VernonGirl

Getting out of the Okanagan Mountain Park fire - the best gift ever

Photo: My two baby boys in September 2003 in the Chariot Carrier used to evacuate them from the Okanagan Mountain Park fire on August 26, 2003.

What was your best gift ever? This question was posed on a website recently and got me thinking. So I travelled back in time...about six and a half years...to think about my family's escape from the Okanagan Mountain Park fire. Here is a submission I made to a book about the fire. My submission was based on email records that I sent to friends and family during the event. The book was published without my story, but they named a chapter after it called "Getting Out". When I introduced myself to the editors at their book signing I was invited to, they remembered they accidentally forgot to include my story. The Kelowna Museum requested the story for their archives, and in there it sits. There is a fire museum now, so I assume it is in there. I've edited it slightly for clarity. When you've read it, please let me know about the best gift you have ever received.

Okanagan Mountain Park Fire - Kelowna, B.C. Canada - August 26, 2003 11:55AM

I was at a Jaycee [Okanagan Junior Chamber International] meeting Thursday night (August 21, 2003) until around 10:00 p.m. and when driving home I saw flames above our home. Stuck in a traffic jam, I turned the radio on to hear that our area, (Drummond Court just off of Barnaby Road) which was not even on evacuation alert, was now on evacuation order. This was distressing news as my two babies (3 month old Quinn and two and a half year old Soleil), my mother visiting from Calgary, and husband were home with no reliable vehicle, waiting for me to return so they could evacuate. (Our other vehicle parked at home was nearly out of gas.)

I could see a wall of flames to the right of our home and above our home in spots we had not seen all week and we had been monitoring the fire very carefully up until that point. That day, there was so much smoke, no flames could be seen, but the fire had sneaked up on us and there it was appearing to be licking at our back doorstep. Apparently, the wind had come up and pushed the fire into our area.

Rather than be caught in fire or a traffic jam [and the fact I was going into shock], I pulled the truck over and borrowed a cell phone (that of Mike and *Sharon Shepherd, a Kelowna City Councillor) I called home and spoke to my husband and we decided that I would stay put and wait at the safety spot as traffic out of our home area was bumper to bumper. My husband packed our two babies into the Chariot (a double wide stroller we pull behind our bikes) and got my mother (61 years old and in need of a hip replacement) and himself onto our bikes. He put our two dogs on leash and put cat food and water on our porch for our Kitty (that’s our cat’s name) and put her outside. They left everything my husband had packed since 8:30 pm at our home (including 2 computer hard drives for our business, and everything else we own).

[*Side note: Sharon is now Kelowna's Mayor. Side note: Shawn told me later that while he was packing the boys up, there were hot pine tree needles falling onto his arms. Mom said she rode the bike around the cul-de-sac to remember how to ride one again. In terms of possessions, Shawn remembered the baby car seat which he packed on top of the Chariot.]

They rode their bikes down about 8 KM (to Sarsons and Lakeshore) to meet me. My husband and I stayed in contact by cellphone as they rode very slowly as our dog Julie on lead is quite out of shape and our other dog slightly lame from a tear in her pad from our mountain biking in the hills where the fire now burned the Monday before.

Boy was I happy to be reunited with them all. We were reunited around 11:30 p.m. so it was about one and a half hours between the time that I heard about the evacuation until we saw each other. This was three and a half hours after the original evacuation order came in at 8:00 p.m.

Luckily, the baby was asleep so they did not have to contend with his crying for mama's milk. (They packed him last). While waiting for them, I believe I went into shock as my mouth was dry and I began to get cold and shake. A nice man gave me a glass of water and a warm coat and that really helped.

So here we are, with basically the clothing on our backs, safe in Armstrong at Shawn's parent’s home. We know that the area around our home has been hit very hard by the fire. We will get to see aerial photos on a website called Castanet today if lucky to see if our home was burnt. Pray it wasn't.

