The Following Entry May Contain Praise for Premier Pallister: Reader Discretion is Advised

Sometimes it is difficult to approach situations with an open mind and an open heart, but, I listened to Brian Pallister give a short speech last evening.and it changed the way I feel about him. 

Relax.  I am not campaigning to be President of his fan club.  But, I have been critical of him in the past and I likely will be critical of him in the future. 

However, I have also been expressing that we must listen more and really try to hear the message that people are trying to send us.  I've also noticed that Brian has a "tell".  Whenever he is nervous, he swears right away, in the first sentence that comes out of his mouth.  He doesn't drop the "f bomb" but he does make a reference to hell. 

Last night, he gave a very short speech at the Sports Hall of Fame Dinner and his first sentence referred to it being one hell of an event.  I knew he was nervous.  Officially, he was there to bring greetings from the Province.  Unofficially, he wouldn't have missed the event because his coach Jerry Hemmings was being inducted, this team as part of a team, into the Sports Hall of Fame. 

It was about 40 years ago that he tried out to play basketball at Brandon U.  His audience might have thought it was yesterday the way he described it. 

With real genuine emotion, he shared how scared he way even entering the gym.  Outwardly, he was a kid wanting to play a sport.  Inwardly, he described what was really going on.  He was an awkward lanky guy who had no self-esteem and less self-confidence.  He wasn't hoping to become a star athlete, he was hoping to make a friend, in his wildest dreams, maybe more than one friend.  The story was "locked and loaded" and he was being real.  And, he was expressing the same feelings that we have all felt at some point in our lives.  He knew what it was like to feel like you didn't matter.  He went on to tell how much he gained from being on that team; self-confidence, self-awareness, life-long friendships, and every good thing in his life came from the ripple effects he got from that experience.

He emphatically stated that he would not be Premier of Manitoba without Jerry Hemmings.  Had I heard on other nights, I might have thought, "damn Hemmings.  So, he is the one to blame."  But, not last night. 

Last night, I felt empathy for Brian Pallister because I felt he had empathy for others.  I really feel that he has a clear memory of what it feels like to be searching for a place to belong.  I really feel he has empathy for those who struggle to find acceptance. I really feel that the memory of that awkward young man with no self-esteem is very close to his surface. 

It was a great speech and he was authentic.  The human experience is universal.  We all want our world to be better.  It was a reminder to me that I also need to listen more with an open mind and an open heart.  Well done, Brian. 


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