#68- The Singing Bus Driver

It all sounds like the plot of a corny movie from the 1950s.

The happy-go-lucky bus driver who sings on the job is told to button it by city council after years of serenading public transit riders. Of course the public valiantly rallies around the driver with the golden pipes, flooding councillors with letters and emails demanding them to stop the ban.

The happy ending, though, may not be coming. Mayor Jim Watson seems adamant about turning down the driver’s; whose name is Yves Roy, volume.

While it heartens me to see how Ottawa is standing up for Roy, council's decision very sad.

I have had the pleasure of hearing Roy sing on many occasions and on dreary, cold days when riding the bus is the last thing you want to do (which happens often in an Ottawa winter), hearing the crooning driver has brightened my day.

Listening to the joy this man has for his job, for life, for music, is invigorating and I would bet you everything I have that no one could keep a smile off their face after his contagious good spirits hits you on a wave of knee-tapping song.

After seeing videos in the last week of bus drivers swearing at riders and illegally talking on a cell phone while driving, hearing Roy's optimism and passion restores my faith in city drivers and makes me more attentive to the smiles, nods and thank you’s I get every day from OC Transpo employees.

So I am grateful for Yves Roy, the singing bus driver. I am grateful for his joy in life that everyone should strive to achieve. I am grateful for the simple, but hugely important, gift he gives hundreds of people every day with his voice. I am grateful for everything he stands for and for the people who stand for him. So Jim Watson, if you happen to stumble across this post, please don't make Roy stop singing, write the last scene in this movie, make that happy ending.

#67- Chai

Forget the DeLorean; my nose is the only time machine I need.

My shnozz can take me back to any time or any place. All I need is the smell of something that opens the gate on a memory and the sights, sounds and feel of the some of the best, worst and ordinary times of my life play on the screen in my head.

The smell can be anything, from a whiff of cardboard that makes me think of my summer at the box factory or the harmonious odors of gasoline, tobacco and popcorn that fling me back to my childhood at the Canadian National Exhibition.

Today it was the smell of Kenyan chai.

Chai is the Kiswahili word for tea and when I smelled it wafting through the event I was photographing, my trip to the wonderful East African country of Kenya played itself out like I was there again.

Chai was the morning wakeup call when I was in Kenya. It was there every morning, freshly made from scratch by the Kenyan staff at the camp. The warmth it gave, the energy it instilled, the simple joy it brought was amazing.

Even before those things, came the smell. It was mesmerizing, comforting, even inspiring in a way. Chai was my alarm clock in Kenya (along with the bird that loudly chirped outside my tent every morning) and it signaled a new day in the country I had fallen in love with at first sight. I came to associate the amazing memories I had with chai. The friendships made and strengthened, the lessons learned, the showers missed, the awesome people met. These all came during or after a nice cup of chai.

So I am grateful for chai. I am grateful for taste that leaves my taste buds in awe. I am grateful for its warmth and its comfort and its enchanting smell. I am grateful for the people who grow the ingredients and the people who make the tea. And most of all I am grateful for the way chai can take me back and help me relive some of the best times of my life with some of the greatest people I've ever met and look forward to the day when I can do it all over again.

#66- Rick Mercer

There's a point in many slap stick movies where the main characters is reduced to a blubbering mess or a dazed out zombie by some overwhelming conflict in their lives. This cues the character's best friend/sidekick/rival-turned-friend to slap the guy or gal in the face to bring them back and ultimately topple the obstacle standing in the way of a happy ending.

Thankfully we have Rick Mercer to be that slap in the face for our country.

I'm thinking mostly about his rants, the minute or two-long monologues he has on his show where he vents about something in society that he thinks isn't quite right.

When youth weren't voting, Mercer made us realize how lucky we are to be able to mark the ballot and that we actually could make a difference.

When the Canadian government refused to name asbestos as a hazardous material, he shamed them for shipping the cancer-causing material to developing nations.

And in the wake of another devastatingly tragic teen suicide he came out and gave us the walloping we needed to hopefully take action.

In his latest rant, Mercer talks about Jamie Hubley, a 15-year old gay boy from Ottawa who took his own life after years of bullying, which mostly targeted his sexuality.

Mercer gets angry, and rightfully so, that this horrible bullying is not only still happening, but appears to go unpunished and urges his fellow Canadians to stand up and do something about it now.

"It's no longer good enough to tell kids who are different that it's going to get better. We have to make it better now," he says, "Every teacher, every student and every adult has to step up to the plate."

"Adults don't need role models, kids do," Mercer says in his rant, ending by saying "300 kids, is 300 too many," talking about the number of kids who commit suicide every year in Canada.

Reading the news stories, it's easy to see how amazing a kid Jamie Hubley was and how devastating a loss it was for everyone who knew him and for a world that needs people like him.

It’s also easy to see that we need to join together and take action now against every form of bullying, especially homophobic language which is so prevalent in hallways and classrooms of schools.

So I am grateful for Rick Mercer. I am grateful that he stands up for those causes and people that many others ignore. I am grateful that he's brave enough to grab millions of people in this country by the shoulders and shake them with the (sometimes) hard truth. And I am grateful that he's there to give us those slaps in the face that we need. Hopefully now we can wake up out of our daze and make this world a better place. I see hundreds of awesome things every day; there’s no way this isn’t possible as long as we work together for good.

