8/14/2021 2 Comments Sensorium in TimeIf I was to fall backwards into my writing what would I find? To go back and break apart the structure. Stratgies, plans and reports for corporate audiences. Scattered thoughts in blog format. Long-winded essays looking for a word limit. Poetry. Early journal entries as an adolescence. CoPieS of siMPle wOrds LiKE CattLe.
My writing has been 29-years in the making. 29-years exercising the privilege of literacy. An educational wonder that helps me see my thoughts. Patterns of the mind that I can choose to disrupt. Thoughts, become words, become… actions. It’s actually quite the radical action to write, privately or publicly. To have an idea worth expressing or a memory worth remembering. An exploration of your life’s journey self-dramatized by emotions, hardships, triumphs, and breakthroughs. Radical because of recent widespread adoption (which in the USA was the 1920s). Radical because it can stir revolutions and assassinations or lead to new realizations. Really, I guess its about self-expression or reflection. Momentary memoirs to a future Self who has new eyes, ears, and other sense making tools. I’d call it a “sensorium in time,” a radical rendition of autobiographical submissions.
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1/6/2020 2 Comments January 06th, 2020After reading my Grandfather’s (Fred MacInnis) 2019 year-end letter I have decided to do one of my own. I hope that my letter finds you well.
In 2019, my partner (Brooklyn Glass) and myself adopted our first Dog. Josi is an 11-year old Woodle that, until recently, lived her entire life in Ontario. The dog is Brooklyn’s father’s dog whose habit of visiting Mexico led him to ask us to take care of her. Josi is a well-trained saint who is the reason why I have now enjoyed many more sunrises and sunsets. This last spring, Brooklyn and I planted our first garden together. We opted for guerrilla gardening and built three raised bed gardens on the boulevard outside our house. There are gardens in our backyard, but they don’t get much sunlight due to the trees. I didn’t know I could get so excited about seedlings. But, it’s truly a miraculous thing to wake up in the morning to see that the squash seedlings have catapulted dirt so that they have room to stand. Our bounty included peas, tomatoes, strawberries, kale, herbs, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and lettuce. Unfortunately, the squash got a fungus that led to their demise. We are excited to plant again. It was also the first year that I had family out for Thanksgiving in Victoria. Big milestone. Hopefully next time Erin can make it out. Brooklyn and I have joined our neighbourhood association (Fairfield-Gonzales). They recently started a climate change action group. The group’s goal is to align under the City of Victoria’s Climate Action Plan. I have a started facilitating portions of the meetings. It’s been an exciting process that is connecting me with more and more people. Brooklyn pitched an idea called the Pledge Program, which is a mixture of goal-setting and social buy-in to get more people moving in the direction of climate change. It was chosen by the group to be the first project. We both feel inspired being with other environmentally-minded and motivated individuals. I have just finished reading the book “The Art of Learning” by Josh Waitzkin. Josh is an amazing storyteller that talks about his journey as a Chess prodigy to becoming a world champion in Tai Chi. The book is filled with many important lessons and is an overall inspiring read. The main lesson I would ask anyone to explore is how to create a Growth Mindset. It’s common that people become limited from their self-perception of their innate abilities. That is, they only do what they are good at without a willingness to improve (both good and bad skills). However, learning is improvement. So, if you have a willingness to learn you will improve naturally. 2019 marked my return to soccer. I have not played since my concussion back in September of 2017. I’m still very wary of going for headers. In fact, I have opted to not play full field soccer because it is impossible to not head the ball. Instead, the YMCA offers a drop-in indoor soccer three times a week. One of the rules is that there are no headers. The game has a different style of play that is faster paced. There are many international players, so the skill level is quite high. It’s a good challenge. In May of 2020 I will have been at Urban Systems for two-years. In the last year, I took a Management Consulting Course that taught me basic strategy on how to diagnose problems and select solutions for businesses. I attended a Watershed Symposium in Parksville to learn the current state of our watersheds. At the Symposium, I challenged myself to sit with people outside my comfort zone. Turns out they are just lovely individuals that happen to be Executive Directors of various organizations. I’ve been able to work on many diverse interesting projects with highlights in Affordable Housing. I’m starting to hit my stride at work, and it feels amazing. Finally, my goal for 2020 is a simple one. Connect more with family, friends and colleagues. The following meditation is on the Ermine’s “Ethical Space of Engagement” is a result of a second reading of the paper, many months later, with more background study on Indigenous Governance. My understanding of Indigenous Governance is an emergent knowledge set from Tribal Park co-governance, definition of Indigenous Homelessness, conversations and of course this paper. The focal point remains within the short window I have to help develop an Independent Housing Authority for a First Nation.
