I remember when I was nineteen years old I read Ishmael, a little fictional tale about a man and a silver-back gorilla that fundamentally and irrevocably changed the way I would view the world and mankind's place in it. I recall a feeling in my heart and mind, simultaneously heavy and light at the same time - a paradox of shifting paradigms trying to find their place in my persona. (Try saying THAT ten times fast!) I felt on top of the world for the possibilities of wonder that were whizzing around inside my newly minted mind whilst suffers unimaginable lows as I discovered time and time again through conversation trial and error that really, ultimately, nobody else gave two shits. I was beside myself with inspiration and stressed to anxiety by the future global apathy as I was surely doomed to endure.

     That was 16 years ago, and while the global exchange of information has certainly made it far easier to explore in the ideas and passions of my earlier years and ally myself with like-minded passionate individuals from every corner of the globe, I've come to find that local is the truest desire of my growing heart and mind. Yet while I have changed and slowed the brow-beating fervor of my former younger self into a more focused and experienced perspective on such matters, I still find the waters around me to be tepid to the touch where local passion meets local purpose. Through my free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Evening Post, I have the incredible opportunity to explore, learn and discover the tales of amazing local men and women with unimaginable depths of passion seemingly ready at the call yet while there's a slight flutter of activity when the stories are published,  it's not enough. It's not nearly enough.

     Maybe my fire burns too hot and my expectations continue to be unattainable but I believe in with cell in my body that we are capable of a deeper and richer community. I'm convinced that you and I can collaborate and work together to build it - one new brick at a time. I wholeheartedly feel that without you none of my own dreams are possible. I'll do whatever it takes to bring more greatness and to share more inspiring tales and insightful information to your eyes and ears for as long as I can - but I need your help.

Here is where passion meets it's purpoose; uniting those around you and fueling the great abilities of one another with a supportive network of positive possibilities. It's not just sharing that shows caring, it's lending your voice to the conversation that matters most.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you as we work toward a greater Victoria.

    Many of you may not know this side of me but an enormous part of my experience on this earth has been in the pursuit of those particular dreams and filled with those particular experiences. You might not see that it's relevant to the focus of my current passion to help small business owners in Greater Victoria to get personal, get creative and get involved in the Social Revolution but I assure you that it is. Having a transparent agenda means giving every aspect of your being an equally important role in the presentation of the story you share with the outside world.

    I'm a whole person made of a seemingly infinite scope of distinct parts and I believe in the collective good that comes from sharing the intimate with the public; the triumphs along with the tribulations; for each one shows the world who we really are. If ever there was a time when I've felt the "bittersweet" aspect of life, it was today. I don't regret it advance or celebrate its passing, but instead pay homage to a chapter in my life that has led me down a labyrinth of doorways and thresholds; a gauntlet of personal and professional choices that have led me to this juncture where I stand today, poised to demonstrate myself as leader in this city and a creative enabler to those in need of a spark.

    Here is where my philosophy might well veer slightly outside the current comfort zone yours; the traditional mantra of economics dictates that all adherents religiously avow to keep the two dimensions of themselves - what they do for a living and the life they live - mutually exclusive from one another. In my own very strong opinion, the mandate of our individual and collective well-being requires that the opposite occur- that such destructive thinking is so fundamentally opposed to the social nature in which our kind has evolved that I challenge anyone of sound mind and reasonable process to rationally explain why such a false guard must be so vehemently maintained. Blame it on the #Gatekeepers.

A Toast To Change

    It's hard to say goodbye to certain dreams you've carried so close to your heart. It's okay to admit you're grieving a loss and adjusting to change - even when it's a choice you consciously made for yourself. Signing off from the music channel today for me was one of those moments and it affected me much more profoundly than I imagined it would when I composed that blog post earlier this morning.

    There's absolutely no shame in showing your true colours - in fact, I feel that quite the opposite is true. Being transparent doesn't mean denouncing privacy for oneself any more than it entails showing up at work stark naked. All it requires is that we permit the truth of our individual intent and aspirations to rise to the surface, owning our mistakes and embracing our successes.

    After all, in a world so desperately in need of accountability and responsibility, what else is this fantastic global Social Revolution trying to communicate to us about ourselves if not to explore the possibility of a cultural landscape of earning and maintaining both trust and respect?

Thoughts on this post? I'd love to hear from you.

    I've loved music my entire life and been dreaming of becoming a bona fide rock star since I was very young. There are pictures of me in my diaper strumming a potato masher alongside others of me plodding away in my room as an awkward teenager channeling the fears and anxieties of high-school life into song. I've written with gifted talents (Heavy Sun, The Next T-Shirt, Black Hat Villain, Adam Sutherland), shared the stage with other incredible artists and belted my personal power in front of countless audiences. I've also strutted my stuff at The Commodore Ballroom. Twice.

     I've written hundreds of songs who have become dear old friends and allies to me along this path and created a unique album experience unlike anything else anyone has ever seen. I've been old school. I've been new school. I've been sensitive and I've been brash and cocky. I've been folksy and I've been rock & roll, baby. I've screamed to the heavens and shook the bars of the cage that surround me. I've said hello to you and been touched by your reply and now, my dearest friends and fans, I'm saying goodbye.

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