Changing Directions

Mile End Corner (Bernard and Waverly -- Summer 2010)

This is an excerpt from a letter I sent to colleagues in the North South Program at Montreal's Dawson College. For the last five years, I have collaborated with them to prepare students for a one month field trip to Nicaragua. One week ago, my boyfriend of many years and I moved to Vancouver:

Hi Everyone,

I want to take a little time to express my deepest gratitude to all of you. I have been truly so very fortunate these last few years to have been able to work with you in North South and to get to know you on the trip, on the 8th Floor, at Ovide's cottage, at various potlucks, on trails, at restaurants, in bank lineups, Canadian Tire, in airline check ins, clinics, outdoor toilets, poolside resorts(!), on various ferry rides, and even beaches. 

We've shared our lives and hearts at open houses and talking circles, during heated street arguments, on cramped school buses, in dingy hotel rooms, sharing cigarettes (history now of course) and in meetings, tons of meetings. You've heard me mutter and swear on volcano walks, motorcycles, and while walking for hours, sitting next to pigs, eating rotten oranges, grading student notebooks, figuring out who goes where, translating inadvertently dirty jokes, and elsewhere I'm sure. Paul and I have been deeply and permanently moved by all of these experiences. Professionally and personally, I have been absolutely stunned by your commitment to students and North South and to each other. Our involvement with North South and Dawson and all of you has been utterly awesome.

We all know how profoundly formative and important the trip has been for our students, and how the responsibility of getting them ready can be both inspiring and frustrating. I thank you for all of your support and the laughs and tears we've shared. This has been one of the most authentic and truly enriching experiences of my life. Paul and I are so fortunate and so very grateful.

Special note:  This was one of several heart wrenching goodbyes. We are in Vancouver now and I will continue with this cut and paste blog from the new location. BUT look for Coasted...more writing and stuff. 

Au revoir.

Tale of the Glass Slipper

What happens at midnight?

Feline Farewell

 

This is my cat Clyve. I rescued him almost twelve years ago. Back then he was feral, dirty and anti-social. For better or worse, he lost his natural instincts with me and became the dog of cats. He had all the bad kittie ailments and then some. He liked to scratch and bite, especially me. He also ate furniture. I loved him so much and he was such great company for all of those years.  Below is the stream of facebook condolences that appeared earlier this week. 

Rest in Peace Clyve.

he surely will, with so much love to buoy his spirit on its journey. my condolences.

Thursday at 19:14 ·

teary...

Thursday at 19:19 ·

Now he can play with Kinda...so sad

Thursday at 19:22 ·

Oh I'm so sorry to hear this sad news. Sending warm hugs xo

Thursday at 19:36 ·

very sad.

Thursday at 20:30 ·

I'm sorry, I know how hard it is losing a little buddy. He was such a sweetheart. xox

Thursday at 20:45 ·  

Clyve was a very special cat - I can still see him looking in your window before you adopted him or was it that he adopted you!

Thursday at 20:46 ·

Im so sorry to hear :(

Thursday at 20:52 ·

Oh dear! this is sad news. Clyve was a giant among cats. We really enjoyed getting to know him 2+ years ago. Condolences from the (...)s.

Thursday at 21:16 ·

sorry to hear this.

Thursday at 23:02 ·

ol' ming-manger, gonna miss him, was such a cool cat, sorry to hear that.

Thursday at 23:09 ·

Well this pretty much sucks...my thoughts are with you cause he was many years in your life!

Thursday at 23:41 ·

so sorry Merri. you gave him a good life. sweet Clyve. he was such an awesome guy.

Friday at 01:06 ·

ME: He was a great cat and very talkative. Along with the ming manging, he also used to say Merle Haggard and once, Paul and I swear, he called me by name. I loved him so much.

Friday at 06:35 ·

ME: Plus, he was a three-boyfriend cat.

Friday at 06:38 ·

hey.. our cats outlive our loves often enough, eh? Sol was my buddy through not only a few lovers/relationships but also several significant moves and career changes. 18 years, he was with me. Heck, he knew more about me than many friends ever did! LOL
Yes indeed, Rest In Peace Dear Clyve!

Friday at 10:08 ·

oh, that is sad news! i'm very sorry!!

Friday at 13:27 ·

you guys gave him a great home and lifestyle. we should all be so lucky. seriously.

Friday at 13:43 ·

Very sorry, El esta ahora en El cielo de los gatitos

Yesterday at 06:16 ·

ME: Thank you everyone. It's been a difficult time, but we are celebrating Clyve and all the joy he gave to us.

Yesterday at 07:40

Fairy Tales and Other Stories

 San Diego Waterfront April 2010

Manifest your dreams with integrity and you won't lose your glass slipper.

I had a student actually request to be failed.

Ways of Knowing

Winter stairs: Montreal 2010.

"The mystery of things, their how and why, conduces to silence." Camara Laye

Cancer Sucks

Puppy Love: Easter Sunday NYC 2010

Quit smoking today for everyone you love.

Non sequitur

12:45 PM 

 Midway in an exchange between me and my friend Gian about passive aggression and life's cruelty:   Me:Which I have a lot of fucking experience with. What a sentence. Don't show it to Dave.

  Yes. dog-eat-fucking-dog.

And, that is an insult to the dog.

  I love dogs.

 Gian: chien-mange-chien

  Really?

  Dogs?

  You?

 me: Yes. I love dogs.

 Gian: I don't see it.

12:46 PM Cats, I see.

 me: Really. Oh. I really love them.

  I love all animals.

  Especially cats and dogs.

 Gian: You can speak to them

 me: Oh. Yes I can.

 Gian: And they can speak to you.
Another example of animals saving the day.