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A nuclear family of a different sort
I work for a great company, and support a team in a great industry. It’s a controversial one in many ways and that has led to a tight communications community. But its challenges have been upstaged in recent weeks by a national political controversy in Ottawa that has dragged my company’s name through the mud. I don’t want to get into the whys and wherefores of it all, but suffice it to be said that it has been a long and stressful few weeks for this company communicator. Fortunately, I work with a great team, who have all pitched in… Read more…
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Unravelling the sweater
Unraveling of colourful knitted garment Knitters among us know that you can spend a long time knitting, purling, slipping stitches over and dropping them to create beautiful patterns in knitwear. Big chunky wool for a winter sweater, nubbed cotton for a shawl to throw over your shoulders in the summer or fine, soft yarn for a baby’s layette, it’s all wonderful to work with. To be honest with you, it’ s been a long time since I’ve tackled a knitting project as big as a full sweater. For the past few winters, scarves, mittens and toques have been all I’ve… Read more…
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It only takes a spark
One of my favourite quotations is from American novelist Edith Wharton. She wrote about two different ways to lead. One is to be the candle that lights the way. The other is to be the mirror that reflects that candlelight. I’ve always thought it was a great metaphor for what Communications professionals do. We help others tell stories. We take the ideas – the original thoughts – they have, shine them up and make them accessible and understandable to the right audiences. I always thought that was exactly what I wanted to do forever. But increasingly I feel as if a tiny spark is growing within… Read more…
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Loosening up the muscles
You know how muscles atrophy when you don’t use them? The seize up and they stop working properly. When left for too long they can actually wither away, causing adjacent damage. That’s how I feel right now about my writing. I took on some big challenges at work at the beginning of this year and that left me with less time than ever to write outside of the office. As a result, my creative writing muscles have weakened. They’re stiff, and even the ‘idea generator’ in my mind is turning over at lower than optimal speed. My writing on this blog suffered as a… Read more…
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Rain, rain, go away
Beyond my back fence there is a tall, stately poplar tree. In summer, it’s verdant green leaves hide my view of houses further off in the distance, making my pocket sized little garden feel bigger and more private than it really is. In autumn, it’s small leaves turn brilliant yellow and on a crisp sunny fall day, they blow in the wind like gold coins, twisting and turning in the breeze. But this week, the weather has been grey and wet. Very wet. Heavy laden with rain, the wind mercilessly tears them from the tree and throws them to the… Read more…
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Six degrees
When I was in university, we played the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game. A take on the six degrees of separation idea, originally set out in the 1920s, we worked hard to connect actors or musicians of any stripe back to Kevin Bacon in just six steps. It was fun back then, and entertained us for many a beer-filled evening. Recently though, a series of seemingly coincidental connections has me wondering if it really is possible to connect anyone to anyone else in the world in just that few steps. And are coincidental meetings really coincidental? Through a colleague, a hospitable… Read more…
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Three for three – the last one spreads her wings
Cup of steaming tea in hand, I glanced in her bedroom this morning and for the first time since June, I saw her sound asleep, with her hair streaming behind her on her pillow and her long lithe legs sticking out from the covers, while the cool breeze moved the blinds on her windows. Fall is coming and I have my daughter home for two nights before she starts her new university life half way across the country.The sight made me smile, but it also made my breath catch in my throat. I’ve written about Son number one and Son number two going off… Read more…
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Luck, lemonade and a bit of siding
There but for the grace of God go I. Those words echoed through my mind all afternoon a few Saturdays ago, as I took part in a Habitat for Humanity build project.It was a good day. My colleagues and friends had stepped up to help me meet – and exceed – my fundraising goals and I spent the day exercising my construction muscles by putting siding on a house that would eventually become the home of an underprivileged family. It felt good to be doing something purposeful and constructive, and to be giving back. We had stopped for lunch, and former recipients… Read more…
