Labels

Location: Near 5 Navy Wharf Crescent and the Gardiner Expressway, Toronto, Ontario

Description: The Rogers Centre with a garden/patio area in the foreground and the CN Tower behind on the right.

Story: "You don't seem like a Stephanie."

That was all it took to set her off. "And what, pray tell, does a Stephanie seem like? It's just a name. It's a handy way to reference that you're talking to me, that's all. It's easier that constantly going 'That girl' all the time. I mean, take Stephan for example. If I said that I was talking to my friend Stephan, what do you think he would look like?"

She paused, but wasn't expecting a response, so whatever he said in his defense was silenced. "We have all these ideas that someone will act this way, or look like this, or whatever and it's all wrong. Your name doesn't change over the course of your life, but you do. It's not supposed to be an accurate depiction of the entity you are now. It's a label, a tag!"

He sat down and let her go; no point jumping in front of a speeding car. "It's not meant to be descriptive, even more so now. Names no longer tell us if a person is male or female. And it doesn't even make sense! It's like saying that a toaster isn't very Stephanie, or a lemur isn't very topographical, or that bench is metaphorically a river! It's apples and oranges!"

She looked straight at him now; the end was nigh. "I don't care what you think; a name is not meant to describe the character of a person. So when we do this play, I'm going to be called Stephanie, got that?" He nodded. "And if I hear another word about this, you'll be called Mr. Sprinklehead the Third."

UE

Location: Near 5 Navy Wharf Crescent and the Gardiner Expressway, Toronto, Ontario

Description: Lanes connecting Lake Shore Boulevard and the Gardiner Expressway with a sign on a telephone pole in the foreground, a business and empty parking lot behind, and two buildings on either side of that.

Story: "Scrap it."

She sighed. "Yes but-"

"It doesn't matter; scrap it." She looked disheartened, like she had done something wrong. "Look, I'm not saying what you've done is worthless, but you can't continue working on it. You know it doesn't work, because you've carved that piece of wood so much there's nothing left to work with. It's over. If you still want to do it, you'll have to start again."

She started to speak and this time he let her finish. "But I've only started! It's just rough right now. I haven't started on any of the detail."

He showed her the sketch she drew. "This is how you wanted it to look. You can't get to this. Either you have to start on a new piece of wood, adapt your design, or make something completely new." She was upset but holding it in; it would take some time before she could let this go. "Look at it this way: it's better to restart now than hours later." He handed her the sketch. "It'll look beautiful in the end and you know it. Dust yourself off and start again."

Ants

Location: The fourth floor of the Renaissance Hotel, Toronto, Ontario

Description: The roof of the hotel in the foreground with Blue Jays Way cutting a diagonal below and buildings all around.

Story: He looked over from the picnic basket and admired the small mound of dirt they had built. It must be like a mountain to them, building something so much bigger than they were. Just yesterday he had tried to emulate those ants, digging a huge hole and making a pile nearby. He kept at it for hours, his parents just happy that he was digging in the garden, but it never got much higher than his head.

They would have spent weeks on it, that colony, all working together for a common goal. The street had been repaved recently and he saw people working together for weeks as well, building something they all could use. He even got his friends to build a treehouse with him over the summer. Great things could be accomplished together.

One time on TV, he saw how much work they put into their home, how many rooms there were, connecting back and forth in a maze beneath the surface. It was like an apartment building, having all those people living together, but they had built their home as well. Maybe he could talk to other people at school, and get them to build their own treehouses in the woods. They could connect them with bridges, build a whole community up there. Sky ants.

Discovery

Location: In front of Crawford on Riverbend Drive, Kitchener

Description: Looking down Riverbend Drive on the left, a "Hidden Driveway" sign is in the centre with a line of trees on the right.

Story: "When was the last time you did something new?" she asked, jotting down points on her notepad.

He continued to stare out the window. "Discover a cure for cancer new, or buy a new car new?"

Resistance. She'd come to expect it from him, and continued to ignore it. "More the second. When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?"

He scoffed. "You make it sound physical, like it's a circle I've painted on the ground and stubbornly sit inside." He turned and faced her dead on. "I'm happy, healthy, and content with myself. To use the language you like so much, I'm water. I used to flow downhill constantly, and I've gone over a few waterfalls, but now I'm part of the sea, finally at rest. Yes, I'm stationary, but that's the whole point."

She nodded and wrote as she spoke. "Fair enough. But on your journey, you changed from fresh water to salt water. You're stagnant." She smirked slightly. "Perhaps a little overweight to boot."

He genuinely laughed at that and grinned. "Alright, fine, I'll give you that much. So what should I do?"

She got up and walked over to the window, and he followed her. "There are so many things to see out there, and I'm sure you haven't seen them all. Why not just go for a walk every day? That's the new I spoke of before: new to you. Maybe you won't discover a new continent, but you might be the first person to look under that rock, or climb that tree. Just go out there and see what could be."

Curved

Location: The intersection of Riverbend Drive, Bridgeport Street, and Riverbend Drive in Kitchener

Description: The road signs for an intersection a top a stop sign as seen from behind, with a tree on both sides.

Story: Situations change, and plans must adapt. There's a pitfall in planning too much, as filling in the fine details only leads to more erasing when something gets upset. Thus the choice is between broad strokes and adaptability, or contingency plans and incredible forethought. Both have their merits, yet we usually opt for the larger picture and fill things in on the way.

There's a certain beauty to planning everything, predicting how it will all play out, and trying to prevent anything from going wrong. You're not working to win, but solve an incredibly intricate problem and find the ultimate strategy. It's like planning a city and accounting for how things will change over the next two hundred years. How will rivers get diverted? Where will subdivisions be built? What new methods of transportation will be around, and how will that affect traffic? Can the initial infrastructure be expanded to accommodate a population that may increase tenfold from its original size?

Most often, the variable we account for the least is ourselves. How will I change? What will my desires be in a month? Where will my priorities lie? Knowing everything about a situation, necessitates knowing ourselves.


I've begun to restructure my life and I realized that seven posts a week is currently a standard I can't easily maintain. Instead I will begin mirroring others before me and post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, hopefully reducing my workload and increasing the quality of what I produce.

Instant

Location: The bridge at the start of the Grand River Trail near Riverbend Drive, Kitchener

Description: An open storm drain with water flowing down the middle and plants on either side.

