Determined to London

Odd title I know. However, this signals a new intention to be absolutely 100 percent satisfied and happy with my decision to relocate my life back to London Ontario and to make the most of my move and to help, if possible, better develop the most of my chosen City.

As I've previously written, I was born and raised here in London. My parents came here from England in the mid-60's. I was born in '71. We lived in Berkshire Village from the time I was born until I was 13, when we moved to Rington Crescent which sits delightfully under the glowing cross of the London Gospel Temple on Commissioners road west of Wharnecliffe. I attended Woodland Heights, one of 6 students to go all the way from K-8 at that school. I then went to Westminster, home of the Wildcats and one of the best (at the time) hockey schools in London - not a great esteem builder for someone who never played hockey and preferred basketball, but oh well, we won City Champs the year I was in Grade 13 (the first time.)

When I was 27, I got married and moved to Toronto. I was just happy to be with my ex-wife and to follow her there. It was good for me, though perhaps not a path I would have chosen for myself. Who knows?

I loved my life at Western. That's perhaps why I took two years off in the midst, while remaining a dedicated volunteer at the Campus Radio Station CHRW. I quite enjoyed the London music/punk/skate scene even if I was only an observer and commentator rather than a full-fledged participant (since I have the balance of, well, something with no balance.)

I took political science which has always been a natural interest of mine and something I've taken to quite intuitively. I think I either have a pretty large chip on my shoulder, a very sensitive bullshit detector and sense of fairness or a combination of all three. I am interested in economics and politics and where the two collide. My maternal grandfather probably has something to do with this inclination. He was a letter-writer and rabble-rouser, a mechanical engineer who joined the Union while at his firm in England (Douty-Rotol, Division of Rolls Royce and manufacturer of Spitfire Engines!) I recall attending NDP functions when I was young, seeing Bob Rae play piano at the Western Fairgrounds and campaigning door-to-door for David Winninger's election.

In High School I rather enjoyed the study of Social Sciences and the Arts (as well as the informal unmarked study of the rise of Nike, Air Jordans and girl-watching/swooning/crushing - if you were in High School with me, I no doubt had a crush on you for at least a week.) I shunned the sciences and maths even though I excelled in Accounting and kept the books for my Father's business. The life of an accountant didn't appeal to me though. Debits, Credits and depreciating Assets just didn't set my heart aflutter.

I'm also not a politician. Many have asked if I would run for office to which I normally reply "What kind of an asshole do you take me for?" While that is glib, it does tell you that I have no desire to seek the approval of people I don't know and am a bit too honest in saying that I don't have all the answers. I think someone who pretends to have all the answers, or even the lion's share of them, holds a lack of understanding about the study of politics, economics and law. There cannot by nature be absolutes. And absolutes are unfortunately, what most voters look for today. Nothing is worse than the flip-flopper, even if that's what is required most often to find pragmatic solutions.

I also have become quite agnostic and think that most people engaged in a deeper study of politics and economics, who puts thought rather than ego into the study, cannot help but become this way. Just like the study of religion, hence the use of the term agnostic, one can never know the answers to the big questions in absolute. For instance, Is Cuban communism bad? While one might rebuke the lack of freedom one might also wonder how successful any economy might be that relies solely on sugar cane, cigars and tourism. Does Honduras have universal Health Care?

And so, my wandering continues but I am thrilled to be able to do it. It is a luxury of our economy that today I can sit in bed while my mother goes to the hospital (with dad) for her meetings with Oncologists and I remain, unemployed. I am blessed indeed, even if I don't have a 'job' - though perhaps I'm just not meant to be a worker in the sense that today's global economy might require me to be. Things are changing in our world. Perhaps 30 years ago I would have chosen to pursue the path of journalism, but that world is shrinking and changing, the revenue model of the big paper broken.

So that is why I am simply determined to London. Maybe I'll go back to School and seek massive debt to enable that in hopes that some truer revenue model magically appears on the other side of more serious study than my 3 hazy years at the ages of 21-27. I can say, my last sets of marks were markedly better than my first sets, prior to my time off. Now with maturity, life experience and a host more knowledge and determination, enjoyment of reading to a greater degree, it might be quite enjoyable to delve deeper questions on my quest to be published.

I will gradually become more involved in the local political scene. I am looking forward to attending some up-coming events and public consultations. London has too much at stake to allow the dim-witted City Hall types to simply keep this car on cruise control. There are some who seem to get the challenges we face - the Killer B's as they're called and some of the City's staff. But it seems to me this town needs some serious questions answered.

Why are Big Boxes, Power Centers and House Farms being built on the edge of town while there's an apparent need to create good local employment and to be more inclusive to newcomers. Is London bound and determined to be a City of haves and have-nots, of a monoculture and lack of a creative economy? We shall see. These are the questions that interest me. How does public transit work in a City where apartment buildings are located in the middle of farmer's fields instead of on the edge of major roads, close to the public transit it uses?

One idea I am batting around at the moment is whether or not my next path lies in the development of a group that supports London-owned, independent business. Known as a BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) such an endeavour would be a non-profit organization aimed at promoting all things local, from arts to small business to other non-profits. Think Local campaigns are being waged as part of the growing resistance to what many people see as the unfair tipping of scales towards the few ultra-rich globalizing forces. So far the response from those I've met in local business has been luke-warm, leading me to wonder if the Londonness of London is too much to overcome.

Perhaps 11 percent unemployment isn't a loud enough siren for people to understand that as it currently stands, our systems of Finance and local Economic Development, particularly in a City like London, are broken. Perhaps people want a beggar-thy-neighbour local economy where homeless people stand with cardboard signs begging for spare change? I doubt it and the significant contributions to local charities tells me that's not the case. Perhaps people aren't connecting the dots - between the house farms, the Mega-Stores and the high unemployment and working-poor? Guess I'll have to ask first to find out.

One thing I'm sure of. When the Mayor of London says "We need to do more to attract business to London" people should be very worried, grab their wallets and look out for new billboards and ribbon cuttings. This kind of short-sighted, jobs at any cost mentality has caused us to find ourselves where we currently are - talent leaves town, local farms sell to developers, people sit in their TV rooms wondering why crime is growing and Transit fares and Property Taxes are increasing.

Sounds like a challenge for a contrarian!