See Mercer's video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1jNAZHKIw

#65- Street Musicians

There couldn't have been a duller start to the afternoon for me.

The skies were grey, the trees were beginning to go bare and I was just beginning an hour and a half round trip to school just to hand in an assignment.

If the people of the street could read my mind, all they would have seen was the word BLAH in caps and 72 size, Times New Roman font.

But suddenly the air was full of rhythm and movement, vivid colours and dreams and passion. It was full of something that blasted away the greyness, defied the blah, attached itself to everyone who walked by and, I'm certain, strolled along with them all say. Even if all those business people and mall shoppers tried to look too busy or too cool, I could them glance at the source of the music, a man playing the saxophone, and smile somewhere deep inside. And so did I.

Street musicians are willing to go out and liven everyone's day, put a little tune in their heads and a jump in their step, without a promise of any sort of return, not a Loonie or a quarter or even a nod from some people. They do it anyways, because the music is just as important as or greater than the desire to be recognized. Doing what makes them happy is payment enough sometimes.

So I am grateful for musicians who bring their talents to the spots outside the mall or the bus stops or crowded city corners. I am grateful for the inspiration and joy for life they give me. I am grateful for the pride they give me in the city where I live and the world I inhabit, because if there are people here that make people happy doing what they love without asking for anything in return, than we're definitely better off than some people think.

#64- Clean Slates

Thousands of people all over the province and a couple dozen warriors of the ice will begin to sketch a new landscape on a fresh canvass, a clean slate, today.

Today is the day when change could sweep Ontario or the status quo may reign supreme as voters get to flock to the polls and cast their ballot for the premier of the province.

Tonight will also mark the first game of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, ready to take on a 54 year Stanley Cup drought and bring glory back to Yonge Street.

These two things have more in common than (ego) bruising fights, cheap shots and people in blue who haven't won anything significant in a while. They are both an example of clean slates, and that's what's so magnificent about them.

A fresh start, a blank canvass, a clean slate. Whatever name you prefer, it invokes a feeling of optimism, a shared hope for something better, something that you can have a hand in creating even if it's just to experience history or jump in the air with crazed excitement.

It offers the opportunity to participate, not only know that the slate is there, but to draw on it, critique it, have your voice heard by voting or yelling at the TV screen at the local bar.

So go out there and make a mark on the slate, or make a huge drawing and colour it in while you're at it. Every day can be a blank canvass ready for your ideas and goals and actions and passion to be dabbed, brushed and thrown on.

So I am grateful for blank slates. I am grateful for our democratic system that allows for citizens to wipe everything clean and plan together what the new one is going to look like. I am grateful for what we can't see on a clean slate, but what we can feel; hope and optimism and a call to action. Take advantage of the clean slates in life and give others a chance to erase their mistakes and draw a new picture. Most of all be proud of where you're from and go out and vote today, it's not too late!

#63- Bookstores

The feeling I get when I walk into a book store is what I imagine it must be like for a fashion lover to enter through the doors into Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City or stroll down the Champ de Elysee in Paris.

It is the feeling of being surrounded by the stories of people past, present and future, the journeys of artists, the passion of the words, the knowledge and wisdom. It's like walking into a giant party where ideas are mingling around sipping cocktails or playing a cordial game of pool while others hang from the ceilings and a few have jumped into the pool with their clothes on and are seeing who can hold their breath the longest.

In short, bookstores to me feel alive, life each and every book has its own pulse, its own history. Just thinking about this gives me a head rush

Have you ever noticed that bookstores are designed like a maze in which you can find your own little corner while you lose yourself in another world? It's like bookstores are a gym I can go to to let my imagination run a few kilometres and lift some weights (although I wish going to the actual gym was this easy).

It's good to see that in an age when you can read Shakespeare on an iPad and the newspaper on your phone, it's still possible to hole up on a window sill of a bookstore on a rainy day with a book in your hands and read for hours.

So I am grateful for bookstores. I am grateful that they inspire me, enliven me, refresh me and make me explore. I am grateful for the people who make bookstore a possibility, especially the people who work there and the authors, who have lent their minds to others so they can be entertained or enraged or educated or confused or joyful or sad, but always feeling something.

#62-Autumn Leaves

Autumn leaves are nature's gift that keeps on giving.

Sadly I'm not talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs, who seem to be giving in to other teams every other game, but the leaves that are metamorphisizing, dancing and falling all over the place right now.

The other day I was looking out from the quad of my university along the Rideau Canal, I saw the trees lining the water waving their branches like flags of a dozen proud nations. All had different colours, different hues of red, orange, brown, yellow and green, like the trees had suddenly decided that with the sun deciding to sleep less and less these days that it was up to them to be vibrant and colourful.

It was a sight to see, but it wasn't just each individual tree that caught my eye, sparked my imagination and slowed my pace, but the way each tree covered in beautiful colours came together to create a huge living canvas right in front of me. I guess the individual trees coming together to create an amazing, hopeful and inspiration event could teach us all something about ourselves too.

