Cliff Graydon: Still Irritated

I wish I was on fire for life today.  Unfortunately, some low life is occupying space in my head today so this is my way of moving on. 

Cliff Graydon, Independent MLA for Emerson, is running for re-election.  I hope that he has no chance of winning, however, over the past few years, I have been shocked and amazed more than once.  It is both wonderful and sad at the same time that anything can happen. 

There are more than a few issues that I have with Cliff Graydon but I will summarize by saying that he could attend sensitivity training every day for the rest of his life, and I don't think he would be capable of showing empathy or compassion or respect for the female gender.  His defense of his behavior is that he has a bad sense of humour typical of men born in that age.  I guess he means men who were born circa 1947. 

Last week I attended a packed funeral for one of my friend's fathers.  Standing room only and people of all generations and demographics.  All there to pay tribute to an extraordinary man who accomplished more than even he thought he would be able to.  It was hard not to feel the pain of the loss of this man for his family.  As the many tributes happened, some family members shared the standard or prolific jokes of this father.  Of course, most of these jokes were only funny to those that were there and knew the entire context, however, as I listened, not one joke that was attributed to him was sexist, racist, or hurtful.  Just making light of the absurdity of life. 

I have another friend's father who is active on facebook.  He gets up very early in the morning and he wishes his buds a happy day or a happy weekend or a happy month.  Every day, he sends a message of happiness.  If I don't see it, I start to worry.  What a wonderful way to start the day for both of us.  I feel good seeing a message of happiness.  He focuses on happiness and wants to extend that.  Isn't that the way we make this world a better place? 

I think of my own father.  He was born in 1912.  If he was still alive, he would be turning 107.  Now granted he was my dad, so I am very biased, however, my life is still full of examples of him being a good man.  A good man who never denigrated a gender.  I know my dad wasn't perfect.  He didn't like his secretary.  The feeling was mutual.  Somehow they managed to peacefully co-exist.  I don't know if my father's opinion of her mellowed, but I know I saw her uptown one day about six months after he retired.  The woman actually had tears in her eyes.  She missed my father so much and how well he treated her.  My father also supervised a secretarial pool at one time.  Ireland is a very common name and people are always asking me if I am related to so-and-so.  I usually interrupt them because I am not related to any Ireland's in Winnipeg.  This inquiry came from a patient in a hospital.  She saw my name tag and asked if I was related to Gerry Ireland from Dauphin.  That was my dad.  She said that she had worked for him in the secretarial pool and he was the best boss she ever had and he always treated them with respect. 

I guess my dad didn't know that he could ask female employees to sit on his lap and to lick food off of his face and get away it a la Cliff Graydon.  All you have to do is indicate you were born in a different generation. 

I hope there are enough thinking people in Emerson to ensure that he is not elected.  I don't know if there will be debates.  I know I would be willing to go to Emerson to debate this fool "from a different age". 

#Ithasneverbeenok

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