From the Desk of Murray Lincoln

Friday, January 8, 2010

Depends, Rubber Gloves and Airport Security

Today’s Blog Post

Depends, Rubber Gloves and Airport Security

They are all rumours to this point… for me. That is all the stories of the new airline security procedures. Each day since Christmas 2009 new things are being reported in the news, written, talked about or on TV. It seems since the young African kept an explosive powder in his under shorts, then attempted to blow up the airline he was on… the suspicions are that every one is going to have stuff under their clothes. Further to that it is a possibility that folk will begin taping flat packets of powder in packages to different parts of their bodies to be used in similar ways while in flight.

There is humour in this folks and I don’t for one minute envy the folk at the security check points at any airport. Their job is on the line and they have to do what they are being required to do. Think of them for a minute or two,

The first issue is the now apparent ‘Pat Down’ that is happening at most of our airports. The rubber gloved attendant massages all of you body – and I mean all. He has to develop his touch through someone’s clothing to the point that he or she is able to discover instantly if someone has something sewing into their under wear… or other sections on their anatomy.

Has your imagination kicked in yet? Are you standing in that line and can you feel the perspiration breaking out on your forehead and the folk in front of you are being strip searched from the outside of their clothing?

Concentrating on someone’s crotch and having to tenderly run your gloved fingers over their private areas to make sure there is no illegal and dangerous substances… is not an appealing job.

Now add age to the individual that is flying and the fact that some may have to use ‘Depends’ (or their equivalent of the adult diaper) it starts to change the picture of what might be there. There may be more that is there than the ordinary person carries. Yikes.

Going to the gym each morning and having to frequent that change room I have seen more than my fair share of anatomy. The men that share that busy room with me are all different – very different from each other. That sight alone came to mind as the TV was showing a Pat Down. Double Yikes!

I mean the thoughts are rampant. What training do these folk have to know… well just know what they will have to know?

Now add to the fact that some I know are so ticklish that they cannot be touched. Now add that to a security line frisking… and that rubber gloved middle aged security man from Pakistan… may get his face slapped… or one really loud “whooooah” from one of my friends.

There isn’t anyone that I know that won’t jump when ‘goosed’.

Now given the fact that you are always being watched for physical appearance changes when you are in line… profuse sweating indicating fear and guilt… a whole lot more people might be taken from the line for further checking.

A ‘Full Body Scan Machine’ looks real good now. This is true for the traveler and the poor South Asian person that is required to rubber glove someone – with a straight face.

I have thought of going on a trip some day in the near future. Some how air travel is losing it aura of excitement as I consider some of this. Triple yikes! The walk is too long and the thought of a long boat ride drives me insane.

So as time goes on and a possible trip looms to the USA, via air, I am thinking seriously of talking with my doctor for some form of anti-anxiety medication for the pat down experience.

Now that hasn’t even dealt with the fact that for one hour before the flight landing I will have to stay in my seat and not get up. No retrieval of stuff from my carry on… no bathroom trip just before landing… no long time in the bathroom… no bowel problems… or YOU MIGHT BE A TERRORIST. (One situation this week it was reported that they launched the fighter jets because one man was in the washroom too long while in flight!) I WILL NEED TO WEAR DEPENDS!

I think I will just stay home. Quadruple YIKES!!!!

I gotta go to the gym.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Brightners are needed in Canada in January

Then a friend sent a video that was simply amazing as a man helps to settle down his puppy brood that were crying for their mommy.
Try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCnAjel02lM

Then as I clicked through the different photos that CNN offered it was great. I needed them.

I know now why Bears sleep winter off… Oh Boy.

I am off to the Gym.

BTW- the Post on “To Prorogue or Not to Prorogue – that is the Question” - The Prime Ministers Office sent me an email that they received it. I am impressed!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Large_Format_Pix/POD/home.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCnAjel02lM

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

48 Years of “Eat, Pray, Love”

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Today’s Blog Post

48 Years of “Eat, Pray, Love”
Now here is a revelation from a Marriage Expert!

Her name is Elizabeth Gilbert and she is 40 years old – and married to the most recent guy, Felipe, for 3 years…but was recovering from a nasty divorced as she entered the new marriage. She entered the new marriage only after meeting Felipe in Indonesia and then trying to get back into the USA….where immigration people told her that she either had to marry him or he would not be allowed into the country.