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 6:

Things will change, and the hardest thing to change is space. If you need more money, you can borrow it; more people can be hired; and more products can be bought. Most things can be upgraded once you know that the demand is there, but it's better to have at least a little foresight and plan ahead. This means buying a bigger office than you need right now, more durable devices, and establishing ways that you can grow quickly.

You don't need to overdo it and get a lot more than you currently need, because your needs may change in the future. It's best to guess what you'll need in a year and see what you can do to get it now, or at least plan a way to get it quickly. Planning for tomorrow may look like excess today, yet today is only one instant.

Groundwork

Location: The intersection of Lancaster and Bridgeport in Kitchener

Description: A sidewalk before an open expanse of dirt that has been driven over by numerous machines

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 1:

You need a vision, and if you're reading this book I expect you have one. You know what you want as an end goal, and have spent days planning how it would look, how perfect it would be, and how much of an improvement it would make. However, you still need to start. This is obviously a great thing though, for the only way to make something amazing is to start.

What skills, surroundings, and changes do you need in order to begin? The more you know about your goal and the better defined it is, the more you know about your path there and what your first steps should be. Write down exactly where you are today and where you want to be by the end of this journey, then connect each item so you can see the progression from now to then. It may be scary making those changes, but it's all for the best. Imagine what could be and keep that forefront in your mind as you take those first steps, and you'll overcome your fear.

Excitement

Location: Under Highway 85 on Guelph Street


Description: A tunnel with a blinding white light on the mid-right of the picture.

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 8:

After a company launches it's first product, regardless of its success, they start thinking about doing another one. This can be exhilarating as everyone is ready for a new challenge, but also daunting because they now know how much time and effort was put into the last one. Just like when you launched your first product, you need to unite everyone under a common vision and goal, and inspire them to do wonderful things.

It seems really slow when you start a second project. People will keep seeing how far they have to go, not how far they've come. It's hard to overcome that, but the best solution is to keep building excitement about the product and what's being done. Each step takes you closer to your goal, so you should always be excited that you're making progress.

Security

Location: Spring Valley Road near Springwood Park

Description: A green fence with a locked gate in the middle, and a tree behind it that has grown through the gate

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 9:

Security is very hard to balance, especially when privacy concerns are present (we'll return to the issue of privacy near the end of this chapter). Far too often people leave important documents in unlocked cars, unattended backpacks, or unprotected files. Just because people are unlikely to find something doesn't mean they won't, and it's more important to secure something than hide it.

There are lots of security tools and ideas, but how you do security is highly dependent on what's important to your company: it could be files, a prototype, or your database. Knowing how your employees will be dealing with these sensitive things is more important, because while you want to slow or stop thieves, you don't want to impair your employees with 30 digit passwords or hourly pat-downs. The main challenge of security is making it easy to access your property, but only for you and your employees.

Exalted

Location: Near the intersection of Guelph Street and Riverbend Drive in Kitchener

Description: Guelph Street stretches down a hill and goes under Highway 85

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 7:

Just because it's done by everyone else, doesn't mean you have to do it. Peer pressure may be something introduced when we're younger, but the desire for conformity is deeply ingrained in us. When we see someone doing something successfully, one of the first things we want to know is "How did you learn to do that?" Gaining this knowledge is sensible, but you should evaluate it first before following it.

When you get from A to B on public transportation, will you take a train, bus, plane, or a cab? These are available to you and each have their own advantages, including comfort, cost, and travel time. Just because other business leaders fly to their meetings doesn't mean you shouldn't take the train. There are well established ideas everywhere you look, but have they survived through success or lack of competition and scrutiny?

Presence

Location: The parking lot of Economical Insurance Group

Description: A parking lot full of cars with plants growing in the foreground, a building in the mid-ground on the right, and trees at the very back of the lot.

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 2:

If you want to do more, you need more. Overall this is true, but we're in an age where we can do more with what we already have. Smartphones have taken over the PDA, MP3 player, GPS, and small camera markets, merging technologies together instead of doing them separately. You can consolidate and streamline your workspace.

The biggest change is the office itself. You don't need to be right next to someone to work with them since webcams and videoconferencing have come along. When you're starting your business, it'll be easier if you don't have to invest in office space right off, and instead have people work remotely. This is even true of older corporations who still have people commuting hours to get to work. In our knowledge-based society we must ask ourselves: does my body need to be there, or just my mind?

Community

Location: The Grand River Trail entrance from Riverbend Drive, Kitchener

Description: One reed centred in the foreground with a multitude behind it.

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 4:

If, through some feat of foresight and luck you've managed to find a marketplace with high demand and no competition, then feel free to skip this chapter until that changes. For the rest of us, this chapter is essential because we have competition. This is actually a good thing, because it means you can learn from others around you and emulate what you know is successful, allowing you to bypass a lot of mistakes others have made.

Talk with leaders in the industry and know where your competition lies. You can't do everything, so see who is doing something different enough that you don't directly compete, and make them an ally. Customers will try something you've done or ask "Is this product right for me?" and the answer won't always be yes. Instead of lying to them, it's better to be honest and pass them on to another company, and the other company will also pass business back to you. You need not be alone, for where you find competitors you can make allies.

Faith

Location: On the Lancaster Business Park Trail

Description: Looking down the slope of a heavily forested area, with the Grand River present in the background.

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 3:

After starting out you'll quickly run into setbacks, most minor. There will be large problems though, like maintaining a budget, paying yourself a salary, supplier problems, and so many others that it may seem overwhelming. At those times you need to remember why you're doing this. You had a vision when you started out, and that vision still exists today.

You have to lead the company and remind everyone of where you're headed. Take solace in the little victories, celebrate together for the large ones, and always keep an upbeat attitude. If you keep positive then everyone else can find strength in that and carry on. Through all the obstacles and setbacks, never lose faith that your goal is still attainable.

Ripples

Location: The Grand River close to Riverbend Drive in Kitchener

Description: Shallow water flowing to the right with various branches and stones in the river

Story: Excerpt from the rough copy of "End Down, Start Up: The Parabolic Arc of Business", Chapter 5:

There are two simple philosophies to business: do what someone else has done and earn a steady source of income, or try something new and risk winning big or losing a lot. There are business that make a lot of money by taking someone else's idea or design and making knockoffs for significantly less, but this isn't challenging nor are you liable to be the only company trying to copy the big dogs.

On the other side are the companies that try to innovate and create something new. It's quite possible that you won't succeed, but you should still try because you can make a lot more money and a name for yourself. It's only by resisting the flow that ripples are made, and by going against it completely that waves are created.

