It has been five days, if you can believe it, since Cougar Flight 491 crashed into the cold Atlantic leaving only one survivor and 17 families mourning the loss of fathers, husbands, brothers, sons and friends.
Five days later and only now can I put words to what has happened in my mind personally and in terms of how the province has responded. To this effect I must reference a great commentary in the March 17th edition of The Telegram written by Russell Wangersky titled, More Than I Can Say. In the article Mr. Wangersky sums up the general feeling of most Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at this terrible time. We are a sea-fearing people and have been since 1497 when Europeans first set foot on our shores; there has been countless unfortunate tragedies in the oil patch as well as in our fishery and many lives lost while trying to make a living on the unforgiving waters which many call a second home. None of these previous tragedies can temper the grief that is being felt at this time by Newfoundlanders home and abroad.
And what is there to say?
As Wangersky points out, details into the crash are scant and we now know all bodies have thankfully been recovered, much needed closure, no doubt, for families who have easily had the worst week of their lives. There are personal stories yet to be heard. It is important that these stories not become a means of satiating the media's appetite for the next big "scoop" stemming from this tragedy but to serve as a form of therapy for those wishing to air the personal impact this has had on them. It is in this spirit that I have decided to write my thoughts on this event that has tragically etched itself into the ever evolving story of Newfoundland and Labrador.
I was at work on Thursday morning reading the morning headlines in the paper and listening, as I always do, to Open Line on VOCM. Nothing out of the ordinary until Randy Simms' show was interrupted by a special report from the VOCM newsroom. Gerry Phelan announced that a chopper has gone down of the coast of St. John's and Search and Rescue has been dispatched to the scene.
That was it. Simple. Short. But it was the beginning of a national frenzy that continues today.
Immediately I called home to make sure that my father, who was scheduled to fly offshore that day for his three week shift aboard the Henry Goodrich drilling rig but was granted an extra day onshore to nurse his flu, had not actually gone offshore. My only concern at this point was making sure he was safe and sound. Thankfully he was. I informed my mother of the news I had just heard and added a post script that, at this point, I didn't even know if it was a Cougar helicopter. This horrific possibility was confirmed a few minutes later after a call I placed to VOCM. It was a Cougar helicopter and it was carrying workers offshore.
The flurry that followed from the news reports of only two people in the water, only one survivor, two life rafts spotted, no one in the life rafts, chopper not visible, survivor brought to hospital did absolutely nothing to comfort my mind. I could not get the image of the Cougar helicopter, one identical to the choppers I watched dad board time and time again on his way offshore, with workers just like my father on board in the familiar orange survival suits out of my mind. A world wind of what-ifs swirled in my head, "Was dad supposed to be on that flight?", "What if he wasn't sick today?", "What if there is more than one helicopter affected by this problem?", "What if dad knows these people?", and "What now?".
These questions and the details rapidly filtering through the news became too much for me shortly after lunch and I was rightfully dismissed and sent home from the office to spend time with my family, which I was more than happy to do. I spent the rest of that fateful Thursday at home with dad watching the news and periodically distracting ourselves with TSN's coverage of the Tim Horton's Brier.
The days that followed confirmed that dad was not scheduled for that particular flight and would have been scheduled to fly later in the afternoon had he not been ill, he did know most everyone on board the doomed chopper and just how many helicopters affected is yet to be determined by the Transportation and Safety Board. For my father's part he has gone through periods of extreme sadness and trepidation, as have all of us, knowing that he must return offshore eventually.
He did so yesterday via supply ship passing the make-shift memorial set up at Cougar headquarters solidifying the tragedy in his mind, making it tangible and tightening the knot in his stomach as he kissed my mother goodbye to earn a living on the water as he has done for close to 25 years.
For me, I accept the things I cannot change. I know he has to go to work to put food on my family's table and I know he loves his job and would have it no other way; I know that the men and women who work offshore are safe although they work in some of the most dangerous and unforgiving seas on earth; and I know that the families and friends of those on that flight are hurting. I have never in my life been so closely associated with a tragedy of this magnitude and I hope never to be again.
Now it is a time to stand with the families who are grieving and lend a hand and an open heart of support as only Newfoundlanders and Labradorians know how to do. The appetite for blame and the accusatory questioning from the media is to be ignored for the time being, it is a matter for the TSB and all will come to light in its time. In times of greatest tragedy there are always the birds who prey circling waiting for their opportunity to swoop in and seize on any emotional line to turn into a headline. As with any bird, make a swat at them and they will fly off.