Update: Tuesday, August 26, 2003

We got to see our home yesterday. We were turned away at one checkpoint saying we couldn't get a pass in, but went to a different checkpoint a few hours later and they let us through. There was a sprinkler on our roof that the firefighters had put there. We spoke to a search and rescue fellow monitoring our neighbourhood and he happens to be a neighbour too. He said he worked on the hose 2 hours fighting fire. He looked very very tired, but said he wasn't going without a fight. We were lucky to get in and collect our family heirlooms and the hard drives for our business. We also collected our Kitty who was doing actually very well, but smelled of smoke. We had just over one hour to collect the things most dear to us and leave again. Upon leaving we were touched when we saw "Edmonton PPCLU" written in the dust on the hood of our little red car that we left behind. It was a note from the Edmonton Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry Unit that must have been fighting our fire or patrolling our area.

Update: 2:00 a.m. Saturday, August 30, 2003

We were taken off evacuation order Wednesday, August 27 and returned home Thursday, August 28. We are still on evacuation alert and have to be ready to leave within 1 hour. The gas is off. Everything is quite dusty and smoky smelling in the house. The front and back deck has ash and burnt leaves and pine needles everywhere. The grass and flowers are a little dry from not being watered for a week. Other than that, the home is in great shape. We are truly grateful to be home, but the fire is still burning only a few kilometers from our house. It is difficult to sleep at night, but we are one of the lucky ones as our home and neighborhood is still standing. I grieve for the people who lost their homes and for the forest where we used to mountain bike as it is now black and charred.

Our hearts are with everyone who has lost their home or been displaced. Even for those who did not lose their homes, this has been a terrible, terrible experience. I'm so proud to be a part of our community who cares so much. Thank you to the volunteers and firefighters and army and to everyone who has offered help or concern.

Update December 28, 2010

Two years after the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire in Kelowna, Shawn and I moved to Vernon and we've been living happily here ever since. I found the memory of the fire traumatic every time I looked up into the charred hills of the Upper Mission area of Kelowna, so it was a relief to relocate.

When I was reunited with my mom, husband, kids and dogs all safe and sound that night of August 26, 2003 it was the best gift ever. Material possessions can be replaced, life can't. 130 homes were lost in that fire. I remember seeing a friend of mine at a meeting afterwards. From across the room, I could tell he lost his home. His face looked so different. Exhausted. Stressed. Almost grey. I'll never forget it.

A lot of people lost, but many of us gained a gift. We got to see how important we are to each other in our family....how important life is. We also learned about the power of a strong, united community and the giving spirit of volunteers.

I'm truly grateful to have my loved ones close to me this holiday season.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you and yours.

Thanks for reading,

Courtenay Pitcher

Four things comedian Steve Martin can teach us about success

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life is the book funny man Steve Martin authored. It was published in 2007, but I just read it, so it's new to me. An excellent read. Martin recounts his love interests, a complicated relationship with his father, encounters with famous celebrities like Elvis Presley, and how he persevered through being broke, being rejected, delivering comedy to empty theatres and, even, being famous to become the man he is today (or when his book was released).

There are at least four key messages from Martin that can teach us how to be more successful:

1. Dress differently to be seen.

When Martin began seeing three thousand people come to his stand-up comedy performances, he bought a white suit to wear onstage for visibility.

"I was afraid it might seem derivative, but I stayed with it for practical reasons, and it didn't seem to matter to the audience or critics. The suit was made of gabardine, which always stayed fresh and flowed smoothly with my body. It got noticed in the press because it was three-piece, which appeared to be a symbol of conservatism, but I really wore the vest so my shirt would stay tucked into my pants."¹

2. Invent a new way to get paid.

Martin observed that opening acts never got noticed, mentioned or reviewed because the headliner got all the glory. He decided to exclusively pursue headline gigs and in one year he was completely broke. His travel costs were about three hundred dollars, and he was getting a flat fee of five hundred dollars per show. Netting just two hundred dollars wasn't cutting it.

Wisely, Martin called a show business friend for advice.

