Tag Archives: polio

When Perspective and Ideology Diverge…

Imagine, for a moment, that you are ten years old and lying in a hospital bed. The kid in the bed next to you is eight and you are watching the life drain out of him. In less time than it takes to slip a face covering on the life had evaporated out of your […]
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Running On Fumes

I have just finished week 7 of the COVID19 life-style and I’m starting to run on fumes. The fight is draining out of me. I feel like I’m trapped on a carousel of an ever changing cycle of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, five stages of grief. However just as you think you have worked through one, a […]
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In Fascist Fields Where Hate Does Grow

For some reason I woke up at 3am this morning with the song “Romper, stomper, bompar boo” floating in my mind. Why that should have been there is beyond me. I was a few generations ahead of the TV show “Romper Room” but the tune was stuck in my head. I knew I wasn’t getting […]
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The Convenience of Fear

I have just finished my “voluntary” isolation period. Haven’t been tested but not feeling ill at all. I have taken the opportunity to get out for a good wheel when weather allowed practicing “social distancing”. The reality of life in a wheelchair is that “social distancing” is standard practice. I experience way too many people […]
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The Resurrection of a Memory

Growing up in the Children’s Hospital you really have little control over your day to day life. You learn quickly two things, routine is very structured and your activities are very planned. I knew everyday that a nurse would be there at 8am, noon, 4:30pm and again around 9pm to check temperatures, blood pressure, heart […]
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Christmas 2019 – Memories of Christmas Past

“My life isn’t a book, it’s a collection of short stories” – Terry Wiens Christmas, a day of family, friends and memories. It is a day that can be loud, boisterous and full of activity. It can also be a day of quietude, reflective and personal relaxation. I have experienced both and find myself, maybe […]
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Activist or Advocate?

Advocacy is often seen as working “within the system” whereas activism is seen as working “outside the system” to generate change. I think this is really useful, as clearly the role or issue can shift from one to the other. – Author unknown I have fifty years experience as an activist with another 25 years of advocacy experience […]
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Public Safety over Fiscal Responsibility isn’t Really Responsible

“Home is where the heart is, home is where believe we are safe” – Terry Wiens (2019) I love Calgary. Calgary is my home. I’ve left it many times, sometimes for career purposes and a few times just to go on a crazy adventure. However every time I leave I eventually find myself returning. And […]
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Burning Through Tax Dollars

“It is worth our passions as it is with fire and water; they are good servants but bad masters” – Aesop’s Fables 1692 I am really upset with this most recent suggestions from our local government to cut $9 million from our fire departments budget. This is no way to manage a progressive city, public […]
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Return to Sender

“A lesson learnt and not shared is destined to become a lesson lost on wasted time” – Terry Wiens (2019) I stopped writing about six weeks ago thinking my publishing days were over. In part because one just gets tired of writing the same thing over and over by finding different words but also in […]
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