My thoughts and prayers are with the families of victims and their colleagues who continue their work offshore. Be strong. This too shall pass and we will all be stronger and wiser for it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Hands in My Pockets
I have always marveled at what I choose to keep in my pocket and what makes its way in there through sheer accident or necessity. I can get a lot of stuff in there and my pocket's capacity amazes me most of the time.
Girls have purses, guys have pockets; we put almost the same amount of stuff in there too. Below is a list of what is in there currently, because I have nothing better to do apparently.
Blackberry
It is my office away from the office. My leash. It has become the only thing that is constantly in my pocket. It has also been dropped more than it should, I need a case.
$0.34
The leftover change from my morning coffee. Sadly the only cash I have on me.
Wallet
The days I forget this thing are the worst.
Business Cards
Because you never know when you will need them
Chap Stick
I feel surprisingly lost without this. I have "problem" lips. They are always cracking and chapping, especially this time of year. Some have said I need to drink more water, I think I just need a constant supply of Chap Stick. Words cannot describe how annoying it is to have painful lips and no means of hydration. Big thanks to Michael Venn for this obsessive compulsive habit.
Pen
I have no idea why I put that in my pocket. it'll probably bust and ruin my pants. I am taking it out of there.
Lint
The product of a clean pair of pants!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Bowling
I am somewhat of an anomaly in my family.
I realize this is a loaded statement but let me qualify it a little. There are many reasons why I am an anomaly but non more apparent than my lack of any sort of skill when it comes to the fine "sport" of bowling. My family consists entirely of professional bowlers to some degree. My sister started the trend at a very young age when she took up the past time quite seriously as a YBC bowler. It has taken her to various provinces for national competitions and has won her a national title as part of a bantam girls team in Gatineau, Quebec. My parents also participate in a rec league on Friday nights and have honed their skills through weeks of friendly practice.
I played hockey as a kid. Not so much the stand 'em up and knock 'em down sport, mostly just knock 'em down. I never really had the patience for bowling. Hockey is fast paced, action packed, you never sit on the bench for longer than about 2 minutes, at least not in minor hockey, and when you are on the ice you have little time to think between dodging bodies and flying pieces of frozen rubber. That is a SPORT! This was in the back of my mind when I ventured out last evening for a friendly game of bowling with the parents and my lovely girlfriend.
Luckily my girlfriend is as good a bowler as I so there was no need to look impressive. What was a fun evening was also one of the most frustrating sporting experiences of my life. It ranks way up there with when I attempted Curling which, I have to say, is amazingly more difficult than it looks on TV, but that is another story for another day. Of the two complete games the four of us managed in the one hour time frame allotted for our outing, I managed a score of 100 and 153. I was just happy to get into the triple digits but the process is incredibly frustrating.
The pins on the right hand side of the lane didn't stand a chance! My ball would always find its was to the two or three point pins each and every time I rolled the ball. I have no idea why it would not stay straight considering no one else had any trouble. This proved to be quite frustrating and I determined that bowling, by its very nature, is designed to be a frustrating experience:
You get three balls.
Ball One: End pin. Two points. "Shit! Why did that ball go over there? I lined up the arrows, extended the arm, pointed to where I wanted the ball to go. I know it had enough speed...I'll definitely get a spare, this one will be better."
Ball Two: Same spot, taking out one more pin. Five points total. "What the Hell? What was wrong with that one? It rolled off my fingers too early I guess. How hard can this game be?"
Ball Three: Same spot again, maybe in the gutter, nothing. Five of a possible 15 points. "OK screw this! That time it was perfect! I don't get this frigging game! The lane is crooked, that has to be it!"
Only the lane is not crooked, if it was then the next three bowlers wouldn't be scoring strike after strike like they were born to bowl. After your three balls you have to sit and brood over how embarrassing your attempt was while your bowling-mates are tearing it up. For the first few frames you chalk it up to a bad turn and decide that you can and will do better. You don't. Turn after turn of five point attempts. Suddenly you wish bowling was a little more like hockey, at least in terms of body contact.
There is an up side. It's inexpensive quality time with friends and family, the value of which is inestimable, and there is beer. I'm sure if I were to practise I would get better but I am not sure I have the patience. I am definitely joining a rec hockey league next winter.
