Musings - KINETIC MOTIONS

July 18, 2017

Two Months for this Blog and What have I Learned so far?

Time has a habit of happening very quickly. As I wrote in my first post on May 17, I always wanted to write, but it took me many years to compose my thoughts and create an online space where I could voice how I felt about many topics. I registered Kinetic Motions back in February of this year and knowing just a little about WordPress I launched this blog a few months later.

One thing I quickly figured out is that I am not an expert at this! Many people have guided me and shown me some tricks (thanks in particular to my brother Neil Richler!), and I have played around and experimented over the last five months to get this blog to where it is. I will admit that what you see is still very amateur, and I know that these pages will continue to evolve.

I would consider myself both a journalist and a strategic communications expert (yes one can be both). I have always been confident in my skills associated with these professions, in particular my writing and editing skills. I always worked closely with many online journalists and bloggers and social media experts. But, until recently my knowledge and deep understanding of how the blogosphere and social media space really worked and moulded our society was limited. Every day over the last two months, as I write and publish my work for all of you to read I am in awe of the world’s online space. I am excited to write each new post and share my thoughts with you.

But alas I do still have a lot to learn and hope to see my blog grow. What I have laid out is very basic and I am not sure how easy it is to navigate. I am starting to find my way through terms like SEO, Widgets, Plugins and a good Readability score. I feel good about the content – that it is interesting and appeals to a wide audience.

I am always happy to listen to advice and take some constructive criticism. It is how I will learn and grow as a writer and blogger. If you have suggestions on how to make this blog easier to navigate, how to improve its SEO or topics of interest to you that I should cover please do reach out to me. Send an email to kineticmotions17@gmail.com, leave a comment here, post to me on Facebook or Tweet me @AliciaRichler.

Thank you to everyone who follows and reads my blog. Your support is appreciated. Stay tuned for great things from Kinetic Motions!

July 17, 2017

Would you Accomplish More if you Worked Three Uninterrupted Hours a Day?

I just read an interesting historical fiction called New York, by Edward Rutherford. It follows the story of this great city from the 1600’s to the present day, interweaving real historical events with the lives of fictional characters. The book had many memorable moments, which I will not describe here, except for one in particular. It was less of a moment and more of a statement in a conversation at a dinner party near the end of the book. The characters were overworked and all spent hours each day at the office. One person brought forward the idea of uninterrupted work and getting more done in less time.

I will quote directly from the book as the author quite eloquently discussed the subject:

“’I was reading Virginia Woolf the other day, and she remarked that at one period in her life, she was able to get so much done because she had three uninterrupted hours to work in every day. And I thought, what on earth is she talking about? Only three hours a day? And then I looked around the office at all the people working their fourteen-hour days, and I thought, how many of you actually spend three hours in a real, creative, intellectual activity in a day? And I reckoned, probably not one.’ She smiled. ‘And there’s Virginia Woolf achieving more than they ever will in their lives, on three hours a day. It makes you think. They might do better if they worked less.’”

When I read this, it made me put the book down and think. For years I worked long days, spending hours at the office and often I continued my work at home late into the night. But how often did I have a true uninterrupted stretch to work each day? When I was at the office there were so many distractions around me. The office phone would ring, a colleague would stop by to ask a question or a group would congregate nearby and I would join the conversation. Add in the meetings and conference calls and I wonder now how I ever got anything done.

Once in a while, when I wanted to concentrate and really focus on my work, I left the office and worked instead at home. If the house was quiet and empty I could accomplish a whole day’s work in just a few hours. The distractions of the office weren’t there (yes, I know the house provides other distractions but I am able to usually avoid them!), and with few to no interruptions I used my time efficiently.

I believe I am not unique and that most of us would accomplish much more if we worked three uninterrupted hours each day. Now that I am a sole proprietor of a business and answer to myself each day I need a lot of self-discipline to get work done. I need to find time each day to focus my thoughts and energy and avoid distractions. When I do that I am always amazed how much I can accomplish.