I was doing a calendar up yesterday for one of the groups that I work with – and was pointed to Valentines Day, Feb 14, 2010. That pointed me to the 49 Valentines Days that I have been with one woman – and also quite a few days of the 49 that I forgot to buy her something. Yikes!

But then as I looked at her I realized that I am(we are) a bit of a ‘dinosaur generation’ in that we met, started to fall in love and then continued to love each other forever – all 48 years of it.

Yet when I give advice about Marriage I am not like Gilbert… who has written a very popular book about it… “Eat, Pray, Love”… which is now to be a to become a Movie for the Big Screen! No body wants to make a Movie about Dinosaurs these days… except when they call it the “Ice Age”.

CNN reporter A. Pawlowski interviewed Ms Gilbert. It was interesting to read. Here is a portion of that interview (link below take you to the whole interview)

Quote…
CNN: So you dedicated yourself to study marriage. What surprised you the most about your research?
Gilbert: If you look at the history of marriage, anytime you see a conservative culture of arranged marriage being replaced by a more liberal culture of romantic marriage ... you will see divorce rates start to rise immediately.

It turns out that love is a very fragile notion upon which to base a very important and complicated institution. I think most people throughout history would look at the way we choose our marriages today and just think, my God, these people took huge risks. They risk their future, financial stability, property and their heirs on something as fragile and delicate as romantic affection.

It's not that that necessarily means that I advocate a return to arranged marriage, it just helps put in perspective why contemporary western marital arrangements can become so chaotic.
When love dies, and that's the only thing that holds you together, there is nothing to keep the marriage intact.

CNN: Some of your views might shatter fans of "Jerry Maguire" and the film's famous "You complete me" line. You write that you "refuse to burden Felipe with the tremendous responsibility of somehow completing me."

Gilbert: I'm such a romantic person and I love "Jerry Maguire" as well. I love that scene, I love that moment. But I think there does come a time when we have to distinguish between the romance of love and the reality of long-term, decades-long intimacy.

Sometimes what happens is we long for the fairy-tale ending. I'm a little bit more of an advocate for the fairy-tale beginning. I think it's wonderful when a love story begins with a great deal of romance and affection, passion and excitement, that's how it should be.

But I don't necessarily know that it's the wisest thing in the world to expect that it ends there, or that it should, 30 years down the road, still look as it did on the night of your first kiss. ~ End Quote

The side bar in the CNN article states…
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* In "Committed," Elizabeth Gilbert spends months traveling and researching marriage
* Gilbert, boyfriend were "sentenced to wed" to avoid immigration problems
* "Women go into marriage with such high expectations," Gilbert says
* Julia Roberts will play her in the film version of Gilbert's memoir, "Eat, Pray, Love"

I don’t have problem with Ms Gilbert nor her book(s) – I don’t know her at all. I only know a deep a committed ‘dinosaur way’ that is now entering our 43 year of being married… and 48th Valentine Day!

I know that we are not what we were when we began. Lots of things have changed and stiffened and gone fat and simply … gone!

My friend sent me a New Alphabet to consider… here it is…

A for arthritis;
B the bad back,
C the chest pains, perhaps car-d-iac?
D is for dental decay and decline,
E is for eyesight, can't read that top line!
F is for fissures and fluid retention,
G is for gas which I'd rather not mention.
H high blood pressure--I'd rather it low;
I for incisions with scars you can show.
J is for joints, out of socket, won't mend,
K is for knees that crack when they bend.
L for libido, what happened to sex?
M is for memory, I forget what comes next.
N is neuralgia, in nerves way down low;
O is for osteo, bones that don't grow!
P for prescriptions, I have quite a few, just give me a pill and I'll be good as new!
Q is for queasy, is it fatal or flu?
R is for reflux, one meal turns to two.
S is for sleepless nights, counting my fears,
T is for Tinnitus; bells in my ears!
U is for urinary; troubles with flow;
V for vertigo, that's 'dizzy,' you know.
W for worry, N OW what's going 'round?
X is for X ray, and what might be found.
Y for another year I'm left here behind,
Z is for zest I still have-- in my mind.

My Bride and I can now understand this list better after all these years!

BUT on this cold January Morning… I want to declare that I am still in Love with the same woman after all these years. And I am a Dinosaur!

I might go to see the new Movie when it comes out.

48 years down the road, it still looks as it did on the night of our first kiss.

