Grumpy Butt

Posted on by theone

Has anyone else been concerned at the growing trend of wellness here in Toronto? It’s like everywhere I turn there are fancy shops that all seen to smell that same promoting wellness or whatever that is. Yesterday I was walking through Eaton Center and happened to walk by Lush and got an immediate headache. Following Lush was some sort wellness shop Saje maybe?? And while it was a relief from the literally assault on the sense that is Lush, it smelled like any other wellness shop that you would happen to pass by.

This does not smell like teen spirit.

My theory is that, here in the west we have so much. So much money, so much food, so much access to health and wealth that companies need to create something else to give us that exclusivity feeling we all crave. Especially here in Canada where if you are born here or have PR, you get free healthcare for life. Can you believe it? We evolve from the African savannah dying in droves from all sorts of ailments to free access to high quality healthcare. It’s incredible.

But I think part of our human condition is that we always want more… we need more. We have to get better, to optimize our lives, become more productive, etc. And nowadays it’s so trendy to do selfcare. and so, overconsumption has now infiltrated our perceived need to somehow make our lives better.

And so, while I’m a big grumpy butt there’s one aspect in life where I believe I am a hypocrite. That’s in the arena of birth and postpartum. For all our advances here in Canada I think that we treat the creation of another human much more poorly than other cultures. Maybe it’s in part to our isolation. Here, we all have our own homes, and intergenerational living really has been falling by the wayside. When I was studying in Morocco my Arabic teacher lived in a building with her in-laws and her brother-in-law’s family. They all had their own individual flats, but it was a family home. Even more interesting was the fact that since it was a concrete building, they could easily add another floor once her kids needed a home.

I think her family’s take on intergenerational housing would solve a myriad of difficulties after you have had a baby. Birth is a marathon and postpartum can be brutal especially if you decide to nurse. Lactation is no joke, and it takes an incredible amount of hormones, calories, and effort to establish a good nursing routine. Only in this context do I think having a wellness coach, or a postpartum doula to be helpful. They can be a guide for first time parents when so many of us have literally no idea what to do when we bring home our new creation.

So I will step off my grumpy soapbox and stop railing against the wellness industry. There’s much more important things going on today! It’s the final day of the federal election, fingers crossed for a Liberal win!

Growing up

Posted on by theone

90s music is the best music. Come at me boomer! You too Gen Z. I’ve evolved into an old grumpy soul and I feel strongly that 90s punk and grunge is the epitome of guts and glory.

I can remember walking along the Beaches as a teenager, prancing into the sunset like I owned the world. This was before the Beaches became super popular place to live. Nowadays it’s vibe is completely changed with NIMBYs around every corner. Which is ridiculous because my neighborhood really only consisted of blue-collar workers withing the past twenty years. My parents were public servant and teachers. We were not well off by any means be we could afford a semidetached home close to Woodbine. And with the Queen St streetcar we had easy access to the city while being separate from it.

My favourite place has always been between Kew Gardens and Balmy Beach Park. Mainly because down at this end the vibe changes a bit and becomes a bit chiller. You can also get really awesome views of downtown if you go out on one of the rock piles. You can just sit there and take it all in while listening to Lake Ontario lapping at the shore.

I’ve spent so much of my time here over the years. If you are a 90s kid, do you remember when our parents told us to go play outside? Now that would not happen, but nothing made me happier than leaving the house with my Walkman and strolling along jamming out to some Green Day. And you know what? I’m going to get a lot of hate for saying this but I guarantee you that you also have some of there music on your phone, but can I get some love for Nickelback?

Shut up, they are awesome. I don’t care if you feel funny listening to them because it’s unpopular to like them. Who here hasn’t jammed to “Deep” or “Dirty Laundry”. Don’t be shy, non judgement here.  

Teenage angst turned into 20-something audacity and I long for that feeling of walking along the boardwalk just feelin it, long before adult responsibility knocked me down. Or cruising around on my bike on the Waterfront Trail and the Martin Goodman Trail. You could go from the Beaches to the CNE without setting foot on the road. It was bliss baby.  

 What I would do to be my 20-something old self again.