"He told me the deal he always proposed to club owners. He would take the door, and they would take the bar."....."I would be paid according to how many people I drew.."⁵

3. Be encouraged by naysayers.

When Martin concluded that the audition process was a dead end, he decided to resign from his television writing career and go on the road to do stand up comedy. His agent told him his stand up comedy was headed nowhere and that he should "Stick to writing". Martin says that he "took this warning with a strange delight" and it was a "necessary ingredient in any young career".³

When Martin was doing stand up comedy to over eighteen thousand people, regularly appearing on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show, he definitely proved his agent wrong.

4. Do the opposite of what everyone is doing.

When Steve Martin observed that "a skillful comedian could coax a laugh with tiny indicators such as a vocal tic (Bob Hope's "But I wanna tell ya") or even a slight body shift"⁴ like slapping a stomach, he decided to do the opposite. Rather than giving audiences a punchline, he let the audience pick their own place to laugh. This type of anti-climactic tension-induced comedy was completely revolutionary and even Rick Moranis, another comedic actor, called it anti-comedy.

Martin writes, "My goal was to make the audience laugh but leave them unable to describe what it was that made them laugh."

One of Martin's techniques was to end his comedy routine in an unexpected way, so that the audience never really knew what to expect. He led his audience outside, hailed a taxi, went around the block, returned and waved to the audience - and drove off and never came back. This led to a review in The Miami Herald saying "Steve Martin is the brightest, cleverest, wackiest new comedian around."²

Martin's book also comes in an audio cd. If you have long commutes and want something inspiring to listen to, I recommend Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life (Audio CD)

(Disclosure: Amazon.com affiliate links mean I get paid when you buy through these links.) If you don't want to buy the book, you can probably borrow it from your local library like I did.

Thanks for reading,

Courtenay

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Is your database big enough to fill a movie theatre?

Lisa Salt is the Owner of The Salt Team, a Vernon, B.C. Real Estate Team. Last night she held a private viewing of SALT, the movie, for all of her clients. The place was packed. She had to start the movie about ten minutes late to process her clients (including my husband, our two boys and me) through the popcorn and pop line-up. Everyone got a free ticket to the movie and one free pop and popcorn.

She began the evening thanking everyone in the theatre for all of their referrals to friends and families over the years and especially in this market. "This is our little way of giving back." She said. "I can only hope they make a sequel."

She and her agents (real estate that is) were dressed in black with T-shirts that said "Who is Salt team." They greeted everyone at the door and thanked us for coming. There was a large RE/MAX balloon propped outside the theatre at the front door.

It was brilliant of her to capitalize on Hollywood's millions of marketing dollars to promote a movie with her same name. All of it was possible because she keeps a very good database of clients. Invitations were sent by email first, and then I received a follow-up physical invitation by postal mail.

Do you have a list of email and postal mail addresses you could access if the right marketing opportunity came along?

By the way, we loved the movie. It was action-packed and had a great twist at the end.

Thanks for reading.

Courtenay Pitcher

Twelve lessons brands can learn from Tiger Wood’s apology Speech transcript

Tiger Wood’s apology speech can teach your brand lots about selling, evoking emotion and getting people on your side. The complete transcript of Tiger Wood’s apology speech is typed out (by yours truly) below. Here are twelve lessons we can learn from his speech in terms of branding and marketing:

1.    Broadcast your message on YouTube.

I didn’t watch the live speech on T.V.. I watched it on YouTube as a result of seeing someone tweet about it. Tiger was wise to employ one of the top social media platforms to broadcast his message.

2.    If you, your brand or product messes up, give a heartfelt apology.

The fourth sentence in Tiger’s speech is his apology. Tiger says, “I want to say to each of you simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behaviour I engaged in.” The beauty of apologizing is that it allows everyone to relax and listen to why you messed up and how you plan to fix it.

3.    Surround yourself with supporters.

In Tiger’s first line, he points out, “Many of you in this room are my friends.” In one of his last lines, he says, “In recent weeks, I have received many thousands of emails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes.”

