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A summer morning in Whistler.  DevilPuppy walked, coffee brewed and sipped.  Paper read (On-line version), and the day stretches out endlessly before me.  What to do?  Shall I snap together the modular kayak I purchased while in Afghanistan and take it down to Alta Lake?  Perhaps I will hop on the old mountain bike with the outside trail tires, put on my helmet, while the real ‘experts’ zip by on their high-end bikes with their helmets on the handle bars or on their backs?  It is of course a perfect golf day, but I think I’ll leave that for later in the day when it is cooler.  A swim is of course mandatory and Nelson,  the pain-in-the-ass Rottie puppy that is now a member of our family, is starting to really enjoy the water.  The roller blades are back in Victoria, as is the tennis racquet.  And of course, there is the hammock, begging to be napped in . .. .. … .

See, these are the questions and choices that really matter, to my way of thinking.  They are lifestyle choices.  Not ones of war or politics or parliamentary debate.  Up here, I don’t care if Pakistan and the USA are mad at each other.  I am less concerned about trouble brewing in the middle east.  I should care more about the hungry tummies in refugee camps,  that need to be filled.  But for right now, for a very short period, I am going to take a break from that.  Because of course, it will all be waiting for me when I emerge back into the unhappy world and the more mundane decisions have to be made.

Harper, The Queen, Obama and the Chinese president, can have all the power they wish.  They can have all the trappings that come with their positions.  They can have all the stress too.  I .. . do. .. .not … ..care.  Not one whit.  My decisions are far more impactful and meaningful.  And fun, for that matter.  My decisions will not alter things in the world one little bit.  They will – pretty much – only affect me, and I like that.  No responsibility, no competition, no rat race, no 24 hr news station, no questions or demands.  Just pack a lunch, choose an activity and go do it.

In the beautiful fresh mountain air and clear, freezing glacier water, I can empty my mind, get a bit of exercise and leave the world to spin to it’s fate, whatever that may be.  Yup.  I like that.  I really, really like that .. .. .. .