But the leaves don't just stop there. One of my favourite smells in the entire world is the smell of fallen leaves when autumn comes around. It is the smell that reminds me of Thanksgiving turkey and mashed potatoes, of family sitting around the living room talking and laughing and of friends reminiscing about old memories while sipping on some nice pumpkin beer. Most of all it reminds me that falling down isn't always the worst thing that can happen.

So I am grateful for autumn leaves. For the beauty in their colours, the joy in their smell and the lessons they can teach.

#61- Dodgeball

Thwack!
That's the good ol' sound of a rubber ball smacking into my face. My eye stung for a few hours after the unfortunate run-in with the ball, but those are the breaks of a good game of dodgeball. Besides, the heart-pumping adrenaline rush from the game lasted far longer than my little injury.

That intensity is at the heart of why I wish the American Dodgeball Association of America was a real sports league instead of a made up concept from an amazing Vince Vaughn movie. If it was real, I almost certainly would have fantasized about the making the ADAA as a kid, even as most children dreamed of being in the NHL.

Alas, I am not a millionaire dodgeball player, but just another poor student who looks to find slivers of dreams somewhere amongst the reality. And that is why I jumped on the opportunity to play a game of intramural dodgeball with a team of friends last week.

I love the sport, if you can't already tell by now, and I think the reason why is the primal nature of it. Sure, hockey can get brutal, football can crunch a few bones, and don't get me started on rugby or lacrosse, but in those sports there's a goal other than hurting the opposing players. In dodgeball the only thing you’re focused on is hitting the other player with a ball and not getting hit back.

This intense, instinctive sport draws me in. When I play dodgeball, the gym turns into a gladiator's arena and a dual for ultimate victory begins. Surviving and conquering the court seems like an ultimate test. And as crazy as it sounds it's exhilarating to experience.

So I am grateful for dodgeball. I grateful for the wacky people who first got together and decided to whip balls at one another for fun. I am grateful for the friends I've played with over the years and great times I've had on the court. And most of all I am grateful for the feeling of joy I get when playing the game, the kind that lets me leave everything behind and live out a dream.

#60- Allergy Medicine

My face looked like a run-down kitchen. My eyes were as red as tomatoes; my nose blocked up like a bad kitchen sink and my mouth was as dry as day old dishes.

The reason? My girlfriend's pet cat, Akira.

Well, Akira shouldn't be totally to blame. I am at fault a little as well. Okay, maybe more than a little. Maybe a lot.

You see I am extremely curious of Akira, having never had a pet before, and love when she comes to sit on my lap. I of course pet her and let her lick my hand and then, with no regard to my own safety, I end up touching my eyes or nose or scratching my face, which leads me to blow up like a balloon and look as if I just watched a very sad movie.

And that is why allergy medicine is such an amazing thing. When I take it all my symptoms stop bugging me and I am free to enjoy not only Akira's company, but also that of my girlfriend. Snuggling up to watch a movie with her isn't as enjoyable when you're sneezing in the popcorn. The medicine takes away the blocks that are keeping me from spending time with the people, and pets, I love and helps to bring me back to normal and enjoy the things around me.

So I am grateful for allergy medicine. I am grateful for the scientists who developed it and the people who make it and sell it. I am grateful for my girlfriend who has stocked up on the medicine in anticipation of my sniffly nose and itchy eyes. And I am grateful for the way it brings me closer to some every day wonders rather than pushing me away from them.

#59-Canada

Today is one of my favourite days of the year. The day when the country is awash with red and white, when fireworks will dominate the night sky and when the Blue Jays wear those weird, but patriotic red and blue jerseys for their game.

Yes, today is Canada day. The day when we can celebrate all that makes this country great, like the fact that we have our own bacon, our national animal, the beaver, can pretty much take down a whole forest (can a bear, an eagle or a lion do that? I think not) and that we eat so much fruit that we invented basketball just to get rid of the tons of leftover peach baskets that were crowding our homes.

No, Canada isn't perfect. We have our flaws and I find myself frustrated with the nation's politicians or troubled by the mistakes in our past, but what makes this country awesome is that I can sit here and say that I feel this way. Hockey is a spectacular and beautiful sport (and last time I checked we were number 1 in it) and Tim Horton's will always have a special spot in my heart, but the ability to exercise my rights of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to rant and moan about politicians on a bad day without threats or harm coming to me is one of the best things about the country I am proud to call home.

So I am grateful for Canada. I am grateful for the people that have made this country great. I am grateful for the beauty of the land and of the beauty of the people who inhabit it. I am grateful for the people who came before me, who fought and sacrificed so that I can stand in line and vote, so that I can write how I love Canada and so people can disagree with me about the greatness of this fair land. So on this day I wish that everyone's afternoon is sunny, their beer is cold, their health is good and their Canada day an amazing one.

#58- The Longest Day of the Year

I know this is the first day of summer, but to be honest it has felt like summer for at least a couple weeks if not a month, especially when I'm down in the sand traps burning up for my job at a golf course. It's like a beach without the water.

But what is special about today, what is so unique and amazing is that today is the longest day of the year. 

Yes, this is the day when the sun stays up and parties the hardest, allowing us to bask in its rays, its warmth, its beauty and its life for more time than any other day of the year.