I believe that it’s less about how many hours you work each day and more about how you use the hours you work. It is not about physically being at the office for 8, 10 or 12 hours in a given day but rather efficiently using those hours and completing your tasks. I think this is a philosophy that is slowly being embraced by many Canadian businesses and workplaces and something I strongly support and encourage. It is an approach I hope to follow as I go out on my own and work as independent professional. Just imagine how much I could accomplish every day if I gave myself three uninterrupted hours to work. My time is valuable and I hope to use it wisely.

July 14, 2017August 20, 2018

Everyone Should be Making Music Together

How many children’s songs do you know? Did you know that Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep and ABC are the same tune, written by Mozart? What songs do you remember from childhood? If you have children, do you sing to them or expose them to music?

Most adults can typically name only four or five children’s songs that they know well and admit that not only were they not exposed to music in childhood but that there is little of it in their home today. I believe that human beings are naturally musical but that musicality needs to be nurtured.

One of the simplest ways to cultivate the love of music in a child is to sing to them at home or play a tune when the child is an infant. Research has shown that even in utero a baby can hear and respond to music. A newborn baby, at least my newborn babies, sleep well with calming classical compositions in the background or the gentle voice of his or her mother, father or siblings.

After a short time, many babies graduate to music classes. Children’s music classes are popular throughout North America. It has actually become quite a business. I have been taking my kids to these classes for over ten years. Some are better than others and all are a great way to get a new mother out of the house and give her a great activity with her baby.

Whether the music class is a short session with a bunch of well-known children’s songs or a more in-depth course in music, singing and voice training, I feel everyone should try to expose their child to at least one session. The City of Toronto Public Library offers free (that’s right FREE) drop-in 30-minute “Move-and-Groove” classes for children aged 0-6. My one-year-old goes to that one all the time.

All three of my kids have benefitted most from a great program called “Making Music Together.” I won’t go into its history but you can read about it HERE. As the website states, the program is about “songs, chants, movement & instruments in a relaxed, fun, interactive environment.” Because of this program my children have all expressed their musicality in their own special way.

Walking into a Music Together class is quite an experience, though that may be the case for most baby and children’s music classes. The caregivers and children sit around in a circle and over a 45-minute period sing, dance and play instruments. Note that I say caregivers AND children. Each week, as I sit around this circle with my baby I chuckle to myself as I watch grown men and women, many with Masters degrees, MD’s or other professional designations, bark like dogs, tap little wooden sticks on their heads and skip around the room.

We spend years growing up, working hard to become mature adults, then at our children’s music class all pressures of adulthood are released. We can sing and dance and be free. It’s not just the children who benefit from music but the adults too. Lately I sing all day, all be it songs entitled Wiggle, See the Pony Galloping and Shake those ‘Simmons Down. Music energizes me and makes me feel good. I know it does the same for my children. Try singing one day, even to yourself. It’s worth it.

July 13, 2017

Do we really want our Children to Dream of being a Pirate and a Princess?

When I think of a pirate a very clear picture comes to my mind. He is a tall strapping man with dark evil eyes. He is mean and ruthless and will kill anyone who gets in his way. The pirate is a murderer and thief and wreaks havoc on the world.

When I think of a princess I have in mind another clear picture. I think about a fairy tale. Most definitely she is beautiful with long flowing hair and wears a gown made of the finest fabric. She is loyal to her father, the King, and upholds the duties that are bestowed upon a young woman born into nobility. She does what is expected of her and knows she will one day marry into another noble family and look down at her poor subjects who did not have the good fortune to be born into royalty.

Our modern society has romanticised the world of the pirate and the princess, and it is something I just don’t understand.

The pirate in particular has become a much-loved cartoon character and Halloween costume for children. We, as adults, find it so cute when our kids put on the pirate hat, eye patch and hook and say things like “Ahoy Matie” or “Walk the Plank.” Pirates were not cute – they violently plundered ships and shoreline communities, killing people along the way. There are even some pirates today, sailing off the coast of places like Eastern Africa. I am quite sure no one wants their kids to look up to these people.

Princesses are in quite a different category as, for the most part, they do not steal and murder. But, the fairy tale princess is not one I would like my daughters to model themselves after. I see the princess as a second-class citizen, who though intelligent, is often passed over in favour of the male heir. I know what you are thinking – in recent years we have seen the coming of age of the feminist princess like Elsa and Ana in Frozen, or Merida in Brave. They are the exception, and I cringe when someone calls my daughter a princess.

