The arts of man through all the years, and the light that guides us all.

The following is the original and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

I did a very "city thing" on the weekend and went to the museum. I've been there many times before, but this is the first time since I started my "city living experiment"; it seemed my new city perspective guided me differently as I walked the halls.

In the past, I tended to find myself staring at the bones of giant creatures that inhabited the earth hundreds of millions of years ago, imaging their ferocity and wondering if I could out run them if the need arose. This time however, I seemed to wander the years a little closer to home... 4000 BC to 300 AD. Sumeria, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Ancient Israel, Rome - All great civilizations of the past.

Artifacts, instead of bones, would tell the story and feed the imagination; mosaics, pottery, glass, fine jewelry, paintings, sculptures, architecture, tools and weapons, as well as all of the utensils, furniture and trappings of every day life... all recognizable, and narratives for those kindred spirits through all the years.

For me, it was the simplest of things that ignited my imagination... the numerous examples of "oil lamps" that seemed to fill the display cases, irrespective of civilization or century; small containers of various shapes and ornateness that used animal fat to illuminate the world.  

I could not help but imagine someone 4000 years ago, their oil lamp by their side pushing back the darkness as they wrote down their thoughts, crafted something of importance, shared ideas or visualized their dreams and wishes for a better day - A symbol that bound them, independent of time or place.

Engraved on the outside of the Royal Ontario Museum are the words, "THE ARTS OF MAN THROVGH ALL THE YEARS", which shamefully I had never noticed before, but will not soon forget. These words remind us that we are part of a community that has stretched past our ability to remember the countless individuals that came before us, except of course, though those "ARTS" they created and used; it is in this, their legacy seems to be secure.

Literally or figuratively we must light that lamp, push back the darkness and write down our thoughts, craft things of importance, share ideas or visualize the dreams and wishes for a better day - An ongoing need to contribute to "THE ARTS OF MAN", as someone, 2000 years from now, will be looking and imaging us in the darkness with the light of the computer on our faces.

Next week, a trip to the art gallery.

iamgpe.

"Keep fighting the good fight"... it was the only advice I had.

I just got back from visiting one of my favourite uncles who has recently been diagnosed with stage IV small cell lung carcinoma (colourfully captured in the attached photograph) . For those not familiar with this particular cancer, it is one of the more aggressive types with an extremely low survival rate (2% after five years) and is strongly associated with smoking; my uncle, his family and those around him are bracing for battle, with chemotherapy being the first salvo.

As we parted, shaking hands, hugging, and offering all those words of encouragement that weave themselves into these situations, I looked at my uncle and said, "Keep fighting the good fight". For me, it seemed to be the only advice I had to give, and maybe, the only real advice there is to give.

A phrase with roots in Christianity, "fight the good fight" was the "call to spread the faith" and was sometimes very much a literal activity - Nowadays, the phase more often than not is used to recognize, encourage and offer support for the difficult challenges that LIFE can bring our way. And more importantly I believe, it reminds of us of those traits that we can muster to help us overcome great adversity and accomplish wonderful things!

• Courage
• Resourcefulness
• Wholeheartedness
• Tenacity
• Thoughtfulness
• Fortitude
• Strength
• Honor
• Respect
• Honesty
• Love

All coming out of that simple word... "Good". 

Originally offered as advice, I think it is truly more of a mantra that reminds us of who we are, what we are made of, and what we can accomplish under the most difficult of situations. And when the "good fight" is over and the dust has settled, we can hold your heads high and show others how it is done.

So whatever your challenges, be them big or small, " keep fighting the good fight"...  I know that is what my uncle is doing.

iamgpe.  

Figuratively speaking, what comes with a glass of bourbon...

For me, there is something very important that comes with a "splash" of bourbon*; sometimes with ice but sometimes served neat... I am still undecided with regard to that. None of which advocates the use of alcohol. 

It started off unexpectedly, as many things do, when out for dinner with three friends it was suggested that we should have "a bourbon". The origins of the suggestion admittedly came from reading a biography on John Wayne**, which of course did not diminish the suggestion in the least. So with bourbon in hand and no particular toast in mind other than recognition, we raised a glass.

Over the years I have refined my tastes regarding my preferred brands but the reasons for raising a glass always remain the same.

Within the past week, on two separate occasions, I was able to raise a glass; once with a group of some of my oldest friends at a weekend gathering, and the second with a long time friend who invited me to his house at the end of what turned out to be very "long" day. In each instance, with bourbon in hand and no particular toast in mind other than recognition, we raised a glass.

We raise a glass to friendship, the appreciation of the current moment, the memories of a life lived and the anticipation of a future yet to come. An unspoken thank you for all that has been done and all that is to come - Recognition of wonderful friendships, for which I for one, have been very fortunate.

And to that, I raise a glass with no particular toast in mind and say, "Thank you".

gpe

* Bourbon whiskey /bɜːrbən/ is a type of American whiskey: a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. (Wikipedia)

** Marion Mitchell Morrison (born Marion Robert Morrison; May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director, and producer.[1] An Academy Award-winner for True Grit (1969), Wayne was among the top box office draws for three decades.[2][3] An enduring American icon, for several generations of Americans he epitomized rugged masculinity and is famous for his demeanor, including his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height. (Wikipedia)