HORSES IN THE MODERN WORLD: PSYCHOTHERAPY

Is there still a place for horses in the modern world?  Do they add value to humans?  Some say horses have had their day and no longer fit into modern life.  They used to conquer and discover land for us and worked it.  They used to transport people and goods.  Of course rich people still amuse themselves with horses.  Some people have discovered horses can help other people in the strangest ways.

A book that has stuck in my memory, "The Taos of Equus" by Linda Kohanov was my first awareness that horses were being used for psychotherapy.   Criticisms of her included that she had far out ideas of psychic connections.  As an outsider  some of her writing did seem far fetched, but a strong core stuck with me.

 "The Power of the Herd" is a later book written by Linda and it affirms much of her earlier thinking and goes into matters more deeply.  From studying horses and horse people (George Washington and Alexander the Great) she feels humans can learn a great deal about relations from horses.  She offers human-development sessions using horses.  Her book is like a human relations guidebook except she starts with horses.  A key difference is that horses are non predators, while humans are predators.

Horses are flight animals and very sensitive to determining the intentions of any creature approaching them.  Linda discovered that a horse is very difficult to fool.  It can tell if you are confident or if you are hiding some insecurity.  Two groups that got involved with equine assisted psychotherapy were troubled teenagers and battered women.

You can read more of Linda's work with horses helping people at:   eponaquest.com

Handling a horse can develop confidence.  Grooming a horse can be calming. as can just walking a horse, etc

Watching "The Horse Boy" directed and produced by Rupert Isaacson I learned that autism can be helped with horses.  Rupert's son had autism and he and his wife despaired of ever finding a way to reach inside their son.  We saw instances of  their son having fits and heard talk of his incontinence.  The father searched for a solution and with his horse background he stumbled on the fact that his son related better to a horse than to people.  Combined with an interest in shamanism (from earlier experience in Africa) he researched and found a culture that combined horses and shamanism--the Mongolians.  There were a lot of tense moments and disappointments along the way.  The change was dramatic.

Recently the RCMP concerned that more officers are dying from suicide than from on duty shootings have offered a program for officers suffering from PTSD that includes their wives.  Horses were a key component.

Other conditions that respond to equestrian therapy include eating disorders, alcohol and drug recovery, wounded warriors, Alzheimers

Another website for more information.www.equineassistedassets.com

As humans we think we are superior to animals.  Maybe we take too much for granted and maybe we don't make the effort to discover the many hidden wonders of the world.  People who enjoy horses seem to enjoy life.

MID TERM RESULTS

The U.S. mid term election results were very upsetting to us liberals.  Can American voters really be that dumb or that apathetic?  They very clearly voted against their own self interest, unless the individual was in the 1% crowd.  The media has to bear some of the blame as they were not at all forthcoming with keeping politicians honest.

It is not true that the Democratic economic policies were ineffective or that the Republican agenda would be an improvement.  It is not true that Obamacare was an abysmal failure.  It is not true that the White House screwed up the Mid East after the previous administration had gotten it under control.

It is true that the Republicans very deliberately  did everything in their power to block Democrat policies and to distort the results.  It is true that the Republicans did what they could to represent the interests of the 1% at the expense of the bottom 90%.  It is true that by denying climate change they are dangerously delaying any remedy.   It is true that Republicans spent a great deal of time and money stirring up false scandals instead of seeking workable compromises.  It is true that under Democrats the economy did improve significantly and that health care dramatically improved for millions of Americans.

Unfortunately we live in the "interesting times"  referred to in a Chinese curse.  Solutions to the many problems require a delicate balance.  Instead we are about to have the rhetorical heat edged up a few notches.

How did they do it?  FEAR, GREED and IGNORANCE.  It is easy to stir fear and greed amongst the ignorant.  People naturally want more out of life and fear a lot of things.  We all have a tendency to think short term, but decisions made today affect everyone for a long time, including our descendants. Everything affects our neighbourhood, but we need to look at a much larger picture.