That said, I am not going to stop my children from dressing up as pirates and princesses and reading about them in bedtime stories. I will admit that my kids have dressed up in versions of pirates and princesses over the years. I let them take their own spin on it, like my daughter’s werewolf princess costume for Halloween a couple of years ago. It was definitely unique.

Maybe I am just a crank and should let it go. Could it be that our modern society believes that with time our perceptions of everything changes? The 17^th and 18^th century pirate was a villain then but is seen as a bold and formidable character today. The fairy tale princess obeyed her family’s wishes and was mostly a pretty thing whose only dream was to marry a handsome prince. Today people believe that same princesses could have ruled the kingdom and changed the world.

What do you think? Are there other historical characters or stories that have been romanticised? Leave me a comment here, post to Facebook or Tweet me @AliciaRichler.

July 11, 2017

If you really have to Smoke can you show a little bit of Courtesy Please?

I think smoking is disgusting. There is no simple or sugar-coated way to say it. I find it vulgar and utterly repulsive. I know that nicotine is addictive and many smokers would quit if they could. If they need to smoke of course I can’t stop them. But when they smoke in public places could they show more courtesy to those around them?

I recognize that many municipalities have attempted to mitigate the problem of smoking in public places by creating all kinds of legislation over the years. I remember back to the days when I was a kid when smokers had free reign, and then the government stepped in. First there were smoking areas in restaurants and my favourite, the smoking rows at the back of the airplane. If smoking was allowed in rows 28-30 and I was in row 27, was I really separated from the stench of smoke behind me?

Slowly, over time, big “no smoking” signs appeared inside malls, restaurants, movie theatres and on airplanes. Smokers were forced outside to do their dirty act. Then came the “no smoking within 9 meters of any entrance” signs, that are always ignored. For the last couple of years, at least in Toronto, there are also bylaws outlawing smoking in certain outdoor areas like playgrounds and restaurant and bar patios. I believe that is usually observed.

So, smoking has been delegated to the streets of the city, where I cannot escape it. I find it unpleasant to walk behind a smoker, as I seem to inhale more of the fumes than the person holding the cigarette. I often feel helpless when I wait at a traffic light at a busy intersection, waiting to cross with my stroller, and beside me is a smoker, dangling a cigarette.

What a sight it is when I see what looks like a good looking well put together person, on the move down the street, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth? Does he think he looks cool? I think not.

And why do smokers think it is okay, when finished a cigarette, to drop it on the ground, snuff it out with their feet and walk away? The sidewalk is not a trash bin, but somehow many smokers treat it as such.

Are smokers aware how bad they smell? A few weeks ago, while on the subway, a person sat down beside me. Though she was not smoking (something banned on public transit many years ago), she was clearly a heavy smoker. She reeked. It wasn’t just her breath but the scent of cigarette smoke emanated from her body. Lucky for me I had to get off at the next stop. The odour was nauseating.

No one In my close family or circle of friends is a smoker (though some did smoke in the past). I grew up in a smoke-free home and am glad I am raising my children in a society that is doing its best to keep the air clean. For those who do smoke I just ask you to please be courteous of those of us who don’t. And for those who smoke and are trying to quit I wish you luck and hope you succeed. You will be better off.

July 10, 2017

I Planned to Salsa on St. Clair but Ate Italian Instead

Today I am writing another installment of “Being a Tourist in my own City.” Summer in the city, especially on the weekend, can often be warm, muggy and oppressive. It’s easy to laze around the house or pull up a chair in the backyard and do a lot of nothing. Instead of that, this weekend we decided to take advantage of an annual event in our neighbourhood, and on Saturday night, with only one child at home (the baby), we stepped outside and walked over to Salsa on St. Clair.

I remember stopping by this event a few years ago, as it wound down on a Sunday night. We had only checked out the perimeter and I recall that it was busy. This year, at 7:00 pm on a beautiful Saturday evening, we decided to try it again. I had checked out the event’s website and expected to find loud lively music, some dancing on the closed off street and a mix of Latin American and South American food.

