I’m trying to remember the first present I ever received. I was four or five years old. I think it was Christmas and Santa brought me a set of Roy Rogers’s twin six guns and holsters. Very Cool! Roy Rogers, the singing cowboy, was my first hero. There was Gabby Hayes, his scruffy sidekick; Trigger, the smartest horse in the world and Dale Evans, Roy’s singing wife. Happy Trails to You too! I would stand in front of the mirror and squint to look like Roy. Nobody seemed to think toy guns for kids were a no-no in those days. Then my cousin showed up for dinner with a really cool red cowboy hat! Now if I just had that hat too……..
We were a pretty average middle class family when I was growing up, nonetheless, presents were special. As I recall, I used to get one serious present at Christmas and another on my birthday (only a few days after Christmas, so it was like a double big bang time of year for me).
Read More on: Thanks for Giving!
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Like many others, on
November 11th, I took the time to pause, reflect and honor those who have gone to war. I watched the ceremony on television and said a quiet "thank you". What am I saying thank you for and why do I feel a sense of sorrow?
Obviously, I’m grateful to live in a democracy. I’m grateful that I have not officially “had to go to war”. Really, I have no idea of what front line battle feels like. Or do I?
I feel sorrow for the loss of life, for the families that have lived with that loss, for the soldiers that have lived with the first hand experience of going through a war. I also feel a tremendous sadness, that despite the testimonials of countless active soldiers, veterans and their families reflecting on the futility of war; we are, in fact, still going to war.
I watched the soldiers as they partook in the Remembrance Day ceremonies and wondered what it would be like if we did not have a need for soldiers or for the guns they carry. What if Remembrance Day was a day for honoring the past and celebrating peace? What if we lived in a world without distinction of borders, without a belief of “them and us”?
How would this be possible? Many are “for peace”, attend peace rallies, and support peaceful movements. Why have we not learned from the past and why does worldwide peace not exist?
Read More on: On The Road to Peace!
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The 
New English Dictionary describes “joy’ as something that cause’s intense happiness! I like the idea of "intense happiness" so how do I get to these "somethings" to experience joy?
Remember the movie Oliver Twist? Young Oliver was still hungry after his first bowl of porridge. He quietly rose from his seat and approached his keeper to say, “more please!” Was it a joy for him to nourish himself with a simple bowl of porridge. Did the joy of the experience (eating tasty, sustaining porridge) prompt the request for more or was it simply the need to fill his tummy with food?
Read More on: Joy in a Bowl of Porridge?
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It was 8 am, October 31st and I was 9 years old. We were having a Halloween party at our school. My mum had given me a quarter for a mask the day before and I went up the street to Woolworth's five & dime store and picked out this green monster mask. I wore it all the way to school with my dad's old rain coat covering my school uniform. I was really scary.
At school we had our party after lunch. We bobbed for apples (I found out how after the third dunking); played musical chairs; got orange and brown cupcakes as prizes (with those neat little sprinkly things on top) and sucked on Halloween candy kisses while the teacher read a scary story. Good fun!
After school we played outside waiting for darkness to come. By the time my dad whistled for supper my mask was broken (from monster fights!). After supper my mum and sisters hurriedly ad libbed and made me into a hobo. All it took was some makeup, an old shirt, sweater, coat and fedora. I was ready to go! Bing Bong! The first Trick or Treaters were at the door. Let the games begin!
Read More on: "Boo"mer Halloween Memories
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When you take the Banana Gang Pledge "you pwomise" (among other things) "to twy to have some fun evwy day". Here's an example of how easy it can be. Last week we were invited by a family member to a Nature Trust fund-raiser. The Nature Trust of British Columbia is a non-governmental charitable organization dedicated to preserving some of B.C.'s endangered ecosystems and areas of spectacular beauty. It's certainly a worthwhile cause.
We decided to go and support family and the cause. The event was held in a local pub. There was good food and great live music. The joint was packed with friends of the Nature Trust and the feeling was like being around an extended family. Part of the evening was a silent auction fund-raiser.
