The Rainbow Connection

Today marks a day of sadness for me. Twenty-six years ago, the world lost a great entertainer, a creative genius, and a childhood influence on me that still lingers to this day. Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, passed away on this day in 1990 from pneumonia. I remember where I was when this happened. I was home from school and heard it on the 6 o'clock news. I was shocked. He was only 53 years old. He left behind a legacy of wonder, creativity, fantasy, and happiness. For several days, I could not believe that he was gone. The man who had given me Sesame Street, the Muppet Show, the Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and Fraggle Rock was gone. Who would voice Kermit, Ernie, Rowlf, Cantus, and the Swedish Chef?

As the years progressed I was happy that the work that Jim had done continued. Other puppeteers took over Jim's characters, other people took over his companies. Sesame Street is still going strong. Kermit and the gang were bought by Disney, giving them a great home. Three of the five seasons of the Muppet Show were released on DVD (come on Disney, where are the other two?!), all of Fraggle Rock is out, and I have introduced my children to the joys of Dinosaurs, Emmett Otter, and the Storyteller. We are waiting on the Dark Crystal because I am sure it is too scary for the girls. Ma Na Ma Na is still popular, the Muppets became big on YouTube, and there have been several new movies.

The Muppets even appeared on a new prime time TV show, although I must admit that it lacked the original magic and joy that was in the original Muppet Show. This, I fear, is a turn that I am not sure I enjoy. In this new show, the Muppets were more adult and edgy. They drank, did drugs, had sexual encounters, swore a bit, and were less like how they were shown in Jim's days. Don't get me wrong, Jim had plenty of adult themes in his work with the Muppets and other projects, but I cannot help but think that this latest incarnation had strayed a little too much from where they were when Jim passed away. I must admit that I was not upset when the newest show had been cancelled after one season, because I had already stopped watching it by then. Maybe I am tired of so many of the things I enjoyed as a child being "updated", "modernized", and made "relevant". Still, I hope they can recapture some of the magic they have lost.

As I grew older, I learned more about the life of Jim. He was truly a dreamer and a visionary man. He had feelings and worked hard. He believed in himself, even when he failed. He truly hoped that his work would help make the world a better place. He loved children and wonder. As it is with all of us, he was not perfect. Sometimes he would not listen to others. He was unfaithful to his wife, yet could not bring himself to fully break off and end their relationship. Learning about his faults might have been too much for me when I was younger, but I have learned that we all have weaknesses. Knowing he was imperfect is OK for me. It makes him more human, more real. Besides, we all have short comings. We can focus on the bad, or we can accept them and focus on the good. I will choose the latter, because I think Jim did the same.

So, in tribute to his work and legacy, I give you my Top Ten Things the Jim Henson Gave Us:

10. A joy of silly songs. I mentioned Ma Na Ma Na already, but that is but one example of a silly song that Jim enjoyed. It didn't matter if he wrote it or if someone else did, he would use it the only way his wacky characters did. Here is an example of one of my favourites:


9. Getting to know other entertainers. As a child, the Muppet Show introduced me to great stars like Rita Moreno, Harry Belafonte, and Peter Ustinov. Here is what I am talking about.


8. Loving nature. Jim had a special connection to nature and the Earth. Many times his silly shows had deeper meanings that stayed with me.


7. Crazy characters. Kermit may have been seen as the sane one on the show, but he is quick to point out that he hired the others.


6. A love of learning in fun ways. Sesame Street is, I think, the greatest educational show ever. It sticks with you.


5. It's OK to take a good thing and add a dash of silliness. So many times, Jim gave us a classic song and added a Muppet twist to it. It might have been a bit irreverent, but it was always in good spirits.


4. Imagination is a wonderful thing. Don't let it go to waste. Everything Jim did was about using his imagination.


3. Sometimes, you just gotta dance. There is magic in it.


2. Christmas is a little more special, especially with family.


1. Be a dreamer. There is a special place for you.


Thank you Jim.

Floods to Flames - the Strength of Alberta

Yesterday, Fort McMurray was hit with wildfires. The entire city has been evacuated, and much of it has been burnt. There are tens of thousands of displaced Albertans fleeing north and south for safety. Families had less than an hour in some cases to grab what they could and flee for their very lives. While the cars streamed out of the city, the images started flowing through social media. This is potentially Alberta's largest evacuation (the 2013 flood displaced 100 000 people), and is definitely the front runner for top news story of the year. In an area that was already hit hard from the economic downturn, it is a devastating blow to the area. Yes, I am reminded of the disaster that hit all too close to home three long (yet short) years ago when flood waters tore through the Calgary area. As the images of raging infernos and desperate people continue to stream on our news feeds, I cannot help but think back to that June, and see so many similarities.

The floods then, the flames now. I recall Slave Lake being gutted by fires as well. I can still see the images of the Edmonton tornado of 87. Every time a natural disaster hits this province, I am reminded of the strength of Alberta. That strength is being tested again now, and I am certain that the strength will endure. It will endure in the hearts of the countless people who will and are giving what they can to help out, and I salute each one. To the people who will give of their time and strength to fight the fires until they are out, and to those who will help rebuild. To the families who open their homes to those who just lost theirs, and to the businesses who are providing free room, gas, food, clothing, and comfort. To the believers who can do little more but send their prayers above for respite, and to the well-off who are freely giving of their excess without thought or desire for recognition. To the organizations that pledge millions of dollars in relief, and to the volunteers who will clock countless hours organizing food and toiletries. Even to the young children who will draw pictures and ask God to help the nice people of Fort Mac, every bit is strength.