Today is the day I can sit outside on my porch and sip on a nice cold drink without having to fold up and go inside early. Today is the day when I can use one of my corny, but reliable jokes; oh man, this is going to be one long day!

So I am grateful for the longest day of the year. I am grateful for the sun shining, the warm weather and being able to enjoy these wonders of nature long into the night, or rather day. And I am grateful that in six or seven months when I'm surrounded my snow and heading home at 4:30 in the dark, that I can remember this day and make a little sun shine out with the warm memories.

#57- Protective Glasses

Thwack!

That is the sweet sound of protective eye glasses keeping a piece of bark from destroying my left eye. Trust me I would know. That very thing happened to me a few days ago as the weed whacker I was using flung a piece of stray bark up at me, aiming for my eye with its devious bark mind.

But I still have my sight in both eyes and that is thanks to the protective glasses my work provided me with. And this particular pair of glasses act as sunglasses as well, so I can be shielded from the sun, be protected and look cool and mysterious all the same time.

What is there not to love in that equation?

It's also good to know that employers care about the safety of their employees, or at least about their eye sight. Maybe their only concerned about me being able to see well enough to get the job done, but that works for me, and besides I think my boss generally cares about my well being.

So I am grateful for protective glasses. I am grateful for the multiple layers of practicality and fashion appeal they have (although what do I know about the latest in eye gear). I am grateful they save me from injury and allow me to look around at all the wonders this world has for at least another day. I am grateful for the employers who care enough about safety to provide people with the right stuff for the job. And I am grateful that the glasses held off the bark and its bite.  

#56- Sunrises

I've seen many a sunrise in my life, even a couple from a plane window, but two moments come to mind when I think about the sun coming up in the morning.

Kenya is a country full of stunning natural beauty, but one of the best sights on my trip to Kenya was the sun rising over the community of Salabwek on our last day there. A couple of us had gone out early to get one last look at the school site that had been our workplace for two weeks and the sun was ready to greet us. The sun made everything the most awesome shade of reddish-orange I've ever seen and gave me a sense of hope and happiness for the trip, the project and the great times I had had.

It's nearly three years later, and again, the sunrise has given me a little glimmer of hope. As I have said, I am currently working the over night shift at work, which can get tiring and more than a little discouraging. The first night I was working, I was taking out the garbage (maybe I should start taking the garbage out more) and the sun was beginning to rise. It gave me a little hope. I had survived my first night, and I had been rewarded with an amazing view.

So I am grateful for the sunrise. I am grateful for this phenomenon that gives such beauty to the world and such hope to me. I am grateful that such a sight happens to signal of a new beginning to every day. My dad has a saying I've always remembered; No matter what happens, in the morning the sun will rise and God will still love you.   

#55- Geese by the Highway

I've been working at a local Staples, pulling the overnight shift and helping with renovations to the store, which isn't always the most interesting work as you may have guessed. Ink cartridges and multi-coloured Post-its can only captivate a guy for so long. 

One day (morning? night?) I was throwing out the garbage into the dumpster behind the store when I noticed a Canadian goose on the grass a few feet away. It was staring through the fence at the cars passing by on the highway at 5:30 a.m. and stayed that way for a good ten minutes before walking off. 

This was the most amusing part of my day, which may tell you something about the excitement factor of my job. It was kind of comical to see a goose taking in the cars rushing by as if it was wondering what those big, noisy metal things were and how they were going so fast. Or maybe it was wondering what had happened to its favourite patch of grass, it having been taken over by a huge strip of cement.

It was like a distinguished researcher studying the curiosities of humans instead of the other way around and it was pretty funny and thought-provoking to see the tables turned for once.   

So I am grateful for geese by the highway. I am grateful that this great bird was there that day to put even the slightest cheer in me. I am grateful that a sight so simple, but so out of the ordinary, can lead to so many different thoughts and ideas as this picture of a goose looking out onto the highway did. And who knows, maybe this one goose will decide to take a car down south this winter, all because of its experience behind a Staples.

#54- Goodwill

I've seen it done many times before on TV shows, but I never really believed it would happen to me. 

Last week, my dad took a few boxes of clothing to Goodwill to give away and amongst those boxes was about half of my clothes. Somehow, when my mom had been storing them for the summer until I went back to school, they had been mixed up with the give away pile and shipped out. I didn't notice until a week later and it was too late to retrieve any of my clothes.

Giving away half my clothes is no big deal really. I have more than enough shirts and pants and everything, but a lot of those clothes had memories attached to them. One sweater was a gift from my girlfriend; another was my journalism hoodie from first year. It's that sort of stuff that made me pretty sad about giving my clothes away. 

But what made me feel a lot better was the fact that my clothes went to Goodwill. My clothes had not been stolen, burned in a fire or anything like that, but instead had gone to someone else who was able to get some clothes because of my unfortunate circumstance and would, in turn, be able to create their own memories with the things I had attached such nostalgia to.  

So I am grateful for Goodwill. I am grateful that there was a silver lining to my negative experience and that Goodwill made that possible. I am grateful for the people who run Goodwill and the opportunity for people to give their clothes away rather than let them hang in their closets unused. And I am grateful that my memories will not be lost with my clothes, but will instead multiply with the people who now own them.