It is apparent through conversation and meditation that Western understanding and Indigenous (autochthonous) understanding is different. The way I am inclined to construct the Independent Housing Authority may not represent, or even engage with, Indigenous worldviews. These differences are the uniqueness of distinct history, knowledge traditions, philosophy, and social and political reality. It is possible that even in discourse our working definitions of morality, values, etc. differ, which creates difficulty in forming a shared understanding. “At a superficial level of encounter, the two entities [Western and Indigenous] may indeed acknowledge each other but there is a clear lack of substance or depth to the encounter” (p. 195). Emrine argues that it is these deeper undercurrents that influence our behaviours and interactions that need to come into consciousness, or awareness, as a major dimension in the complex situation of engaging two different worldviews. The ethical component is defined in this paper as “the capacity to know what harms or enhances the well-being of sentient creatures” (p. 195). They are both the morality and edifices of our civilization. Ethics speaks to our capacity and integrity to stand up for our held notion of good, responsibility, duty, obligations, etc. These inform our actions, which may also infringe or violate the spaces of others. Ethical standards can be determined by the individual as our own autonomous zone that we will not cross and are sensitives to others crossing. Then there are moral architectures built by our family that can create certain taboos. Next are the boundaries from the community ethos, which in Indigenous societies, is cultivated by the Elders and oral traditions that inform codes of conduct. Finally, there are more collective principles informed by our knowledge systems, autonomy of our communities, and treaties with other societies. All of these individual, kin, community, and collective components inform our ethical complexes. These ethical complexes are what come into question as two worldviews engage with one another, especially when one is imposing itself on the other. That is the main issue of Euro-centrism or Western universality. It is a monoculture that claims one model of society is more appropriate, which becomes an engrained belief in the wider populace, despite the potential inappropriateness to diverse human communities, such as Indigenous people. As mentioned, “the realization [is] that diverse human communities do not share a common moral vocabulary, nor do they share a common vision of the nature of human beings as actors within the universe” (p. 198). Given the difference of perception, Ermine essentially asks us to hold a mirror to recognize “it is really not about the situation of Indigenous peoples in this country, but it is about the character and honor of a nation to have created such conditions of inequality” (p. 200). The potential prosperity in the co-existence depends on the realization within society, law and governance. Co-existence also necessitates that Aboriginal rights and, I add, Indigenous organizations must be informed by and asserted through Indigenous knowledge, not Western knowledge Reference: Willie Ermine. (2007). The Ethical Space of Engagement. Indigenous Law Journal: 6(1), p. 193-203. 11/24/2019 1 Comment 2019-11-24 Economies for TransitionA friend asked me “how do you propose we fund renewable projects if we shut down all major projects?” It was a question in response to Facebook publicizing my decision to attend a climate strike in Victoria this Friday. My answer was an honest one…
“I don’t know.” The future is increasingly uncertain for Canada. There is a major dependence on our resources. With Alberta’s oil & gas sector depressed and British Columbia’s forestry industry going into a recession, things feel precarious especially for those that work in it. I won’t deny that $13 billion in missed taxes federally is a major blow to the budget and that further downturns could be stifling. But, will these limit our ability to transition? I think it all depends on the response. Currently, we are seeing a shift towards the Carbon Tax, investment into renewable energies, a strong preference for agile adaptation in businesses (or innovation), and entrepreneurial mindsets. The last two points represent the new focus on creativity. It is important to encourage innovation to remain globally, regionally, and locally competitive. Economic improvisation requires that we help people acquire the right skills: collaboration, relationship building, communications, analysis, open-mindedness and problem-solving. These general skills can then be aligned under a profession as a person learns and grows. With the above skillset, we can then focus on creating the right environment for creativity. It can include values that encourage freedom with responsibility as a constructive means of innovation. That’ll build trust and way for people hopefully align under a bigger sense of contribution and purpose. With a sense of purpose employees are more likely to stick around and deepen their expertise, which can lead to more creative insights. The necessary skills and conditions for creativity can be promoted from the macro-level. It can include changes to our (re)education system for older and younger generations. We can continue to grow our own top talent while attracting and retain others from outside our borders. These can reinforce what is already happening in the business world and is one component of the solution. I know that this doesn’t really answer the question. It’s likely we will see a contraction in the next 5 to 10 years. If economies continue to shrink than we might not have money to fund a transition. It’s a real issue that requires proactive responses that allow our society to be more resilient. The sooner we set it up the better off we will be in the long run, regardless of major projects. Just some thoughts, care to share yours? 