Cease

Location: Midway between Young and Queen Street on Ahrens in Kitchener

Description: A expired parking meter.

Story: After the applause, Mr. Dunham was directed offstage. Congratulations were given along with refreshments, and their appropriate responses were returned in kind. He walked over to the bathroom and entered a stall, locking it and sitting down.

Inside, he was transitioning. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes, remembering how the talk had gone and putting it in the past. What had he said? How had the audience responded? Everything had gone well, and there were certain bits he'd reuse in the future, very few that he'd cut. Yes, it had gone well and he was sure he covered all the points he planned. He exhaled and smiled deeply, releasing the happiness he felt all evening, but was only able to fully express now.

It was time to store that knowledge and move onto greeting the attendees. A moment more and he locked away the evening, content in everything and resolving not to second guess any detail. He had reached his conclusion and his focus should be on the reception, not rehashing things. He looked at his watch (1 more minute would be fine) and opened the stall.

He walked over to the sink and washed his hands, then took a moment to admire the water bead on his fingers before falling off. Little things like this happened all the time, and he needed to take them in when he had the chance. He sighed, at peace. It  was what it was: the lecture was over, the reception beginning, and he was happy. He nodded; just as it should be.

Purpose

Location: Civic Centre Park, which is at the corner of Margaret and Queen in Kitchener

Description: White text on a red background with a capital Y in the centre and a half a capital O on the right.

Story: "We have time for one more question before Mr. Dunham has to leave. In the middle there."

"Could you quickly summarize everything into a small package? I've learnt a lot and I want to be able to tell some friends about your ideas."

Mr. Dunham said "Why." He paused and let the word hang there for a moment before continuing. "The most important thing in all of this is remembering why.Why did we do those things, why do we like the colour blue, why do we want to get a pilot's license? Don't just scratch the surface either, but try to fully understand your reasons. What caused you to want to do those things?

"The more reasons you have to do something, the more you'll want to do it. You'll also find that some things you do have no reason, or very little, and other desires can be replaced with newer ones that are more meaningful to you. You'll start to make sense of the world and who you are. Keep asking why and ask it again and again until you truly know the answers."

He paused again. "Why." Then he bowed. "Thank you all, you've been wonderful. Good night!"

Encapsulate

Location: Between Mansion Street and Luella Street on Chestnut Street in Kitchener

Description: A world map in the middle of a desk that has been put out on a leafy boulevard.

Story: "Yes, on the left there."

"Yes, hello. I was wondering about your opinion on meditating for something. Like do you think meditating for world peace would work? Thanks."

Mr. Dunham beamed. "Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if it did work.I mean, there's so many ways it could work. Maybe there is such a thing as energy and by thinking about world peace, you release positive energy into the world that will bring it about. Or it could happen because you're more positive, and thus act nicer to other people, bring peace locally and having it spread globally. Perhaps you advertise your "Meditate for World Peace" idea and create classes that slowly increase in number and change the way people think in a more direct manner. It could even be as simple as your positive thought being a pebble tossed into an ocean, forever changing its shape and affecting it for the better.

"Alright, so, you've all got some more homework then. Every day, at least once a day, meditate for world peace, or local peace, or peace of any sort. Something like 'There will be world peace, local peace, peace in every place on Earth and every pair of people on this planet will get along without any negative feelings,' or the simpler 'Everyone, everywhere, is working together for peace.' Imagine the whole world in your hands, and feel how no one is angry or worried or stressed in any way. If you're not comfortable with such big ideas, then just start with yourself, meditating on how you won't cause anyone harm and that everyone is a wonderful person."

He nodded emphatically. "Yes indeed, that sounds very good. Let's all take a minute right now and do it: meditate, pray, wish, and bring about world peace."

Compromise

Location: Frederick Street near Edna Street, Kitchener, Ontario

Description: A tree growing at a roughly 45 degree angle in the foreground, Frederick Street in the mid-ground, and numerous trees in front of Weber Park in the background.

Story: A woman in the third row raised her hand and was given a microphone. "Could you expand on the importance of discipline?"

Mr. Dunham's reply was short, "I certainly could," and then he sat down. The audience grew uneasy at this prompting the announcer to add, "I believe she wanted you to do that now, if you would be so kind." Mr. Dunham nodded in response, "Just having a little fun," and rose to his feet.

"The discipline I'm referencing is self-discipline, not disciplining someone when they do something wrong. Self-discipline is about inner-strength and doing something even if it isn't easy or convenient at the current time. I knew you all wanted to me to say something for the past minute, but I didn't. Even though there were hundreds of people wanting me to speak, I was disciplined and stood my ground.

"This might sound a little strange, especially to those of you who are married, but compromise can be bad. If I compromise on painting a room and choose tangerine over my preference of orange, it wouldn't be a big deal.  However, if I went with someone's suggestion of skydiving when I'm terrified of heights, then problems would arise. Knowing what you're comfortable with and not giving in to peer pressure are incredibly important for maintaining your mental well-being.

"But discipline is for more than just avoiding problems with others; it's also for bettering yourself. So many people have things they want to do and yet leave undone, like learning a new language or playing an instrument. These things take a little time each day to practice, yet we lack the discipline to do it. Think about how many things you've wanted to do at different points in your life: starting a business, travelling the world, scaling a mountain, writing a novel, etc. Sometimes there are reasons you can't do those things, but most of the time you just need to discipline yourself to set aside time or money each day, create a budget, and plan to accomplish your goal.

"Who here would like to be a millionaire?" Everyone raised their hands. "Ok, and who is thirty or younger?" Slightly less than half responded in the affirmative. "Well, for you it's easy." He walked back to his podium, picked up a calculator, then started to walk around the stage. "So if you're thirty and you're going to work until you're sixty let's say, that's thirty-three thousand three hundred thirty three dollars a year you'll need to make, which is roughly six hundred a forty one dollars a week." He looked up, "Of course, that's without interest of any sort." He returned his gaze downwards. "So let's give you a modest 2.5% yearly interest, compounded monthly, and you only need to set aside two-thirds of before at four hundred thirty a week."

He smiled and nodded to the murmurs in the audience. "I know that's still a lot, but let's say you could have started saving when you were fifteen, then you would have only needed two hundred and thirty-one dollars a week. And if you were planning to let that nest egg continue to grow from age sixty to eighty, then it's a measly one hundred and forty dollars a week. The longer you go and the more disciplined you are, the greater things you can accomplish."

