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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Jann Arden and her "Insensitive" Success Story


You know, when I was choosing topics for this weekend, it was really not my intention to have all three topics for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday be Canadian themed. And, yet, that is exactly what has happened.

And, it's not even July the first!!!



Truth be told, I am very proud of my Canadian heritage. I'd love to say that I want to visit many countries in the world, but I can't see myself living anywhere else other than Canada. I think that's why whenever I have the opportunity to talk about a Canadian subject in this blog, I take full advantage because I love the country of my birth so much.

Even if the opportunity came up to relocate to another country, I would still find a way to keep my Canadian background alive, whether it be wearing a toque wherever I go, to introducing locals to the delicacy known as the poutine.



(That's french fries, cheese curd, and gravy, for those of you who don't know what a poutine is.)

Anyway, today's blog topic deals with a Canadian artist who has had quite the career for herself. Since her debut album was released in 1993, she has racked up seventeen Top 10 singles in Canada, won eight Juno Awards, earned a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2006, and was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2007.

But although she has had much success in her native Canada, she didn't have that much luck in the United States. The only single release that ended up making the Top 20 was this single, which hit the charts in 1995.



ARTIST: Jann Arden
SONG: Insensitive
ALBUM: Living Under June
DATE RELEASED: August 10, 1994
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #12

NOTE #1: I couldn't find the actual release date for “Insensitive”, so I opted to use the release date for the album instead. In the United States, it was released in late 1995.

NOTE #2: Although the song peaked at #12 in the United States, it became a #1 hit for Arden, as well as her most recognized song.



Now, here's the deal with Jann Arden. The song “Insensitive” is a rarity for her, in that it is one of the few songs she did NOT write herself.

The story goes like this. At the time, Jann Arden was based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (she was born in Springbank, Alberta almost fifty-one years ago, on March 27, 1962), and she went to a club where a woman named Anne Loree was performing. One of the songs she was singing that night was a song she penned in the aftermath of an unhappy fling with the chef of the restaurant that she worked at as a waitress. The way that Anne Loree described the songwriting process can be found on her official website (www.anneloree.com).

I sat down at my electric piano in the basement of a rented house I shared with four roommates, broke and broken hearted, full of pain and angst, and wrote 'Insensitive'. It took me probably less than half an hour and I walked away feeling much better for it and much hipper to Prince Charmings who aren't really into you.”



Probably one of the most candid, yet brilliant explanations of what a song is about if ever I heard one. No wonder Jann Arden fell in love with the song, and asked Loree if she could sing her own version on her upcoming sophomore album, “Living Under June”. Loree gave her blessing, and the song was the second release from the album following “Could I Be Your Girl”.



The song was wildly successful in Canada, peaking at #1 in January 1995, but it took some time for the song to chart stateside. Part of the reason why the song was so successful was because it was included in the soundtrack of the film “Bed of Roses”, which starred Mary Stuart Masterson and Christian Slater.

The song was also successful in other countries as well. It became a #1 hit in Australia during the summer of 1996, and believe it or not, the song actually began charting in Italy before climbing the charts in Canada. It peaked at #14 in December 1994, aided by the fact that it was used in an Italian jeans commercial.

And, the song itself won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 1996.

ADMISSION: After reading all of the information about “Insensitive”, I am now starting to understand why I thought the song was on the radio forever. By all accounts, it was in the Top 20 for nearly two years all around the globe!



And, that's really all that I have to say about the song “Insensitive”. So, to close off this piece, I thought that I would offer up some interesting facts about the woman who sang the song. After all, Jann Arden has lived quite an interesting life, and has had a ton of experiences along the way. Many of them were good...but a few of them were painful. That said, the sense of humour that Jann Arden has displayed through it all has been remarkable. I've always believed that the people who have gone through a lot in their lives turn out to be some of the most interesting adults in the world, and I think that description can apply to Jann.

Anyway, I'm babbling on, so let's just get on to some of things you may (or may not know) about Jann Arden.

  • Did you know that she once owned a restaurant in Calgary, Alberta known as “The Arden”? Sadly, the restaurant closed up shop in the mid-2000s.
  • Did you know that she was once escorted off of a VIA Rail train in March 2012 because she brought her dog on board? She was enroute to a concert in Ottawa, and the story made headlines all across Canada.
  • Did you know that her birth name is Jann Arden Anne Richards?
  • Did you know that she appeared as a guest star on the Canadian sitcom, “Corner Gas”, and is a frequent contributor to “The Rick Mercer Report”? Here's a clip of her and Rick Mercer below.