I realize this is a loaded statement but let me qualify it a little. There are many reasons why I am an anomaly but non more apparent than my lack of any sort of skill when it comes to the fine "sport" of bowling. My family consists entirely of professional bowlers to some degree. My sister started the trend at a very young age when she took up the past time quite seriously as a YBC bowler. It has taken her to various provinces for national competitions and has won her a national title as part of a bantam girls team in Gatineau, Quebec. My parents also participate in a rec league on Friday nights and have honed their skills through weeks of friendly practice.
I played hockey as a kid. Not so much the stand 'em up and knock 'em down sport, mostly just knock 'em down. I never really had the patience for bowling. Hockey is fast paced, action packed, you never sit on the bench for longer than about 2 minutes, at least not in minor hockey, and when you are on the ice you have little time to think between dodging bodies and flying pieces of frozen rubber. That is a SPORT! This was in the back of my mind when I ventured out last evening for a friendly game of bowling with the parents and my lovely girlfriend.
Luckily my girlfriend is as good a bowler as I so there was no need to look impressive. What was a fun evening was also one of the most frustrating sporting experiences of my life. It ranks way up there with when I attempted Curling which, I have to say, is amazingly more difficult than it looks on TV, but that is another story for another day. Of the two complete games the four of us managed in the one hour time frame allotted for our outing, I managed a score of 100 and 153. I was just happy to get into the triple digits but the process is incredibly frustrating.
The pins on the right hand side of the lane didn't stand a chance! My ball would always find its was to the two or three point pins each and every time I rolled the ball. I have no idea why it would not stay straight considering no one else had any trouble. This proved to be quite frustrating and I determined that bowling, by its very nature, is designed to be a frustrating experience:
You get three balls.
Ball One: End pin. Two points. "Shit! Why did that ball go over there? I lined up the arrows, extended the arm, pointed to where I wanted the ball to go. I know it had enough speed...I'll definitely get a spare, this one will be better."
Ball Two: Same spot, taking out one more pin. Five points total. "What the Hell? What was wrong with that one? It rolled off my fingers too early I guess. How hard can this game be?"
Ball Three: Same spot again, maybe in the gutter, nothing. Five of a possible 15 points. "OK screw this! That time it was perfect! I don't get this frigging game! The lane is crooked, that has to be it!"
Only the lane is not crooked, if it was then the next three bowlers wouldn't be scoring strike after strike like they were born to bowl. After your three balls you have to sit and brood over how embarrassing your attempt was while your bowling-mates are tearing it up. For the first few frames you chalk it up to a bad turn and decide that you can and will do better. You don't. Turn after turn of five point attempts. Suddenly you wish bowling was a little more like hockey, at least in terms of body contact.
There is an up side. It's inexpensive quality time with friends and family, the value of which is inestimable, and there is beer. I'm sure if I were to practise I would get better but I am not sure I have the patience. I am definitely joining a rec hockey league next winter.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Less Creative Approach
The last few days have been pretty crazy for me.
As a result I have not had the time nor the creativity to write anything. I apologise to anyone who is following intently and is wondering what has happened since last week. I am assuming such people exist; I have no way of knowing unless people comment on the blog. Some are commenting, and for this I thank you, to those who are not, drop me a line!
I figured today I would simply recount the events of the last few days that have lead to this creative block and open myself up to any suggestions on breaking it. This block is half the reason my blogs/journals in the past have all flopped; I get a block and, rather than try to burst through it, I just give up on the whole thing.
As my last post outlined, (http://nonpoliticallymotivated.blogspot.com) I am in the process of moving, sort of. Either way it has taken up a large proportion of my time and has turned my "cozy" little apartment into a collection of bits and pieces yet to be sorted into their proper places. That being said I am pleased that the actual "moving" part is done and now it is just a matter of cleaning things up and maintaining it. That does present another problem, though. I have a small place and have realized that the smaller the place you are living in is, the more frequently you have to clean it. It doesn't get dirty quicker, per se, it just becomes very untidy often. All it takes is a substantial cooking effort and the kitchen looks like it hasn't been touched in weeks. I have had to adjust my routine to include much more tidying than I am used to. Some call me anal because of my incessant need to keep things tidy but I cannot relax in the evening to watch TV or a movie or read a book surrounded by an untidy house. I am constantly thinking about what has to be done in the house and can't enjoy anything else until it is done.
