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Author Archives: fearlessanalyst
Regrouped.
Last year was a shock to my system: losing three friends in a short period, then my favourite uncle, and soon after my 92-year-old aunt – last of my father’s siblings, end of an era. And as if to ‘add … Continue reading
Posted in depression, losses, mourning, personal growth
Tagged death, mourning, personal growth, self care, vulnerability
2 Comments
Brave parents & the progress torch
I’ve just finished reading a special chapter in a special book* – and it still shimmers in my consciousness. Chapter One – Dancing in the eye of the Storm – was written by Kathy Witterick, someone I’m proud to call … Continue reading
Posted in gender, parenting, progress, social change
Tagged courage, gender, Jonbenet Ramsey, Kathy Witterick, parenting, progress, social change
1 Comment
Ode to Victor Lawson
How do you fail grade eight? You fail grade eight by being a child whose body language includes slumped posture, and downcast eyes. You don’t look people in the eye because you have such low self-esteem that you can’t. That … Continue reading
Posted in adolescence, compassion, education, empathy, encouragement, enrichment, teacher, the fifties
Tagged appreciation, failure, great teachers, John Victor Lawson, Victor Lawson
7 Comments
A is for Antoinette*
It’s six months since my friend Antoinette died, and I think it’s probably okay to ‘tell her story’ now. I mean it’s not likely that breaking confidentiality is relevant. The chances of someone who knew her discovering I’ve ‘told’ are … Continue reading
An Uncle like Harold
Harold passed away yesterday morning, which I’d been anticipating for a few years. But it still seems unfair – as if certain people should live forever. My earliest memory of him goes back to the summer I turned 13. He’d … Continue reading
Posted in family culture, generous, kindness, loss, Memories, mourning, reflections, relationships, remembering childhood, uncle
Tagged difficult teenager, fabulous fifties, loss, uncle
4 Comments
Avoiding vulnerability – friendship lost + found
There is value in being open and vulnerable*, and a price to pay for avoiding it. When I look back, ‘avoiding’ is what I was doing when I tried to cover up my imperfections, or tried to make a good … Continue reading
Posted in appearances, friendship, Insight, open, parenting, vulnerability
Tagged friendship, honesty, openness, parenting, pretension, vulnerability
3 Comments
World Hearing Voices Day
Tomorrow is September 14, “International World Hearing Voices Day”. Who knew? Talk about turning a ‘negative’ into a positive! And in honour of the estimated 230 million folks in the world who hear voices, I am reflecting. I’m thinking about … Continue reading
Posted in Alternatives, causes, Hearing Voices, injustice, mental illness, psychology, schizophrenia
Tagged Alternatives, Hearing Voices, mental-health, psychology, schizophrenia
1 Comment
The Listeners
The other day in my favourite café, I was listening to a friend who’s been dealing with mental illness all the decades of her adult life. Diagnosed long ago with so-called ‘schizophrenia’, she clearly needs to talk about her feelings, … Continue reading
Where’s the protest?
Okay, is it time to come out fighting yet? Some would say it’s overdue.* Talk about the emperor having no clothes! For example, the number of people who still believe that privatization of everything is the answer, is ridiculous. Pathetic! … Continue reading
Posted in American, awareness, capitalism, consciousness, democracy, ignorance, personal power, social commentary
Tagged American, compassion, consciousness, current-events, ignorance, power, Thinking and Dreaming
7 Comments
Thinking and Dreaming 
Yes, it is our job to feed our neighbour’s child
Once again, a typical Conservative statement of values (with apologies to Hugh Segal): Minister James Moore says “Well, obviously nobody wants kids to go to school hungry. Certainly we want to make sure that kids go to school full bellied, … Continue reading →