5/21/2019 5 Comments 2019-05-21 The DipI have had a lot of conversations with people at the door, friends, family and happenstance strangers about climate change and its colossal nature. A lot of them share in the grievance of a time now passed. It’s an emotional dip that is resisted (everything is fine or improving), denied (it’s not that bad or it’s untrue), nihilistic (there is nothing we can do) and depressing (this sucks). All these emotional registers are valid when coming to grips with reality. It’s all part of the dip. In fact, that dip is important because it is required to get ahead of the curve. To be ahead of the curve is to be on the forefront of a trend and act upon it before others do. Satir’s change curve is used for personal development. However, it speaks to common, if not universal, response to the ending of a status quo (shown as new process). The ending of the status quo requires us to go through an emotional dip (large or small), which will be uncomfortable. It’ll carry with it all of the emotional responses to resist and reject the change mixed with confusion and resentment that can lead to a lot of people to quitting before they even make it through and see the benefits. Time wasted, nothing gained. I would at this time ask you a question, would you rather improve and grow or stay the same and stagnate? For myself the answer is relatively simple. I would rather improve and grow. I would rather adapt, experiment and change my behaviour to best suit a new environment. If I didn’t improve and grow than I would have not lasted two years going door-to-door for the Ancient Forest Alliance raising money for our endangered old growth forests. When I first started canvassing I would get angry, I would end the night early, I would get depressed. Eventually, I gained the emotional intelligence and rituals to keep me through the night. I went from raising 100$, to 200$, to $400 plus. Most people don’t last in canvassing, especially if you are naturally hardwired to be good at it. For myself, I had to overcome many personal hurdles from self-doubt and confidence to straight up people skills. It was the persistence that led me to grow and succeed. If I hadn’t been willing to persist through the discomfort, emotional outrage, apathy and depressions, both in myself and in others, I would not have my job as a Junior Advisor for Urban Systems. I got this job by knocking on the door of the man who is now my mentor and by showing up fully present. Now in my new job, another ending with a new beginning, that came with the shock of the opportunity and the denial of that opportunity. It was frustrating and confusing for 10 months. Until recently I didn’t understand how to behave, what was expected, what to do, or how to integrate into the company. However, the same persistence, and the knowledge of the dip, is what allows me to push through the discomfort that lets me grow to new heights. I relate these experiences to my coming to reality with climate change. We have data on increasing intensities of droughts, floods, wildfires, and increased rates of ecological loss, among others. I will not deny, nor ignore that reality. The environment has changed and as such my behaviour must change. My partner and I have eliminated 99% of our plastic, lowered our destructive and consumptive footprint, and are now shifting into a regenerative mindset. We plan on being ahead of the curve. For us, I see the regenerative mindset expressing itself through gardening. A small rebellious act where we have dug into the boulevard outside our home, planted squash, peas and other delicious things. In the past, I have planted lavender, as a bee friendly drought-resistant addition, to homes I knew I would not live in come September (as a student you move a lot). I share this with you because collectively our entire society needs to experience the dip. We have resisted and rejected climate change for too long. The confusion of our managers and the resentment of the general public seems palpable. However, I have met with individuals experimenting with new behaviors for our towns and cities. I have seen them make decisions and integrate new ways of thinking and being. I see the excitement of a problem worth solving in the eyes of a growing number of people. As a societal shift we need to recognize the universal responsibility of it all. It is as much my responsibility as it is yours as it is our companies, organizations and communities. The individual and the collective must experience the dip, persist, adapt and integrate into a new era. Coming to grips with reality ought to be difficult. Every generation has its challenges. Winston Churchill once said that “the price of greatness is responsibility” as much as growth requires struggle. So I encourage you to resist, to deny, to feel nihilistic, or whatever uncomfortable emotion you feel in regards to climate change, but don't quit. Persist through, reflect, adapt and reach a new platitude of awareness. Become regenerative instead of a degenerate ;) Almost all death is violent.
