The curtain climbs over me every morning I don91裸聊视频檛 know why I91裸聊视频檓 so immunized against reforming

I went to bed last night 91裸聊视频� unthinkingly 91裸聊视频� in my Tragically Hip T-shirt. Sky blue with a bold 91裸聊视频淗91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淧91裸聊视频� framing a silhouette of Gord Downie in an iconic pose standing in place of the 91裸聊视频淚.91裸聊视频�

I awoke to , undoubtedly pre-prepared months ago, expected, but no less hard to read: Downie was gone.

Conventional journalism directs me to backfill here; to recount his brave battle with inoperable brain cancer and the definitive Canadianness that defined his band.

I refuse. You don91裸聊视频檛 need it. I don91裸聊视频檛 want it. I want to write about words. About my fascination with them. About my awe at the way Gord could sculpt them into constructions of great and terrible and at times indecipherable beauty. About my ineffectual struggle at this moment to forge them into something that does justice to his gift.

The highest and best use of words is to connect, inspire and understand. As cynical as most are about journalists, that remains the reason why I, and so many of my peers, got into this business. Gord worked that, lived it, on a higher level.

We don91裸聊视频檛 go anywhere

Just on trips

We haven91裸聊视频檛 seen a thing

We still don91裸聊视频檛 know where it is

It91裸聊视频檚 a safe mistake

A wise man once said 91裸聊视频渨hen the sunlight hits the olive oil don91裸聊视频檛 hesitate.91裸聊视频� Gord spoke about art and truth and life and how they intertwine and how their pursuit gives one both perspective and purpose. We91裸聊视频檙e all given the ability to discern right from wrong; to know what91裸聊视频檚 important and what is not. We91裸聊视频檙e all given tools and opportunities with which we can learn, grow, understand 91裸聊视频� make the world a little bit better. But too often, most of us remain in the car, driving where we are told to go, experiencing what we are told to experience, expecting the expected, seeking out that which reinforces our biases instead of challenging them.

Gord91裸聊视频檚 work urged us to plunge in deeper than what the tour guide would suggest, to take roads less travelled and listen to voices seldom heard.

All with the too-often lonely goal of creating community.

The surface is green and the dark interweaves

In a lonely iridescence

It91裸聊视频檚 terribly deep and the cold is complete

And it only lacks your presence and nothing else

One of the most enduring tenets of the Hip gospel is that they are a uniquely Canadian treasure, that other countries simply 91裸聊视频渄on91裸聊视频檛 get.91裸聊视频� I91裸聊视频檝e always wondered why. Sure Gord spoke in cultural idioms like Clayoquot Sound and Bobby Orr largely unique to Canada, but the underlying themes of Carpe Diem and empathy were universal.

Life is a privilege. It91裸聊视频檚 not about getting the T-shirt. It91裸聊视频檚 about making your life your own iconic pose.

Step out of your world container. Make this world a better place.

My balloons may be filled with rain right now, but the inspiration of this poet need never fade.

Said, 91裸聊视频榓in91裸聊视频檛 life a grand and I91裸聊视频檓 in awe of y91裸聊视频檃ll91裸聊视频�

I91裸聊视频檝e dropped into my haunted bunk

Been to your touchless times out where the water91裸聊视频檚 drying

Been past the 91裸聊视频楴o Attractions Past This Point91裸聊视频� sign

What we have here are all flaws in progress

Where all songs are one song and that song is Don91裸聊视频檛 Forget

禄 John McKinley writes for Reach him at editor@vifreedaily.com