I would like to run down a few issues to help explain my disappointment.  It may seem a bit disjointed as I should admit I am not in a good mood nor as coherent as I would like.

DEBT is not a good thing.  Yes, spending someone else's money is easy to do and can easily get out of hand.  Waste needs to be targeted, but also priorities within our limited resources need to be determined.  There are many problems that should be dealt with listed elsewhere.  Taxation is not a dirty word.   As others have said it is the price of civilization.  There are more than enough resources to give all the people a better opportunity to contribute and share the rewards.  The very rich benefit from a robust infrastructure, educated population, pollution free atmosphere, legal framework that prevents abuse, defence against our enemies and much more and if they are unwilling to pay their fair share we will all suffer.  Contrary to many perceptions the Democrats handled debt much better than the Republicans.

JOBS are important.  We all need to understand that jobs are generated by consumers, not just investors and innovators.  Not only are the jobless a drain on the economy, unable to support business, but idleness does create bad habits and resentment.  The government is really a facilitator.  Government workers help facilitate their country in countless ways.  Regulations may seem onerous and can certainly be overdone, but without them there would be a dog eat dog world.  We shouldn't be living to work, but we should be working to live. In the future, automation will make it possible for more people to contribute and to enjoy life.  We don't need greedy profiteers steering our future.

INEQUALITY is not just an abstract notion.  If gone too far it has negative impacts on everyone.  Eventually it can lead to revolution and violence.  To some degree it is inevitable, but at some point is unhealthy.  One solution is progressive taxes.  Everyone is entitled to necessities, but those who have benefited from society need to share some of the cost.  A delicate balance.

$4 BILLION CAMPAIGN EXPENSE  This ensures a number of negative things.  More time spent on fundraising than on resolving difficult issues.  More obligations to special interests. There is a need to understand the issues and how they connect, but currently that is all obscured with negative campaigns and manipulating data.  Debates to some extent are artificial, but offer an opportunity to thrash out the issues.  Too many candidates avoid debates and hard questioning.  Each serious candidate should have a platform to explain what they have to offer and why they are the best choice, but ideally this platform should be relatively equal so voters can make an objective choice.  Not likely to happen.

CLIMATE CHANGE:  Who do you believe?  Those with an interest in the status quo or those who have studied the issues in an objective atmosphere?  It requires individuals, but more importantly global co-operation.  We cannot expect the other guy to act first, but need to lead by example and by intelligent argument.  We are all losers if we don't soon come to grips with the problem.  Governments, even though some think they are the problem are necessary to co-ordinate an international response.  What is fair for those invested in current system and what is fair for those not so fortunate?  What are we leaving for future generations?  Some  serious delicate negotiations are required and soon.  Climate deniers need to get with it.

OBAMACARE--this is the most ironic of all.  The path chosen is one originally touted by Republicans.  Americans need to look at the rest of the world--medical costs and medical benefits are much more satisfactory in other developed countries.  Medical problems are not the major cause of bankruptcy in other nations.  Healthcare is essential for the economy and defence of a country.  It is amazing how ordinary people have been fooled on this one.  Republicans show a disdain for making it better.

INTERNATIONAL WAR AND PEACE.  The world can be a dangerous place.  There is distrust and fear that leads to violence.  Ignorance of different countries and cultures is unhealthy.  Americans would benefit from being more multi-lingual.  It seems likely the American posture will be more belligerent.

SOCIAL ISSUES are with some groups so powerful they overcome economic self interest.  Abortions and gay rights still seem to be wedge issues with some segments.  Abortion is the unhappy solution to what some people feel is a problem, an unwanted pregnancy.  Some die and others are rendered sterile in the effort and others end up in poverty.  Sex education and provision of contraceptives have proved to be effective, but are opposed by those who reveal their real motivation is that promiscuity should not be allowed.  That also seems to be a factor for those upset over gay rights.  Why should we reward people for having sinful "fun."  The world needs more love and less hate.