I wish you, Ms Gilbert and Felipe, all the success in the world!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/05/elizabeth.gilbert.marriage.book/index.html

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

To Prorogue or Not to Prorogue – that is the Question

To Prorogue or Not to Prorogue – that is the Question
Gasp and Panick! Canada is falling apart – Left, Right and Centre! And if the Toronto Star has its way it will sell more newspapers at the Cold Time of year!

The Prime Minister of Canada has Prorogued Parliament! Holy Mackerel the entire world is going to tip over. The Parliament of Canada will not meet until March 3, 2010!!!!!! What could be worse than that?

Maybe not selling enough Newspapers or getting enough of your own stories written so you can justify the keeping of your job as a reporter – that’s what!

In today’s piece written by Susan Delacourt and Richard J. Brennan we are warned of the impending danger of a “Grassroot Uprising” by Canadians that are unhappy… and the article notes that as of yesterday 20,000 people had signed up and will possibly be protesting by or on January 23, 2010… and the implied threat for the PM is that perhaps the whole country will be upside down with his Detestable Actions taken on December 30, 2010 – when he, along with the Governor General Michaëlle Jean approving – stopped the whole world moving ahead! God help us all!!!

The world has stopped spinning on its axis – so it is reported….

Hey – Canada – WAKE UP – it is January and University Students that are sick of studying and need a break to do stupid and completely silly things. And University Professors that basically have to deal with University Students that are sick of studying – like to sell their books, give their valuable, over rated opinions about everything… but be sure you buy their book!!!!!

How can I be so hard on these knuckle heads? How dare I rise up on this insignificant blog and belch out my own rant against a possible uprising? Who do you think you are Lincoln?

Well… are you ready for this? I was once a really Stupid and really Silly University Student that was really sick of studying in January 1965. In fact it started in 1964, the fall, and the day we organized the Agricultural Club at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus.

The “Ag Club” was formed by my friends when they sat next to me in a study session of that big old building on College Ave. in Regina, Saskatchewan They leaned over to me and asked if I would like to join. I asked them to tell me what it was about… and they responded by telling me that official organization meeting was to be that afternoon at Room 103B… “If you are interested come along and bring a friend!”

I showed up and heard the presentation.

The “Ag Club” was formed in a heart beat. One guy explained that on Campus there were a number of Clubs formed and partially funded by University money… and given rooms to meet in… and a staff member could facilitate where they felt the usefulness of it all.

The “Ag Club” had “No Purpose At All” – in fact it was formed to be the only No Purpose Club to do no purpose things wherever possible! After along and well explained No Purpose a rousing cheer went up from all 8 people that had come out.

One guys suggested that we needed a crest and logo that everyone could see and identify with in our group. After some extensive discussion on this issue we all came to conclusion that the very best logo and symbol was a “Pile of Manure with a pitch fork in it”… just a plain old pile of Crap!

That was as close to Agriculture that we got… was the pile of Crap. It best described what we were to do – as everything we did, out of total contempt, was to be nothing and absolutely nothing but Crap! We spent much time on deciding which Non Purpose things we could follow, design and carry out!

Now I know that some of my close friends that know my stellar reputation that I have tried so hard for 55 years to build… may be a bit surprised at this open confession… but it is true. I belonged to a group that was represented nothing but Crap – spread as thick and deep as we could spread it and to make as much noise about nothing as we could.

Now I must go back to the planning meeting… the leader stated that officially the University needed to register the Club Officers when the club was recognized. So they needed a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. He became the President, another and then another took the next positions. That left five of us that were looking at each other with some doubt as to the leader’s sanity at that point. We were still trying to see the fact that we could join something with no purpose and radiate no purpose in complete defiance to the establishment that represented complete purpose and absolute perfection.

All eyes were turned away from the newly appointed President’s stare… all but me. He looked at me and asked a profound question, “Will you be the Treasurer? You won’t need to keep any books or handle any money. You will have no purpose at all – in keeping with the No Purpose of our club. If we do get anything given to us you can keep the Pile of Crap. Would you be able to do that for us?”

I mean what can you say except, “YES! I can do that!” And with that I was the first and only Treasurer of the Ag Club!!!!

Our first “coming out” action was well planned. It took us at least one afternoon of talking about it and making the detailed plans that would be carried out on a key night coming up.

We knew that the National Press would be there. They had been for that last two years that we could remember. And we knew too that not only would the Newspaper people be there – the National TV People would there too.

