Happiness and Vices; Poetry Wins the Day; Should Canadians only drive EVs?
3 Things this week and the award-winning poem
Thanks for spending part of your weekend with Things I Wrote Down. We made memories on the beach in a wonderful heat wave, walked through caves, paid too much for parking, and had a fun time away.
Hope you're making some memories this summer.
Here's this week's link round up and a poem.
Happiness and Vices
Petra and I are fans of
and read much of their work. When my Substack was featured in The FP, it was a true geek out moment. As we drove across rural Ontario on our beach vacation as a family this week, we listened to a new podcast—Conversations with Coleman—on their platform while the kids streamed shows on their tablets.I’ve enjoyed the content by
I’ve seen (usually when it breaks through on X. We differ on our views of assisted-dying, and probably lots of other things… but that’s what I love about the Free Press. There’s so many unique voices, so much important dialogue, and people can really show up as they are. The thing that matters is that people honestly engage and are after the truth, which is sorta what journalism should be all about).Hughes’ conversation with Arthur C. Brooks about happiness, how to not make politics so divisive in conversation with friends and family, and how to simply live well in a noisy, divided culture, was a breath of fresh air, and a great listen for a road trip.
Brooks summons Aquinas for a test on Hughes to gut-check his vices. It’s a great way to gauge the thing in your life that may become an idol. It was fascinating to listen in and to self-administer the test.
Take a listen!
Poetry Wins the Day
This year I ran the First Ever Poetry Contest right here on Things I Wrote Down.
It was Petra and my humble little way to invest into others' creativity. Contests have opened doors for me, and served as important catalysts for creativity. Our hope was that this investment of resources and platform would inspire and encourage others in their creative journeys.
Our hopes weren't disappointed. We received poems from around the world from writers of all sorts. It was fun to notify the winners this week and to share their poems with the world.
I'll be publishing the poems that made the long list on my newsletter on my Sunday link round up in the weeks ahead (if you want to read more great poetry).
Should Canadians only drive EVs?
It’s a nice thought: Driving EVs through the prairies. Heck, I’d love to have a car that drives itself so that I could sit back and simply enjoy the view. (I’d also love to be able to travel affordable, high-speed rail across this great land, but that’s another story).
There’s been much chatter the last few weeks about the gas-powered car ban the Liberals continue to pursue. I thought about this as we drove in rural Ontario. It was hard enough to find a bathroom we could pitstop at (pro tip: local community centres are a great place to stop in at). It was hard enough to find a gas station, let alone a gas station with a bathroom on the 3 hour drive from the London area to the southern shores of Lake Huron. Now imagine needing to charge on the trip (in the heat, in the rain, or in the snow).
The National Post gives some much-needed perspective if we’re serious about eliminating gas-powered cars. It’s sobering.
At the time of the report’s publication, there were about 30,000 EV charging ports across Canada. It’s estimated that to keep up with the EV mandate, Canada would need to boost this to 679,000 by 2040. In other words, Canada would need to double its total number of charging ports in a single year, and then maintain that pace for at least 15 additional years.
The government better get moving if it’s serious. Read the article to see just how far off we are from switch to E.
The Prize Winning Poem from the First Every TIWD Poetry Contest
The Bear
I can't remember why, but when you were a child
we called you bear.
I cradled the sleeping cub of you through the night
after your birth and then scribbled a few lines,
most of which are long since lost,
like so many things I meant to give you:
There are no scars on your perfect skin.
Nothing to forgive or have forgiven.
This morning, I lace my shoes while the dogs wait
by the back door, earnest as a bowl of water on the floor,
and you are denned a just little while longer
behind your 16-year-old door.
We lope along the back roads and the cool creek,
where you toddled with your mother to escape the heat,
past the elementary where there is still much laughter.
At Read Mountain we take the trail
where you and I have walked so many times.
The sky colors and I marvel,
since all could be otherwise.
Much should have been, I know.
This is just to say I stumble
on yet another gift: a young bear
nosing his way up the trail.
Oh, how the dogs howl as he crashes
through the rhododendron across the hollow
beyond reach, leaving us only a furtive glance
as he cuts a path over the ridge.
If I see him again, I hope it’s with you.
I wonder what scars he will carry.
I hope seasons will be kind, that he is fat with grubs
and stuffed with Morels and blueberries, and I pray
he will always find the coolest water in the creek.About Sam Dean
Sam Dean is a former photojournalist and current director of commercial film and photography projects for the tourism sector. An avid reader of poetry, he occasionally writes down some thoughts that arrive typically during a trail run or on a hike with his dogs. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway with his wife, teenage son, a couple of dogs and cats.
Learn more about his photography here.