It’s been a tough week. Some friends have passed away. And some famous people have passed on, too. It felt like every day for the last week someone I knew or someone I knew of died. For some odd reason Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the thing with feathers” has popped into my head. If…
When I was a kid and people asked me what I wanted to be when I was grown up, I would say: Famous. It was my stock answer and it usually got a laugh. I didn’t specify what I would be famous for. I figured it would have something to do with acting or writing.…
Today, I celebrate my thirty-second wedding anniversary. It’s crazy to think that I’ve spent more than half my life with the lovely Deb Dagenais. Where did the time go? Thirty-two years… How does one stay married for so long? It’s simple — not easy, mind you — just simple. Follow these two rules… Rule #1:…
I was listening to the song “A Plea from a Cat Named Virtute” by the Weakerthans the other day. I love that song but it always gets me. It hits me in the emotional gut. The song is the imagined monologue of a cat to its depressed owner. I remember the first time I heard…
When I went away to university, I never thought about the impact my absence might have on my parents. I was going off on a new adventure. Life beckoned and I answered the call. I missed my family, but I never really thought about how they might have missed me. After school, I came back…
I met my wife when we were both in a play 32 years ago. I had heard of her before I met her. My friend Jimmy had spoken about this Deb Dagenais who was a good actress. It was easy to be attracted to her. She was vivacious and fun. Sometimes after rehearsal, I would…
What is the time frame to get over the loss of someone you love? Is there a point where you say it doesn’t hurt anymore? My brother passed away 27 years ago; he was only 22 years old. I often think of the life he missed out living; so many things he never got to…
Last week, I was invited to go see some young poets read from their works at a Chapters store. My friend Kevin teaches grade two in an elementary school and runs a writing club after classes. He had arranged the reading. The club is made up of kids from grades 3 to grade 8. I…
2014 is going to be an interesting year. I will officially start my own business and be expected to make some money at it. The idea of being my own boss is scary and exciting. It will be a year full of hard work and long hours. I will be learning new things and trying…
On Saturday (July 20, 2013), my brother Mark married his wife Alexandra in Niagara Falls. I gave the toast welcoming Alexandra to our family. Here it is for family and friends that weren’t able to be there: Felicidades, Alexandra y Marchy. Congratulations, Alexandra and Mark (or “Marchy”, as he’s known in Spanish). Before I go on, I…
peter gruner 