Racial attitudes seem unhealthy.  Many dismiss the "race card" but fail to acknowledge there are racial inequalities in America that go back centuries.  Racial injustice hurts all of us and perhaps this mid term is another example.

WHY?  who really gains from the election results?  The 1% must have gained something because they donated a lot of money for the result.  Surely the other 99% must realize it wasn't much to their benefit.  All of us are guilty of not making enough time and energy to study the issues and to vote our conscience.  The politicians have used their resources to take advantage of us.

I don't mean that one party has all the answers, but we need to examine which one is going in the direction we need.  What needs to change to go in that direction?  Campaign finance, fair voting districts, fairer voting regulations and perhaps most of all a mechanism for truth.  Democracy still seems like a great idea, but last night the American example is a bit tarnished.

Rani Mukerji, maturing actress

At first Rani seemed too sophisticated for my taste,  maybe too sophisticated for Bollywood.  One of the first movies that created this impression for me was "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" where she played the British educated daughter of a school principal coming back to India and winning the heart of Shah Rukh Khan.  They married, she died and the movie switched focus to Kajol in what is one my favourites.  In another movie seen shortly afterwards "Chalte Chalte" she again played a sophisticated woman who married down in class to Shah Rukh Khan and there was (verbal) fighting right through to the end of the movie including a break up and even their make up.

Still another sophisticated role, this time as a lawyer in Veer-Zaara who helped free Shah Rukh Khan to be with Preity Zinta in their old age.  I was catching on that Bollywood loves experimenting with different jodies.

One of her trademarks is her husky voice.  I would add her smile is very warming, but when she gets upset get out of the way!

In "Kabhi Alvida naa Kehna" she played a woman who just didn't love her husband (played by Abischek Bachchan), although he was a good and loving man.  Instead she fell for a married man, Shah Rukh Khan and suffered for it.  Lots of emotion.


She played a number of movies as either the leading lady or the jilted one and for the most part one could understand why the hero wanted her and were perplexed when someone else was preferred.  Typical Bollywood where women seem to have their lives revolve around the hero who is the real star.  Rani has taken on acting challenges. Perhaps the best one was in "Black"  where she played a deaf and blind woman and another good one was "Nobody Killed Jessica" where she played a foul mouthed journalist campaigning against an injustice.

She has won several acting awards most notably for "Black." She won jodie awards with Abhishek Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan, but to my mind was matched best with Shah Rukh Khan.  One of my favourites was in "Paheli"

One movie, "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic," is awkward because it should be child friendly but wasn't in a few scenes.  It contains two favourite song videos starring Rani.  In both she plays a sort of rebellious angel with music from my favourites, Shankar Ehsaan Loy.  Earlier she had played in two other roles with Saif--"Hum Tum" and "Ta ra Rum Pum."

In "Dil Bole Hadippa"  she played a tomboy fixated on cricket.  She masqueraded as a man and was able to perform at a high level, but of course romance intruded in the person of Shahid Kapoor.



In "Talaash" she played with Aamir Khan as a suffering wife who had lost a child.

"Mardaani" her most recent is an action movie with Rani providing the action.   The bad guy played by Tahir Raj Bhasin in his first role captured a lot of attention.  It was also a movie about sex trafficking which is a major problem in India.  She demonstrated there is more to acting than romance.

She married in 2014 to Aditya Chopra a prominent producer and screen writer.  In the past marriage sometimes ended or at least interrupted a movie career for an actress.  She would be very good in mature roles (including romantic) and hope she is willing to continue.  She has a good comic touch, has a wide range of emotions and yes can be sophisticated.

My Aunt Ruth

Two years ago my Uncle Cam died making a lot of us sad, but it also brought a lot of us together to remember.  This year his wife, my Aunt Ruth died.  I am just realizing a small measure of our loss.

