the death of jack layton

this is a weird week.

i am officially home from work. yet, i still have to go in to work.

i am tapering for ironman. yet,  i am also playing at home dad. which is cool.

my big day is only five days away...

the weather has changed. it is cool. a huge storm hit last night and wiped out our power for 6 hours. there was a tornado just north of toronto that destroyed a small town. 

 and...today i found out that the jack layton died. for those of you who are not from canada, jack layton was the leader of canada's most socialist political party, and someone who was just always there as the voice that called everyone else out on their bullshit and who was genuinely there to represent the average working joe, who could not articulate what jack could. i can't believe he is gone. and so young. 61 years old. i, for one, took his existence for granted and now he is no longer in existence, at least in this world.

i was reflecting on the fact that jack spent the last year of his life leading the NDP party's most successful federal election ever. he was a fighter, to the end.  i am sure he knew that his health situation was serious. there were alot of other things he could have done with his time. he chose to do that which moved him most. and he lived out a dream. the best ever results in the polls for his party, his cause. he spent the final year of his life devoted to increasing the profile and power of a party that stood no chance to win the election. he, in essence, spent the final year of his life, fighting a losing battle, in more ways than one, ...but i don't think anyone would ever say he lost.

i am inspired by his life, just as i am saddened by his death. and i realize that i never really appreciated his existence enough while he was here.

as much as i hate myself for finding personal meaning in someone else's death, what options are there? what is the appropriate thing to do/not do, write/not write?, think/not think?

it makes me more aware than ever, how short our time on this earth can be, and how important it is to fight for what moves you, to pursue your dreams and to be yourself and to never let anyone else tell you when, how, where or why or what,  you can, cannot, should or should not do or what should matter to you.