  • Did you know that she has taken part in several performances of “The Vagina Monologues” all across Canada?



  • Did you know that one of Jann's brothers is currently serving a life sentence in prison, and that her song “Hangin' By A Thread” is dedicated to him? He was convicted of murder right around the same time she scored her record deal with Universal Records in 1992.
  • Did you know that Jann Arden absolutely hates being on the red carpet for award shows? In an interview that she gave to The Globe and Mail in early 2012, she joked that when people asked her “who are you wearing”, she would respond with “Winners” (a discount outlet store here in Canada), adding that her bra was purchased at Walmart!



  • Did you know that she recorded an album of mostly cover songs? The album, “Uncover Me”, was released in 2007, and contained covers of songs by Janis Ian, The Mamas and The Papas, Cat Stevens, Dusty Springfield, and Petula Clark, among others. A second album of covers was released in 2011, appropriately called “Uncover Me 2”.
  • Did you know that Jann's song, “Run Like Mad” was originally used as the theme song for international airings of the teen drama “Dawson's Creek”? It aired during the first season, but was replaced by Paula Cole's “I Don't Want To Wait”.
  • Did you know that she poked fun at Pamela Anderson at the 2006 Juno Awards? After hearing Pamela Anderson ranting about being against the seal hunt in Canada, she responded by jokingly telling the audience that her brassiere was constructed entirely of seal eyelids! Yikes!
  • Did you know that Jann Arden is also a talented writer? She's released two books of poetry and personal reflections, an autobiography, and is a fairly regular contributor to Elle Magazine Canada. But, then again, when you consider that she wrote a lot of her own songs, this isn't much of a shocker.
  • Did you know that although Jann Arden officially made it big in the mid-1990s, she actually recorded her first single thirty-three years ago? The 1980 single, “Never Love A Sailor” never charted here in Canada.
  • Did you know that the majority of music videos that Jann recorded were directed by Jeth Weinrich? He directed all of Jann's music videos between 1993 and 2000.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Remembering Mr. Dressup


I want to tell you a story about my community arts centre because it happens to be the place where some of my fondest childhood memories were born...and it also happens to be connected to today's blog subject. I'm trying to make this blog more personal so that all of you can get to know why I am such a pop culture addict, and what makes my mind tick.

(And, believe me, that can be a scary thought.)




The truth is that throughout my early childhood, I reckon that I went to our community arts centre dozens of times. In some cases, we went there on school field trips, but sometimes my parents would take me down to special events that were going on in our town. And, while I would be here all day if I went on and on about every event I went to in great detail, I do want to provide a partial list of some of the concerts and plays that I saw as a child (keeping in mind that I was a little boy and my tastes weren't quite that sophisticated back then).

Among some of my favourite memories at the community arts centre were...

  • Seeing a stage production of “Charlotte's Web” when I was in the second grade (we were reading the book in class that year).
  • Seeing a stage production of “Winnie the Pooh” in the third grade (we read that book the same year).
  • Watching Eric Nagler performing in concert (I was sick with the flu when Sharon, Lois, and Bram came, and this was my make-up show!)
  • Seeing Robert Munsch (and meeting him after the show) when I was eight years old. Truly the highlight of this blogger's life, and the incident that likely spawned his interest in reading and writing!)
  • Performing at the Lions Club Music Festival with our grade seven/eight concert band (and doing incredibly well)!
  • Watching multiple re-enactments of “Polka Dot Door Live” at the Arts Centre (I had a bit of an obsession with the show when I was kindergarten aged).
  • I even attended a taping of the classic lottery television show called “Wintario”...and despite the fact that Greg Beresford didn't let me push the button to start the lottery drums, I still had a great time. The ticket that I was holding ended up winning ten bucks! Of course, I was too young to redeem it, so my mom had to do it for me.

That's quite a lot of memories from one little place, isn't it? I think that's why I will always have a soft spot for my little community arts centre, no matter how old I get.

There's one more memory that I have to share with all of you. And, this memory is one that I will forever cherish. It's one of the earliest memories that I have of the arts centre, and why it means so much to me now is because the person that I went to see that day is no longer alive.