He put the calculator back. "Let me give you a better example though, one that's much easier: writing a novel. I don't care what it's about, I just want you to know that it's an easy task. The minimum length for a novel is around 40,000 words, and you can fit around 500 words on one page. That means you only need to type 80 pages of content to write a novel. When we were in school, we often had to write four or five page essays on topics. If you took all your essays from school and put them together, you would have written more than a novel's worth of content. So try it; spend a few months writing a page a day of a story, and see how it goes. It'll just take a little discipline, time, and creativity to accomplish something amazing."

Pathway

Location: Edna Street near Victoria Street, behind Tim Hortons

Description: A grassy lane covered in yellow leaves from a tree in the mid-ground, with wooden fences on either side and another street at the end.

Story: "Any other questions? Ah yes, on the right."

"I've read your book a couple of times now, but I can't seem to fully grasp some things, mainly what the point is. Sure, I know we're supposed to be getting enlightenment, but why? Any help on that?"

Mr. Dunham threw his hands up in mock exasperation. "But that is the whole point!" He laughed and smiled at the man. "There are a lot of reasons, but that's the underlying theme. We do these things to become more disciplined, to improve our lives, and to know more about ourselves. Those still sound fairly nebulous though, so let's give examples.

"Who here is afraid they won't be a good parent?" Many people raised their hands. "Who regrets something they did in the past?" Almost everyone raised their hands. "Who has a problem in their life that they're having troubles solving or has been bugging them for a while?" Again, almost everyone raised their hands. "Finally, who here loves themselves and never thinks they're stupid, ugly, or worthless?" Only a few people raised their hands, while most of the other people looked ashamed.

"Well, you're not. We are all people and it takes some time to understand what that means. I'm not saying we're better or worse than others, but that we're all human. We're all wonderful people because we're trying our best to better ourselves and our lives. One of the big things with enlightenment is not blaming ourselves or others, but accepting what currently is and going from there. It's a big task, but a very worthwhile one because it eliminates guilt, jealousy, regret, and most stress.

"Enlightenment is like walking down a street and suddenly looking over to see a completely new pathway that you never noticed before. It's beautiful and scenic, and without even going down it you know it's right. You feel it in those moments of pure happiness, where you suddenly realize the perfect answer to your crossword puzzle, the way to solve a particular difficult problem, or what caused the argument with your wife and how easy it is to fix."

He laughed and surveyed the audience. "Perhaps this is an even better analogy: think of meditation as a tuneup for your life, as if you were a car. Gaining enlightenment then is the same as having your car in perfect working order; you both purr in happiness."

Monotone

Location: The corner of Madison and Filbert in Kitchener

Description: An overcast sky.

Story: A man stood up this time to ask a question. "That was a wonderful skit. On the meditation topic, could you tell me about achieving an empty mind. I've found that I'm always thinking of something; any tips?"

Mr. Dunham smiled. "Then start by thinking about one thing. If you've ever tried meditation," he said as he started to pace franticly across the stage, "you'll know that your mind normally bounces between multiple things, fretting or pondering or planning or remembering or forgetting or all manner of things." He huffed, shook it off, and then started to walk quickly in one direction. "If you can focus on just one thing, and if it's a calming thing, that's getting a lot closer to meditation."

He planted both feet firmly at the edge of the stage and looked out at the audience. "We do this all the time actually; it's called a hobby. That's where we're supposed to relax, do something we enjoy, and forget about anything that's bothering us. It's also how we're taught to get to sleep. Maybe you've never done this, but we all know that we should count sheep to fall asleep. By making our mind focus on one thought and a peaceful one at that, we let ourselves relax."

He winked at the person directly in front of him in the first row, then turned back to the audience in general. "So start by thinking of one thing that brings you happiness, because meditation is all about reverting to that blank, peaceful state we have as babies, before our brains got cluttered with worry. Think of a blank piece of paper, of counting sheep, or of the sky, and just focus on that one thing. With practice, you'll be able to stop yourself from thinking com-" He froze with the word still half unsaid, his mouth open. A few seconds past, and he slow began to tilt forward. And he kept tilting. The audience began to stir, until finally he hit a 45 degree angle, looked directly into the eyes of the person before him, and laughed as he popped himself back up.

"Sorry about that everyone; I've just been watching a lot of Micheal Jackson recently and I couldn't resist tossing in his lean." He bowed for a moment to numerous applause and then resumed. "So the whole point is to get a mantra and focus on it. Then, after you can easily focus on one thing, start trying to focus on nothing. It's a hard thing to do, but definitely worthwhile. Oh and kids, do try this at home; your parents will never complain that you'd sitting quietly for a few minutes."

Mirror

Location: Oakwood Avenue near Ridgewood Avenue, Kitchener

Description: A wooden fence surrounding the front yard of a house. In the middle of the picture is a tree with a grey squirrel at the base.

Story: The announcer turned to the audience. "Does anyone have any questions for our guest? Ah, you in the green shirt."

The woman rose and took a microphone from one of the ushers in the aisles. "Thank you. I enjoyed your talk Mr. Dunham, but I'm struggling to apply it to my own life. I was wondering if you had any tips for meditating and getting used to doing it." She returned to her seat.

Mr. Dunham took a deep breath and slowly released it before moving to centre stage. "Meditation isn't a hard thing to do, nor should it be. Today I outlined the latter part of your journey, where you sit zazen for long periods, searching for enlightenment. But you don't need to start there, and indeed there are easier methods."

He smiled broadly. "How many of you have animals?" More than half the people raised their hands. He nodded and started to pantomime walking a dog across the stage. "Well, when you walk with Spot, you can think about your day and sort through what you need to do tomorrow. Any activity that doesn't require a lot of thought can be used this way, allowing you to reflect on your life and any changes you should make." He released the leash and watched the dog run off. "Of course, animals give us much more than time to ourselves; they give us a mirror."

He quickly knelt down and scratched the imaginary dog's ears. "You found a stick for me, did you? I bet you want to play fetch, don't you?" He picked up the stick, stood up, and threw it out into the audience. "When we look at animals, we can't help but fill in the blanks of their behaviour with human traits and ideas. We anthropomorphize them, and in making them human, give them some of our characteristics."