Sometimes its necessary for us to die an immortal death. One which we are resurrected. chaos that comes into order. I have died many deaths. From the ending of relationships to my own perspective. I have started businesses, taken on jobs and graduated from school. With each death my world has fallen apart, and lost its meaning. Only to be woven back together and designed from the still relevant parts of that which has died with the new. I have gone through my Kudalini Awakening and for a period lost my mind. The resurrection process was confusing as old illusions fell way as the world bore down on me with new found proximity. 10/28/2018 2 Comments October 28th, 2018I think what I have come across is the extreme emptiness of life. One only needs to spend a few minutes, although often at least an hour, on the internet to see. Nihilism is not that things are meaningless. Nihilism means that things are superficial. Spend an hour in a psychedelic trance on IMGUR, or other similar websites, and report back if one fills satiated or if one feels numb. For myself it is the latter.
“culture can be something other than a decoration of life” – Nietzche A society without culture is one without soul. We are soulless. How sad it must be to know that Vancouver, the metropolitan area of British Columbia is considered the “soulless city.” I have no idea how widespread this nickname is, in use, but it strikes the chord. Empty blocks, walked upon by empty soles. Our society is in spiritual crisis (a collective identity crisis). Identity, missing as the critical apparatus to life, thought, appearance and will – otherwise known as culture. There is no vibrancy in our lifestyle, nor our thoughts, nor our appearance and the only will to speak of holds on to that which ought to pass. If I am wrong then please show to me the direction I need to head. For the pursuit of identity, whether individual or collective, is not concealed nor told, only indicated. “The Greeks gradually learned to organize the chaos by following the Delphic teaching and thinking back to themselves, that is, to their real needs, and letting their pseudo-needs die out” – Nietzsche There are many calls to align ourselves back to our real needs. The over-reach of materialism and the superficiality of nihilistic digital relations. We look upon our phones without the dire recognition that they are but extensions of ourselves. They are mechanical minds inorganic in material but replicable of our energetic capacities. Look at the indicators of Silicon Valley parents who raise their children tech-free. Social media can not remedy social isolation. That need comes from true person-to-person, face-to-face connection. “The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.” – Charlie Chaplin If only we could dig a little deeper. Many might argue we already are, to which I reply this meditation is in hopes a catalyst. A catalyst to a thought premiered on Oct 15th 1940 in The Great Dictatorship by Charlie Chaplin that “more than machinery, we need humanity.” The distracted techno-optimist forgets that while we have gained the power of gods we have not the wisdom. We rely so heavily on our experts that we have forgotten both how to question and that it is okay to not know. For it is better to not know truly than to know falsely. At my work we believe that the world would be a better place if we pursue “spirit in service for vibrant communities.” Vibrant meaning full of energy or enthusiasm; or in short, full of life. To me it is because, in the words of Nietzche, that “culture can grow and flourish only out of life.” For surely a cultured society wouldn’t allow climate change to simply come and pass, or look upon an opioid crisis without at least an attempt to look beneath the surface, or submit to the dying of economies and of ecology. Death becomes death even if we give it lipstick. As such, life becomes life and there is no need for lipstick. Such things are beautiful as they are and illicit states of creativity to which is the regenerative momentum of life, and of culture, that becomes fulfilling to the point of over spilling (as well life requires death). Surely, in an era where tourism is seen as a remedy for rural communities we would recognize we are selling culture. With it