I can't remember what year it was that I went to go and see Mr. Dressup performing at the Arts Centre. I want to say that I was five or six at the time. Mr. Dressup was one of my favourite television shows to watch at the time, and when I heard that he was coming to town, I practically begged my mom to get tickets for us to go see him. If I remember correctly, my mother actually borrowed the money from my grandmother so that she could make it happen, which looking back on it now makes the memory even more special.

It was such a wonderful show. Mr. Dressup brought everything with him. He brought his Tickle Trunk, he brought his easel that he used to draw things on, and he even brought Casey and Finnegan's treehouse, along with Casey and Finnegan themselves! It was like I was watching the popular television series that aired on CBC Television come to life right before my eyes. It was a memory unlike any other, and I will always carry that memory with me as long as I am able to remember it.

Of course, now that I've written it down and posted it for all to see, I guess I always will have that permanent reminder.




Anyway, since I brought up the television show, let's talk a little bit about it, shall we?

Now, I get that a lot of you reading this in the United States and overseas have no idea who Mr. Dressup is, and to that I say that I am sorry that you never got to experience this show, as it truly was one of a kind. But, as I understand, some states that were close to the Canadian border could pick up the show, so maybe some of you living in Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maine might have seen it.

The show debuted on CBC forty-six years ago, on February 13, 1967. The show was developed and produced by Daniel McCarthy, and its star was an actor by the name of Ernie Coombs.

TRIVIA: I'll bet you didn't know this, but Ernie Coombs was born in Lewiston, Maine, making him American by birth. He moved to Canada in the mid-1960s, where the CBC was interested in creating an early draft of the television series, Mister Rogers Neighborhood! After all, Coombs was an understudy of Fred Rogers. That project didn't work out as Rogers would move back to the United States in 1966. But, Coombs stayed, and after a couple of years on the series “Butternut Square”, he landed the iconic role of “Mr. Dressup”. Ironically enough, the show debuted one year before Fred Rogers launched “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” on PBS.

Anyway, Mr. Dressup became one of the longest running programs in Canadian history airing for nearly three decades before wrapping up production on February 14, 1996. And, each episode usually featured one of three things.




Firstly, there would always be some sort of skit or a play that would be performed in each episode that was based on a story or a fairy tale. And, Mr. Dressup would always act out the play by dressing up in costumes.

(Hence the nickname Mr. Dressup.)




And, where were the costumes found? Well, they were found inside of Mr. Dressup's magical Tickle Trunk. It was magical because everything inside of the trunk was made in Mr. Dressup's size, and contained almost all the pieces necessary for Mr. Dressup to act out the story appropriately.

And, in the case that he was missing an item? Well, that set the stage for the second part of what was found in every episode.




Mr. Dressup would often show the viewers at home how to do a craft that was related to the skit that he would perform in each episode. Whether it was a magic want, a hat, or something else, we would all make the crafts along with him. And, what was great about Mr. Dressup was the fact that he made the instructions so easy to understand, so we could follow along with him at home. I even remember making a couple of Mr. Dressup crafts in my youth, and did them flawlessly thanks to his easy instruction.

And, then we have the third constant of the show...a visit from Casey and Finnegan. Usually, Casey and Finnegan could be found in the treehouse outside, but sometimes they came inside Mr. Dressup's house to visit him.




Casey and Finnegan were created by puppeteer Judith Lawrence, and she voiced Casey, as well as other puppets that would appear on the show including Aunt Bird and Alligator Al. She stayed on the show for several years, but retired from performing in 1989. So, considering that I was eight in 1989, knowing that I very well could have seen one of the last times that Judith Lawrence would perform as Casey and Finnegan live made that memory even more special.

TRIVIA: Just to clarify, Finnegan was the dog...but Casey's gender was never really identified. Casey was chosen as the character's name, as the name was gender-neutral. Just for the record, I always assumed that Casey was a boy.

The show was also aided by some human guest stars as well...perhaps one of the most frequent people to appear on the show was voice artist Alyson Court, who began appearing on the show at age eleven! She appeared on and off the show until 1994.

And, when Judith Lawrence left the show, the treehouse set remained, but a community center set was added, along with some brand new puppet characters, which included Chester the Crow (Karen Valleau), Truffles (Nina Keogh), Granny (Jani Lauzon), and Lorenzo the Raccoon (Bob Dermer). The change was done gradually, so that viewers could transition to the new characters. 

By the time the show wrapped up in 1996, Coombs had begun touring college and university campuses all across Canada, talking to college students who had grown up watching him on television. Sadly, on September 10, 2001, he suffered a serious stroke, and eight days later, Ernie Coombs passed away at the age of 73.