He looked downward and laughed at the dog. "Come on now, drop the stick. Oh, you want me to chase you? Think I'm too old to catch you?" He feinted going right then ran left, chasing after the hound and then tripped himself. "Great, now I've gotted my suit all wet." His eyes went wide as he turned his head to the audience. "Oh no you don't! I've had enough of a bath already! Don't you dare come in here!" He shielded his face and turned his head, pretending to have been splashed by the dog. Slowly he got up, shook off, and turned back to the audience, most of whom we snickering softly.

"So when the dog wouldn't give me the stick, I took it as a challenge. Why? Do I really feel like I'm old and can't do the things I used to? Or when I got wet, I said I had enough of a bath today. Do I feel like I don't bathe enough? Have people commented that I need to shower more? By examining how we interact with the animals in our life, we can learn a lot about how we interact with humans. We're projecting so much of ourselves onto these creatures that we can easily see who we are, and that's the start of meditation."

Quantity

Location: Breithaupt Park, Kitchener

Description: A shelter in a wooded area containing numerous picnic tables, at least four rows deep and twenty long.

Story: "Look, your idea has merit, but I don't think it'll work. You've got a decent business model, but you don't have a way for it to gain traction." His boss shrugged. "It's just not going anywhere."

Steve took a defensive posture. "All it takes is one person, me, to start generating a lot of content, and then we'll have loads of hits from search engines. After that, it'll take off in no time."

"Let me put it to you this way: if I created a website that only had the joke: 'Why was 9 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9!', I wouldn't get many visitors. Even if I created loads of pages with that same joke, I still wouldn't get anywhere because all I'm offering is quantity, not quality. Then again, if my entire site had quality pages all revolving around that joke, studying why it's funny, what other languages have similar wordplay related to numbers, etc. I'm still targeting a niche market; we'd be lucky if most people stuck around for more than one page.

"But let's say there's a sudden crazy for numerical wordplay and the site takes off. That's great, but unless people are willing to spend money for more we still aren't getting anywhere. Will they buy '7 8 9' t-shirts or coffee mugs? Probably not because it's a verbal play on words, not a visual joke. There's just no way to market it."

He sighed and looked over the papers on his desk; no matter how he rearranged them, the pitch fell flat. "You've got a product to sell and a way to do it, but unless you can get people to the site for cheap and keep them coming back, it's a fad at best." He returned the files to their folder and handed them back to Steve. "Just because you build it, doesn't mean they'll come."

Usefulness

Location: The Tim Hortons at the corner of Shanley and King Street in Kitchener

Description: The side of a Tim Hortons with an entrance on the left and a shed on the right. In the middle are garbage and recycling bins, illuminated by three, equally spaced, lights.

Story: His father was exasperated. "Why do you want to keep that horse? It's smaller than the others, only has three legs, and is all skin and bones. It won't be able to pull anything, you can't ride it, and there isn't enough to sell for food. It's useless."

The son nodded. "That's exactly the point. Because you see no use for it, you won't mind that I take it. I'll pay for its feed, and it won't eat much. I won't have to worry about fencing it in because it can't run fast or far, and it'll be able to grow old because it won't be tired from work every day."

"But what will you do with it? If it can't work or race, what good is it?"

"It's good for me," the son replied. "If I ever get disheartened from working dawn to dusk, I'll see it trying to do its best and that will give me encouragement. And when it has to rest more often than the others, I too will make certain to rest and not overdo things. Most of all I'll be closer to it because it will depend on me more than the horses will, and we'll have a special bond because of that."

His father shrugged his shoulders. "Well, do what you want with it, but I don't think it will you do you any good."

His son smiled. "It will exist; that's all it needs to do."

Prediction

Location: The corner of Union and Lancaster

Description: It's a foggy night and Lancaster street stretches on with street lights on either side. There are walkways in the foreground, green traffic lights in the mid-ground, and fog gradually obscuring the background.

Story: "So anyway, I was talking to my wife the other day and it doesn't look like our finances are that great. She lost her job recently and I don't feel too secure in this one, which is only added more stress."

"Why don't you feel secure here? You've been doing your job, everyone gets along with you, and your last three performance evaluations have all been great."

Tim nodded. "Yeah but, it's just a job now, you know? I don't have any real ties to this company, and no one is offering me anything. I've been here for three years now without a promotion, but I'm afraid that if I ask for one, I'll get turned down or perhaps even fired."

"Whoa there, I don't think that's going to happen." Sam refilled his paper cup from the water cooler. "Have you ever heard of the minimax principle?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it, but that's it."

"Well minimax is all about finding the worst case scenario, that's the max part, and minimizing its likelihood, hence the mini part. In your case you want to minimize losing your job, and ultimately your house."

"Ok, but how?" Tim shifted his weight to the water cooler, and refilled his cup. "I just don't know that I can get a raise safely."

Sam took a long drink. "Build a resume."

Tim shook his head. "No, I want to stay here with people like you, not go somewhere else."

"Building a resume isn't about getting a different job, but being able to present you skills and remember them. I update my resume on a yearly basis just in case, and it helps me remember all the big things I've done. Plus, I look at other jobs to know what skills I need to work on. Even if I never get fired from this job, I have a much better chance of getting a raise."

"That makes sense now. And even if I do get fired, I'm ready to jump into a new job as I'll have a resume and a good idea of how to market myself." Tim took a quick sip. "Ok, but how do I deal with my finances? Even if I get a raise, we have a child on the way and Paula doesn't have a job. I know employers aren't supposed to discriminate based on her pregnancy, but it's still going to play a part."

Sam nodded. "I wish you had asked before your wife got downsized, but the advice is the same. You don't know exactly what's going to happen in the future, spare the broad strokes. You know roughly when your child will be born, when they'll start school, when they'll go to university, etc. but you don't know exactly how much more a child will cost at each of those stages. You know how much you make today, but you don't know how much you'll make in a year and even less so in a decade.

"Your best move is to do what you can for right now and set the framework for the future. See what you can do about spending less, saving more, and preparing a resume. Look into loan rates, how you can improve your credit score, etc. Even if you don't know what tomorrow will bring, you know the general twists and turns. Maybe it won't rain today, but it's good to have an umbrella around."

Sunset

Location: The corner of Ahrens and Briethaupt in Kitchener

Description: The sun is setting in the background as we look down Briethaupt Street. There is a yellow car coming towards us on the road on the right, while we can see an old building on the left with a telephone pole in the middle of the shot.

Story: Sally came over to her mother that evening while she was sewing. "Mom? It didn't work."

Her mother turned around and smiled. "What didn't work Dear?"