At least the Local TV would be there and the reported, spoken words would hit TV somewhere. In 1965 they still couldn’t do the Film thing to every TV Station in Canada in a split second. There were no TV Satellite Trucks yet…

We cut classes one afternoon to make the posters. As the only artistic one of the bunch that came that day – I designed the posters. Others coloured the things that I drew. The Pile of Crap was excellent and the pitch fork was just right and even the steam coming up from the pile was very graphic!

Our purpose was to Picket and Protest the “Burning of Christmas Trees” that had become a city wide event about the middle of January. All the trees that were picked up from the front of people’s houses after Christmas were deposited in one absolutely huge pile in an open field.

On a certain night the City’s Mayor and Councillors all arrived along with the Fire Department guys. The whole city arrived as well… thousands upon thousands of people gathered for a huge Mid January Bon Fire that went on for a long time as thousands of Christmas Trees sizzled and snapped and popped out on that empty field. It was a city happening of absolute wonder!

We arrived in our three cars, fetched our signage and followed our President. We pushed through the crowd to the front near the tree pile. We kept of signs down and at the ready.

The Fire Men lit the trees on fire at the Mayor’s signal… and a mighty roar went up from the thousands standing there. What a moment!

With the light of the huge Bon Fire we grabbed our signs and held them high – shouting with all the anger and vengeance that we could muster from our First Year, Second Year and Third Year University Voices!!!!! We were loud and the spectacle was absolutely perfect with us walking between the crowd and the Bon Fire… cameras were there and clicking away… our silhouettes and signage could easily be seen by all.

Our chant was simple “Burning Christmas Trees if Unfair”!!!! “Unfair!”

We made noise and we made the news. Our illustrious President was interviewed on our behalf and got the word out about the “AG Club”. The reporters scribbled and made avid notes.

People looked on with their mouths open and some even shook their heads.

We were away ahead of the gathering of Christmas Trees for making Mulch and environmental things… like big nonsense kind of fires.

But we did it. And it was a Mid January kind of stupid and silly thing to do.

The next week the University Office informed our President that they did not think that they could back a club that had no purpose. They also asked about who was at the Bon Fire Picketing episode. He told them that it was dark and he couldn’t really see everyone.

We did a few more really stupid and really silly things. The University went on to become the University of Regina. The leaders of this group graduated and for the most part either became Lawyers(eventually Politicians), Doctors and one Minister in a Church(that was me).

Special Note for Delacourt and Brennan – the 2010 Ag Club needs you to keep doing what you are doing.

It is reported that Mr. Michael Ignatieff will be visiting Universities all across Canada…. and my guess is that he will be meeting the 2010 Top Leadership of the Old Ag Club… with steam and pitch fork in place.

The one thing that I envy today is… the Old Ag Club with its original 8 founding members never had the invaluable tool of Facebook. Darn!

To Prorogue or Not to Prorogue – that is the Question!!!!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/746068--grassroots-fury-greets-shuttered-parliament

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Texting Danger – Finding a Balance

Today’s Blog Post

Texting Danger – Finding a Balance

Yesterday as I was going out the door my Cell Phone gave a weird little beep after I turned it on. I looked down and I had a Text Message from the Molson Company. Molson, if you are Canadian, is the big beer company… and all powerful sports interest and advertising group.

The message was a Happy New Year – Best Wishes – etc from the Molson Company.

I do not drink beer nor have I bought any beer for over 42 years – in fact I hate beer if it needs to be known.

Why and how did Text me? I don’t really know if I have a Texing Number? I guess I do because my little phone brought a message to me. I think it is just my telephone number – which I never give out to anyone now.

So they must have been doing kind of computer generated dialing and sent the message that way.

Well – TEXTING is dangerous! There is proof this morning from the Winnipeg CTV report that I read. Three men are in the hospital and two people have been charged with assault – all because of Text Messages to someone’s cell phone.

Can you believe it???! How dumb can some people be? What could someone possibly type into their cell phone that would stir that much hatred? I can hardly believe it is possible.

I can only imagine what might be punched into the tiny keyboard on the Cell Phone.

Yet threats and rumours are all part of today’s society – as much as they were in my day.

In one of my class rooms in high school there was a bully that we all tried to shy away from. Come to think of it there were also bullies in the public school too (grade 1 to 8).