It's been almost twelve years since he passed away, and I remember being very sad hearing the news. Many Canadians were still on edge over the terrorist attacks that took place a week prior, and to have a Canadian icon pass away one week later...well, it was a sad day knowing that the man that made generations of children happy was no longer here. It was comforting to know that repeats of his show aired as long as five years after his passing, with the final airdate of Mr. Dressup on CBC being September 3, 2006.

But even though Mr. Dressup is gone, his legacy remains. Both his Tickle Trunk and Casey and Finnegan's treehouse are on display in Toronto, and on what would have been Mr. Dressup's eighty-fifth birthday, on November 26, 2012, Google Canada designed a special Google doodle on its homepage to honour Mr. Dressup's memory.




A fitting tribute to a beloved Canadian classic.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Canada's Worst Driver


I talked about my fear of driving a couple of entries ago, and how that paralyzing fear has kind of impacted my life. My fear of getting behind the wheel of a car has probably closed a lot of doors in my life, and at some point, I want to try and get more comfortable behind the wheel so I can do more with myself. Of course, in order for me to do this, I will need to find someone who is patient enough and willing to sit beside me while I attempt to overcome that fear. Whether it means going to take courses, or finding someone who will not grab the wheel while I drive, I've come to the conclusion that I need to do something, or else I would have to find a community with a decent public transportation system.

I'm certainly not going to sugarcoat things. I am a very inexperienced driver. I will not make the claim that I am the best driver in the world because let's face it...I would be lying through my teeth. At the very least though, I am not one to delude myself with visions of grandeur over my driving abilities. I own up to the fact that I suck.

Of course, not everyone in the world is as honest about their lack of skills as I am. There are some who feel that they are much better at driving (or anything for that matter) than they really are. Some people might have a learning disability that prevents them from understanding road signs, or may have vision impairment issues that may require prescription glasses or contact lenses. Some people may have passengers who are “backseat drivers”, and who do more harm than good. Some people might have had a traumatic experience with driving before, and have forgotten crucial driving skills.

And, then some people are just complete morons.

Around the world, there have been several television shows that have gathered all of these people into one parking lot where we viewers at home can watch them smash into cardboard courses, chip and tear the paint off the sides of the cars, and run over several cardboard cutouts of pedestrians. And, unfortunately, for most of these shows, they are done solely for entertainment purposes, where we're supposed to laugh, and make fun of people for being absolute morons. And, to me, that's not right because they could be very good people outside of the show (just terrible drivers). Even more frustrating is the fact that the bad drivers never seem to learn anything from their time on the show. They're just there to provide entertainment. I'm specifically pointing at the American version, which I found to be quite tacky and ignorant.

Fortunately, in my home country of Canada, our version is much superior (at least in my eyes it is). I mean, sure, you have the entertainment value of it. The reactions of some of the bad drivers are sometimes priceless, and there certainly are a lot of laughs to go around. But unlike other shows, this show teaches you critical skills, such as what to do if you do a skid on an icy corner, or learning how to drive both automatic and standard transmission vehicles, or even what the meaning of certain road signs are. And, there's no feeling more rewarding than seeing the happy expressions on people's faces whenever they grasp a concept and pass a challenge.

Of course, not everybody passes the challenges...



Ah well...such is life when you are nominated for Canada's Worst Driver, which is the subject of today's blog.



As of 2013, Canada's Worst Driver has aired for eight seasons. Debuting on October 2, 2005 and hosted by Andrew Younghusband since the show's inception on Canada's Discovery Channel, the show has been educating bad drivers and putting them through a strict rehabilitation program where they learn how to drive in a straight line, how to reverse, how to swerve and avoid, how to drive a multitude of vehicles from a SmartCar to a school bus, and how to drive around a course with a gigantic tank of water strapped to the roof!

I'm serious! Have a look!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lu29MsYBlc

Now, mind you, the odds of one careening down a major highway with enough water to fill a child-size pool on your roof are slim to nil, but there is a point to that and all the other challenges. The challenges are meant to instill confidence in the drivers, while teaching them basic driving tips, such as knowing where your wheels are, and looking where you want to go.

At the end of each episode, a panel of judges along with Andrew review the footage of all of the nominees (who are nominated by family members or friends), and make the decision as to who deserves to get their licenses back (the drivers are forced to hand them over to Andrew once they arrive at the driver's rehabilitation centre). Usually, at the end of the episode, one person will graduate from the program and drive back home. But sometimes, nobody is eliminated, and sometimes, circumstances prevent the person from finishing rehab (more on that later).

