Musing

10C/50F, mix of sun & cloud; upwind, our odour preceded us as we came around a corner to witness a motionless camouflage coat among rustling leaves - ears like boldly upright bookends, velvety nubs of antlers in the making between them; Gusta was oblivious until moments later that animated John Deere logo vanished, bounding deep into the bush - she strained her leash limits in vain hopes of joining ‘john’, then minutes later a familiar rabbit, a familiar spot, diverted her attention to strain on a different tangent

I dub these morning metaphors john & jack; neither Bambi or Thumper, but rather as icons of unrestricted freedom & survival

without bark or whimper Gusta strained to join john & jack; just like any kid she wants to play with the other kids

as kids we are not leashed, we are watched; we need protection from what we don’t know - yet as adults we are not leashed, because we know the dangers

we don’t have a leash on our collar – but we might as well have one

like john & jack we encounter some fences, cliffs & raging waters – like them we can find ways under, around & over most of them – but mostly we venture only to the limits of our leash

risk management is not a job function that some people do, it is how most of us live most of the time

we stop at more than STOP signs, we detour around more than fences, we fear leaping a chasm however narrow as we choose instead [mostly via our media] to live vicariously through athletes, performers, adventurers & news figures as they risk, leap, scale & score . . .

we live our lives admiring courage yet fearing it at every turn; opportunities & ideas are not filtered through the fun filter, the joy filter, the thrill filter, the value filter, but firstly through our many risk & fear filters

what we should or should not do, who we should or should not talk to, meet or pursue for business or pleasure or a cause; these limits have nothing to do with the boundaries of propriety – they have everything to do with fear, uncertainty & doubt – ours

Calgary media these past few days filled with stories of a young Calgarian, Nichola Goddard, the first Canadian woman to die in combat, ever

stories of how she bravely pursued a dream to be the best she could be, bravely risked her life while helping others; these stories of a community showing compassion, admiration of courage, showing pride; but for what ?

while Nichola risked her young life, the rest of us sat on our hands; while she went bounding off like john & jack using learned skills, instincts & commitment as her compass most of us sat in a very comfortable place living very safely - or so we think

youth, zeal, courage & risk; every day john & jack & Nichola - they risk it all; all day - all night

being older & wiser does not insulate us from being in harms way; it should guide us to be more deft in our choices, steadier when nerves of steel are required, but why hide out from risks & realities ?

why be a prisoner of our leash ?

to be free, to quench our thirst for life, we might all do well to try living like john & jack & Nichola

john & jack & Nichola - at the end of the story, they all die

we all do

so, get off your leash

Mark

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