#53- Band Aids

Last night was my first night at a new job. Or was today technically my first day? I don't know because my brain is all jumbled up, and that's what working the night shift will do to you.

This morning, I am especially loopy because I lost some blood during my shift. I guess I'm exaggerating a little, but I did get a little cut, but it wouldn't stop bleeding. That's where the Band Aid comes in.

I patched myself up and I continued working. The Band Aid didn't just stop me from bleeding, but it also kept the dust and dirt and grime away from my cut until it was time to clock out. It's really quite amazing how useful and good for your body a tiny piece of gauze and plastic can be. 

And you know when you were little and you fell and skinned your knee, but it didn't really hurt until you saw the blood? And then after you howled and cried and sobbed? Well putting on a Band Aid back then was like watching the whole situation in reverse, because the Band Aid was like some magical healing patch, even though all it did was stop the bleeding.

So I am grateful for Band Aids. I am grateful that something so simple, so small, can have such an impact. I am grateful that Band Aids help heal you, let you get on with your day and comfort you when you're down. I am grateful for the people who make Band Aids and the people who buy them and are smart enough to have them near by.  

#52- Lemon Meringue Pie

Let's get something straight right away; I do not like lemon meringue pie at all. The meringue part is pretty good and of course the pie part is great, but the lemon section is what turns me off of the whole thing. Despite this distaste for the pie, I'm still very thankful there is such a thing.

This week, I went to Ottawa to visit my girlfriend Kelsey for her birthday and we made a big dinner for the occasion. The one thing Kelsey really wanted for her birthday dinner was lemon meringue pie and so we scooped up the last one at the store.

After taking the first bite of the pie, Kelsey smiled and I could tell this simple joy of lemon meringue pie had made a great moment and I was happy, although it may not have looked like it as the sourness of the pie puckered my lips.

So I am grateful for lemon meringue pie. I am grateful that it could bring joy and sweetness and a happy ending to a day to someone, even if it wasn't me. I am grateful that people have different tastes all around the world because that's what makes life interesting. And I am grateful that making someone smile can be as easy as pie. 

#51- Mothers

Dealing with me, and all the bad jokes, stubborn arguments and bad folding skills that come with it, can't be easy and therefore I applaud my friends, family and girl friend for sticking with me for this long. But the real champion has to be my mom, who had to deal with me nine months longer than anyone else on the face of this earth, and that is what, yesterday, Mother's Day, is for.

I know the saying "mothers have the toughest job in the world" is a little over used, but it's true. They have to work with the most finicky machinery in the world; people. Mothers are constantly working to make their children better, making sure they get the best out of life and turn into good people along the way which is no easy task, as people don't come with instruction manuals.

And my mother is no different. She has been with me all my life, supporting me in all that I do. And even though we have our arguments, I know she'd be there in a second if I ever called her from jail at 3 o'clock in the morning, asking her for bail money, although I would get more than an earful later.

So I am grateful for mothers. I am grateful for the tireless job they do in raising kids and being role models at work, at home and in every other aspect of their lives. I am grateful that mothers don't retire from this job, nor do they want to. And I am grateful that there is a day on which we can honour the great things that mothers do, all over the world.

#50- Stuffed Animals

One of the oldest and dearest things I own is my stuffed penguin. And I am not afraid to say that it resides in my bed every night.

I have had my stuffed animal, Pingu, since I was five years old and although the white of its belly may be a little less bright, and the baby penguin that was in its pouch has broken free of its string, it still feels more familiar and comforting than almost anything I have ever known.

I use Pingu, named after the popular TV personality and inspiration clay figure, as a head rest, a pillow extension, an arm warmer in the winter and most importantly a reminder of my childhood. Pingu has been with me through thick and thin, from the house I grew up in to the house I learned to love in Toronto. Pingu has been with me all the way to Ottawa. Pengu reminds me of growing up, of the first tooth I lost and the first time I rode a bike. The touch or the smell or the sight of a stuffed animal brings you whizzing back to those moments when an economic downturn meant no one would trade their Pokemon cards with you or your biggest responsibility was making sure your fort had enough snow balls to fend off the kids across the street.

I have been many places since then, and loved all the experiences I've managed to have. But sometimes, and not often, but sometimes I get homesick, or feel overwhelmed and unprepared for the road ahead, but if I'm near my bed at those moments (where Pingu takes up residence at most times of the day) I just squeeze him tight for a few seconds (after making sure no one is looking) and remember that I've climbed steeper hills on windier days and then get to work. 

So I am grateful for stuffed animals. I am grateful that they stay by your side as you grow and go through life. I am grateful that they remind you that you don't have to outgrow your child-like wonder and awe like your old, three speed bike. And I am grateful for the people who make stuffed animals. Stuffed animals are like time machines that transport you back to one of the greatest times of your life, so I am grateful for my time machine that I call Pingu.  

#49- Malls

Malls have been important places for me throughout my life.

When I was a kid, my family and I would meet up with my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents every Friday at Sherway Gardens. We would take over an entire portion of the food court and sit and eat and talk for hours until my brothers and I got bored and ran into the movie store to watch the film that was always playing in there.

When I got a bit older and wanted to go out with my friends on Friday nights we would sometimes go to the mall. Where else can you go when you have no money, but you want to hang out somewhere away from your parents? Answer: the mall. And so this is where we would hang out sometimes.