Regardless, at the final episode of each season, the remaining drivers are taken out on one final drive in a major city to test them on what they have learned. Cities that have been in the spotlight in past seasons have included Montreal, Toronto, Barrie, and Niagara Falls. Whoever does the best on the final road test will be the final graduate. Whoever does the worst overall, will be named Canada's Worst Driver.

Since eight seasons have already aired, we have eight...no, wait...we actually have nine people named Canada's Worst Driver (in one season there was a tie). Just for posterity purposes, I'll provide the list of people who have “won” the title of Canada's Worst Driver over the years, obscuring their last names, as I will be typing in their home location beside their names.

2005 – Chris F. - Mississauga, Ontario
2006 – Henrietta G. - Rockland, Ontario
2007 – Jason Z. - Vancouver, British Columbia
2008 – Ashley V. - Medicine Hat, Alberta
2009 – Angelina M. - Sudbury, Ontario
2010 – Lance M. - Ottawa, Ontario
2011 – Shirley S. - Port Caledonia, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
2012 – Kevin S. - McBride, British Columbia & Flora W. - Edmonton, Alberta

(NOTE: Considering that half of these drivers are from my home province, is it any wonder why I get the heebie-jeebies behind the wheel?)

In each case, all of the Worst Driver's had some sort of flaw. Lance was too emotional behind the wheel, Ashley had temper issues, Angelina was the most distracted driver the show ever had, and Kevin only had one eye!

And, certainly if you watched some of the drivers in action, you might get an idea as to why they were eventually given the title of Canada's Worst Driver in the first place. Take a look at Season 4's Ashley, and Season 6's Lance in action below...




However, there have also been some fantastic success stories over the eight year history of the show. Arun from Season 5 was on his way to failing everything in the early episodes, but by the end of the season, he had a perfect drive in the city challenge. In season 6, Brad went from causing several accidents which lead to his being banned from driving by his own wife to being a more confident motorist. And, in season 7, we met Aaron Cheshire, whose story touched a lot of people's hearts. Listen to the story below.



Despite the trauma that came from that near-fatal car accident, Aaron persevered, and became the final graduate of his season. His story was truly heartwarming, and you could tell that Aaron got a lot out of driving rehab.

Unfortunately, there are also some people who have appeared on the show who never really seemed to learn from their mistakes. The four people you'll meet below are some of the ones who were NOT named Canada's Worst Driver, but probably could have been had they stuck around. In two cases, they were named the runner-ups of their seasons, but the other three were either expelled or dropped out of rehab.

Be very cautious of these people. I hope that since their shows aired, that they have reformed their bad ways and are great drivers. In case they haven't, be on the lookout for these faces.

SLY (Season 7)

Okay, it's bad enough that Sly was a complete technology addict, getting distracted by his ringing cell phone and his GPS device to get him where he needed to go. But once he got onto the rehabilitation centre, he caused a lot of grief and a lot of fear to the crew of the show. Do you remember that clip I posted a couple days ago of the man who punctured his gas tank while doing a course? 



Yep. That's Sly. How Shirley ended up being named Canada's Worst over Sly is a mystery that I don't know if I'll figure out.

DALE (Season 6)

Oh, Dale, Dale, Dale...first things first, you need to do some serious brushing up on your road signs. For starters, I will let you know that on Canadian highways (and I am guessing the same holds true in America), a question mark means that an information/tourist area is ahead. Listen to her describe her thoughts on what the sign means.



Oh, yeah...she almost KILLED THE HOST!



SCOTT (Season 6)

With this one, I think actions are probably better than words.



NOTE: Season 2's Colin was also expelled from his season on similar grounds.

DONNA (Season 4)

According to the epilogue of Donna's final episode, she “thanked” the show for being responsible for getting her license permanently taken away. While I don't know for sure if this was the truth, Donna certainly had it coming given some of her confessions in front of the camera.

  • She gets a “high” running through stop signs.
  • She gets a “high” speeding through red lights.
  • She has admitted to striking pedestrians and cyclists.
  • She has even admitted to drinking and driving (but only when she goes to the Bingo hall).
  • And, as if that weren't bad enough, she even fell asleep behind the wheel and almost crashed her car due to her being under the influence.

No wonder she turned in performances like these ones below.



