I've always had to depend on the kindness of strangers

That's a line from "A Streetcar Named Desire" which is a wonderful play by Tennessee Williams which you must see if you ever get the chance and even if you don't get a chance to see the play, be sure to see the movie with Marlon Brando (yes, the GREAT actor) and Vivien Leigh (who is great and I won't say "as well" because she's just great, not in addition to anyone else, but all on her own).  Blanche (played by Vivien Leigh) says that line after having a nervous breakdown after going through all sorts of terrible cruel things perpetrated upon her by people she knows.  It is one of those iconic lines from great movies that people often quote and it's one of those lines my sister and I say a lot.  I had to depend on a kind stranger this morning when I dropped my keys into the bear-proof bin at the park.  Daisy and I were there before 7 for our walk and usually I put my keys in my pocket, but I didn't have a pocket and was throwing away her poop bag and fumbling with the lid and didn't my keys fall out of my hand and then deep down in the bin!  It is bear proof but also human-proof and I couldn't reach them although I could see them down at the bottom of the bin.  Without my keys, I couldn't get back into my house (everyone else was sleeping) or drive myself to picket in Richmond.  So I saw a guy sitting in his truck, smoking and looking out at the water, and I went over and asked if he had a coat hanger and explained my plight.  Coincidentally, he had lost something in a different garbage bin at the park.  He had put some money into an empty cigarette package (which doesn't seem like a great idea, but I don't smoke so I don't really know what one usually does with an empty pack) and his friend had inadvertently thrown it out.  So he was waiting for the people from the city to come and open the bin.  He found a coat hanger in his truck and he used it to hook my keys and pull them out for me.  So thanks so much to that kind stranger.

Later I was picketing in front of the school board office and we were handing out leaflets and a nicely dressed lady with very well coiffed hair walked by and one of the other teachers said, "may I give you some information about our dispute?" and the lady shook her head gruffly and muttered, as she walked away, "shame on you" which I thought was UNkind.  If she had an imagination, she would realize that it is not a picnic to stand outside of your employers' office handing out leaflets, especially after such a long time on the picket line.  Walk a mile in the other person's shoes before you try to shame them and make them feel badly.  That's the beauty of theatre -- it gives us that chance.

Everyone's a winner!

The World Cup is over and Germany has won.  I believe that they were the best team although I'll confess that I was cheering for Argentina (after my second choice, the Brazilians, went down to defeat, I decided not to announce the team I was cheering for, as I appear to be a bit of a jinx).  My sister and brother-in-law love Lionel Messi and think he's a great ambassador for the sport because he doesn't do those dramatic dives in order to convince the referee that he has been fouled (like Arjen Robben of the Netherlands . . . just saying . . .)  I read a little article about Miroslav Klose (who plays for Germany and has overtaken Ronaldo's previous record for most goals scored in World Cup play).  He is a great ambassador as well -- he refused to take a free kick when he felt the referee had penalized the opposing player incorrectly and on another occasion, admitted to having scored with his hand not his foot -- he has been given an award for fair play for this sort of behavior).

As with many of these big sporting events, the cost to put it on is really disgusting and especially in a country like Brazil, which has so many people living in desperate poverty, it is unconscionable.  I think they really must come up with some other, more reasonable and economical way to stage these huge sporting events.  I think the Olympics should always be held in Greece (for the summer and maybe somewhere like Lillehammer in the winter) and the competing nations should pay into a fund that supports the venues and pays for all the other expenses like security.  I guess the FIFA World Cup could do the  same.  Apparently one of the stadiums built for this World Cup is in the middle of the jungle and is virtually inaccessible and will probably never be used again.  What a waste.  Think of all the hungry children that could be fed and all the homeless people in the streets of Rio de Janeiro who could be housed with the money they spent on that one stadium.

But that being said, I certainly have enjoyed watching the football and will miss it dreadfully now that it's over.  I always say, after the World Cup, that I should watch more soccer, but I never do.  I guess the stakes aren't high enough in regular league play. 

The impasse continues as far as the government and teachers go.  It is very horrible to be caught in this stalemate with no ongoing attempts even to make progress.  Apparently in the last-ditch talks at the end of the school year, the government refused to engage with the mediator until teachers accepted a number of conditions which involved us giving up all the things we've been trying to negotiate.  Several of us will be picketing the school board tomorrow from 9 to 11:30 if you want to pop by and honk your horn (if you're driving) or give us a thumbs up, if you're strolling by.

