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Hi and welcome to episode 4 of the I Walk Toronto podcast. I’m Lorrie. Thank you for listening.
Introduction – what I’ve seen
I’m writing this podcast the week of January 5th. Almost a full week after the start of the New Year and the feeling I have is that of new beginnings. Even though winter has firmly taken hold of Toronto and most of the rest of Canada – how I don’t miss Montreal at this time of year – the shortest day of the year has passed and once again there is hope and optimism.
With the cold, I haven’t been out walking as much as I would like. I have resumed running, though, and so far so good – my feet are holding up. It’s the rest of me that feels slow as molasses. It’s hard to get a good pace going with tight muscles that refuse to warm up against the cold, and lungs that feel half-sized. I can only hope that the extra effort I put in now will pay off in balmy Germany in a few months’ time.
I spent some time in Niagara over the weekend and one thing I did see were stars. We took a walk back from dinner along a dark riverside path and could see the stars that are otherwise hidden from view in the city. No, it wasn’t as clear and spectacular as being in the wilderness on a warm summer’s night, but it was still a sight worth seeing. Looking at the sky always helps me put my life into perspective. Makes me realize how insignificant my problems are, and how lucky I am. And Friday night, as I walked along the path, trying not to slip on the ice, while looking up into the sky, I felt very lucky.
What I’m listening to
So, I finally got off the Buzzcocks record I talked about last episode. Yes, it took some doing. I get fixated on things, what can I say.
There hasn’t been another song for me to get stuck on this week. I was recommended a band called Hookworms, and listened to a few songs of theirs. I think the best way for me to describe them is psychedelic garage rock – the friend who recommends them is much more eloquent than me. If that interests you, Google them and don’t be afraid to buy their stuff on iTunes if you like it.
What I have been listening to, since I’ve been back running, is my favourite running podcast, called RunRunLive. RunRunLive is produced by a guy called Chris Russell. I’m new to his podcast, but he seems to be an interesting fellow. He’s roughly 50 years old, knows everyone who runs at least semi-seriously along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, and does a marathon every other week. Now, this could all be lies, but it’s what I understand from listening as I huff and puff along during my trots around the paddock. Anyway, his podcasts are perfect for Sunday long runs, as they usually last about an hour. And, since Chris is older than me and in better shape, it keeps me motivated.
Okay, there is one song that I haven’t listened to too much, but I love the lyrics. The song is from the new TV on the Radio album, Seeds. It’s called, Winter, and I’ll play it here. If you like it, buy the album. It’s worth it.
What I’ve been thinking about
As I said off the top, I’ve been thinking about new beginnings. Some years, the calendar changes over and you hardly feel the difference from the old to the new. This year is different.
First, I got through Christmas. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be – thanks to my friends and having a plan going into the day.
After that, though, life changed. I made it through the day. It wasn’t a catastrophe. I still had turkey and stuffing, thanks to Jen and Ian for providing me with leftovers, and then on I went.
Sometimes people build things up in their minds so much that the anticipation of something becomes almost unbearable. The actual thing is rarely as bad (or maybe as good) as what they were anticipating. I think that was Christmas. Once the day passed, well, it was just another day, and life got a lot lighter.
I think it’s time to stop ruminating on my own problems now, and move on. There has been a lot to think about this week. Mostly, I’ve started to think about the bigger problems of the world.
The attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices on Wednesday help to underscore what a precarious world we live in. Imagine doing a job where people actively want to kill you because of the work you do. I work in advertising, and I’m sure there are people that dislike what I produce, but the staff at Charlie Hebdo that were murdered because of what they do.
Insanity.
It was pointed out to me this week that there’s an inevitability to the ever-growing conflict between the Christian-Judeo and Islamic worlds. That is, eventually, Islam of some form, or rather all forms, will win out.
It’s inevitable. Inevitable for one simple fact: they’re having more kids.
This inevitability reminds me of what I experienced growing up in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey. We had a small house in a working class area, surrounded by people much like ourselves. Through the later 1970s and early 1980s, there was a massive influx of people from India and Pakistan – so much so that the formerly English-only street signs were replaced with bilingual signs – English and Sanskrit. Whereas in 1978 my best friends on the street were Corey and Barry, by 1980, my best friends were Bolly and Devinder.
That’s right. Best friends.
I guess that’s the thing. When you’re a kid, and you weren’t brought up by assholes, it doesn’t matter what colour your best friend is, or what God he worships. What matters is if he’s a good kid or not. Does he like playing road hockey and riding bikes? Perfect. Soul mates.
This overly simplistic thinking is what we need for the inevitable change. People want the same things, regardless of their religion. We need to understand that there are approximately 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. Of that, only a tiny percentage are ‘extremists’ or ‘terrorists’.
So why is the news full of extremists and terrorists? Because that’s what shifts units. Sells papers. Gets people watching CNN. Good news doesn’t sell. No one is talking about Egypt’s president wanting to reform Islam. Instead, it’s a non-stop deluge of terror. Extremism. Beheadings. Murder.
I think I’ll end with this. What do you think the people of the Middle East call the foreign armies that have been consistently occupying and invading them for the last number of decades. What did they call the Crusaders?
Peace. Unity. Understanding. Love. These are the things we need.
Tips on staying healthy over the winter
Okay, it’s been ridiculously cold this week. I saw a video of a guy skating to work in Montreal. Ice skating. On the sidewalk.
Having lived there, I think that’s more an indictment on the city and how crap they are at sidewalk maintenance, but that doesn’t take away the fact that it’s cold. Bitterly cold.
So what to do when it’s this cold? Get outside!
Yes. Get outside. But not for long though. Short bursts. I was supposed to run five kilometers on Tuesday, but it was too cold, so I only did four. Four kilometers is much better than nothing. Staying cooped up inside on these short cold days is terrible for you. So get as many layers on as you can – I ran with two pairs of tights, a long sleeve shirt, hoody, running jacket, toque and Patrick Ewing New York Knicks socks on my hands. Yes, I wear socks on my hands when I run. I don’t have running mitts, gloves don’t keep your fingers warm and well Patrick Ewing. You should love Patrick Ewing.
Another Song
Before I close off for the week, a friend introduced me to a band out of Calgary that I’ve been listening to a lot, called Viet Cong. I’m going to play a song off their first EP, called Throw It Away. If you’re into it, go to iTunes and buy it – the EP is only $3.99. Their new album comes out January 20.
Closing thoughts
Well, so far so good for 2015. I am really hopeful for a strange, interesting and fun year. It’s a year to say yes to as many things as possible. A year for new exploration and experiences. A year for growth and for change.
There is always going to be pain and upset in life. It’s how you manage through those challenges that determines how happy you’re going to be with yourself at the end of it all.
Thanks for listening. If you want to get in touch, you can send me an email to iwalktoronto@gmail.com. Or follow me on twitter @iwalktoronto. The Facebook group, if you want to join, is iwalktoronto – one word. As is my instagram account. I have a blog to host the podcast, which is iwalktoronto.ca. And you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes – search for I Walk Toronto, this time three words. If you enjoyed it, please rate the episode. If you have questions or comments, please get in touch.
Thanks again.
Bye for now, and remember, be awesome.
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