Aunt Ruth was my mother's older sister by over 5 years.  She was a good sister.  My mother, Dorothy Davidson married first and had Ruth as her maid of honor.  A few years later when Ruth married I learned this past weekend that my mother was pregnant at the time (with me), but was the maid of honor.  When my mother was dying my Aunt left a vacation to be with my mother and was the only family member at her bedside when my mother actually died.

 

Growing up I didn't see my aunt very much as she married Cameron Stewart and his job took him wherever Ontario Hydro required him including Fraserdale up by James Bay, inaccessible by car.   Then several decades ago they moved to Cornwall which was still at least a four hour drive from where I lived.  My aunt, uncle and cousins could often be seen during Christmas and school breaks.

I have visited my aunt in Cornwall only a few times.  Once with my father and sister Pat when my dad bought a car that was picked up in Montreal when I was fairly young.  I recall a terrible smell that troubled my young nose, but disappeared on subsequent visits.  Once after visiting soon to be relatives in Watertown, New York I thought it would be a good time to introduce my new girl friend (now my wife) to my aunt and uncle.  I recall taking my cousin, Donna to Toronto on my way back home.  I attended Ruth and Cam's 40th wedding anniversary with my wife and two kids.  On another trip I remember visiting their sailboat dock in Long Sault, meeting some of their sailing friends around a camp fire.

I came to appreciate a family tradition I hadn't thought of.  Maybe it is more of a Coakwell or Stewart tradition.  My Aunt Ruth did a lot of sewing all through her life, creating and altering clothes.  Her husband Cam was involved in sewing.  All 3 daughters sew.  One interesting story was that once while living in Oshawa Ruth decided she wanted a dress for an evening event and went to Toronto to buy some fabric, brought it home and sewed a new dress that she wore the same evening.  My mother also was a sewer at a lesser scale so I suspect my Grandmother Coakwell had something to do with it.

Brenda told us that when she was very little her mother read the Book of Knowledge to her.  Reminded me that I got an early start with my mother also reading to me and like Brenda it opened up a whole new world.

My mother told me her sister Ruth was smart and I learned she had been at the top of her class in high school, but was advised to be a secretary.  She worked in General Motors for nine years and was forced to leave when she got married.  My aunt worked at the Board of Education in Cornwall for 18 years as a secretary.  She was commended for her skills and willingness to get things done.  She encouraged her daughters to get an education and be ambitious.  They all graduated from university and got jobs where they got challenging things done and were respected for it.

Both Ruth and Cam loved traveling and recall many talks about wintering in Spain. As Cam had served in the Canadian army during World War II they both visited Italy where part of my wife's family originated.  They also did a lot of camping at Bon Echo and Charleston Lake.

The main reason my aunt was the only family with my mother when she died was that myself, my father, my brother and my Uncle Cam amongst a few others were discussing how to keep the family together without my mother who was an anchor.  My Uncle Cam had a good suggestion that we get together at least once a year with a picnic.  In the end we attempted to adopt this and ironically one of the anchors for this was my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Cam from Cornwall to Oshawa.  We weren't aware that they celebrated their anniversary on the day we chose.  They never diverted attention from what we were trying to do.

They attended all our weddings and funerals which must have been inconvenient.  Keeping connected  can be difficult, but I think is worth the effort.

At funerals you meet relatives from far away.  I met my sister from Montreal, another sister from Cambridge and her husband and my brother from Brooklin.  I felt a little guilty, but it seemed natural to congregate at one table that was mostly Davidsons.  I met my cousins, their spouses, and children including some I had previously not really talked to very much.  Cornwall was a long drive for many of us and thinking I was a champion long distance driver turned out to be false as others had come from Sarnia, Brantford and Fort Erie. I had an interesting conversation with a friend of Donna, Louise who had worked with her for many years and now lives in Burlington.