And now as I sit here unemployed and out of school for the summer, the mall has become a prime place for job hunting. Each store is like a fresh opportunity for me, a new hope that the person behind the cash will say they are hiring. The mall gives me a chance to show my potential employees a little bit of who I am, that personal touch that doesn't come with an online application, but is so important to any job.

So I am grateful for malls. I am grateful for all the times I have spent there with friends and family, for having so many different stores and cuisines from around the world under one roof and for having a string of stores that turn into strings of hope when I am looking for a job.  

#48- Free Elections

Today I voted in the federal elections for the second time in my life and as I slipped the piece of paper into the ballot box I felt proud and thankful to be Canadian.

In this election, as in every election I have experienced, there was a lot of mud slinging from each side, every leader trying to convince the public that the other guy or girl was dirtier than them. Those tricks get me quite mad, but none of it mattered at all today as I walked away from the polling station, because, despite the name calling and put downs and conflicting promises, in the end I was able to exercise my right to vote freely.

As I walked down the street to the school near by to cast my vote, I wasn't afraid of being shot at or beat up. As I walked through the doors to the gym to the make shift voting area, I wasn't worried about being threatened or intimidated into voting a certain way. And as I left after choosing a candidate, there was no doubt in my mind that my vote would be counted and my voice would be heard.

The same can't be said in countries around the world. We can see in the media the great thirst people have to participate in politics, to have the democratic opportunity to mark a name on a piece of paper and who are willing to fight for this chance to speak out. We can see this hunger for democracy in our past, when the disenfranchised stood together and made it impossible for those in power to ignore them. We can see this same yearning in the history-making movement in the Middle East in recent months, in the vote mobs across campuses in Canada, in the eyes of senior citizen that stood in front of at the polls.

And all this, having the freedom when others don't, remembering how I got this freedom and using this freedom, make me proud and make me understand that those that fight for this right to vote in free elections are fighting a battle we can all understand on some level.

So I am grateful for free elections. I am grateful I have the opportunity to vote without fear of negative consequences. I am grateful that the outcome will be fair, even if I don't like who may be the next Prime Minister. I am grateful for the people who have given their time to make this election possible, mostly the volunteers, and the people who don't get any recognition or glory at the end, but serve the public nonetheless. And I am grateful for the people who will vote today. So go out and vote, because a vote in the election is a vote for your voice.

#47- Sibling Debates

If you came across me and my siblings having a light hearted debate you may think we would be two seconds away from beaning each other with the closest heavy object. This is, in fact, not at all true. We just get passionate about things both big and small and like to show our intellectual and verbal chops off to each other.

My parents have run into a room ready to break up a fight more than a couple times only to have one or two of my siblings and I assure them we're just having fun with each other.

I like debates, discussions and opinionated talks, they help keep my mind open and stay sharp, like mental exercise (which is good because I'm a little short on physical exercise lately). My brothers and sisters offer the best talking mates there are because they are all smart and aren't afraid to go after me for something I said that sounded stupid or wrong.

These debates also remind why I would have my brothers and sisters backing me up in any situation. They use their heads, are pretty clever and refuse to go down without a fight, which could come in handy against playground bullies, persistent telemarketers or a marauding band of mutant honey badgers. 

We do get on each others nerves once in a while and the debates have been known to go full contact at times, but I always seem to come away refreshed, more knowledgeable and most importantly, still friends with my siblings.

So I am grateful for the debates I have with my siblings. I am grateful to be so proud of my brothers and sisters even when I sometimes walk away from our talks defeated (although I'm too stubborn to admit it at times). I am grateful that I am able to talk freely among my family and have opinions that are heeded (although we are deeply divided on who the best hockey team in the NHL is). So I'm happy the sibling rivalry between my brothers, sisters and I is more constructive than destructive.

#46- Wraps

It's a great feeling when you take your time to write a nice letter, put it in a clean, crisp envelope and then slip it in a mail box, patting it on its big metal top to wish your letter well as it travels to the hands of a friend, family member or stranger.

What would make it even better would be if the words and sentences in the letter were pieces of chicken and dollops of tzatziki sauce, the envelope was a tortilla and the mail box was your stomach.

That's exactly what happened tonight for dinner. I rolled all the delicious food on the table into a nice, neat wrap (or three) and patted my stomach contently after. 

Now food is great in any form, but wraps allow for all the tasty creations from your kitchen to create one super food. Wraps let all the tastes come together, to work as a team. And they don't require a fork and knife either and finger food is always the best kind of food.

So I am grateful for wraps and everything that goes into them. I am grateful for the awesome texture of the cheese, the savoury meat, the healthy vegetable and the tangy sauce. Most of all I am grateful for the tortilla that brings all these things together into one, awesome food envelope that provides me with everything I would ever want from a meal. Sometimes the best presents aren’t wrapped in nicely coloured paper, but rather in a delicious tortilla. 

#45- Gum

At the age of five I swore off gum for the rest of my life.

The decision was based on the astounding news that my baby sitter had told me and that was that gum was made from car tires.