After seeing that, would YOU trust her to have her license back? I can't say I would feel comfortable about it.

So, in conclusion, I think Canada's Worst Driver is a great show. Yes, it's entertaining, but it also teaches you crucial skills, and builds confidence.

More importantly, it also teaches bad drivers that sometimes their actions have consequences.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Seasons Change...People Change...


It seems hard to believe that yesterday marked the official first day of Spring...particularly here in Ontario, Canada, where the temperature was below freezing and we ended up with snow flurries. Certainly no sign of blooming roses and birds flying back home after a six month sabbatical in Louisiana, Texas, and Florida.

But, you know, a year ago around this time, it felt as though we had skipped through March, April, and May and zoomed right ahead into summer!

(Not that any of us were complaining in these parts, might I add.)

And, what's funny about the changing of the seasons is the fact that it reminded me of a song that was popular two and a half decades ago. There's a particular stanza within this song's chorus that forms the base for this week's Thursday Diary entry.

March 21, 2013



I'm almost positive that the winter of 2012/2013 will officially be named the longest winter in the history of the 21st century. At least it seems that way to me. The first day of spring was yesterday, and we got snow. That's not exactly the ideal vision one wants to have when anticipating the time in which the ice melts, the mercury in the thermometer rises, and the sun beams down on us a little bit longer with each passing day.



But you know, as long as the Earth spins around the sun, the seasons will always change (well, for those of us who do not live right on the Equator, that is).

In fact, the whole idea of seasons changing kind of reminds me of a song that was quite popular twenty-five years ago. Have you ever heard of a band known as Expose? It's okay if you haven't...they haven't had many hits since the 1990s rolled around. And, why have I brought them up in this entry? Simple. Have a listen to one of their biggest hits, paying particular attention to the chorus of the song.



Seasons Change” was a number one hit for the band in February 1988. In case you were wondering, at the time, the members of the band were Jeannette Jurado, Gioia Bruno, and Ann Curless. As a song, it didn't exactly stand out all that much, but the lyrics stand out for me. In particular, one part of the chorus.

Seasons change, people change.”

And as we approach a brand new season, I have come to the conclusion that I have changed too. I'm not the same person I was a year ago. I'm not the same person five, ten, fifteen, even thirty years ago. And, I am sure that most of you reading this can say the same about yourselves as well.

But here's my dilemma. I'm nowhere near ready to emerge as that butterfly that has beauti...

...no, scratch that image. It's too cutesy-poo.

Okay, how can I put this without making me sound like a complete dork?



How about this? You have a jigsaw puzzle in front of you. It's one thousand pieces. Certainly a challenge for most people, but you work hard at it trying to piece the whole thing together. You face challenges, trying to fit every piece together, or trying combinations that seem like they might work, but end up not quite fitting. And, then when you think that you have the whole thing figured out, you look at it and realize that you only have 999 pieces in your possession, and that one is missing.



I bet you know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I am comparing myself to the unfinished jigsaw puzzle that I just outlined here for you. Not a bad theory, but it's slightly incorrect.



In all honesty, I see myself as that missing piece of the puzzle. The piece that will eventually bring everything together. A piece that needs to find out where they will eventually fit in.

In my near 32 years on this planet, I've gotten closer to finding out which puzzle I'm meant to complete. But no matter what has happened, I've never been able to securely fit into a situation where I feel one hundred per cent comfortable. I've never had that feeling where I feel completely secure in my surroundings.

And, you know...the more I think of it, the more I think that maybe that can be a good thing.

After all...seasons change...people change.

In every situation that I have been faced with, either the situation has changed, the surroundings have changed...and even I myself have changed.

And, I suppose that's a good thing in the long run. Let's face it...people sometimes need to switch things up a bit in life to avoid getting stuck in a rut. And, I'll be the first to admit that over the last ten years, I've been stuck in a rut so deep that a snow plow could get trapped inside the grooves that have been eroding the surface of the pavement!

And, just going back to that jigsaw puzzle analogy that I talked about earlier in this blog entry, how many times have you completed a jigsaw puzzle and then exclaimed to yourselves, “now what?”

I know anytime that I have ever finished a jigsaw puzzle, it immediately goes back into the box, never to see the light of day ever again. Occasionally, I might take that puzzle, glue it onto some thick cardboard, and display it in a picture frame if the image is particularly interesting, but then its ultimate fate is that it sits around collecting dust.

Kind of like a person who is stuck in a rut, don't you think?