One thing I owe my Aunt Ruth (and Uncle Cam) is they raised three wonderful daughters, my cousins, Brenda, Donna and Linda who have each formed their own families.  I am pleased and honoured in the official program to have been given the opportunity to speak at the service.  I learned a few things including about my mother that are precious to me.  I also saw a wonderful family giving love to a lot of people.

To read about my Uncle Cam click here: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/11/my-uncle-cam.html

To read about my mother, my Aunt Ruth's sister click here: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/05/remembering-my-mother.html

If you have any anecdotes about my Aunt Ruth, please feel free to share them with me.

Photos:  Top is of my Aunt Ruth.
At the Woodlawn Cemetery  in Cornwall where my Aunt was put to rest beside her husband.  Son in law Peter Cotton played the bagpipes.
Derek and Linda.
Brenda and Rebecca.
Donna and Louise looking at family photos.
Andrew, Deneen, Jill and Robert

CAPITAL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: EXPLAINS INEQUALITY

"Capital in the Twenty-first Century" by Thomas Piketty was in the news enough to get my attention.  It is not the sort of a book to read when you are tired or sipping wine.  It requires alertness to fully appreciate its value.  I was not able to devote my best attention to it, but feel it is truly monumental.  There has been some criticism, but most of it seemed very self serving by those who thought the status quo was very comfortable for them.  As I finished this book I watched "Inequality for All" that had a brief reference to Thomas Piketty and reinforced the material.

One of this book's advantages over other economic classics is that Piketty had access to much more information.  His focus was on inequality.  Piketty was able to detect patterns and of course exceptions that actually illustrate economic forces.  He believes before statistics were kept that capital income (such as land rents and investments) almost always grew faster than national economic growth.  The only exceptions occurred because of major events such as wars, revolutions and Depressions.  At some point inequality will incite rebellion.  Attitudes change, but history is too often forgotten.

He uses many equations that help you understand his argument.  One key one that any reader should understand simply means the rate of return on capital is greater than the rate of national growth.  Very seldom has that rule not been true and by itself helps explain how the rich constantly get richer. at the expense of common workers.

Slavery (i.e. treating some humans as capital) contributed a great deal of wealth to southern plantation owners.  The fact that it was dehumanizing was consciously overlooked.  The role of labour is too often diminished.

Europe before 1914 was more unequal than the United States, but they both reduced inequality as a result of the shocks between 1914-1945 and progressive taxation.  After the World War II equality actually increased, but by 1980 (when Reagan was elected) started to change to a more normal status.

Inheritance is a key factor in concentrating wealth.  Many start as entrepreneurs with smart thinking and hard work, but eventually they or their heirs become rentiers, i.e. using capital to generate the majority of their income.

Some politicians dismiss inequality discussions as just envy.  The people who deserve to enjoy the riches of life got there on merit and those others just weren't smart enough or worked hard enough.  Meritocracy is an ideal, but sadly the reality leaves much to be desired.  Many of us believe that theft, luck, timing all played key roles in many fortunes.  And what merit justifies the next generations living lives of luxury with little contribution to society?  Robert Reich in his film and many columns points out just how rich the rich are, something the masses are unaware of the extent.

One of Piketty's key recommendations is a Global annual progressive tax on capital, to be sure is more an idea.  Most people would not be required  to pay anything and the top rate would be something like 5%.  Requires a lot of global co-operation.  For a few decades nations have been competing to lower their rates and individuals and companies have been taking advantage.

Another contention from the author is that wealthy people should be helping to pay down the deficit by paying more taxes instead of enriching themselves by loaning money in the form of government bonds.




Piketty and Reich are not against capitalism or innovation or entrepreneurship.  We need incentives to encourage innovation, and hard work. Education has traditionally been the key to improving individuals as well as society, yet many rich people resent taxes going to improving schools or want to control what  and how it is taught.  Health care is another area where the rich begrudge the poor getting "free" care.  Much infrastructure seems unnecessary unless profit can be made directly.  Ironically many things that benefit most people also benefit those with more money.