"What you said. I helped Janet clean up today, I said nice things about her painting, I was extra nice to my friends even when she wasn't around, but nothing worked."

She hugged her daughter. "I'm really sorry to hear that. Did anything good happen today?"

Sally blushed and nodded slowly. "I helped a lot today, so Ms. Watts gave me a gold star and told the class about what I did and how she was proud of me." She blushed more. "And after, Steven said he liked my bow."

Her mother grinned and nodded. "It is a nice bow." She picked up her daughter and put her on her lap. "Did you see the sun setting tonight?" Sally nodded. "And do you still want to play outside, even though it's dark?"

"Eric asked me if I wanted to play hide-and-seek, but that's no fun if we're just inside."

Her mother nodded. "Not a lot of places to hide. So why don't you make the sun rise again?"

Sally looked at her strangely. "I... don't think I can."

"Why not? What's stopping you?"

She thought about it for moment, looked at the light over her mother's shoulder for a bit, then finally spoke. "Well, I just don't think it works that way. The sun rises when it does and sets when it does; I don't have any control over it. I mean, I tried to make it rise faster on Christmas morning, but I couldn't make it morning or anything." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know how."

Her mother gave her a squeeze. "That's because you can't; no one can. The sun will come up tomorrow when it comes up. There's no way to make it go faster or slower; it just is. The same is true of Janet you know. You have to give her time to see how wonderful you are, and it can't be rushed. Just keep doing what you're doing, but do it for yourself, not to show Janet. In time, she'll come around, just like the sun."

Sunrise

Location: The overpass on Wellington Street

Description: Taken from the overpass looking out over the highway towards the rising sun, trees and fields can be seen with the sun in the middle painting the sky a faint orange.

Story: There was a small creek followed by a tug on her nightgown. "Mom?"

She turned around to see Sally, her five year old daughter holding her teddy and still in her pajamas, looking up at her with a sleepy disposition. "Yes Dear? Why are you up so early?"

Sally pointed to the rocking chair nearby, and her mother obliged by sitting down and taking the girl on her lap. "I couldn't sleep." She paused for a moment, then hugged her mother tightly and started to cry. "Janet said I was ugly yesterday."

Her mother held her and stroked her back, letting her empty out her feelings. After a bit, Sally looked up, surprised that her mother was silent. She smiled at her daughter. "And what do you think? Do you think you're ugly?"

Sally thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No, I don't. Whenever I see myself in the mirror, I like what I see. I like playing dress up and I always look good." She looked up at her mother pleadingly. "But why can't other people see that? Why..." She looked down. "Why do they call me ugly?..."

Her mother hugged her and then pointed to the kitchen window. "Do you see the sunrise?" Sally nodded. "Would you call it beautiful?" Sally nodded again. "Tell me why."

"Well its got all these nice colours, and everything looks so amazing and different from how it normally does, and the dew shines, and the world just looks so... It's like when people open a treasure chest on TV and their face gets bright from all the gold. It's like the world is one big treasure chest and all our faces are covered in light."

Her mother smiled down at her. "That's a wonderful way of putting it. Just think about what you've said though. Most days you don't see the sunrise because you're asleep. That's not a bad thing, that's just how it is. Could the same be true of Janet? Could she just be missing how beautiful you are?"

Sally bit her lip and nodded slowly. "Maybe..."

"One more thing for you to think about: Did you notice that you talked about the sunrise being beautiful, but not the sun?"

Sally shook her head, paused, and then nodded. "Yes, I see that now. The sun makes the sunrise, but we say the sunrise is beautiful. Why is that?"

"Because it's the act of rising that shows the sun's beauty so well. It's in the reds and yellows it paints across the sky, the long shadows it casts, and the streams of light that peak out through the tree tops. It shows the world in a new light."

She smiled down and tapped Sally's nose. "Let your light be happiness, and shine it on everyone you meet. Give us a Sally-rise. Just remember: it's not so much that something is beautiful, but that it creates beauty by what it does."

Summit

Location: The top of Maplewood Place, Kitchener

Description: Looking into the sun, Maplewood Place curves down a hill in the middle with houses on either side.

Story: You have to be willing to climb to reach the summit, and the only way to climb is by taking a step and then another. Can you take a step today? Probably. How about tomorrow? Definitely.

Let's try something right now. Take both your arms and raise them above your head, then touch them together. With that little move, you burnt some calories. No, not a lot, but some. The little things amount to   more when they're done repeatedly.

Here's another one: 7 x 8 = ? No matter how you answer that question (short of getting a calculator), you've engaged your mind by either remembering the answer, counting on your fingers, or drawing a diagram.

Want something harder? If you haven't already, you can try counting to 1000, but for a real challenge you should try doing it in another language, or writing out the words nicely, or typing them, or singing them, or something else that I haven't even listed. These aren't big things, but they are progress.

Get started on something, and after that you can speed up. There's probably something you wanted to do but it seemed too big. Do a little of it and see how hard it really is. Practice something you know but have been putting off. You can spare five minutes; nibble away.

Storage

Location: Arnold Street near Maple Avenue, Kitchener

Description: The back area of pallet company as seen through a fence at night; there are stacks of pallets on the right with the raw components on the left.

Story: Everyone wants more space, whether it's personal space, storage space, or open space. It's a very rare case where someone feels like they have too much space, own too much land, or has a house that's too spartan for their taste. We're overwhelmed by what we have.

But space is finite, at least in two dimensions. We only have so much square acreage on this planet, so we need to build up or dig down to get more. That's a fine solution for storage, but it doesn't work as well for farming as your crops need to get a certain amount of light.

We can get by with less, and that's why today's post is so short. Trust me, there's loads more that I could say, but I'll leave it unsaid. Try getting rid of something today and straighten up a mess; you'll be glad you did.

Inefficiencies

Location: Near the corner of Ellis and  Rodney Street, about two houses away on Ellis, in Waterloo

Description: A road on the right complimented by a boulevard and sidewalk on the left. The road has piles of leaves on it that have been raked there for pickup.


Story: We all want things to work perfectly, or at least better than how they currently do. It's very easy to spot problems in your life and think of simple ways they could be improved. If that pothole was just filled in, the sidewalk made level, or your neighbour would pick up after his dog, then everything would be ideal. Extending this mentality to your own life is more productive, as saying that your life would be better if you cleaned up more often can lead you to do just that.