We found all of that, and I also found dense crowds and long lines. I should have known better. After weeks (or was it months?) of rain in Toronto and so many washed out weekends, people were desperate to get outside and party on such a gorgeous evening. As we approached the Eastern edge of the event, I could hear the music, I could see the crowd and I could smell the sumptuous food.

No doubt the event delivered on its promises – there were blocks of music and dancing and a huge variety of food for sale. But it was impossible to move, never mind dance, and I did not have the patience to wait in snaking lines just for a taste of a tomatillo, plantain or churros. I don’t doubt the food was delicious, and the music was so vibrant that I could feel myself wanting to dance, but I (or my husband or my parents who joined us) did not have the patience nor the stamina to stay, so we kept walking.

It was slow moving, but we crossed the Salsa, from one end to the other and passed people of all ages enjoying the event. There were families with babies and young children, teenagers and 20-somethings out for a night on the town and even an older crowd enjoying the scene. We just kept on walking.

If you keep walking along St. Clair West in Toronto you arrive in one of the many “Little Italy” neighbourhoods of our great city. With our stomachs rumbling we checked out a few places and eventually decided upon a modest but sweet looking place that had a quiet patio and space to accommodate us and the stroller. Big Slice Restaurant came through with a tasty meal and friendly service. On our walk home, as a bonus, we stopped a for a treat at Punto Gelato, where everyone (including the baby, of course), enjoyed a couple of scoops of this Italian treat. I highly recommend the Caramelo flavour by the way!

To get home we chose to dive back into the Salsa again to see how it looked at night. The music was lively and there was some great dancing. The crowd had thinned somewhat, though I didn’t see too many young families or the older crowd from a couple hours before. We definitely brought the average age up while we walked through!

I am fortunate that I live in a city that has such a vibrant mix of cultures that are celebrated throughout the year. Whether it is a street festival or a parade, and whether the event is small and quiet or crowded and lively, I love them all. My family and I participate in our own special way, and I look forward to the next time I can be a tourist in my own city.

July 7, 2017

Will Violence Accomplish Anything at the G20 Summit?

I support the right for people to speak out in favour of what they believe in or against anything they believe is wrong in society. Freedom of speech is part of the foundation of the modern democracy, and I feel fortunate to live in a country where my voice can be heard. If a group wants to come together to speak out against the government, a corporation or even a cultural organization, let them do it. I may personally disagree with many of the protests I see in the city where I live, but I support each group’s right to have its voice heard. However, when an individual or group espouses violence then they do not have my support at all.

The annual G20 Summit of world leaders is happening now in Hamburg, Germany. This group was created back in 1999 with the aim of creating world financial stability. There has been an annual meeting in various places around the word since 2011, which have attracted not only world leaders but also thousands of protestors.

It is quite normal for a world leader to be trailed by a large group of people which includes his or aides, a throng of media and a band of protestors. Every politician has supporters and detractors. When an elected official has a large number of detractors, as is the case with a number of world leaders right now, the number of protestors can grow exponentially.

I am not a political or financial expert and I don’t know if anything ever has or will be accomplished at large gatherings like the G20 Summit. When a bunch of people come together like this, most with big egos and big mouths, are they really doing anything besides shaking hands and making new friends (or enemies)? Does the average citizen of the world feel better about his or her financial situation because the world leaders are huddled together behind the walls of a fortress as they discuss the global economy?

Many people think not, and speaking out against the G20 Summit, the global economy or the people leading that summit is fine by me. But when a protest group creates an organization called “Welcome to Hell” and clearly states that it will “reserve for themselves the option of militant resistance” my support is gone.

This group, and others like it, have a valid concern that millions of people across the globe are living in unthinkable conditions, dealing with hunger, war and the ongoing challenges of climate change. Their voices deserve to be heard, and I wish world leaders would listen. However, when these groups make it clear they wish to be combative, that they are anarchists and anti-capitalists, and they support violence, I cannot back them at all.

While I have no evidence to corroborate this, I believe that many of the so-called protestors at the G20 Summit in Hamburg are there just to stir up trouble. They either do not know or do not care about the millions of people who actually live with hunger and war and who need a voice. These protestors want anarchy, they support violence and the destruction of our society.