It was a conspiracy of epic proportions! The whole gum industry had people chewing the black rubber on my parent's mini van and my friends and siblings loved the tire-filled taste of the gum. Bazooka was trying to divert the public's attention away from the scam using funny and endearing cartoon and even my parents were buying it. As far as my little brain knew, this deception went all the way to the top; maybe even the principal was in on it.

Well I have come a way from then and eventually I realized that my baby sitter probably lied so I wouldn't chew gum and she wouldn't have to clean it out my hair when I decided to find out how the two things reacted. I also grew to see how a little piece of gum could be a really good thing.

I do love food, I love to eat it and I love to talk about it. But for some reason people don't always like knowing I had onions and garlic for dinner just from my breath sometimes. That is why gum saves the day. Popping a piece into my mouth helps keep my breath minty fresh when I don't have a tooth brush handy and besides that, it tastes really good.

So I am grateful for gum. I am grateful that it comes in so many different types and tastes and packaging. I am grateful it is so easy to carry around and it saves me from bad breath attacks. And I am grateful for the people who make gum. I'm happy that I realized the gum industry isn't all conspiracy and scandal and that I learned how enjoy the gum.

#44- Buffets

I gathered with my family for Easter dinner at Copper Creek Golf Course last night. That place probably still doesn't know what hit them.

My family loves food and it was available in abundance last night in the form of a buffet. Let's just say there's as much to love about buffets as there are food choices at one.

Buffets always offer a wide selection of food. From sushi to lamb to salmon and chocolate fountains there is always something to please even the most picky eater, which first of all makes everyone happy and gives you an opportunity to sample a bunch of different things. 

With selection also comes adventure. The variety of food at buffets usually means there's something I haven't tried before and I love testing the limits of my taste buds. One of the most memorable meals I've ever had was in Kenya with a little buffet that offered up goat intestine as an option. I'll probably not be sampling that piece of meat again, but at least I can say I tried it. 

Another great thing about a buffet is that you can take as much or as little as you want. I'm a big fan of not wasting food, so buffets are really good for keeping the thrown out stuff to a minimum. You can try something you've never had, but you don't need to order a heaping plate of it if you don't want to. It's the best of both worlds!

So I am grateful for buffets. I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to be able to eat at buffets around the world and with some of my closest friends, loved ones and memorable people. I am grateful for the freedom buffets allow you with their choices and for the people who work to make buffets so great. If variety is the spice of life than buffets are never wanting for taste.

#43- Easter

Easter has always made me feel like I can run a thousand miles. 

In years past I've attributed this feeling to the disgust ing amounts o f chocolate I ate after carefully out maneuvering my siblings in the annual Easter egg hunt.

I haven't hunted for Easter eggs in years, but that amazing feeling still exists and I don't find myself looking far to figure out why.

First of all, this is a day I spend with my loved ones every year. It's a time when I come together with my family or friends to enjoy each their company.

Easter always comes at a time when the world is being reborn. The snow has melted, the grass is becoming green, the trees are starting to sprout leaves and rivers and creeks are beginning to rush forward with new life. Easter has allowed me to stop, look around and appreciate these things and feel invigorated because of them.

Most importantly, Easter is the day that Jesus conquered death. To me, there is nothing more awesome and life asserting than that.

So I am grateful for Easter. I am grateful for what it means to me and the time I spend with my family, friends and loved ones. I am grateful that it is a time when spring shows its true self. The Easter egg hunts may be finished for me, but I always find so many things on Easter to make me smile.  

#42- My Bed

Last night was my first night at home in Toronto in a couple months and it was glorious.

I had the soundest sleep I've had in a long time. It's probably due to the fact that I was able to sleep in without worrying about any pesky exams or classes, but the fact that I'm lucky enough to have a really good bed probably helped a lot too.

My bed is not only for sleeping in though. It has become a multi-purpose tool for me over the years. At times it becomes a study lounge, where I heap my books and my computer around me like a little academic fort, a fort with a comfy floor to sit on and cushy head rests. 

My bed has also transformed into a movie theatre or concert venue on occasion. I sit down, get under my sheets and watch a good movie on a rainy day or just lie down, turn on some music and zone out. 

My bed also works as a park bench at times. I can sit on it, bask in the glow of the sun pouring in through my window and have a nice chat with someone over the phone or Skype.

So I am grateful for my bed. I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to have a great bed that provides me with amazing sleeps. I am grateful that my bed functions as much more than just a place to nap, but also somewhere where I catch up with friends or just cheer myself up with a good comedy on a dreary day. My bed may not be King size, but it sure feels big enough for me. 

#41- Staplers

As I stapled my last take home exam of year together I heard the satisfying sound of metal crunching on paper.

I had finally conquered the formidable foe that had stood in my way and the stapler was the last weapon I had to use.

Staplers are such handy tools. Not just for vanquishing unwanted papers, but for putting all sorts of things together. Some of my best works of art were crazily drawn pictures and horribly misspelled sentences stapled together into a book for my grade one English project.

Staples make this world a little less messy. For all the chaos and anarchy and stressful disorganization that clutters the world around us and sometimes our minds, staplers are there to firmly clasp together pieces of paper into a nice, neat stack for easy handling and reading.