Way back then the rumour was spread quickly without a small keyboard… “There is going to be a fight at 4 PM out back of the school… Todd is going to clean Gerry’s clock… don’t miss it!”

“What happened? Why is it happening? What did Gerry do?” was the question that followed.

“Gerry has been messing around with Todd’s girl Natalie” was the reply.

As school finished for the day there was excitement in the hallway… students poured out the doors – some yelling “Fight! Fight! Fight!” and we all poured toward the back of the school. I remember standing at a distance from the crowd and watching it close in a bit tighter. Then as I moved away toward the sidewalk going home… I heard the distinct sound of a struggle and people cheering.

I couldn’t understand why two guys would fight over a girl. It didn’t make sense. There were lots of girls – just find another NEW friend. But then I was too young to know what a heart break some of the relationships would later be.

It just seemed dumb at the time.

Texting is new but Fighting isn’t. The guys in Winnipeg that got into this scuffle were definitely a little immature – even though they were 25 to 27 years old.

The most serious Threats that are made in Schools today are the kind that involve Guns and possibly Bombs. I have heard the news as teachers and police have to react to them… shutting schools down for the safety of everyone.

But the threats are also real.

One quote I offer is the following from schoolsecruity.org… quote…
"We are now dealing with 'Generation Text'," said Ken Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services. "The rumors typically become greater than the issue, problem, or incident itself. Rumors fly in minutes, not hours, attendance can drop dramatically overnight and some school officials seem increasingly quick to shut down schools," he noted. – end quote.

Some words that were scribbled on a bathroom wall back in my day are now quickly sent via Texting… and then passed from one to another as fast as lightening.

This is a whole new era.

Back in the old days there was time before the end of the school day to see the threat evaporate and no fight take place… or the couple would simply get things right… and Todd would find out that Gerry hadn’t even talked to Natalie.

Today Texting makes it true and a rumor becomes absolute fact – because my friend sent it.

In Pastoral Work I witnessed how fast some of the Rumors could destroy people’s reputation. In our city we have some great evidence of that happening locally. Some ‘Seniors’ just gossip – not Texting here!

Now add the fact that Texting can be so immediate and do such damage so quickly – this is a potential threat like no other. Relationships can be made or broken with some simple actions of a person’s thumbs.

In Winnipeg the fight was all because of a Text Message sent… perceived as a threat and then action followed because of perception.

I am studying this whole new societal phenomena in a new light.

A Link below with the Talk about ‘TED’ and how the Cell Phone is now being used to report what is happening in real time during a country’s violent outbreak, like Kenya post election violence and Mumbai, India and the Terrorist attacks.

Five words and actions show up..in 3 hours time span…
Outbreak
Confused
Recovering
Stable
Return

And it was all recorded using the Cell Phone Texting.

They get into ‘Crowdsource’ Information… leading to Information Overload… and the need to see what is true and not true… valid and not valid.

This idea of Texting becoming a part of our society and maybe even effecting change… is real.

Now switch to my more familiar world… the Church… and the Church World. I have been in meetings where the Leader that was conducting the meeting was actually Texting someone while we shared our ideas and suggestions. I have witnessed people in church passing text messages to each other… then snorting with the reply… I am pretty sure it was a reaction to what the Pastor just said…

Even Church has and is feeling the effect.

Wouldn’t it be funny if God sent me a Text Message… Beep…

My world is changing very fast. I need a balance with what is happening. Oh boy!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100101/wpg_stabbing_newyear_010110/20100102/?hub=WinnipegHome
http://www.ted.com/talks/erik_hersman_on_reporting_crisis_via_texting.html

http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/threats.html

Saturday, January 2, 2010

In Step With Our Kids – Part Two – The Happy Times

Above you will see a priceless photo for me… My Dad, Clifford Lincoln, my brother Glen Lincoln and me. The date is April 1957 and the place is 1422 Elliott Street, Regina, Saskatchewan. The photo is 52 years old!

It was about to become a turbulent time in my life – yet everything at the moment the photo is snapped, with Dad’s new camera, is as happy as I could ever imagine or remember.

The 35 mm slide stayed in a box and was only to show about once a year when dad would have a family slide show. As the years went by this happened less and less. For a number of years after dad passed away it was hard to retrieve the slides – just because it was such a big part of his life and ours. It was a painful connection that was hard to touch without a major slump in my feelings. I missed dad so much.