Media are reporting from Hamburg that these violent protest groups are setting fires to the streets, destroying property and attacking police with various objects from bottles and iron rods to smoke bombs and fire crackers. Violence is what they seek, not a better world for us to live in.

Fair minded people have to speak louder than the violent protestors and let the world and the world leaders know that we can bring about real change. Real change can happen with our voices, our pens and our hands (as we type on our computers) and not with weapons.

July 5, 2017July 5, 2017

Today is my Birthday and I am 41 Years Old but I Don’t Feel a Day over 39

I usually reserve Wednesday for a sports post, but since today is my birthday I decided to write about myself instead. I will do a Sports Thursday post this week, as the 20^th annual Maccabi Games open in Israel.

So, as the title of today’s post reads: today I am 41 years old but I don’t feel a day over 39. Last year was a big birthday for me as I entered a new decade. In my twenties, I was still considered a kid in many ways, in my thirties I was a full-grown adult but still considered a young adult. When I turned forty last summer I recognized that I had entered a new phase of life as a more mature (sometimes even respected!) adult.

Many of my older friends told me that reaching 40 was a big milestone. They told me it was a time of life when my career and my family would bloom, on the one hand, but also a time that I would start to wake up with some aches in places in my body I didn’t even know existed.

Number 40 definitely was a year of great change for me, with a new baby and the start of my journey on my new career path. I enjoy watching my children grow up and I am both excited and terrified to see what is next for my career. But do I feel different? Do I feel older? Did 40 bring with it new aches or a sense of greater maturity?

No, not really. In that sense, I really don’t feel a day over 39. I feel young, and while I am definitely a bit sleep deprived lately (thanks Nessa), I have more energy than ever and am excited every morning to see what the day will bring.

My birthday began early this morning with celebrations led by my 7-year-old, who plans her calendar around birthdays. While I slept, Julia loaded my bed with kazoos, balloons, a new stuffed animal for me (for her) and a box of my favourite chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate. I arrived downstairs to a beautiful breakfast cooked by my husband, David, and Julia. They made giant buttermilk pancakes and the BEST scrambled eggs (a recipe we learned from Gordon Ramsay that I highly recommend you try).

Julia and David are now off for the day, and while it wasn’t their intention, their final gift to me was a filthy kitchen with a sink full of dishes. Sigh. They meant well. My day continues with Nessa’s music class, a nice afternoon walk and dinner with the whole family and some friends at a great restaurant.

So far 41 isn’t bad. I eagerly look forward to what the year will bring and the adventures I will take. This blog is one of those adventures, and I love to write every day. Thank you everyone for your feedback and your support. And since I have already received many messages by phone, email and social media, thank you to everyone for the kind birthday greetings.

July 4, 2017

Can We Focus on what Unifies us as Canadians please?

Today Canada is 150 years and 4 days old. The weekend of celebrations is over and the future is ahead for our country. I spent much of the long weekend reading newspaper articles, watching the news and checking up on blogs, monitoring and thinking about the news coverage of the country’s big birthday. I believe that most Canadians feel proud and happy to be Canadian, and for the most part I believe the celebrations, from coast to coast and everywhere in between, were light, friendly and patriotic. But at the same time, I felt there was a negative undertone in the coverage, one which focused on our differences as Canadians and the cruel nature of what Canada represents as a colonial power. I appreciate the honest and frank words of a few journalists who pointed this out and spoke out in favour of something different: unity. These individuals focused on what unifies us as Canadians, and I thank them for that.

I want to state very clearly that I am sympathetic to and support the plight of the Indigenous people of Canada. Their ancestors were treated savagely for hundreds of years and today it is no secret that many of them live below the poverty line. Many young Indigenous people do not have the same opportunities as other Canadians, and rightly so they see their future as bleak. We all need to remember that, learn from our errors and hope there is a brighter future for this important part of Canada’s population.

I also feel privileged to live in a free country where people can speak their minds – as individuals or in groups. The press is free to print criticisms of the government and all faiths can observe their religion how they choose. I do not take this for granted, and I know that millions of people across the globe do not have such freedom.

With that in mind, on Canada’s birthday, I felt frustrated and even angry as I read page after page about our differences as Canadians and the shame we should all feel to celebrate the birth and growth of Canada. Why?