I believe Piketty's work deserves more consideration. Reich makes too much sense for the main stream media.  Their messages are not endorsed by the 1%, but are critical to understand if civilization is to survive.

MID TERM ELECTIONS ARE IMPORTANT. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

The choice is clear and the stakes are high.  Some powers are intent upon imposing obstacles between some American citizens and the ballot box.  But for some, voting is not worth the effort.  Fear and greed are the two most powerful weapons against rational thinking and that is another obstacle in the way of setting the American government on a better course..

Representing the interests of the 1% you have those who mock scientists, are dead set against health insurance coverage for the masses, .  You can argue that the other side don't do much to help the common man, but you would be overlooking they are handicapped.  It is also true that nobody gets elected without a lot of financial support that in fact ties their hands a bit.  Politics should not be a horse race, but rather a forum of ideas.

Barack Obama has his hands tied by Congress and his own obligations to those who finance him.  What is a voter to do?  Don't trust those who blame him for the problems.  Obama has offered solutions for the benefit of the common man and tried to surround himself with people who can help boost the country, but he is pretty well stymied.  Still the facts support he has done a good job and the attacks on him are mostly unworthy.

Affordable Health Care (socialized medicine if you prefer) has been an idea accepted by most of the developed world who have discovered that it is more cost effective than most of the alternatives.  Obama selected a plan that originally had been developed by Republicans and works within a market system.  It had been tried in Massachusetts with no major problems and many benefits ironically under a Republican governor who again ironically renounced  it while currying favour with Republican power brokers.  Since its partial implementation has proved itself capable of saving money as well as boosting health.  Republicans still rant against it, but their logic should not be accepted.

Foreign policy is always a delicate affair.  At one time a super power could impose its views on any dissenters.  Armament manufacturers do provide jobs and wealth and have pressured government leaders to use weapons to protect their interests.  The world is a complicated place with countless points of view and somehow we need to learn how to get along to solve global problems that can do us all in.  The Republicans took advantage of 9/11 to invade a country not connected to the event.  They thought they could force foreigners to their will, but found taking sides and deceiving people is not a good plan.  It is far better to take the time to understand the situation than to jump in.  Obama has been more cautious and long term in his thinking.

Immigration is another dicey problem.  Many businesses and individuals see it has a chance to get cheap labour.  Others feel their jobs threatened.    Still others distrust strangers with different cultural values.  The Republican rhetoric concentrates on sealing the border.  Their tough stance indicates that they think they can use this as a wedge issue where prejudice and fear make people irrational.  At the same time businesses like to have cheap labor and see immigrants as another way to minimize worker choice.  America has been made great by immigration and there is every reason to think they will actually benefit from future immigration.  There will have to be tough decisions, but they should not be based on prejudice and exploitation.  Obama seems to be more understanding.

Climate change is laughed at by Republicans who claim it has not been proved.  There has been an overwhelming conclusion by the global scientific community that this is the major problem in the world.  (I would just add aggravated by overpopulation).  Republicans have fossil fuel money and religious conservatives demanding the rejection of any plan to deal with the future disaster.  This alone is grounds for voting for an alternative to the Republicans

Inequality concerns are brushed off as envy.  Most Americans are unaware of just how much the 1% controls in their country.  Republicans claim the wealthy are job creators, but that overlooks outsourcing, union bashing and other practices.  The true job creators are consumers, but the bulk of Americans have less money and job security than in the past.

The Republicans are obstructionists.  What does that mean?  Instead of compromising and working together they vote against Democratic proposals on principle.  There may well be legitimate principles, but if they really want to serve their constituents they should be working to create laws that work.  There is a lot of money that could help fix the deficit and get Americans working, but the Republicans are far more interested in protecting their rich supporters.