However, there will always be a test of that strength. Some will seek to gain from this tragedy. There will be scam artists who will try to pick the pockets clean of those who are destitute, just to make the cheap buck. Already there are those who seek to take advantage of the situation to score political points. They are sprouting up on all sides of the spectrum to see if they can move their own agenda forward. There are those who are taking this moment to attack the government, claiming that if the other guy was in charge, things would have been better handled. There are those who take this moment to express glee that karma is kicking the evil oil workers in the collective nether regions and say that all this was coming as we pillage Mother Earth. Some will use this as a rallying cry to their tent. I say we all need to leave our respective tents and help those who need it. This is not the time to start using this real human tragedy to attack refugees and pipelines. This is not the strength of Alberta. Regardless of what side of the spectrum you vote on, or where you prefer to get your electricity from, or what type of car you drive, it is time to grow up, roll up, and step up. Put the nonsense of divisiveness in the trash where it belongs, and get out there and help. Forget climate change and work on changing your heart. Forget right wing and left wing ideologies and get going on right thing actions that will make sure the pettiness is left in the wings. Look out for your neighbours like it was 1950 because it's 2016. Stop tearing down people when the fires have torn down a whole city. If you cannot pick up a hammer or a water bottle to help the people of Fort McMurray rebuild, then drop the politics and mean tweets to help their souls rebuild.

As always, the situation will be front and center for a time, and then the long, difficult road of rebuilding will occur. Mistakes are going to be made by many people in the aftermath. The strength of Alberta will come in the fixing of those mistakes. We need to remember that we are all in this together. Let us give each other the benefit of the doubt for the time being, and chip in where we can. Donate money to the right places. Stand up with those we often stand against as we stand togther with our friends, family, and fellow Albertans in Fort McMurray. Give your spare change, give your spare time, and do a little more. The strength of Alberta will win out over this as it has in the past. Fort McMurray will again contribute to the well-being of this fair province and country. We can and will do this together.

After all, this is Alberta. It's what we do.

What I Learned at the Park

This evening, Heather and I took the girls to Bowness Park. It was a beautiful evening. The sun was shining brightly, there was a nice breeze that kept the temperature pleasant, and the playground was full of families, everyone enjoying the moment. Barbara was soon talking to other children and asking them to play with her made up games. Hope was happily trotting up and down the toddler structure, a big smile beaming on her face. Instead of hovering over my kids I decided instead to just hang back and watch the girls go.

Gradually, my focus started to shift to the other children and families in the park with us. As I looked around, I started to notice the people around me. There were people of all different kinds with us. A variety of ages and ethnicity. I heard four different languages being spoken (at least), and a number of accents that suggest native languages might have been more. I watched the children play and laugh, no rhyme or reason, just random play and laughter. The noise was almost musical, infectious, and enthralling all at once. I couldn't help but smile.

As the children played, I began to think about how our world is today. Perhaps I am being nostalgic and looking back at the past through rose-colored glasses, but I cannot help but feel that our society has gradually been losing something important. I feel that we are more divided than we ever have been before. I look at how politics, religion, social justice, and economics separates us from each other. We argue with each other more often than not. Technology that was supposed to connect us more seems to keep us apart as we fight and bicker about things that sometimes feel so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. How did we get this way? Have we always secretly been this way, and my eyes are only opening now? Quite frankly, I just don't know.

I thought that while I was in university, our world had bridged divides, removed the things that kept us apart. People could have faith and belief without having to justify it. Communities would come together in tragedies. People celebrated differences more, and compromises were easier to find. We found joy in positivity. Yes, we had problems. There were still some who were marginalized. There were still some who were outcasts. No, it was not a utopia a mere decade or so ago, but it feels like we have lost more ground than we gained. It seems as though we bring one group into inclusion by pushing another one out. We open the proverbial closet for one, and shove another in to fill the void. Many preach tolerance of all, but act as if it is only for those who agree with them. Debate has become who can get the bigger zingers in, and one-liners seems to have replaced rational thought.

And the children played on. I started yearning for a fresh start. Heather walked over, and I said "I wish the world was more like this playground". Heather agreed. Nobody was looking at each other with suspicion or mistrust. The children played with whoever they wanted, however they wanted, for as long as their parents were willing to push back bedtime. Barbara was asking any kid that came by if they wanted to pilot her spaceship (the play structure) while she checked the engines. Nobody talked about not playing with certain children, just to be mindful of everyone so that we all had fun. Soon, Barbara was on the spider web merry-go-round with about a dozen other kids, and she wanted me to make it spin really fast. Soon, all the kids were encouraging me to go faster and faster while their parents watched with smiles and laughs, no phones recording anything. We were a group of people from many backgrounds, just enjoying the nice weather and the time spent with family.

I wish the world could have seen us this evening. We were not necessarily becoming BFFs or anything, but we were united. We didn't know each other's names, but we were pleasantly chatting it up. We watched our own kids and watched out for everyone. For a brief moment, the problems of the world was replaced with the laughter of children. We could be whoever we wanted to be, not just the labels our society placed on us. We could enjoy our families without having to apologize for anything. We just watched our children play together. There were only tears when parents had to tell their kids it was time to go (for Barbara, even the promise of ice cream couldn't hold back the crying). As we left, there were more families coming with their kids, and I expect that they also had fun with everyone.

I climbed into the van, and when I turned the ignition on, the news emanated from the radio with stories of elections and refugees, of politics and economics, of fear and hatred. It did not take me long to replace it with a seemingly fitting Disney hit, "Let It Go", and I wish our world can simply let go of the divisions and intolerance. Next on the playlist was "Rainbow Connection", and I began to hope that we would have more real connections. As we pulled into McDonalds for some well deserved treats, I once again resolved that the only way to change the world is to be that which I want the world to change to. If I want the world to be kind, then I must be kinder. If I want the world to be more accepting, than I must be more accepting. If I want more love in the world, then I must show more love to the world I live in.

I look forward to going back to the park.