So, what point am I trying to make with jigsaw puzzles and changing seasons, and forgotten #1 hits by an all-girl group from the 1980s?



I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes the puzzle that I feel I have completed in my life and times may not exactly be the way that I want it to be. Ten years ago, it may have been the perfect fit for me, but as time grows, the foundations begin to crumble, and pieces break away, and the feelings of security become replaced by feelings of boredom or malaise.

And, why is that? Because I'm not the same person I was a decade ago. 2003 Matthew is not the same person as 2013 Matthew.

So, the question becomes this. Why would I want to continue living the same life, doing the same things, and accepting that this is as good as things are going to get, when there's a whole new world out there for me to explore with brand new possibilities and brand new opportunities in a brand new location?

I'm being completely serious here. It may have taken a pop song from the 1980s and a jigsaw puzzle analogy to make me realize that I'm selling myself way too short here, and that I need to just grab on that bar and hold on tight as the roller-coaster of life takes me through the twists, turns, and loops that are designed to challenge me. I figure that if I can get through all that and not require one of those barf bags at the end of it, I can consider myself a true survivor of sorts.

(Or, at the very least coming to the realization that I don't have to worry myself sick over things that I can't control, and focus on the aspects in my life that I can control.)

It's funny though. I wrote this blurb at (no kidding) one-thirty in the morning, and at first glance, I was worried that I would have to rewrite this whole thing because I didn't think it made any sense. But, re-reading it upon getting some sleep, it surprisingly makes a lot of sense to me. Whether or not it does to you...well, you're the only one that can make that judgment.

But, the thing that I get out of this is that as seasons change, people change. I've changed a lot over time, but my surroundings and what I do every day have not.

And, that's gotta change. To preserve my life and my sanity, it's gotta change.

Admitting that? It's a good first step.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Hot Wheels = Good, Real Wheels = Scary!!!



I’ll be completely honest with you.  I only have a driver’s license that could be classified as a learner’s permit.  This wouldn’t be so bad if I were still sixteen years old and fumbling my way through eleventh grade algebra.  Unfortunately, I am twice that age and am currently fumbling my way through making weekly orders for dairy products.

And, here’s a shocking confession for you.  In my whole life (not counting the bumper car amusement park attraction), I’ve probably spent a grand total of only twenty-four hours behind the wheel of a car...in the sixteen years and counting that I’ve been able to drive a car legally.

When I was in high school, it almost became a rite of passage for teenagers to go to the local DMV to get their license to drive a car the minute they turned sixteen.  Some of my classmates absolutely salivated over the idea of being able to drive a car.  Myself, I didn’t really have that strong desire.  I really didn’t have any interest in cars or driving whatsoever, so I never bothered to learn how to drive a car.

Sigh...but now that I’m in my thirties, I’m finding it harder and harder to get around.  Fortunately, I live in a small town, so getting around town by foot is not a problem.  It only takes me three-quarters of an hour to walk from one end of town to the other, which isn’t bad at all.  But I do have a desire of wanting bigger and better things for myself, and I freely admit that not knowing how to drive has been a major obstacle for me.

So, in May 2011...just days before my thirtieth birthday, I buckled down, and I got my G1 (which is kind of like the pre-license that one gets in Ontario before getting a full license).  And, as of 2013, I still have that G1.


It’s come to my attention that whenever I get behind the wheel of a car, I have complete anxiety behind the wheel, which is certainly not the best thing to have when attempting to drive a car.  Let’s be honest...driving with feelings of anxiety is equivalent to driving after consuming a twenty-sixer of vodka.  Neither scenario is ideal.

Here’s the thing.  I want to learn how to overcome my anxiety so that I can learn to drive a car so I can improve both my social and professional life.  But, I’m also discovering that I don’t have a very big support system in my life to help me achieve that goal, as the vast majority of my family and friends will not get in a car with me!  And, those who do are the type who will grab the wheel while I am trying to steer the car.  Yeah, here’s a tip for those of you inclined to do this with me.  DON’T DO IT.

Sigh...you know, I wasn’t always this nervous around cars.  When I was a little boy, some of my most favourite memories involved cars, trucks, minivans, and buses. 


No, I didn’t spend my childhood playing in parking lots, nor did I attend every car show that came to town.  Truth be told, whenever the family decided to go to the car shows on the boardwalk, I was always bored to tears.  But, some of my favourite toys were cars and trucks...albeit cars and trucks that were a mere fraction of what the actual size should be.


