biddle pride and duke pride...

I will explain my title...

Recently, I have participated in alternatingly deep and light conversations about wealth, love and happiness and the world at large. These of course are core themes of a rather obscure 1967 Disney musical - The Happiest Millionaire... from which I pulled my title, where in a moment of intense emotion, Miss Cordelia Drexel Biddle sounds a gong in the conservatory and angrily shouts, "Duke Pride, Biddle Pride...." and some other dialogue that I can't remember. But the point was Miss Cordelia Drexel Biddle was fed up with the combatting family expectations and all she wanted was to run off with her love to Detroit as they so exquisitely expressed through a marvelous musical number earlier in the film. That is the explanation for my blog title... it was a movie reference that no one other than a few select members of my immediate family would be able to get.

Regarding my conversations about wealth, love and happiness and the world at large... let's just say that my active mind has been given much to ponder. My thoughts kept me company today while I walked to the advance polling station to cast my ballot in the Federal Election as I will be in transit on Monday... I continued to ponder these things on my way back from the polling station - which lead me to notice all the wonderful things about being outside on such a crisp and cool day. It was a very sensory walk, if that makes any sense. For a few moments I forgot that I was in Fort St. John and instead I marveled at the particles of frozen breath on the wisps of my hair and the warmth of my hands encased in a pair of gloves and mittens over top. I think that far too often we move too quickly past all these tiny details that make life amazing and breathtaking. I decided that this was the type of wealth that I sought... the wealth of observation, the ability to piece together love and happiness from all the little bits and pieces that make up our world at large.

oh, how so wonderfully sentimental and abstract I am. Must be the after effects of feeling like my vote is worth nothing, because in this town it if you don't vote Conservative your vote might as well just be put through a paper shredder instead of the ballot box.

Remember to vote on Monday. I may feel like my vote was a waste but as they tell us, every vote really does count. Apathy is not the answer.

for more information on your Electoral Candidates check out these sites:

CBC Canada Votes
Elections Canada On-line