Go Knights Go

Hockey season has arrived. London Knights first exhibition game was last night. A sure sign of Fall. With the Knights hosting the Memorial Cup this year, the season will run from August through to the end of May, Since I have nine months of hockey ahead of me, I didn't go to the game yesterday. Glad to hear they won. I wish good luck to all those new players playing their hearts out trying to make the team. I live with the consummate Knights fan, who of course was at the game. It should be an interesting season, lots of pressure on the team with the Memorial Cup and the camera crew following them around. The documentary from last year on the Saskatoon Blades was very difficult to watch at times. Filming players learning that they were cut was just wrong. I hope the Hunters have been able to negotiate that out of this year's filming contract.

Emerging senior?????....

Okay... so I have a blog.... What do I call it?... What should I write about? ....Here is where the "generational" issue begins to emerge. I can't imagine how anyone would find what I have to say compelling...But as I learn more, I don't think that blogging is really about that. I think it is about what I want to say ...my observations...stuff I would share if I was sitting with you having a coffee. I don't have a single focus in my life but I do have interests like gardening, baking, movies, hockey, pop culture - so how do I come up a theme for this blog??? or even a name??? If there is a common thread in my life right now it is thinking about retirement- I am getting older..... I turned 55 this year and now qualify by some definitions as a senior!!! Shocking to me. I feel that I am moving through an important stage. It is a transformative time.The entire concept of "senior years" is being redefined by society - okay really...by the boomers ( we always make everything about us) There is a group in my hometown that was formed for 20/30 year olds called Emerging Leaders. A network to help them through those beginning years of your career, support each other, make connections. I think there should be the same thing for those approaching retirement... Okay... so Emerging Senior it is!

My first blog

Recently a friend of mine, Eleanor passed away at 89 years old.She was a great lady. I was honoured when the family asked me to speak at her funeral. .    Eleanor hired me over 33 years ago at the hospital that I still work at today.  She was near the end of her career , I was at the beginning of mine. My role was to teach her about computers which were just becoming a tool in the medical research field as online communities were just beginning to form. Together we ventured into the online world - the early days of the internet- when it was only a research tool -long before the web.  She embraced learning this new technology.  I am about the same age today as Eleanor was when I first met her. As I wrote her eulogy, I began to reflect on my own enthusiasm for the technologies of today.  In my personal life I have only marginally ventured into the social media world   Although I use these technologies professionally, I have not embraced them in my personal life. .  What would Eleanor have done? Even in her death, she found a way to inspire me and open doors for me - just like she had during her life time.   In honour of her - her openness to new ideas, her love of learning, I am going to dive a little deeper into the technologies that I have almost ignored and I begin with creating my own blog. .  One of Eleanor's favourite expressions when she went out on a limb to try something new or risky , she would say - " If this doesn't work out - I like yellow roses"   for you Eleanor.....