So, this leads to my next question.  How many of you out there played with the toy cars known as “Hot Wheels”?  Because my little spiel about being afraid to drive has lead into the discussion for today!


Introduced by Mattel in 1968, Hot Wheels were unique in that the vast majority of the cars were made to scale.  The earliest models were built in a 1:64 scale (later changed to 1:43 as the years passed by), and the very first Hot Wheels toy that was manufactured was a dark blue Custom Camaro.

At the time of its introduction, “Hot Wheels” cars only had one major competitor...Matchbox cars (which were eventually bought out by the company that made Hot Wheels in the mid-90s!).  But both brands of cars had their distinct differences.  While Matchbox cars were your everyday, standard cars that you would see on any city street or rural route, Hot Wheels were considered to be the cars that represented the “After” models in that television show called “Pimp My Ride”.


Anyway, when Hot Wheels first came out, there were sixteen different models to choose from – eleven of which were designed by American car designer Harry Bentley Bradley!  Here is the list of the original 1968 models that were released.  Check your collections at home, guys and gals.  They may be a collector’s item!

-         Custom Barracuda

-         Custom Camaro

-         Custom Corvette

-         Custom Eldorado

-         Custom Firebird

-         Custom Fleetside

-         Custom Mustang

-         Custom T-Bird

-         Custom Cougar

-         Custom Volkswagen

-         Deora

-         Ford J-Car

-         Hot Heap

-         Python

-         Silhouette

-         Beatnik Bandit

PERSONAL CONFESSION:  I certainly wish I had a Beatnik Bandit growing up!  Just the name of it alone sounded awesome!  Alas, most of my Hot Wheels collection dated back to the 1970s, when I inherited a huge collection from my tomboy of a sister. 

The initial sixteen were sold in various toy and hobby shops and became such a huge success that the following year, Hot Wheels added several more cars to the line-up.  By 1974, there were at least one hundred and fifty different styles and makes of Hot Wheels vehicles.

Perhaps what made Hot Wheels even more popular were the various Hot Wheels playsets that were sold alongside the cars themselves.  Perhaps one of the most successful Hot Wheels playsets ever manufactured was the 1970 Mongoose & Snake Drag Race Set, pictured below.


TRIVIA:  Would you believe that as late as 1990, the original playset was selling in some places for as high a price as five hundred bucks?  And, this was before websites like eBay became popular!  Thankfully, Hot Wheels modified the original design to make it more affordable!  Not quite the same, but a nice compromise.

Over the next few decades, Hot Wheels underwent several modifications.  One modification that I particularly loved growing up was the Hot Wheels that could change colour depending on the temperature of the water.  I owned three of these cars, and I even remember what colours they changed to!  One car changed from red to yellow, the second car changed from white to blue, and the last car changed from dark green to lime green.

(The green car was my favourite!)

And, today, Hot Wheels are still very much a popular toy for both boys and girls, with new models being introduced each year.  And, it’s not just kids that are getting into the magic of Hot Wheels.  More recently, adults have now jumped on the collecting bandwagon.

In fact, while it is estimated that the average child will own approximately 41 different Hot Wheels cars in their lifetime (I had at least a hundred and fifty), the average collector will have a collection in the thousands!

And, I suppose I should tell you the main reason why I loved playing with Hot Wheels so much as a kid.  It was because I knew that I could flip them, turn them over, crash them into a wall, and drop them down a flight of stairs without having to worry about getting hurt.

(Well, unless I forgot to pick them up off of the staircase and someone in my family stepped on one and took a nasty spill.  To my eldest sister, if you’re reading this, I am terribly sorry about that Hot Wheels slip and fall that you sustained back in ’85 or ’86.)

And, while I can’t really apply my fun with Hot Wheels to the fun of driving a real car, I suppose if I think about it, it sort of has the same principle.  I could after all control the speed, direction, and force that I used when playing with the toys...there’s no reason why I couldn’t do that with a real car.  And, I use pump trucks and carts at my workplace all the time and haven’t had any major accidents with those things in years...well, aside from the Christmas 2004 incident where I took out an entire display of Febreze with an out of control pump truck.  At least the floor smelled like pine needles and cinnamon for several days afterwards.  J

I guess in my case, it is mind over matter.  If I put my mind to it, I can get my full license.  I just need a car that I feel comfortable driving, as well as a person who will not go into hysterics when teaching me how to drive.

And, if all that fails, I guess I can always go on the below television series...