Hope everyone's enjoying the lovely summer weather.  Daisy and I walk down to the water early every morning before it gets really hot and then we come home and she lies in the sun out in the backyard until she is well and truly baked and then and only then does she seek out a shady spot under the trees!

Type A vs. Type B

Okay, I looked up Type A personalities (and also found Type B in the Wikipedia article -- I know we trash Wikipedia, but in this sort of respect, I think it gives me what I want, which is a short pithy description of something that flitted through my brain and has flitted through a couple of times since then).  Here is Wikipedia's take on what a Type A personality is:
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Type A

The theory A individual as ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status-conscious, sensitive, impatient, take on more than they can handle, want other people to get to the point, anxious, proactive, and concerned with time management. People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving "workaholics" who multi-task, push themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and ambivalence.^[4]
In his 1996 book, Type A Behavior: Its Diagnosis and Treatment, Friedman suggests that Type A behavior is expressed in three major symptoms: free-floating hostility, which can be triggered by even minor incidents; time urgency and impatience, which causes irritation and exasperation usually described as being "short-fused"; and a competitive drive, which causes stress and an achievement-driven mentality. The first of these symptoms is believed to be covert and therefore less observable, while the other two are more overt. ^[5]

Type B

The theory describes "Type B" individuals as a contrast to those with Type A personalities. People with Type B personality by definition generally live at a lower stress level and typically work steadily, enjoying achievement but not becoming stressed when they do not achieve. When faced with competition, they do not lose their minds and either enjoy the game or back down. They may be creative and enjoy exploring ideas and concepts. They are often reflective, thinking about the outer and inner worlds.
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As is often the case with personality labels like this, some of the things apply to me and some don't.  I do multi-task, of course (although scientists dispute whether it is actually possible to multi-task -- they suggest that if you think you're multi-tasking, you're probably neglecting one of the tasks to the benefit of the other), I'd say I am organized (hence the list-making) but not rigid and I am not "highly status-conscious" and I actually embrace ambivalence.  I'm not a relativist, but I do think there are a lot of grey areas, especially in the arts.  And of course, we all agree I have the patience of a SAINT.  I guess I am much more a Type B than a Type A, but the list-making certainly fits the A, as I said last time.

I have continued to make lists, which resulted in me making two phone calls, and if you know me, you know how I HATE to make phone calls, so the list making has been a good thing.  I continue to search for a job, with no success at all, to this point.   It is a bit discouraging, but then my years as an actor have prepared me for rejection -- I'm just out of practice after 20 glorious years of teaching! 

We went to a wedding on the weekend.  Remember that Mike's best friend, Colin, died last September of colon cancer?  It was his son's wedding.  It was a really lovely event and reflected the married couple's personalities beautifully.  They got married outside in a lovely grove of trees near the water and then we went into the hall for the reception and were offered ice cream bars when we first arrived and then a lovely meal and dancing and a photo booth (!) and for the midnight snack, they had McDonalds deliver cheeseburgers and McChicken burgers!  Colin knew about the engagement before he died and his wife read a letter he had written which he wanted to have read at the reception.  It was a dear sweet letter in which Colin shared his thoughts about marriage and it really felt as if he was there with us, which was what all of us wished.  You can imagine, there wasn't a dry eye in the house after the letter was read.  The bride and groom did just what Colin would have wanted -- they thought about him and missed him, but they seemed to have a terrific time at their wedding (you'd be surprised how many people don't -- it can be so stressful and exhausting) and we all wish them the very best for a long happy life together.

A rose is a rose is a rose.

Summer is well and truly here.  It doesn't feel like summer yet for me -- I guess we really didn't get closure at the end of the year.  For grade 10's and 11's, I want to let you know that when your report cards come sometime in mid-July, the marks might not reflect what you are expecting.  We were ordered by the Labour Relations Board to "review" grade 10 and 11 marks, but the instructions after that were vague.  For my part, I did not feel that I could verify the marks that admin had given me, since all my paperwork was in the school.  Lots of other teachers felt the same and we were unsure about how to proceed.  And still are!  This is, as I said in class, uncharted territory for everyone.

I have been putting out tentative feelers to see if there are any jobs out there for experienced (read: old) drama teachers!  The last time I looked for work, you looked in the want ads in the newspaper but that doesn't seem like a very good option nowadays.  I know that "networking" is worthwhile, but I'm not very good at that stuff -- it takes me years to work up the courage to ask people for help or advice.  My neighbour teaches art and yoga and all sorts of things at our community centre and she said, if there is no summer school, they might be looking to add programs to fill the needs of parents and kids around here.  I'm wondering if my experience with high school students could translate into teaching really small kids.  My theory is that a kid is a kid is a kid (look up Gertrude Stein) and so it should be okay.  Now all I have to do is convince the people who do the hiring!

