So, How Did I Get Here?

(If you want the complete history, go to my ancestry page.)

I am originally from Toronto, Canada. I grew up in a loving family in a very typical middle class suburb, (known by some as 'Scarberia'.) As a teenager I attended West Hill Collegiate. At the age of 18 I loaded up the family Volvo and headed to Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. As reported by family I never returned, (to live that is).

Off to see the world!

Three years of "study" provided a degree in Geography and Psychology. At the time I felt that I could say that "Not only do I know where I am going, but why I am going there." If I knew then, what I know now...

Following a "different road" became ingrained in my life journey from an early age. I recall as a child in the fifties, when our family would go on a Sunday drive, that I always wanted to return by a different route. I wanted to see what was down that "other road". For reasons I still try to understand, I continue to live by that credo.

Looking for the Other Road

I am second from the left, next to my Dad. My Grandmother holds my brother Warren, and my Mother is on the end. My Grandfather is taking the picture.

I was fortunate then, that my summer job through university took me to many of the far flung reaches of Canada. I worked in the bush for a mineral exploration company, Barringer Research. I travelled by float plane, helicopter, canoe, 4X4 truck, and foot. This took me from Northern Manitoba between Thompson and Lyn Lake, to Reindeer Lake in Northern Saskatchewan to Quesnel, Houston, and Osoyoos, British Columbia, Dryden, Ontario and Sackville, New Brunswick over three summers.

Exploring Northern Canada

Those three years of university turned into 22 years living at the other end of Lake Ontario. Initially, I drifted through life. I engaged in considerable soul searching. I read philosophy, and works on Buddhism. I participated in the 'human potential' movement that was part of the counter-culture life of the seventies. Gestalt therapy retreats, Eidetic Perception Seminars, Hakomi workshops, to name but a few. It was a chaotic, challenging experience, . It was during this time that I learned to accept myself, and the life I was given. The non-theistic teachings of Buddhism helped me find my sense of a moral compass and an acknowledgement of that which is beyond this person knowing and speaking. In retrospect, I believe it was this very important work "coming of age" work that later gave me the ease to accept the teachings of Radical Acceptance. Go to my spirit page for more soul food.

I was usually employed in the transportation industry. In the early nineties my employer of the day, UPS, asked me to transfer to Ottawa, about 175 kilometers to the northeast.

The end of the century brought an end to a personal era. I decided to leave the corporate world on December 31, 1999 for a quieter life. That spring I purchased my first bicycle as an adult. The only regret I have is that I didn't do it sooner!

This quieter life allows me the opportunity to understand the concept of Living More, Yet Consuming Less. There is a growing movement that identifies this as Voluntary Simplicity. So much of what I read about the concept rings true for me. How can one argue with "Living Simply, that Others May Simply Live"? I see people rushing to attain more, while appreciating and enjoying life less.

I only came to know the term "voluntary simplicity" since leaving the corporate world. I feel, though, that I have attempted to live by some of its tenets since my university years. I had always shopped second hand, and thought that time was more valuable than money. I cannot remember when consumerism, particularly that surrounding Christmas, has not bothered me.

Perhaps my biggest step in this direction occurred early in 2006 when I gave up automobile ownership. The process itself took about two years to finally unwrap my fingers from the steering wheel. It began with my decision to travel to the Middle East. I was the guest of my good friend and neighbour, Majid, who introduced me to the profound beauty of his homeland, Iran.

As I was going to be away for several weeks, I decided to suspend the insurance on my car. Upon my return a refund cheque of over $200 was waiting for me. Liking the idea of more money in my pocket instead of the hands of the insurance company, I decided to keep the car off the road for several months. I did re-insure at renewal time, but realized that I was resenting the car. It seemed like such an albatross, that always begged for money and attention. Eventually, I found a young family through a local home schooling network whom I thought would be able to put it to better use than I. It is such a release to be automobile free!

I read an interesting article recently in the business section of the Toronto Globe and Mail. It told the story of a Canadian entrepreneur who had become fabulously wealthy through shrewd investments in the advertising industry. Almost fifty years of age, he decided that he had accumulated too much wealth, and decided to donate most of it to a charitable foundation. As he relinquished his property, he is quoted as saying, "How many beds can one guy sleep in?" It is heartening to hear that even the wealthy can walk away from the greed machine.

Now I combine my love of cycling with community volunteer work. I am a Past Board President and currently Treasurer of the Overbrook-Forbes Community Resource Centre. I have also served as President of my local Community Association, the Community Council of Overbrook for the past four years and now am a board member at large. Both of these endeavours enrich me immeasurably.

Not all of my "different road" adventures have been by bicycle. In 1998 my wanderlust took me to China, where two friends hosted me as we took in the sites and sounds of Shanghai and Beijing. I toured my ancestral homeland, England, with my brother in 2000. It was a mad automotive dash from Lands End to John O'Groats, and many points in between. 2500 miles in ten days. I toured there again in 2003 and 2004 with my good friend, Mary Helen.

In 2005 I acquired a new bike, an Airnimal Chameleon folder. The more I ride it, the more I enjoy it! That same year my new set of wheels took me from Toronto to Ottawa, as well as a relaxing pedal in upstate New York. In 2006 I cycled from Ottawa to Kingston and back, as well as a two week cycle in England.

I ride a bike and encourage others to do so for reasons of health. On a personal level this activity is a healthy active choice for the participant. The act of cycling, however, has broader implications for the well-being of our society. Every cycling journey that reduces the consumption of a non-renewable resource is a positive step toward improving the quality of the air we breathe. I want to do whatever I can to encourage others to accept responsibility for and understand the consequences of not only their transportation but all of their lifestyle choices.

The ever increasing size of the footprint of humankind on our planet is unsustainable. We destroy far more of our home than we revitalize. Our collective blindness to this imbalance is leading to the destruction of civilization as we know it. It is my hope that I will have the pleasure of dying a natural death as a result of old age. Sadly, it is unlikely that future generations will be able to look forward to a similar fate unless there is radical change in human behaviour. I was profoundly influenced on this issue by reading "A Short History of Progress" by Ronald Wright. It is a must read. You can also hear Part I of the Massey Lecture given by Ronald Wright in 2004.

I have many ingrained habits of consumptive behaviour yet to change. I am endeavouring to be more conscious of every consumption decision I make.

I enjoy good fortune. I have been blessed, with good friends, family and health. I have been empowered by education. I seek ways to share these treasures with others.