In addition to moving I, of course, continue to go to work and it seems that when it rains it pours. It is the first week back for the boss so the pseudo-vacation in the office is over. It seems we are now making up for two weeks work as there is some catching up and filling in of the boss to be done concerning issues that have arisen since she left. That being done the whole thing was complicated further by the release of a major report on a health care scandal that has caused a stir in government. In case you have not figured it out yet I work for government and am responsible for responding to political fire storms. Needless to say I have had a busy week as a result of this report. Not much time in the midst of everything to do any writing.
So now that all this is winding down I look forward to the coming days and weeks. I am receiving a new bed today and let me say this: everyone needs and deserves a good mattress, trust me. I recently purchased tickets to the Neil Young concert in April so I am incredibly excited for that! As if that wasn't enough, one of my good friends has made it to the finals here in St. John's for the Great Canadian Laugh Off sponsored by Yuk Yuk's. Next Wednesday he will compete for a chance to fly to Toronto for the national finals. GO GOUDIE! Anyone who knows this guy will agree that he is born to do stand-up comedy or, at the very least, should share his ability with the world because he is one funny dude. Anyone in the St. John's Newfoundland should take in the show next Wednesday, March 11 at Yuk Yuk's comedy club. It is a very entertaining and inexpensive night out.
Keep reading. There are more university stories to come, always entertaining, and more new posts to come very soon. Let me know you are reading sometime by leaving a comment!
As a result I have not had the time nor the creativity to write anything. I apologise to anyone who is following intently and is wondering what has happened since last week. I am assuming such people exist; I have no way of knowing unless people comment on the blog. Some are commenting, and for this I thank you, to those who are not, drop me a line!
I figured today I would simply recount the events of the last few days that have lead to this creative block and open myself up to any suggestions on breaking it. This block is half the reason my blogs/journals in the past have all flopped; I get a block and, rather than try to burst through it, I just give up on the whole thing.
As my last post outlined, (http://nonpoliticallymotivated.blogspot.com) I am in the process of moving, sort of. Either way it has taken up a large proportion of my time and has turned my "cozy" little apartment into a collection of bits and pieces yet to be sorted into their proper places. That being said I am pleased that the actual "moving" part is done and now it is just a matter of cleaning things up and maintaining it. That does present another problem, though. I have a small place and have realized that the smaller the place you are living in is, the more frequently you have to clean it. It doesn't get dirty quicker, per se, it just becomes very untidy often. All it takes is a substantial cooking effort and the kitchen looks like it hasn't been touched in weeks. I have had to adjust my routine to include much more tidying than I am used to. Some call me anal because of my incessant need to keep things tidy but I cannot relax in the evening to watch TV or a movie or read a book surrounded by an untidy house. I am constantly thinking about what has to be done in the house and can't enjoy anything else until it is done.
In addition to moving I, of course, continue to go to work and it seems that when it rains it pours. It is the first week back for the boss so the pseudo-vacation in the office is over. It seems we are now making up for two weeks work as there is some catching up and filling in of the boss to be done concerning issues that have arisen since she left. That being done the whole thing was complicated further by the release of a major report on a health care scandal that has caused a stir in government. In case you have not figured it out yet I work for government and am responsible for responding to political fire storms. Needless to say I have had a busy week as a result of this report. Not much time in the midst of everything to do any writing.
So now that all this is winding down I look forward to the coming days and weeks. I am receiving a new bed today and let me say this: everyone needs and deserves a good mattress, trust me. I recently purchased tickets to the Neil Young concert in April so I am incredibly excited for that! As if that wasn't enough, one of my good friends has made it to the finals here in St. John's for the Great Canadian Laugh Off sponsored by Yuk Yuk's. Next Wednesday he will compete for a chance to fly to Toronto for the national finals. GO GOUDIE! Anyone who knows this guy will agree that he is born to do stand-up comedy or, at the very least, should share his ability with the world because he is one funny dude. Anyone in the St. John's Newfoundland should take in the show next Wednesday, March 11 at Yuk Yuk's comedy club. It is a very entertaining and inexpensive night out.
Keep reading. There are more university stories to come, always entertaining, and more new posts to come very soon. Let me know you are reading sometime by leaving a comment!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