comes the opportunity to make ourselves superficial to outsiders, to sell a lifestyle that isn't real. When I traveled to Jaco Beach, Costa Rica the tourist strip felt like home. However, when I left the main road I quickly found run down shacks, fences and men playing checkers with bottle caps. What were they trying to sell me? What I wanted to see. On the other, the more difficult introspective journey of continuous self-development of not only myself, but of society is an opportunity to cultivate the means to which culture generates. To enrich life, thoughts, appearance and will into a vibrant culture that instills pride into its community members. I suppose it's part of the Existential Nature of Community Planning and of humanity generally. A journey that I am undoubtedly on. I'll admit that I do not know who I am, nor who we are. That answer seems to depart as we arrive. However, as I grow older the only way I combat nihilism is to dive beneath the surface. In the process I develop my own identity as the critical apparatus to my life, thoughts, appearance and will. Perhaps the same thing is needed for community? 8/8/2018 1 Comment A homeless man and his dogIn the last week of July I had an opportunity to work in YaleTown. At the end of the first day I decided to roam the streets. Walking through the blocks systematically eventually led me to the outskirts of park where I was being entertained by a man with a shopping cart filled with various things. I was laughing because he was clearly struggling with a cart missing two front wheels. It was comical, until our eyes met.
The man, whose name is Julian, has the scatterbrained pace of wind storm. I asked him jokingly if he needed help. He skitted left to right, back and forth, while asking if I could watch his stuff. I was a little skeptical and asked why. Julian said that he was meeting his brother at the other corner of the park; in contradiction to the direction he was headed. I laughed again and asked if I could just help carry his stuff with him to the corner of the park. He agreed. In fact, he was ecstatic. His eyes went wide and quickly started stuffing things into my hands. We walked for a minute or two as he explained to me his situation. I found out that both of his parents had passed away and that he slipped into a depression that brought him to the streets. With tears in his eyes he explained that "it's hard work being homeless. Everyone has to work to live." His point resonated with me. Doesn't matter how you live; you'll need to work. In fact, I think I would be hard pressed to find a homeless person that lived a relax, leisurely life that some people seemingly claim they do. They probably work as hard, if not harder, than most people I know. They tend to have more interesting life stories, and deeper sense of character than most people I meet as well. I'm sure it's linked the struggle/trauma/illnesses/etc that brought them to the street. But, some people are just boring and I like a good story. By now we've made it to our destination and I put his stuff onto the bench as he ran on back to get the rest of his things. While he was gone I noticed a picture of a dog. The picture was his and when he came back he noticed I was admiring it. He told me that he had created the picture. The background was painted and the pixelated effect was done with markers (you can see it below). Julian explained to me that art is how he made money to buy food. He asked if I would be interested in buying it for ten dollars explaining to me that he normally sells them for twenty. I said sure. The picture had enough of a story behind that it made sense. So, he signed it and I left. I've had a few conversations with people that are homeless now. However, meeting Julian had one of the more humanizing effects on me. They're just people after all and the stories are as diverse as the individuals that tell them. I had met another downtown Victoria a couple months ago named Frodo by other people on the street. He was another hobo artist that did realist paintings. I never bought his painting and haven't seen him since. I'll have to do a short story on him as well. Have you talked with anyone that was homeless? What was your experience? 7/26/2018 1 Comment July 26th, 2018Hows it going?