What are your plans over the summer?  For some of you, it will be your last summer of relative freedom.   When I have unstructured time ahead of me (I think this is a type-A personality trait, but I don't think I'm a type-A person -- I'll have to look it up), I like to make a "to do" list.  I put something on it that I have to do (walk Daisy), something I like to do (read "Twelfth Night", which I hope we'll do next fall), something I should do (apply for a job), and something I really don't want to do (phone Will's piano teacher -- I'm phone-phobic and would much rather email, but she doesn't use email -- who doesn't use email anymore?)  Once it's on the list, I feel compelled to do it and I get such a feeling of satisfaction to cross it off the list.  The thing is -- you can't lose the list -- otherwise, you lose all motivation!

We stand on guard for thee!

Happy Canada Day!  We've got a lovely day weather-wise ahead of us.  The birds are singing and there is a nice breeze blowing.  Our little Canadian family is going to go down to Rocky Point Park and sing "O Canada!" and have a piece of cake to celebrate Canada's birthday.  They are having a "mayor for a minute" booth, where you can say what you would do if you could run Port Moody (for a minute!)  I've been thinking about what I would do.  One thing that bugs me about Port Moody (although I really love Port Moody, there are still things that bug me about it) is that the city council has decided to call it "the City of the Arts" but I don't see why it is more artsy than anywhere else.  I guess if I could be the mayor, I'd put my money where my mouth is and implement policies that would really put the arts first.  And with my bias, I would have a little theatre built that could be used by local groups for very little money.  A theatre with a scene shop, costume storage and rehearsal space.  Stage 43 (where I sometimes perform) is always struggling to pay for rehearsal space and storage.  The older I get the more convinced I am of the efficacy of the arts.  Years ago, a couple of kids at Steveston-London made a video about how we can prevent war.  They asked a bunch of teachers what we thought.  It is hard to think of a good answer, because I'm not sure it is in our power -- we seem to have a propensity for fighting.  But Mr. Akselrod had a great answer.  He said, "make art".

Whatever you decide to do today, think about how lucky you are to be here in Canada.  I think it is mostly luck that makes this such a good place.  We don't have a huge population, so we have managed to hold on to some of the natural environment and not destroy our air and water and soil.  We are relatively free and live in a peaceful and fairly tolerant society.  Thanks to great Canadians like Tommy Douglas, we have been able to hold on to a sense of communal responsibility which gives us great institutions like medicare and public education.  We must make sure that we value and preserve these institutions that make our country one of the safest and most liveable in the world.

Make sure you put on some sun screen if you go out in the sun today (and every day).  Yesterday we were in Richmond for the Ship to Shore festival (which was great fun -- we got to go on a bunch of different boats and explore them) and I got a bad sunburn on my shoulders.  You'd think I would have learned that lesson in my long life.

The Long and Winding Road

This was the song that my graduation class chose as its class song.  When you look at the lyrics, they really have nothing to do with graduating,  but I guess the title of the song suggests that you have a long and mysterious way ahead, which you do.  As we all do.  You never know what that bend in the road might bring.

Roads are a great metaphor for the journey of our lives.  Follow the straight and narrow.  Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken".  The road by which Estragon and Vladimir wait for Godot.  Bob Hope and Bing Crosby's "road" movies (just kidding). 

May the road on which you are about to embark be long and smooth.  May parts of the road present challenges for you that make you do your best and feel proud of what you have accomplished.  May there be places along the way to stop and rest, places where you can experience lovely things.  May you find kindred spirits to travel with you.  And may you find happiness in the journey.

"Say Not The Struggle Naught Availeth"

Here's an inspirational poem to signify the successful end of a long hard struggle.  Arthur Hugh Clough probably was talking about soldiers in this poem, but I think we all can learn from it that we must always fight the good fight and in the end, we will win the battle.  Congratulations to all our lovely grade 12 students on having reached this momentous day.  I wish you all the best in your future struggles.  There will be many of them, as we all know, but as the poet says, they have value and are not in vain.

Say not the struggle naught availeth,
The labour and the wounds are vain,
The enemy faints not, nor faileth
And as things have been they remain.

If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars,
It may be, in yon smoke concealed,
Your comrades chase e'en now the fliers,
And, but for you, possess the field.

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,
Seem here no painful inch to gain,
Far back, through creeks and inlets making,
Comes silent, flooding in, the main.

And not by eastern windows only,
When daylight comes, comes in the light,
In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright!