u/SpongeJake

Grew up here and am at least six decades old now. This song speaks for a lot of us I think. It’s one of the best we’ve had, ranking up there with the I Am Canadian beer commercial.

Joined a silent book club reader meetup group. The name was obviously appealing so I went to my first meeting.

The host was lovely and welcoming and he explained the protocol: they all chat for a half hour then read silently for an hour then chat some more and leave when you want.

Sounded okay so I went to look for a spot to settle in. There were a few long tables with bar stools side by side. There were a number of four normal tables that seat four. And there was exactly one one-person small table, all by itself with no access to anyone if you wanted to chat.

You can guess where I sat.

Opened my kindle and read the rest of my novel. After the silent reading was done I noticed a few people left right away. So I took a chance and wandered over to one of the bar stools next to a guy who was chatting with a woman.

Quickly figured out he was trying to pick her up. I didn’t want to be a third wheel at all so left them alone.

Then I left. Think I missed the whole point of that group.

But the book was good so there’s that.

I’m an oldster who’s been around more than six decades. I’ve read at least a thousand books. Likely many more than that as I’ve lost count. Wasn’t big on counting anyway. Too boring.

All that to say I don’t recall ever reacting to a series and in particular this book this strongly before. I’ve read the LOTR, the Narnia series, and a raft of similar world-building series.

None of them have ever intruded into real life as much as this one has. I’m only a little over half way through Twelve Months and I’ve already come to tears at least three times.

So hard keeping your cool while reading this in the middle of Starbucks. You can only wipe your eyes so much before you look like you’re having a breakdown.

So yeah.

Another thing: I’m not at all religious. Religions are created by men and are therefore rife with problems, much like us humans.

But I find the idea that there’s more out there than our five senses can tell us to be logical. And so I pursue meditation and eastern yoga daily. Or as daily as I can.

There’s a thought that this author is more than a writer. That he through his imagination and skill has tapped into something real.

No I don’t mean we’re suddenly going to experience Mab or Lara. But there really is great evil going on out there and there are, I think, angelic beings we can’t see who are fighting on our behalf.

I also think mankind is on the cusp of a revelation of sorts. Soon we’ll discover that we are more than mere flesh and bone. Many of us are already there. And we’ll find we aren’t as helpless as we think. We’ll also realize we can have a joyful life, much as many of us did when we were toddlers and didn’t know how the world works.

Kudos to Jim Butcher for his wonderful glimpse into a world of possibilities.

Hello walking community!

I’ve pretty much exhausted google on this so am hoping someone here can help.

I love walking down the sidewalks here in Toronto but there are places (like right outside my door) where it is unsafe to walk the sidewalks because people on bicycles use the sidewalks too.

I get why they do - they don’t feel safe riding on the road.

It’s not just bikes though; there are motorized bikes on the sidewalk, as well as scooters (both manual and motorized) who do it too. A lot ride at full speed.

As careful as the bikers are, all it takes is for the pedestrian to suddenly stumble or even just wander to the same side of the sidewalk as the bike is riding (from behind) and the result can be catastrophic. The biker would be okay but for the pedestrian - especially older people like me - such a crash would be life changing.

I try to be as vigilant as possible (head on a swivel) to avoid such an accident but it’s chancy at best.

I’ve been looking for some sort of solution where I can have a rear view mirror at my head so I can always see behind me. Preferably not a helmet but maybe a clip on you can add to your sunglasses or even a headband with a rear view mirror on it.

Has anyone ever seen such a thing? If so can you point me to it?

Thanks in advance.