It's easy to get carried away and get upset if things aren't exactly how you want them, right now. People get discouraged when they try something new and it doesn't turn out like a masterpiece. It's especially true in businesses where new products are tried and then quickly abandoned. It can be hard to continue when there seem to be so many problems.

There is a long-term advantage to trying something new though. If you went about growing your own food, you could save money and spend more time at home and outside. It might make more sense to let the professionals (farmers) do the work because they can do it so well, but that's thinking short-term. Yes, you won't be doing everything as quickly or as cheaply, and perhaps you never will, but that doesn't mean it's a bad investment. Maybe your vegetables cost you more than if you bought them from the store, but you might save enough on gas to make it worthwhile.

When you're changing from one situation to another, you have to accept the inefficiencies that occur. Not everything will work perfectly the first time; that's called learning. So long as you're learning though, you're bettering yourself and reducing the inefficiencies. So what if you can't clean your house as fast or well as a professional service? By doing it yourself it's probably cheaper and it can give you a sense of accomplishment when it's done.

Ideally, everyone would compost their own leaves and then use it as mulch for their gardens, but not everyone is there yet. Perhaps some people's time is better spent working at their own job, and so it makes more sense to have the city pick up the leaves. This allows mulch to be produced on a large scale and then individuals can buy the end product without any fuss. On the whole it's better if everyone was able to do it themselves, but doing it this way still gets the job done.

Don't get caught up with doing it right the first time, just get it done without any huge problems. Afterwards you can find your mistakes and try again. Each time you repeat the cycle you'll get better and the work will be more streamlined. So don't fret; it may not be perfect, but it works.

Commitment

Location: The intersection of Weber and Wellington in Kitchener

Description: A road under construction with various signs nearby, the most prominent saying "No Access to Margaret Ave." On the left most sign it reads "Duration: May 10, 2010 to September 30, 2010"; it's November 6th today and work has halted leaving no sidewalks and the road unpaved.

Story: Commitment is all about saying something and then doing it. It can be a hard thing to do especially if the commitment is long term; the more time that's involved, the more a situation can change and become difficult to predict.

For some, commitment is a scary thing. They don't know if they can do it and so they say they can't, or preface their attempt with "I don't know if this will work, but I'll try." It's especially terrifying if it's long term, because if they don't know themselves now, how can they expect to know what they'll do in the future?

To commit to something and follow through you need three basic things: to know yourself, to know what's required of you, and to know that you'll continue to do it after the initial feelings (usually excitement) have worn off.

The first might be the hardest. To know who you are is a difficult thing, and many people don't invest time to learn about who they are. Will you fight or flee? Do you love to sing karaoke, or just like getting attention? Is it really important to you that people remember your birthday? Luckily you don't need to know everything about yourself to commit to something, only your feelings and abilities related to the given task.

Knowing what the task involves is fairly easy. Just ask the other person or learn about the task more, so you know what to expect. Doing research here is critical as miscommunication or ignorance could mean problems in the future. It's really easy though and you can usually take some time to learn more. Fortunately, a lot of things you'll already know immediately from experience, like how long it takes you to get ready for a date. So long as you keep your head about you, it's straightforward.

The last step is the most variable. Some commitments are quick, such as saying you'll do the laundry today, so you don't have to worry about the situation drastically changing. However there are longer commitments like marriage or tattoos that require a lot more thought. If you plant a garden in the spring, you have to commit to weeding, watering, and nurturing it throughout the season if you want a good harvest in the fall. Are you willing to give some time every week to help your plants grow? Are you determined to see that seed become a prize-winning pumpkin?

Take a few minutes today and try to count to one hundred. You've probably already done it once in your life, and it shouldn't take more than two minutes. Now count to one thousand. It might take you a half hour, maybe a full hour, but stick with it. It's not a big commitment, but it's a start. Doing little tests like these will help you understand more about who you are and how committed you are to your goals.

(As a bonus, if you counted at one number per second nonstop, here's how long it would take you to count to...
10 - 10 seconds
100 - Under two minutes, or less time than it took you to read this blog post
1,000 - 17 minutes
10,000 - Under three hours, or six minutes a day for a month
100,000 - One day and four hours
1,000,000 - Just over 11.5 days, or about 45 minutes a day for a year
Let us know if anyone gets to ten thousand or more! Good luck!)

Connections

Location: The overpass on Victoria Street, near Bruce Street

Description: A two lane highway with collector lanes and a train on an overpass above it.

Story: We get tea from China, games from Japan, cars from Germany, and the list goes on. Of course, this was happening centuries ago, primarily with trade between Europe, China, and India. But now we're pushing further than before, bringing the best from all around the world to your front door.

This is great for consumers, because in theory they'll get the best quality item for the lowest price, especially with bigger ships and aircraft being creating, cutting down on shipping costs. But this means the larger companies can undercut the local shops, and outsourcing becomes more common; customer service becomes more of a problem, and consumers become less human while corporations become faceless.

Inefficiencies creep in when you have to report to your manager's manager about a local problem. No longer can you fix a problem yourself, but instead it needs to be documented and filed so there's a record. The company suffers as a result and gets bloated.

The consumer pays in the end with either too many options or too few. Where they could easily discern the best, they now need to research and compare features as well as find out what those features do. And marketing starts to work against you, not informing you about the produce but selling you an experience, a dream, or just destroying the competition.

Everything changes quickly too. With more competition there's a drive to build things better and get them out quicker. Sometimes the improvements are small, with only a handful of changes, but there's now a desire to have the latest and greatest. It's a problem for physical objects because you need to buy a completely new product, but for software it's perfect as the user only needs to download a patch and they're ready to go.

Luckily we're going with more and more software. We're moving away from products and trying to do more with less. Instead of ten different electronic devices, one to play poker, another to track your appointments, and a third to use as a pager, we're merging them into one smartphone.

Consumers want Swiss Army Knives, not toolboxes. Employees want the power to do what needs to be done, not bureaucracy. Companies need to stay lean and work as if they were many, small entities, not one behemoth. Each and every one of us is a person; it's time that companies started working with us on that level.

LMNOE

Location: Behind Joseph & Company in a back alley (full location information can be found via the Google Maps link at the end of the post)

Description: A sheet metal fence with a brown piece in the middle, and branches from a bush coming out from the gap between the two pieces.

Story: I'm sure you've heard that "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." That's only the start though. Once you've made the lemonade you should drink it and dream of star ships or dance routines, things that never were and sights unseen. Plan for tomorrow what there isn't today, and never let "reality" stand in your way.