When your brand is in a spot of difficulty, it’s really important to show, explain or demonstrate that you still have supporters. It’s also nice if they pick you up and brush you off. It’s a time when you need cheerleaders, not detractors.

4.    Make sure everyone knows that mom still loves your brand.

Tiger’s mom was prominently placed for the video cameras in the front row when he delivered his speech. She was the first to hug him at the end of it too. If mom trusts and loves your brand, who can argue with that?

5.    If the product is broken or recalled, don’t return it to the shelves until there is more research and development, but do tell everyone that the product will be new and improved and it will return soon.

“I’ve learned to seek support from my peers in therapy and I hope some day to return that support to others who are seeking help. I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be. I don’t rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behaviour more respectful of the game.”


6.    Show the “gladiator-shield-wielding-strong-side” of your brand.

Tiger says, “Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight.”

This sets Tiger up as a fighter, a hero, a champion for his family, rather than the villain who brought it down.

7.    Ask your customers to overlook your weaknesses and focus on what you’ve learned from the experience.

Tiger says, “I once heard, and I believe it’s true, it’s not what you achieve in life that matters, it’s what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count.”

This is the classic red herring that says, forget about the past (how he messed up) and focus on the future (what he has learned from this experience and how it has shaped him into a man of character).

8.    Underscore the charitable side of your work, brand, or product.

Tiger says, “Thirteen years ago my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From the learning centre students in southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C., millions of kids have changed their lives and I am dedicated to making sure that continues.”

In talking about his foundation, it shows that Tiger could still be likeable because of the charitable work he does for his community.

9.    Reveal an intimate secret value that people can connect with.

“Part of following this path, for me, is Buddhism which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don’t realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint.”

The phrasing “people don’t realize it” says, “Listen closely, I’m going to tell you something intimate about myself.” In this “reality-show-day-and-age”, people want to know the intimate secrets and values of your product or brand. Give them a taste of it, and they’ll be coming back for more.

10.    Assure everyone that you will play by the rules.

Tiger says, “I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone, apply to me.”

This is a clever way to assure everyone that Tiger is not above everyone. He can still play in the same sandbox and get along.

11.    Make sure everyone knows you still have a spine.

Speculation that Elin beat up on Tiger made Tiger look like a weakling. Tiger had to put that fire out by saying, “Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame.”

What a clever way of phrasing it. He was made to look like a hero for defending Elin, when in fact this whole statement was designed to show he still has a spine and wasn’t emasculated by his wife.

12.    Ask for the sale.

Tiger says, “Today, I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again. Thank you.” This is the classic trial close to see if you will buy.

Here is the complete transcript of Tiger Wood’s Apology Speech on February 19, 2010:

Good morning and thank you for joining me.

Many of you in this room are my friends. Many of you in this room know me, many of you have cheered for me, or you worked with me or you supported me. Now, everyone of you has good reason to be critical of me.

I want to say to each of you simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behaviour I engaged in. I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife Elin and to my children.

And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say. Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behaviour. As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behaviour over time. We have a lot to discuss. However, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us. I am aware of the pain my behaviour has caused to those of you in this room.

I have let down. I have let down my fans. For many of you, especially my friends, my behaviour has been a personal disappointment. To those of you who work for me, I have let you down personally and professionally. My behaviour has caused considerable worry to my business partners. To everyone involved in my foundation including my staff, board of directors, sponsors, and most importantly the young students we reach, our work is more important than ever.

Thirteen years ago my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From the learning centre students in southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C. millions of kids have changed their lives and I am dedicated to making sure that continues.

But still, I know, I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I put you in this position. For all that I have done (long pause) I am so sorry. (pause) I have lot to atone for. (sigh) But there is one issue that I would like to discuss.

Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame.

The issue involved here, was my repeated irresponsible behaviour. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable and I am the only person to blame.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. 

I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone, apply to me.

I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation and kids all around the world who admired me. I have had a lot of time to think about what I’ve done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before.