I’m doing fine, thank you. It’s just that out of increasing complexity arises simplicity. So when I look at simple things they become complex. Let’s break it down. Take Canada for example. It’s a country. But, it’s comprised of 8 provinces and 3 territories. Divided into multiple ethnicities and nationhoods. Canada has a population of 39 million individuals. Each individual has a relatively unique system of loves, values, & fears. What do you enjoy doing? I like soccer. I also like writing. It’s fun. Philosophy is another passion of mine. Aren’t we all human? Totally. But, the experience of that is complex. There are roughly 6,500 different languages between 7.5 billion of us. Four billion without internet. Simply, we all need clothes but dress differently. I keep this in mind while marketing. Our needs are common; our solutions aren't. Maximizing conversion is about finding simple categorical definitions and then breaking it down. When canvassing for the Ancient Forest Alliance we look for those interested in the environment. Are you interested in habitat protection, hiking, outdoors, nature conservancy, old-growth forests? Then we probably share the same values. They're just expressed differently. Canvassing requires I focus on what makes each door potentially different. Despite them being the same. The trick is communicating shared values. Sometimes it is an accent. A slight shift between neighbourhoods. Maybe you value innovation over community or the economy over ecology. I have to gauge this within two or three questions. In an earlier post I mentioned meme theory that helps break it down more. Online the process is more refined. Algorithms hone in on the individual and can get very specific. Is that a bad thing? In a way the internet reflects and responds to your values and needs. Marketers try to figure them out then algorithms hand it out. These algorithms give us the power of self-curation. Collectively we act as the editors for major news corporations that act as platforms for advertisements. But, if you don’t know how to use the tools you are the tool. It’s largely automatic. We choose what to see then its reflected & reinforced. You are either aware of that or you aren’t. We may focus on our differences forgetting what's in common. I may dress up in a button up; you may dress in a tank top. You may eat vegan options; while I eat meat. You may want a strong community by promoting economic develop; while I want a strong community that protects the environment. I can become entrenched in our difference. However, there is a need to see that difference is based off of what is common. Often this comes as a common need, or problem. My high school principle used to say life is a mosaic. That it is the fragments when brought into relation with each other that form a picture. Not any one piece. Being in an inter-disciplinary organization shows the achievement of bringing different perspectives to a common need, issue, or problem. They create a picture, or mind map, or better understanding that then allows us to move forward together. Our era is ripe with perspective. However, sometimes common ground is hard to find or is non-existent. What then? I don't know. Maybe that's where you come in. 7/20/2018 1 Comment July 20th, 2018Human creativity is born out of our diverse interactions; We are in a constant state of give and take.
We are subject to our environment and it to us. My motivation to create is driven by an internal pressure. It's an outlet of my imagination. I share my imagination in hopes that it procreates with yours. I will share my perspective because it is valuable and needed. My good sense deserves to be trusted, challenged, shaped, and shared with others. Your perspective deserves to be considered as well. That is how we shape understanding. At Urban Systems we believe in "spirit in service for vibrant communities" as our higher calling. Therefore, I think it is important to develop perspective on what that means. For me, vibrant communities is a qualitative sense of goodness that will differ place to place. Vibrancy is a continuum of good to bad, stale to lively, etc. Vibrancy is expressed through the identity of the community. Identity being a holistic concept that can be broken down in various ways (e.g. personality, interests, values, skillset, beliefs, motives, history, relationships, etc). Some carry great depths of character and others come with potential or struggles. A community is something larger than any one of us and by definition requires a prismatic lens, or shared understanding, of who we are. There are many traps to a vibrant community. One issue may be adopting the regional image and narrative without consideration of a place's authentic identity. Quoting Margaret J. Wheatley: "The presence of a clear identity makes the organization less vulnerable to its environment; it develops greater freedom to decide how it will respond." Finding an authentic identity cannot be achieved through external influence alone, as that can lead to what Charles Taylor and Nancy Fraser call the politics of misrecognition, which I've explored in essays. The process of identity is negotiated between the self-identified entity and the external reality. An authentic identity can be recognized as a resonant truth of being to which the self-recognized thing navigates through the world as; arguably making the process spiritual because it requires collective introspection of who we are, what we need, how we can achieve our aims, and why we exist. |
AuthorRobin Roger Gagne is a freelance writer, web designer, and SEO wizard. Archives
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