The Presidential election stirs a lot of attention, however too many voters underestimate the importance of mid term elections.  The President certainly has a lot of power, but cannot accomplish what he promised without Congress.  At the moment the American Congress is very obstructive and ignoring the common man in favour of their rich donators.

Campaign financing has come to distort the discussion platform and if anything most Republicans would tilt it even further.  Corporations are not people, but are allowed to influence the outcome. At bottom campaign finance laws should be altered to limit the influence of money.

It is true that a lot is stacked against a single voter.  Those who have the most to gain by a Democratic victory seem to have the most hoops to jump through.  Those who are wishy washy will be bombarded with a lot of distortions.  Gerrymandering means single votes might have very little impact.  Even though the rules allow a party to dominate with fewer total votes the party with most votes does gain some moral leverage. Single votes do add up so make sure your vote is part of the equation.  You can be sure many others with different priorities will make it to the voting booth.

The Rural Urban Divide: Do you lock your doors?

The Royal Winter Fair in Toronto used to boast that this is when and where the city meets the country.  It is a good thing such opportunities still exist as many city dwellers have lost their connections to the land where most of our ancestors spent most of their time.  There is a feeling of superiority that each faction has towards the other, but too often misunderstanding hurts both.

Michael Ignatieff pointed out in a previous blog that he ultimately identified the rural urban divide as one of the most critical in Canada.  You can look at both Canada and the United States (really most other countries) and see similar patterns.  With increasing urbanization are we losing anything?  Read about Michael's view and more references to Haliburton:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/04/fire-and-ashes-by-michael-ignatieff.html

Most of my life has been lived in cities, mostly mid-sized, but my last two years of high school were spent in Haliburton, Ontario a touristy rural area.   I resented my parents for dragging me away from city life.  My city friends would sometimes complain about boredom, but they didn't realize the options they had that I didn't.  I went to the University of Guelph, primarily because I liked their semester system, but as it also included a major agricultural college I met a lot of "country hicks," only I learned they weren't "hicks."  Finally I got a city job and eventually ended up as a traveling salesman where I enjoyed working in small towns and rural areas. 

Paragraph added Apr 26/16: Some of the differences were one movie theatre with movies that had been shown in bigger cities several years before; a Junior D hockey team that became a Saturday nite habit,  a library that could easily fit inside a mid sized trailer; everybody seemed to know about everybody:

As a bit of a punk when living in Haliburton my brother Marshall and I used to watch the cottagers driving back home and thinking how ignorant they were.  To some degree this juvenile attitude was picked up from our peers.  We didn't appreciate that the cottagers did get a lot of enjoyment from the country and they did contribute significantly to our welfare. We knew we were different and of course there had to be some superiority that came with it.  Perhaps we were defensive.

What are city kids unaware of?  Food originally is not packaged.  Concrete and asphalt don't cover everything.   Of course today more and more kids rural and urban spend their time indoors, though I suspect rural kids still spend a little more outdoors.

A really peculiar phenomenon was friendships.  In the city I mostly had friends my own age and interests.  In Haliburton it was often the case that those my own age with reasonably similar interests might live a long way away.  I had never had to go on a school bus  (except school trips) and fortunately lived just one mile away from high school and walked it.  Most of my classmates came from different directions much further away and our friendships were mostly at school.  I found myself friends with those along my walk to school of different ages and interests as well as a few that walked from the opposite direction.  In cities it seems you can be choosier about who you hang out with, but maybe you don't appreciate that others are actually human too.

Coming from a city it was natural to lock our house and car doors, but learned our new neighbors didn't feel the need.  After awhile it seemed natural to forget about locking.  At the local high school dances you could find young couples "making out" not necessarily in their own cars.  As there are not as many street lights you get used to being outdoors in the dark.  This became unconscious for me, but was brought home by my city bred girl friend, now my wife who was alarmed when I casually walked outdoors at night.