It’s now up to me to make amends and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I’ve made. It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity. I once heard, and I believe it’s true, it’s not what you achieve in life that matters, it’s what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count. Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry. It’s hard to admit that I need help, but I do.

For forty five days, from the end of December to early February, I was in in-patient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I am facing. I have a long way to go about taking my first steps in the right direction. As I proceed, I understand people have questions. I understand the press wants to ask me for the details of the times I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know if Elin and I will remain together. Please know, that as far as I am concerned, everyone of these questions and answers is a matter between Elin and me. These are issues between a husband and a wife.

Some people have made up things that never happened. They said I used performance enhancing drugs. This is completely and utterly false. Some have written things about my family. Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things, I did. I have always tried to maintain a private space for my wife and children. They have been kept separate from my sponsors and my commercial endorsements.

When my children were born, we only released photographs so that the paparazzi could not chase them. However, my behaviour doesn’t make it right for the media to follow my two and a half year old daughter to school and report the school’s location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom. Whatever my wrong doings, for the sake of my family, please leave my wife and kids alone.

I recognize I have brought this on myself. And I know, above all, I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That’s where my focus will be. I have a lot of work to do and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it.

Part of following this path, for me, is Buddhism which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don’t realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint.

Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught. As I move forward, I will continue to receive help because I’ve learned that is how people really do change.

Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy. I would like to thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this week for understanding why I’m making these remarks today.

In therapy, I’ve learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping it in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centred so I can save the things that are most important to me, my marriage and my children. That also means relying on others for help. I’ve learned to seek support from my peers in therapy and I hope some day to return that support to others who are seeking help.

I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be. I don’t rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behaviour more respectful of the game.

In recent weeks, I have received many thousands of emails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes. To everyone who has reached out to me and my family, thank you. Your encouragement means the world to Elin and me. I want to thank the PGA tour, Commissioner Finchen and the players for their patience and understanding while I work on my private life. I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course.

Finally, there are many people in this room and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today, I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again. Thank you.

(sniffle, hugs his mom and front row supporters)

Thanks for reading.
(please subscribe to receive this blog by email.)

Courtenay Pitcher, Skeptic

A poem called Hugs. Please share it.

This post goes out to my father, Laurence Ross Mottram, who wrote this poem "Hugs" before he passed away. He would have loved the photo of this little boy that I took in Phoenix, Arizona at the Indian Festival in 2008.

Please share this image with your friends and family today.

Hugs to all of you who read my blog.

Cheers, Courtenay Pitcher, Daughter of a poet

 

How my blog made number one on Google because k.d. lang sang Hallelujah at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Opening Ceremonies

When I posted the video of k.d. lang singing Leonard Cohen's song Hallelujah, I never dreamed my blog traffic would explode, it would make it to number one one Google and I would be having a discussion on Twitter about its relevance to the 2010 Olympics.

But that's exactly what happened. If you're interested in how I got traffic to my site, read on. If you're interested in my deep philosophical thoughts as to why I think k.d. lang's performance was completely relevant to the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, read on. And if you would like to see lang sing Hallelujah, read on.

How my blog traffic rose

Look at this picture of how my blog traffic rose yesterday (February 12, 2010). As you can see, my visitor traffic has always hovered well below fifty visitors per day. Probably closer to thirty. But yesterday, there was a spike. Above 200 visitors. Amazing!

Now look at this image of my number one placing out of 6,750 on Google for a search "kd lang sings at olympics". This is only one search term. There are over 250 search term combinations that people are finding my blog through that are related to lang's performance at the Olympics....and growing.

Those are only the statistics from yesterday. Today, my traffic is even much higher, but I will not know exactly how high until the day is complete and I can check my Google Analytics report.

How easy is it to post video to your blog?

It's easy. Very very easy.

It's free.

It takes only minutes.

How do you do it?

First, find a video on YouTube that you like.

Second, find the "embed" html code that is located to the right of the video as highlighted in yellow on the right of this screenshot I took from my vernongirl YouTube channel page.