Take those lemons, some metal, and build a battery, to power a machine that dispenses flattery. In a temperate climate you could plant your lemon seeds; have the farm you create provide all our citrus needs. Start a flavour revolution with a dash of lime; add some lemon zest to compliment your chicken with thyme

To get a new dance move,
Watch the lemon groove,
With a wobble,
And a bobble,
It'll help you improve.

Change lemon into melon via convolution;
Start contemplating the theory of evolution.
Spare vinegar, make a citric substitution,
And give your volcano a lemon execution.

You could combat scurvy and gets lots of C,
if you just had some lemon in your cup of tea.
That's as far as I can stretch this analogy,
so let's slowly make our way back to reality.

It's not the place you start or what you have there, it's that you look ahead and keep asking: "Where? Where will this take me, what's in store?" and that you always keep on questing for more. Not more in the sense of objects and things, but more in smiles, the happiness life brings.

And that's what this plant did, it kept on growing, knowing that it would eventually break through. It didn't stop, wither and die, but grew, grew for the sky. You'll see challenges, obstacles, issues to be sure, but they're not that you know, they're part of the cure. Just sidestep, capture, and use them for good, they're already there; you know that you could.

If a train's coming at you, you don't try to stop it with brute strength. It's wiser to step out of the way, and maybe buy a ticket for the next one coming through. Any problem can be made into a solution; that's what algebra was all about. All it takes is a little rearranging, and maybe exchanging an E for a P to make things fit eerfectly.

Direction

Location: The corner of Blucher and Weber, looking towards the end of Blucher St.

Description: Looking across the intersection, there is a "No Exit" sign on the right, various vehicles and buildings on both sides of the road, a "For Sale" sign on the left, and in the middle is Blucher St. sloping downwards with another vehicle on it.

Story: We've all got plans, right? Where are you headed? What are your dreams?

It's not a trivial question, nor one found only in fairy tales. Each day we make decisions that lead us forward to... something. Something we choose. You can wake up and lay in bed all day, you could write a story, or learn how to play a musical instrument. You choose how you greet people, if you react with shock or awe when your friend eats twelve hot dogs, and if you try to emulate them the next day. So much is your choosing.

I'm not trying to say anything grandiose here, like you can shape the world to your will. All I'm saying is you can make a change, today, to better something in your life. Maybe you could vacuum a room in your house, walk an extra block, smile a little more, or just think to yourself: "I am a wonderful person." It's not hard, it's not big, and it's not impossible to fit into your day. It's one thing. Do it.

If you came to a dead end, what would you do? There are so many options, like looking at a map if you're lost, asking for directions, or simply turning around and trying another direction. Just keep going. It doesn't matter that you're on the wrong road now, so long as you turn around. You may not have a master plan yet, but so long as you know a dead end when you see it, you'll get by.

Amends

Location: Woodside National Historical Site, Kitchener

Description: In a grove of evergreens, with three rows before a fence separating the park from Hogg Fuel (you can see a building in the background, towards the left of the centre of the picture).

Story: People make mistakes. It's not because we want to do something wrong, but rather that we don't know everything about a situation when we act, or we overlook something we shouldn't. Humans, in general, try to do the best that they can, and sometimes it's the wrong thing.

Given this, we have to be willing to forgive those who wrong us, and accept that we too might do something wrong. What's most important is not being perfect, but in always correcting our mistakes. We may not be able to change the past, but we can take responsibility and change the present.

And that means listening. Say you're sorry, come up with a way to not do it again, and then ask what you can do to make things better. It's better to hear them say "I just need some time alone," than to do something for them and make another mistake.

Which brings us to today's picture. I can't say for certain, but I think this area was clear cut many years ago, only for someone to realize they didn't need this particular piece of land. So they donated it to Woodside National Historic Site and planned rows of evergreens to reforest the area. The trees are fully grown now and the business is still in operation, so the solution has worked. They may have made a mistake at first, but with time and a little effort, it's been corrected.

Treats

Location: Breithaupt Park, Kitchener-Waterloo border

Description: Grass in the foreground, a splash pad with three palm trees in the midground followed by a path and playground equipment in the background.

Story: Only 35 children came for candy last night.Granted the temperature was around the freezing point of water (I know I wouldn't have lasted long in just a tutu and leotard), but there's another factor. I've noticed that the numbers have dwindled from over one hundred five years ago down to about 40-50 last year. But why is this?

I think there's quite a few reasons, the main one being that since fewer children are going out, fewer houses are offering treats, causing children to have less incentive to go, which feeds back on itself. Further, having to go three or four houses for your next treat discourages children, so they don't go as far as before, resulting in fewer children attending any given house. Perhaps parents have a role in this decline as well, but whatever the cause it seems like a shame.

Many years ago, I remember planning a route with my friends and carrying pillow cases, which we would then loop back to one of our houses to drop off. We could go for hours with that strategy, covering a lot of ground and ending up with multiple loads of candy. It isn't hard to design a route like this either; at most you need to walk around your neighbourhood a little beforehand, or know how to read a map, so I'm surprised that kids today aren't doing it as much.

Maybe candy isn't as important as it used to be. Maybe that one night of freedom, where you could talk to strangers for hours, be out with your friends, and see really great costumes isn't as alluring as it once was. The recent form of trick or treating probably didn't start until 1930 or so, and 80 years later it may be on the decline.

Where have all the children gone? I can't completely say. But if you have an idea, let me know; it's been bugging me all day.

Phoenix

Tonight is Halloween, and this year I'm looking at it differently. Most of what I've heard has been about witches, spirits, ghouls, and other scary creatures, plus dressing up and getting candy. However, it's also about the dead coming back amongst the living for a night, now popularized in the ghost, vampire, and zombie ideas. But what are we really saying?

I think it was once about the idea of rebirth, of understanding that even though the crops had been harvested and the land was bare, that food would grow again. It's easy to see this message in the spring when everything is in bloom, but the fall is a much a part of that cycle. Everything must die in order for it to be reborn.

So it is with a half humourous intent that I say this blog is dead, for I stopped work on it over three years ago. Yet I will begin it again tomorrow, by taking a photo a day around Kitchener-Waterloo. My aim is to do this for a full year, with photographs from different locations, hopefully breathing life back into this lifeless site.

And don't worry; this reborn blog won't ask for your brains, blood, or soul, just that you appreciate the beauty around you.