As the evening moved along I was told I should go take a look, as there was some interesting stuff on the silent auction tables; so off I went. There on a table with other more conventional items was this odd looking formation. It's a Cow Pie Clock! No kidding….a cow pie clock! An "original" piece of artwork all solidified and shiny with a clock implanted in the middle with "little droppings" (from others?) for numbers. And a battery is included! How could I resist a bid?
Read More on: Family Generosity & Fun
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OK! So how you doin? Are you like me, with more than half a century behind you? Let’s see; that’s more than 18,000 sunrises and sunsets. I was scanning a web site the other day (lookin' at what Costa Rica has to offer) and apparently there are at least 77 million of us Boomers coming on stream (and I think that’s just in North America).
Most of us appear to be healthy and financially stable. Many of us are apparently just fine with the way we are and content to live out our lives as comfortably as possible. "Why not, we’ve paid our dues", we say. (Oh, before I forget, check out
www.50plus.com for a wide range of good information for Boomers …. those of us over 50 of course!).
Apparently we are also adaptable, mobile and experienced. And some of us believe we are what is being referred to as the “transition generation”….human beings led by an intuitive knowing, co-creating a paradigm shift in consciousness and signaling an unparalleled surge of spiritual growth.
Read More on: How You Doin Boomer?
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Like many Canadians, I recently celebrated Thanksgiving Day with family. I find it interesting that we officially designate one day a year to expressing “thanks”. However, I’ve also noticed that there is an “awareness movement” occurring where people are tuning into “an
attitude of gratitude”.
In North American society, it’s easy to get caught up in the seduction of consumerism and the constant focus of not having enough, or always wanting more “stuff”. How many times have you thought, “if I just get that new car, or buy a bigger TV, I’ll be happy”? This can be a “soulless” pursuit, as we never reach a sense of fulfillment….there’s always one more new toy calling us.
According to Judith Timson, a columnist for The Globe and Mail newspaper, “recent research shows that the more genuinely grateful we are for the things we actually have in our lives (as opposed to what we don’t have that we secretly think we’re entitled to), the happier we are and the better our lives feel” (page F7, The Globe and Mail, October 6, 2007).
Read More on: Is Gratitude Good For You?
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Our "Munky Bytes" video includes opening and closing refrains from the Munky Man Theme Song "Wake Up Call Of The Wild". Listeners tell us the song "gets into your head". It got into my head while walking down a forest trail about 10 years ago. Banana Gang members have been marching to the words and music ever since. Click on the > on the player below to listen to the entire song. Enjoy!
Tony Damunk
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Not long ago a team mate passed away and I attended his funeral service. There in the chapel were members of the immediate family, close friends; those considered to be part of his extended family and of course, a minister to guide the service. Dan had been a policeman and many former colleagues were there. I attended with a number of his team-mates. We had played ball together.
My connection with Dan had been mainly “on the baseball field”, though we occasionally crossed paths in the workplace (no, he didn’t arrest me!). He was a pleasant, easy going guy, well liked, respected and a "clutch hitter". He would make any family proud. I had shared a portion of his life. I felt a kinship with Dan and was fortunate to be at the service, a joyful celebration of his time here on planet earth. We had connected. Positively!
Read More on: Is Your Family Universal?
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One day while discussing childhood memories with a friend, he mentioned that between 5:30 or 6:00 pm most days he would be outside playing with friends and would hear this distinct whistle. It was his dad's call to get home for supper. His mum would cook the meal; the kids would set the table; dad would come home from work and the family would gather for the evening meal. Married with children - that was a normal North American scenario in those days, 50 years ago.
Grandparents would come for the holidays and you’d visit with cousins in the summer. Family was family! Yes, there were single parent families for one reason or another and yes, some folks lived alone, but both scenarios seemed few and far between.
I recall attending a seminar where a sociologist was giving a talk on the change in family structure. Apparently, families became increasingly mobile in the mid sixties and much of our extended family support was left in the dust. The typical family was changing. Statistics Canada has it in numbers.
Read More on: Family Matters "Who Loves Ya?"
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