The box of slides were stored by my mom for the years following – in the small cupboard at the top of stairs to the second floor.

After mom sold the Cameron Street Home and moved to the next times in her life to the Broad Street – Canadiana Apts the slides went with her… and then they moved to the Yukon with my sister Karen.

About a year ago the slides moved back south and far to east to Peterborough, Ontario where they sat waiting in my small office waiting for what will happen next.

Two days ago with the help of my new Christmas Present, a slide converter, the slides have come alive – appearing on Facebook and being transferred electronically all over Canada and the USA.

Just like Clifford Lincoln, their creator, they are on the move again… just like he always was.

The moment the photo above was shot dad was already planning our next major move from Elliott Street to Cameron Street. It was a big move that would affect my entire life in ways I am even discovering this week.

This photo is of Barry, Glen, Eddie and me – in 1957. Likely taken not long before we were to move away and our close friendship would be broken forever. These two Galenzoski brothers were our closest friends. The four of us did everything together.

I need to explain that Elliott Street was not the best street to live on. It was situated in a tough neighbourhood that was not where the ‘nice people’ lived. We didn’t know that until after a number of years and the discovery of the Cameron Street area – which was situated in a high end community of Regina. Cameron Street had better schools and safer places to play, was surrounded with Doctors, Lawyers and Politicians. Elliott Street had none of that kind of people. Politicians only discussed the Elliott Street area when looking at factories and problems of low level income people…situated close to the busiest rail yard in Western Canada.

In 1957 I had the coolest dad. He did stuff with his boys and all the boys in the community.

It was about this time of year and this part of growing up that dad made us the Cross Bow Guns that were amazing. Like every other Cross Bow it shot an arrow. The Cross Bow that dad designed was made to shoot wooden shingles. These shingles were in abundance in that old community. The shingle was sliced lengthwise to make a thin projectile – an arrow. The car tire inner tube made from black rubber provided the power to fire.

Taking aim at a box situated about 25 feet away and then pulling the trigger was the ultimate high. “Thoop! Thuck!”… and the arrow stuck deeply in the box. If you approached the box a little closer the arrow went right through the wooden crate – both sides.

Dad showed us how to trim the arrow with our pocket knives and then with careful aim – birds that dared to land in the field were simply dispatched to their heavenly home.

There was no good reason to do that in 1957 except you needed to shoot something.

When we moved to the upper end of Regina, Cameron Street, Cross Bows were not the acceptable item to carry. The refined folk that lived there had different ideas for their birds, windows and property.

As I rummaged through the boxes of slides I discovered a priceless shot of the ‘Lincoln Clan’ cousins. There on the stairway of that tiny Elliott Street house were the Sigglekow kids, the Gompf kids and the Lincolns. The only cousins missing were situated in Vernon, B.C. and they never came this far east.

As you look at the photo look at the smiles and almost the radiance that came from the stairway. I remember that feeling these 52 years later – like it was yesterday. These were my ‘Monopoly’, ‘Domino’, ‘Snakes and Ladder’ partners. That is what we did on these holidays together – and loved it.

It was parents that took the extra time and the huge amount of money(in that day) to get us all together. It was my dad and mom that hosted everyone as the owners of the Elliott Street property.

The same thing happened when our families travelled to Oak Lake, Manitoba to stay with the Gompfs or Alberta to stay with the Sigglekows. It took time and money to travel these distances – but it was worth every cent!

In monetary value it would be very hard to say what this one photo cost everyone that week… but they did it.

In this photo… the youngest one, Karen, is now 52 years old. My brother Glen passed away at 45 years old… and the rest are now Senior Citizen and Pensioners (or soon to be…). All but two of our 6 parents have passed away.

These were the happy times before life would take its toll.

Wow! What a feeling I have had this week after opening the box of 35 mm slides.

The purpose of converting the slides is simple. The Lincoln Clan cousins and the Kirkpatrick Clan cousins… along with the dozens of Nieces and Nephews are 90% connected by computers and all kinds of communicators like IPods and Blackberrys – etc. AND they all want to know of the Old Days.

On that stairway shot – I am the oldest Boy Cousin – and the now keeper of the slide boxes. I am responsible to pass it on… and everyone knows it.

