Suspended at the top of the world

August 16, 2019

At the top of Scex Rouge, as part of the Glacier 3000 experience, there's a suspension bridge between two peaks that sits 9,800 feet above sea level. Around...

You—each and every one of you—have my endless gratitude

August 2, 2019

Sometimes, all you can say is thank you. Today is one of those days where I don’t have anything to say but to express gratitude for everyone who has reached...

Severed cable

July 19, 2019

Our internet connection at home went out earlier this week, a byproduct of the work being done on our driveway and some severed cable lines that really...

On the sun deck

July 5, 2019

From the sun deck, a ferry does not seem to move very quickly. Upon leaving the ferry terminal, the motion of the boat is barely perceptible when you are on...

Slowing to a crawl

June 28, 2019

Here's something I had forgotten since the last time I had a major relapse of my depression and my anxiety at the same time: my cognitive function suffers,...

A promise kept

June 14, 2019

I was there, in Dixon Park, when they opened up the Vince Carter basketball court. Vince was there, too, wearing his Raptors purple, passing the ball to the...

Autonomy in a world of restriction

May 31, 2019

Earlier this week, I had my final appointment with my psychiatrist before he moved to a new city. I don’t blame him for going—he was leaving because his wife...

Returning after a short absence

May 30, 2019

Surprise! It's me. I know I've been quiet for a while, but I haven't gone away—I promise. This month, I'm starting to emerge from my silence, getting re-...

Atlas, carrying the world

February 25, 2019

I am sending this Weekend Reading newsletter on a Monday morning, but it is still a newsletter meant for the weekend. Let it sit in your inbox for the week,...

A list of small solace

February 15, 2019

The start to 2019 has been inauspicious; the past six weeks have been marked with heightened anxiety, a return of my depression, and a lethargy and malaise...

On being bursty

February 8, 2019

Someone at work remarked that I was the "fastest person in the office." This was, of course, not meant to describe my running speed—with my knee injury and...

The paralysis of being overwhelmed

January 25, 2019

There is a feeling that often overcomes me, a feeling of having so much to say but being completely unable to say anything. There is a paralysis that comes...

Everything is too loud

January 18, 2019

If anything, the beginning to 2019 has been incredibly loud. My computer speakers have never been good, but yesterday I noticed that I could barely hear what...

Choosing the right word

January 4, 2019

At the start of the year, every year, I choose a word to guide the next twelve months ahead. I have been doing this since I was twelve years old, and over...

Sounds of the season

December 20, 2018

Early in the mornings, a few hours before sunrise when everything is completely dark and the mountains are invisible in the windows, I listen to the world...

Joy is not made to be a crumb

December 13, 2018

As we approach the end of the year, I’ve been thinking a lot about kindness. The mantra of “be kind” was my word of the year, and I have been taking time to...

Surprising our future selves

December 6, 2018

The pair of socks I am wearing today has a repeated print of a car carrying a Christmas tree on its roof. I smile every time I look down at my feet, because...

Predisposed towards kindness

November 29, 2018

I believe that we all are predisposed towards kindness. Sometimes, even the best of us find ourselves in situations and contexts where we forget to be kind,...

Clothing optional

November 15, 2018

If anything, an examination of the words "clothing optional" should focus more on the options and less on the clothing. When it comes to exposing our...

A few days late, and that's okay

October 27, 2018

Usually, I post my weekend reading blog posts (and newsletter) on a Friday morning, every fortnight. From time to time, I will slip and not publish this post...

The unbearable sadness of home

October 11, 2018

There have been two instances in the past year where I have seriously questioned whether or not we chose the right neighbourhood in which to live. The first...

Preparing for the fall.

September 27, 2018

More than dates on a calendar, there are certain pieces of life that mark the end of the summer and the arrival of autumn. They are markers that many of us...

The cicada’s dry monotony

September 16, 2018

The truth is that I was supposed to send this this past Friday. The truth is that I pressed "save draft" instead of "send now" and now you will be receiving...

Summer cold

August 30, 2018

It took until the last day of August, but I have finally succumbed to the dreaded summer cold. There’s something dispiriting about getting a cold when the...

What's in a name?

August 18, 2018

One of the biggest honors—and responsibilities—I’ve had in my life was to lead the naming of my brother. I wasn’t quite eight years old when I found out he...

A moral imperative

August 2, 2018

When we moved to the United States, and after that, to Canada, we came almost empty-handed. We had left our home in East Africa with whatever we could fit...

I don’t say I love you as often as I should.

July 20, 2018

When was the last time you told someone that you love them? Not a family member or a partner, but someone you work with, or a friend? It’s not something we...

Fireflies in the garden

July 5, 2018

There are fireflies in our backyard. I notice them most recently during one of my nightswims and I am transfixed by the flickering of their lights as they...

Where to find more?

June 14, 2018

Without a stream of links, shared by friends, appearing constantly on the phone screen, where do people find things to read and explore? I deactivated my...

The 29%

June 7, 2018

Yesterday, the people of Ontario elected a new party to govern the province for the next four years. There is going to be much said about the election, the...

A place where we belong

May 24, 2018

Last week, I spent a few days surrounded by people who care about and work in global human rights at the RightsCon conference in Toronto. Being in direct...

Go back to your country

May 10, 2018

If I had a camera with me—or had the quickness and mental wherewithal to pull out my phone camera—every time I was told to “go back to your country,” I’d...

Six years ago

April 26, 2018

Two months and three days after my thirtieth birthday, I met a young woman at a wine bar for a drink. We had chatted online for a few days prior to that; I...

Thinking about sunk costs

April 19, 2018

When is a good time to give up? When do you know it’s time to stop trying? One of the things I learned very early in my economics education was the idea of...

Not so young anymore

March 31, 2018

This past week, I was able to attend two government conferences: one in Toronto focusing on the future of open government, and the second in Ottawa where I...

I am just so tired

March 15, 2018

Some nights this week, I have slept for more hours than I usually do, waking up late and feeling groggy for the rest of the day. Other nights, I have been...

Staring at the cosmic canvas

March 1, 2018

Late Monday night, as I made the twenty-minute walk home from my meeting, I stopped in the middle of the park, took a seat on the bench, and looked up into...

Tomorrow feels like a day of quiet

February 21, 2018

Every fortnight or so, I publish a list of links and things to read that have piqued my interest and made me think—something I like to call my “weekend...

Maybe I haven’t gotten wiser as I’ve gotten older

February 8, 2018

Last week, I had the chance to drink hot chocolate and catch up with my friend Karen who made me start to question something I had taken as fact. Those, of...

Finding the right place, becoming a regular

January 25, 2018

There are a few places here, in London, where they know my name, or at least recognize my face, when I walk in. Those are a motley collection of coffee...

Public transportation is more than just getting to a destination

January 18, 2018

I’ve been thinking about city-building, again. At this point, it’s more remarkable when I’m not thinking about cities, I guess. In light of the new...

It’s easy to complain about the cold

January 4, 2018

When we returned to Ontario earlier this week from spending the holidays out west, we knew we would be returning to a cold front; we were not prepared for...

At the end of the year, we slow down

December 21, 2017

It snowed here, in North Vancouver, earlier this week. Our impression was that we would be leaving the snow behind when we traveled out west for the...

We were never really welcome.

December 7, 2017

(Originally published on inthemargins.ca) The travel ban—in whatever form it may be taking these days—has been in the news again recently. This time, the...