So I am grateful for staplers. I am grateful for the people who make staplers and who reload them and put them out at the library at school. I am grateful that staplers are welcome last minute tools in finishing essays and projects, the final word on stressful and arduous and at times rewarding experiences. And I am grateful that staplers add a semblance of peace and organization in a world that is sometimes crazy and full of surprises.

#40- Studying

After two weeks of dull, arduous and at times painful studying for exams, I never thought I would be saying that I think studying is a pretty awesome thing.

No, being cooped up in my room for a couple of days straight hasn't made me loony, I honestly think studying is good in its own way.

When I read over my notes it's like reading a book again and again, I always find something new that I never noticed before. Be it a new fact, a new understanding or a new way to look at something, I always seem to find something amongst the piles and piles of text. In those moments I feel like I understand the world a tiny bit better, that the information I just obtained can actually be used and that I'm not as goofy as I look.

I always enjoy going over my notes and seeing the doodles I have drawn in the margins or the little notes I have left for myself in the points I have jotted down (such as "you didn't get this note because you were daydreaming, game over fool). It makes studying less of an errand or task and more of an adventure through my brain.

I also start to remember all the good times I have had in class over the semester while studying. When I read my notes it triggers memories of friendships started and nurtured, victories won and criticism digested. There's even a couple memories of some good laughs in there too.

So I am grateful for studying. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to go to school and be able to take exams and study for them. I am grateful that I am able to reinforce my knowledge of topics and issues, remember the good times I have had in class and and the good and bad I have experienced. Studying doesn't have to end with the end of exams. Whether you study math, science and english or yourself and your dreams and goals, it's always time well spent.  

#39- Suitcases With Wheels

As I went with my girlfriend to the bus station to say bye to her before she went home for Easter, I helped her with her suitcase. I carried it with ease, with confidence, with a sturdy hand and a confident gleam in my eye. Was this because I have tremendously big muscles and her bag was as light as a feather in my arms? Well no, not so much It was more because the suitcase had wheels on it.

Who ever decided to put wheels on a suitcase was a genius because it has made my life easier countless times. Not that I over pack a lot, but when I do and my suitcase is heavy I can enjoy the sounds of wheels gliding over a marble floor instead of the sound of my back giving way under the weight.

And when I'm rushing someplace to catch my train or plane or bus the wheels come in handy. When you're running like a madman, a suitcase on wheels gives you a lot more maneurverability than a bulky duffel bag that throws off my momentum and centre of gravity so that I am a like a ball in a pinball machine, only instead of flashing lights when I hit something, I get icy glares and obscene hand gestures.

So I am grateful for suitcases with wheels. I am grateful for the people who make them and sell them. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to use them and that they make life a lot easier as well as make navigating airports just a little easier to bear. Those suitcases with wheels make it possible to go places, a sort of vehicle on the way to new lands and new adventures and for that I am grateful.

#38- Paint

I spent all day yesterday being very productive, but instead of studying for my upcoming exam I was helping to paint my girlfriend's new apartment with her and another friend.

The three of us painted all day and at the end, we rewarded ourselves by admiring our work, drinking a glass of wine and going out for a nice dinner.

The best part of the day was painting because I got to spend time with my friends and do something productive at the same time. It was the paint that brought us together and away from TV, the internet and all the other distractions that severe us from our friends and loved ones sometimes. The same thing has happened every time I have ever painted a room because I have worked together with people to complete a goal and have become closer with who ever I was painting with because of this shared experience. 

The paint helped me see where my priorities lie once again, but the other great thing was the sense of accomplishment I had at the end. The rooms had more character, they had a story and they looked really good too, which was something I could be proud of.

So I am grateful for paint and how it can be used to bring people together to achieve something. I am grateful for the people who make the paint and mix it. And I am grateful that paint can be used to make a masterpiece that moves you, whether it's a work of art from Picasso or a room in a house.

#37- Alarm Clocks

Today I was sitting in VIP box seats, complete with a buffet and a hot tub, watching the Stanley Cup finals. And then my alarm clock woke me up.

Was I mad? A little, but mostly I was happy because dream-world finger foods and sporting events are fun, but not really worth missing an exam for. Usually the snooze button puts me back into a blissful sleep, but last night I had set two alarms, one minute apart, so this wouldn't happen. And so I was able to get up and get ready for my exam without rushing around like a crazy man.

Alarm clocks show a little tough love and that is why they are so great. They do the job that everyone dreads and that is waking up a perfectly content sleeping person so that they can face what ever the day has in store for them, good or bad. I have found that many a great and adventurous day has begun with the sound of the radio wakening me from my slumber or the annoying sound of my phone alarm boring itself into my brain.

Alarm clocks have the unenviable job of shaking people free of their dreams and some times pay the price for it from angry fists slamming the clock until they find the snooze button. Although in the end alarm clocks are like nagging parents: they may seem unfair, demanding and even cruel at times, but in the end you know that they are well meaning in their intentions.

So I am grateful for alarm clocks and for the way they get me up to face the real world, with real obstacles and lessons and rewards. I am grateful for the people who makes alarm clocks. I am grateful that my alarm clock helped me pass my exam because no matter how much I study, if I don't get to school on time I'm sunk. Every day and every journey must start somewhere and most mornings my adventures start with my alarm clock calling me to action.