Then, cut and paste that "embed" code into the html code (sometimes called the source code) of your blog post. It is that simple. And, it's legal. If someone who has posted a video on Youtube chooses to share their video, they will make sure that the "embed" html code is accessible to you. This allows you to cut and paste the code and use their videos on your blog or website. Now, how great is that?

There is advertising that comes up on the video that you have no control over, but it's worth it.

Blog about current topics and trends

This experience has taught me that it is a very good idea to be on top of current topics and trends, and to comment on them quickly on your blog if you want traffic. Sometimes it can pay off. I've been wondering when this day would come.

But it's also important to go with your heart. And since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, what a great segue into my next point about heart in sports and life and the relevancy between Cohen, lang, Hallelujah and the Olympics.

Why are k.d. lang and Hallelujah relevant to the 2010 Olympics?

This morning on Twitter, someone tweeted to me that they didn't see the relevance in lang singing about biblical infidelity.

This sparked a big discussion between me and my husband over morning coffee. He didn't see the relevancy either. So I looked up Leonard Cohen on the internet. I was pretty sure he was Canadian. (I'm not saying this tongue-in-cheek either.) Yes, I was right. According to the LeonardCohen.com website ....

"Cohen ironically describes himself as “the little Jew who wrote the Bible,”.

....He has immersed himself into Jewish culture, Christian imagery and Buddhist detachment. He believes that our human imperfections are finally what will bring us whatever transcendence we can attain." (I edited.)

Human imperfection seemed particularly relevant to me since the Georgian luger flew off the track yesterday and slammed into a pole, killing him instantly. I watched the video on the internet just before I sat down to watch the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics (but refused to send out links to it.) Human imperfection is apparent in the design of the track and the execution of the luger. Poignant. Plus Cohen is a celebrated poet and songwriter. Here is a link to Leonard Cohen's biography. 

k.d. lang grew up in Alberta, but now makes her home in Los Angeles, California. An incredible talent, she is no stranger to adversity. Being a lesbian in Alberta, I'm sure, had its challenges. (I grew up in Calgary.)

But overall, Canada is an amazingly diverse country. Not only is our landscape diverse, but so are our people. We are a cultural, religious and idealism melting pot. So to have k.d lang singing a song written by a self-proclaimed Jewish poet is completely relevant.

It celebrates diversity, art, expression, freedom, overcoming obstacles and choice. Choice in religious beliefs, sexual orientation and how you will triumph over human imperfection. Isn't that what Canada is all about?

Here is a link to the original blog post that sparked this story, and my blog traffic, where you can see the video of k.d. lang performing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Enjoy!

p.s. I have to give credit to Danielle Laporte’s White Hot Truth blog for giving me the idea to put this video onto my site. One day, I was looking through her blog and I came across this inspirational video of k.d. lang. (I read Laporte's blog for creative inspiration.) I love inspirational women. Laporte also writes about sex. I love that in Canada you can do that. And Danielle is from British Columbia too. Go Canada!

Thanks for reading.

Courtenay Pitcher, Born in Canada

Related posts: Automated reply system for Twitter: Antique collector and web designer unite to brand Twitter.
 

If you liked k.d. lang singing at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies You'll love this.

Get your tickets for a world of dance: Sat. January 30th Vernon Recreation Centre

I am a member of the Hula Halau Ke Aloha Dance Group. It stands for the Hula School of Love. We will be performing at the Vernon Recreation Centre on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. as part of the Vernon Winter Carnival festivities.

Join me for an amazing kaleidoscope of world dance that will blow your mind! We are doing it to benefit the students of the four dance schools (to provide money for costumes and competition).

Dance performances by:
Aviemore Highland Dancers
Zirka Ukrainian Dancers
Hula Halau Ke Aloha Polynesian Dancers
Silhouette Dance Studio.

$10 kids and seniors
$15 adults

On sale will also be:
Tea, coffee, pop
Beer and Wine
A taste of food from each of the cultures represented.

Silent Auction.

Tickets can be purchased through me at phone: 250-558-1176

Thanks for reading,

Courtenay Pitcher