Guns, at least in the country are normal for hunting. Most of my fellow students came from families where hunting was a very big deal.  Lots of businesses would shut down during hunting season.  You could feel excitement.  I was too far citified to understand, but couldn't miss observing (and keeping my mouth shut about it).

My brother Marshall and I noticed a preference for country music which at first struck us as being in a backward foreign country.  After awhile you gradually notice a few country songs that sound ok and then perhaps a few that hit home.  These days country music has infiltrated city areas and vice versa.

I got my driver's license at age 18 in Haliburton where the high school provided driver education.  I got used to driving the curvy hilly roads, but dreaded driving on four lane highways and city streets.  I did get used to city driving and learned that many city drivers were very nervous about driving on rural roads.  Many years later I found myself driving on similar roads that I used to enjoy in Haliburton, but this time in rural Nova Scotia near Windsor,  the home of Thomas Haliburton whose name was borrowed for the Ontario county and town I learned to drive in.

Many parents, likely my own, thought that moving to the country would avoid many of the problems associated with the city.  Drugs perhaps the biggest concern.  I avoided them in the city and was able to avoid them in the country.  Alcohol was very normal in both.  There were fights, but not common.

Today we live in a wired world and no one is far from the advantages offered by cities.  On the teaching staff at the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School were staff that some probably couldn't get a job in a city, but others who were very happy to live in the country.  I didn't quite make the cut for the Oshawa high school basketball team, but was surprised to see the coach switch to one of my Haliburton rivals in Lakefield.

My youngest sister, Jennifer was the only one born in Haliburton and her birth was one of the few times I visited the local hospital.  It filled its basic function, but was not much like what I had visited in Oshawa and more recently in bigger cities.  My father probably died unnecessarily because he wasn't diagnosed quickly enough in a small town hospital (not Haliburton).  Eventually he was taken to Kingston where university affiliated doctors figured out his problem, but too late.  This has squelched a former romantic notion of retiring to the country, but not the idea of it being a great place to breathe and enjoy life.  I am aware that modern technology is closing the gap between large cities and smaller centres where some serious surgical operations have been performed remotely.

The Canadian middle class dream of owning a home has driven many people to buy property miles from their job and commuting.  This often means living in a small town or even rural property.  For some this is an adjustment and many come to appreciate the benefits of living where you are more likely to know your neighbors and get some relief from city pollution.  As urbanization increases  and the population grows, commutes are getting longer in time even more than distance.  It is easy to foresee that in the future only the well off or those that can eke out a living nearby will spend much time in the country.  Others of us are becoming conscious of our short term greed hurting the environment.  In the future I see more  people will be living in high rises and taking public transportation to work.

City life suits me.  I am able to walk downtown, to the library, to a very pleasant lakefront park and have many entertainment choices.  Within a short drive I have many shopping options.  I still miss the country.  I am no longer able to justify making sales calls in the country, though I do talk to lots of country dwellers on the phone and I will be at the Royal again this year to soak in some of the country atmosphere.

In one of my high school classes a teacher asked us how many expected to live in Haliburton after graduation.  Only two held up their hands and both had fathers who owned local businesses.  My father did own a trucking business, but I wanted nothing to do with it.  For most of us the jobs are in the cities and so are a lot of other attractions.

Politically rural areas tend to be more conservative than cities and the deciding issues could be different.  Each group feels their priorities prove their superiority.  It would be helpful if they understood one another better.

There still is a big difference between country and city living, but each have their advantages.  As time goes by the two nations are merging and both becoming more diversified.  I would close by saying we are losing something as we seem to be losing a little more of the country each day. 

An earlier blog in a strange way illuminates some crucial differences between urban and rural thinking when it comes to animals.  Rural people have a closer connection to animals that produce food and are used for work.  City people tend to get more attached to their pets.  I learned about this when selling tooth brushes for dogs.  The blog post has deeper implications for the rural urban divide.  Read more here:    http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/06/rural-and-urban-contrasts-towards-pets.html