The esteemed writer, Rex Murphy, wrote about this issue so eloquently in his column this weekend, entitled, “Celebrating ‘diversity’ will only divide us, but celebrating Canada’s unity keeps us strong.” I do believe that recognizing and accepting our differences make a community strong, but I also believe that finding what we all have in common, unifies us and makes us strongest. But that’s not all.

As Canada celebrated her 150^th anniversary as an independent nation, we have to remember that the land and its people go much further back. No doubt the Indigenous people of Canada truly are the First Nations of this land. Their ancestors settled here thousands of years before various European nations “discovered” the Americas. The cruelty that was beset upon them was horrific.

And while many people, over the last hundreds of years, immigrated to Canada to find opportunity and wealth, many other people fled to Canada as a refuge, to escape cruelty as well that was beset upon them and was no doubt also horrific.

My ancestors fled to Canada from Europe over 100 years ago, most of them travelling in steerage across the ocean to escape pogroms in their villages. Whether it was a pogrom in 19^th century Russia, other kinds religious persecution in 17^th or 18^th century France or racial genocide in the 20^th century all over the world, I believe that something that unifies us is that we are all immigrants to this land, we are all free here and what we have in common is that we are all Canadians.

Let us celebrate diversity and let us honour the first people who settled this land, but let us focus on what we have in common, which will unify our country for another 150 years and beyond.

July 2, 2017July 2, 2017

My Son Flew off to Summer Camp this Morning – Can I Go with Him?

5:00 AM and the alarm clock goes off. I hear the faint voice of a radio announcer giving me the morning news, sports and weather. I see the faint light of sunrise in my window and the house is quiet. It’s time to get up, wake up the family and rush to the airport to send my son off for another summer of overnight camp.

The highway is empty and it is easy to find our way through the maze of parking at the airport at this time of day. The airport is relatively quiet, and we know we are in the right place when we hear the loud din of children and see the commotion of a summer camp trying to get 156 children onto an airplane. There are coloured balloons and, fluorescent t-shirts and even signs, trying to create organization from chaos. Somehow families line up, names and ID are checked, hugs are given and the children are off.

It is a tradition, and I believe a tremendous privilege, for thousands of children each summer across North America, to travel to an overnight summer camp. It is an anomaly to those who have not attended camp or who have not packed up or sent their children.

I believe that overnight summer camp is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give his or her child. It is a wondrous place where kids can just be kids. On the surface, it’s a terrifying thought – hundreds of children running around in the wilderness with a small but reasonable number of “adults” (most aged 18-22) in charge. Do they eat? Shower? Brush their teeth? Do they sleep?

Does it matter?

Whether it’s a one-week camp one hour from the city or in the case of my son, a six-week camp half a country away in central Nova Scotia, it is the best way to enjoy the warm weeks of summer. In Canada children can choose from a large array of camps, from specialty programs like a week of horse back or riding to those that offer a variety of activities for up to six, seven or eight weeks.

My son’s camp, Kadimah, has been hosting children since 1943, giving them a well-rounded memorable experience on the edge of one of Canada’s small beautiful lakes. Thousands of children have grown up there, met their spouses there, sent their children there and now even their grandchildren. My son has six cousins with him at camp this summer and tons of friends that he has made in his few years there.

My son was a bit anxious this morning. After all, camp is over 1,500 km away and he will be away from his parents for six weeks (we will see him in three weeks on visitor’s day but just for a few hours). That’s not it, he told me. He is concerned about being forced to swim every day, to wake up early every day and he will miss his baby sister. Will the baby remember him when she sees him in three weeks? What about his beloved Blue Jays? I assured him the baby will remember him and that I will send him a daily letter with all the scores and sports news he needs.

As he arrives at camp this afternoon and jumps off the bus I know that his anxieties will disappear. One of the greatest moments for a child is that final section of the road up to camp, as you see the cabins and the lake appear. As each child passes through the camp gate and the bus pulls up the stomach flutters and the excitement comes to a crescendo. Summer has begun.

I miss those days and I miss that wonderful feeling of the special arrival at summer camp. Can I go too?