The curtain climbs over me every morning I don香蕉视频直播檛 know why I香蕉视频直播檓 so immunized against reforming

I went to bed last night 香蕉视频直播� unthinkingly 香蕉视频直播� in my Tragically Hip T-shirt. Sky blue with a bold 香蕉视频直播淗香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淧香蕉视频直播� framing a silhouette of Gord Downie in an iconic pose standing in place of the 香蕉视频直播淚.香蕉视频直播�

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 don香蕉视频直播檛 need it. I don香蕉视频直播檛 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 don香蕉视频直播檛 go anywhere

Just on trips

We haven香蕉视频直播檛 seen a thing

We still don香蕉视频直播檛 know where it is

It香蕉视频直播檚 a safe mistake

A wise man once said 香蕉视频直播渨hen the sunlight hits the olive oil don香蕉视频直播檛 hesitate.香蕉视频直播� Gord spoke about art and truth and life and how they intertwine and how their pursuit gives one both perspective and purpose. We香蕉视频直播檙e all given the ability to discern right from wrong; to know what香蕉视频直播檚 important and what is not. We香蕉视频直播檙e all given tools and opportunities with which we can learn, grow, understand 香蕉视频直播� 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.

Gord香蕉视频直播檚 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

It香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渄on香蕉视频直播檛 get.香蕉视频直播� I香蕉视频直播檝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. It香蕉视频直播檚 not about getting the T-shirt. It香蕉视频直播檚 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, 香蕉视频直播榓in香蕉视频直播檛 life a grand and I香蕉视频直播檓 in awe of y香蕉视频直播檃ll香蕉视频直播�

I香蕉视频直播檝e dropped into my haunted bunk

Been to your touchless times out where the water香蕉视频直播檚 drying

Been past the 香蕉视频直播楴o Attractions Past This Point香蕉视频直播� sign

What we have here are all flaws in progress

Where all songs are one song and that song is Don香蕉视频直播檛 Forget

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