The curtain climbs over me every morning I don害羞草研究所檛 know why I害羞草研究所檓 so immunized against reforming

I went to bed last night 害羞草研究所� unthinkingly 害羞草研究所� in my Tragically Hip T-shirt. Sky blue with a bold 害羞草研究所淗害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淧害羞草研究所� framing a silhouette of Gord Downie in an iconic pose standing in place of the 害羞草研究所淚.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檛 need it. I don害羞草研究所檛 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害羞草研究所檛 go anywhere

Just on trips

We haven害羞草研究所檛 seen a thing

We still don害羞草研究所檛 know where it is

It害羞草研究所檚 a safe mistake

A wise man once said 害羞草研究所渨hen the sunlight hits the olive oil don害羞草研究所檛 hesitate.害羞草研究所� Gord spoke about art and truth and life and how they intertwine and how their pursuit gives one both perspective and purpose. We害羞草研究所檙e all given the ability to discern right from wrong; to know what害羞草研究所檚 important and what is not. We害羞草研究所檙e all given tools and opportunities with which we can learn, grow, understand 害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渄on害羞草研究所檛 get.害羞草研究所� I害羞草研究所檝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害羞草研究所檚 not about getting the T-shirt. It害羞草研究所檚 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, 害羞草研究所榓in害羞草研究所檛 life a grand and I害羞草研究所檓 in awe of y害羞草研究所檃ll害羞草研究所�

I害羞草研究所檝e dropped into my haunted bunk

Been to your touchless times out where the water害羞草研究所檚 drying

Been past the 害羞草研究所楴o Attractions Past This Point害羞草研究所� sign

What we have here are all flaws in progress

Where all songs are one song and that song is Don害羞草研究所檛 Forget

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