Look past the crap

I'm up a bit earlier than usual, and finished the usual bit of internet scrolling. Then for whatever reason I went to CNN. I haven't been there for a while. Reading the progress reports of a country that seems determined to turn itself into a failed state (Which is the polite way of saying shithole country.) was too depressing. They are still hard at it, and it makes me feel better about things here. 

Yes, we have a noisy but small group of pig-headed stubbornistas (as I call them) that are making it difficult to deal with COVID. Yes, we still have Jason Kenney determined to burn Alberta to the ground pandering to a noisy but small group of the only people who actually listen to him any more. Yes, the financial position of Canada is a bit precarious because of COVID and Trudeau's lack of balls to say the relief spending was a loan to Canadians that would have to be paid back. Yes, BC is dealing with what is likely to be Canada's worst natural disaster yet. They are in the position of having to spend whatever it takes to rebuild transportation infrastructure right now. Emergency repairs are going to morph into ongoing upgrades to make the infrastructure more resilient. This is going to go on for years. Yes, now is not the time to need an ambulance in Calgary.

It's easy to look at all the shit that's happening. To see only the worst of what's going on. That's what the media shoves down your throat, 24/7. 

But. 

But. But. But.

Look at the other side of the situation.

I was at a community skate with Santa on the weekend. Lots of families showed up, mostly parents with young children, and all appeared to be having fun. A couple food trucks showed up, and the community association served hot chocolate and some Christmas cookies. Kids of any age who sat with Santa (somewhat socially distant) got a candy cane. 

My role was taking photos. Some of them were the kids with Santa, and he's really good. He cued them to look at the camera and say 'elf dust' or 'fairy sprinkles' or on one occasion, 'poopy diapers'. Sometimes waiting for that cue was hard, because I never really knew when it would happen, and sometimes the best shot was before the cue, when there'd be a magic second of the kid and Santa sharing a look. But the photos I'm really interested in are the unscripted action shots. A parent and child sharing a moment. Kids playing and doing their thing, sometimes mugging for the camera, but mostly unaware. There's advantages to being an invisible middle-aged guy sometimes, even if I was wearing a blue oilfield parka with tasteful reflective stripes on it.

Plus, the light was perfect! From a photographic perspective, PERFECT! It made for great well lit photos. (Did I mention you can see them if you're interested? Click here and look for the link beside 20211218.)

The event was a moment of normal. Ordinary people enjoying some time with their kids and friends on a beautiful day. Times like this are what's good about the world, something to remember, and to look forward to the next time. This is what living is about, not what's on Facebook.

The other event for my weekend was organized on Facebook, but it was a walk with two friends, and coffee after. Sounds simple. Scheduling is sometimes complicated for us, and there are dietary restrictions involved, but it all worked out and we had a great time. The restaurant was more crowded than I had expected.  The weird thing with restaurants for me these days, is that we have to mask up as we go in and get our vax status checked, then once seated we can take the mask off. However, the wait staff are stuck wearing masks all the time, and that can't be much fun. It was wonderful to chat and catch up.

A bunch of books on hold arrived at the library, so I picked them up after my swim. (Yes I'm still swimming regularly and it's going pretty good. I bought a watch to start tracking times more closely.) Some books for Linda that had her exclaiming in delight, a photo book, and some fiction for me. I'll probably blog about them later. But again, good things were happening, this time in the parking lot. We all know how the spots are laid out, but the lines are invisible under the packed snow. People were mostly lined up, but had left lots of space between the cars. You'd almost have thought it was a Costco parking lot, with their double lined parking spots. 

The good stuff is there. Often it's little things, like the parking lot. An unspoken communal effort to share a space with consideration for everyone. Time spent with your family and friends. Treasure those, make time for those, not the artificial world of social media. Try to keep in mind that while there is the occasional jerk that spoils it, and that seems to take up all the air, they are the minority. A small minority. Try not to give them any more than the bare minimum of attention, just enough to avoid them and move on.

Here's some photos of times with photo buddies, some of whom are actually friends now, and some are friends I don't know very well yet.

1. Shooting a red barn under awesome clouds.

2. Trying to stand up in a strong wind on top of Hailstone Butte.

3. I think there was a creature way off in the distance.

4. Chain Lakes. I'm told there was a sheep or something on the mountain side on the other side of the lake.

5. Sunrise on the Oyen trip.

6. There were a bazillion birds in the field. They might have been cranes. Or something.

7. Another creature. I think. Or birds. 

8. The telescoping viewfinder thingie in North Glenmore park was new to us, and we had to check it out. The magnification is pretty good, and best of all, you don't need to put in a coin to make it work.

Of the Day

Driftwood

Peony

Lily