Today I will savour these feelings all over again… as I go deeper into this treasure.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
Murray and Glen - on the bed that they shared until a bunk bed was found

The Four Lincoln Kids - 1957

Murray, Pat, Glen and Karen

Friday, January 1, 2010

In Step With Our Kids - By Bruce Lindsay

Today’s Blog Post
Guest Blogger – Bruce Lindsay

In Step With Our Kids
By Bruce Lindsay

This is a story about staying involved with your kids – staying relevant.

When I read Murray’s recent blog about ‘The World of Goo’ and another grandpa who’s too busy to play games with his grandkids I thought I need to shout it out – IF YOU DON’T SHOW INTEREST IN THEM, THEY WILL HAVE NO INTEREST IN YOU!

Oh it doesn’t happen right away, but over the course of their young lives, children know the answer to the question: Do you really care or do you just want to give them a kiss and a hug once in a while and say you care?

I always know when I run a funeral and the grandkids haven’t found time to come.

Waiters and waitresses always know when they see the family that eats together, but has nothing to talk about.

I remember when my son, Clifford, was about 11 years old and trying to master a Spiderman video game. He got stuck at one level. Expecting he would get stuck there, I had downloaded a map of the city for him to see where he had to go to find the bad guys (or whatever). Murray was really impressed that I was so involved that I could predict the problem and have the solution ready.

I’ve tried to be a good Dad. But people have often told me that, “Up until now, it’s been easy. Wait until he’s a teenager. Then you’ll see…”
That sounds like a challenge if ever I heard one.

Clifford is almost 15 now (I know! I can’t believe it either). His latest interest is a game called ‘War Hammer 40K’. It is a game played with plastic and lead soldiers on a table, a little like chess, but much more complicated – and much more expensive.

Imagine you have to choose an army. Then you buy the rule book and another book so you know all the special rules for your own army. Then you buy the army, one squad at a time. Each squad costs between $10-45. Then you need a tank or 4 at about $60 each. Then you need a veteran squad and maybe an assault squad and a demolisher squad. Then you need a special leader for a squad, make that 3 special leaders. How about an army chaplain too? He can actually help your men in the attack (Hey, even in the game, prayer moves the hand of God). You will want some mechanics to help repair your tanks or other weapons. And on, and on...

In total, I’m sure that Clifford has spent at least $400 on this game. And he has only one army! Most of it was his own money he earned by umpiring baseball games last summer. His army is awesome. And he is a very strategic thinker. He is winning tournaments now.

He was going to visit friends on his days off, sometimes sleeping over and having massive battles. Clifford has about 4 other friends all building their own armies.

I realized that to stay involved in Clifford’s life, I wasn’t just going to have to support him in his decisions and read the rules and understand the game to be able to talk about it and have relevant things to say to him – and yes I was doing all that. I realized I needed my own army!

I began to build the Tyranid army. It’s an army of nasty bug-like creatures. If you’ve seen the movie Alien and Aliens (there might be 4 others now – Alien versus Predator was the last one) then you have some idea of what my soldiers look like. They all have sharp claws, they are fast, some of them spit poison and stuff, but they are still bugs. They die pretty easily.

I’ve built the army up so it looks cool. My army is not nearly big enough to beat Clifford’s yet, but it’s growing. Soon my Tyranid army will rule the world! Yes, I’ve had a few problems. The rules are sometimes too complicated for me and I have to keep checking the rule-book to know what each weapon does and how strong it is or how fast each guy can run. I had trouble gluing the wings on my flying gargoyle-creatures so I left them with Murray to try his luck.

But it’s been a very fun Christmas, playing the game with Clifford and his cousin Jonathan. I still speak their language and I am still involved in Clifford's precious life. I should say, he still invites me into his precious life and allows me to spend time with him.

Parents and grandparents, this is where I say, “GO, AND DO LIKEWISE.” Find out where your children and grandchildren are at, and go there. I daresay it’s not easy. You might have to read some books about things you are really not interested in. You might have to learn some new things that you don’t really care about. You might have to spend a whole lot of money and even purchase some kind of new gadget or game. But in the end, having the precious time with that precious life makes it worth it. They will know you love them and know that you aren’t just saying it. And then, (Surprise, surprise!) they will begin to show interest in you and where you are at, and go there, with you!

Now I must go. There is a sale on at the game shop. I’m going to buy a different kind of bug that is camouflaged so well, it is invisible to other armies. It can spring out of nowhere and attack when it’s least expected. BOO-HAA-HAA-HAA-HAA! (Evil, conquer the world laugh.)

~ Bruce Lindsay ~