions that I have tried to avoid dealing with them. Another option is that I have become lazy again — but I hesitate to go down that path — so let me indulge you with a series of questions today in a fit of energetic reflection…
Q #1
Why are we getting such a cold and snowy winter in the Okanagan, possibly the worst on record for over four decades?
The quick answer is La Nina.
The less obvious response might be that climate, being volatile, shifts constantly — sometimes in a moment like a prairie chinook that gives a brief warning with a chinook arch in the clouds and then swoops in, removing snow and ice in short order, often to be followed by a dramatic return to frigid temperatures. Only a movie star would be baffled by that moment. More baffling though was the discovery a number of years ago of some quick-frozen mammoth remains in a northern Canadian locale (I can’t remember exactly where at the moment). Was it a reverse chinook or merely a chinook of immense proportions that caught the beast relaxing in some newfound patch of grass near an open pond, and following the chinook came a devastating freeze that imprisoned the poor fellow and the on-going snows of that winter, leading towards an eventual ice age, never gave him up?
I thought about that again this week when I was reflecting on the two male deer that became locked by their antlers when in mortal combat and fell into a body of water, only to be frozen over during the night. Had humans not happened by and tried to save them (unsuccessfully) might they have become entombed, not to be found for years perhaps. There was an incident a number of decades ago where people coming upon a major accident slid off a road, down an embankment, and through ice into a pond. Due to the noise and related commotion occurring at the primary accident site itself, no one noticed the second accident. When the people never arrived, a search was undertaken but by this time the snows had completely covered the tracks and the car was not found. Eventually, and I can’t recall if it was the next spring or some some years later, an small airplane flying over the area spotted something shiny in the pond and made a report as it did’t seem natural. Upon investigation, officials discovered the car with the couple’s remains still inside. Climatic moments can be dramatic.
Climate has always held sway over humanity. This winter — with all the jokes about “where is global warming when we need it?” — simply has reminded me that while we should definitely maintain the battle against air pollution (in fact pollution of land, sea and air), we should make sure that we don’t waste valuable resources on non-pollution battles that are both unwinnable and unrealistic. CO2 as many have pointed out is not a pollutant — in fact it is a necessity for life on this planet. And while humans may be increasing its presence, the larger question of managing climate is more like the efforts to manage fog — although scientists have been trying for ever, there is still no significant approach that will move fog off an airport runway when such action is needed. China has an air pollution problem that it has to address for the sake of its own people. Canada doesn’t. We should be focusing our resources on making sure our water systems are is the best possible shape. We should be working on making our major cities as livable as possible. We should be making sure we do not send mega-tonnes of sewage effluent, untreated into the oceans. And while oil and gas are still needed commodities, let’s fund the pollution clean-up challenges with our petroleum resources revenues.
Q #2
How should we best improve our skills at dealing with friends who suffer serious harm?
I have been made aware in recent days that I have a limited skill set when it comes to helping support close friends when they encounter serious livability moments. A skiing & biking buddy is battling cancer and I’m still not sure I give him the kind of supports I should. Even though I’ve taken some psychology courses in university, have a myriad of degrees, worked in a diversity of situations where being sensitive to others has been essential, I am never sure what to say or do.
This week, probably my best friend, fell at the gym and inured himself sufficiently to be rushed to the hospital. He has since been transferred to a bigger hospital’ and, he may yet be transferred again. The reason behind his fall is complex and I shall not go into it here — but needless to say he is now in line for a pacemaker and other medical moments. I’ve visited him in both hospitals, yet I’m not sure that I have brought either peace, hope or joy. I’m not sure what to say. I never thought the machine he uses at the gym is a particularly helpful one. I also have seen him as perhaps the most fit of all of us to ski together. But criticizing his use of the machine, or excessive concern about his level of fitness is hardly a helpful gesture — so I have refrained from doing that. But what is the positive, uplifting thing I should say or do? These are the questions perhaps we should address in high school. Perhaps when we are farthest away from such moments is when we can absorb guidance that would then be embedded ready to be drawn upon when calamity strikes.
In this latter visiting instance I did decide to make sure he had copies of the Globe + Mail and the National Post. I didn’t want him to lose his political acuity. And yesterday I did help him set up the texting system on his phone — would have done more on this latter issue but there was no accessible wi-fi in the hospital. And I did describe the birthday dinner we had for him the night before (he was absent) as we held it at a lovely restaurant with a great jazz combo performing, tasty food and superb wine. To compensate for missing the event, I had brought along to the hospital a balloon, a card and a bag of pistascios (sp?) so he wouldn’t feel totally left out (now that is a sensitive move on my part, isn’t it??). I would like to have more skills all the same, because I think there will be more of these instances in the future, as I have other friends and acquaintances that are slowly getting older and may eventually become decrepit!!
Q #3
What is my reaction to the foreign film — the Idol?
In a word — great!! This is a wonderful movie that is based on a true event about a young kid from the Gaza Strip who is a good singer and eventually gets on Arab Idol. The story is compelling and gives some great pictures of life inside that part of Palestine. I’m not going to say any more — track it down and view it. If you have access to a theatre that shows TIFF or Montreal Film Festival cines, make sure that it is brought in to be shown. If you are a member of a film club, get it on the list.
I do want to make one comment about the value of this film. Similar to a recent scene in the excellent TV series Madame Secretary, showing a soccer game between Israelis and Palestinians, this story does suggest that perhaps we should be investing more in the arts as a way of bringing those two communities together. Music has such positive power for constructive brain activity I believe if we really made a concerted effort to give every child in Palestine access to a musical instrument, within a generation, bombs would give way to music recitals, concerts, competitions and productions. Young people would be composing and creating musicals, operas, and various kinds of presentations that would in turn inspire other art as well — painting, dance, acting… The result couldn’t be worse than at present…
Q #4
How is my book progressing?
This I hope to be able to comment on by the end of next week. On my way to the AGM and conference of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) I will stop in at Queen’s to visit with my editor to get the first serious response to DRAFT III. It will be an interesting moment, I’m sure…
Happy BC Family Day on Monday
g.w.