Two Years!

There was that time in Scotland when I was eleven. You and Aunt Cathy were trying to get something from a high shelf. You weren’t having much luck, you laughed your butts off the whole time, stumbling and feigning falls. Your bright idea was to have me climb on your back and stand up to reach what you needed. We laughed so hard that I... fell to the floor. We howled with laughter. Every time you laughed, mom, everyone laughed. It was infectious.

It was a hearty, from your core kind of laugh. It always brought tears to your eyes. You cried laughing. "The best way to shed tears," you'd said.

They say laughter is the best medicine, but unfortunately it isn't a cure.

You died two years ago, mom. Two years! I miss you so much. I will always remember your laugh. The memory of it warms me. It lets me know that you’re never far away.

Miss ya ma. Safe journey.

That Went Well...

I wanted to thank everyone who participated in the Photo Flash Fiction last month. It was awesome and I was blown away by the stories. That was a lot of fun. I may have to do it again.

In case you were wondering, everyone who participated got an ebook. I just couldn't bring myself to exclude anyone since all of the stories were so great. Thanks so much.

Oh, and it looks like they've started to clean up the mess.

Obedient She's Not...

Roxy is our one year old Shepherd we rescued from the Burlington Humane Society. Here's a video to show off what she's learned from successfully completing two obedience courses. She may not be the most obedient dog in the world, but she sure is the prettiest.

Depression: Time To Come Clean

The celebrity dam is likely to break when it comes to revealing what has been a disorder of shame - depression. When stars like David Letterman and Clara Hughes come forward and openly talk of depression, other celebrities are likely to jump on board or off it, as the case may be, sharing stories of their strife. As a person who has suffered with depression for half my life, I hope dozens of stars come out to shine a bright light on this mysterious ailment.

I certainly don’t want anyone thinking that I don’t appreciate the efforts of the famous to come clean. On the contrary, I know how difficult it is to admit that one experiences depression. What I worry about is that celebs will start using this as their excuse d’jour. Oh, did you hear, after telling the world to suck it and flipping off the press and dropping trow in public, (insert star’s name here) admitted it was because of depression. That would just be insulting to those truly battling the condition.

This guy looks how I feel when I'm depressed.

Other than folks believing that since I’m depressed I must be a prime candidate for suicide, the real reason I rarely speak of my affliction is embarrassment. It’s likely the reason many people avoid full disclosure. There is a stigma one faces since most people are ignorant about depression. For the record, I don’t run around the streets in my underwear howling at the moon or my neighbours. I rarely throw anything against the wall and it’s even rarer that whatever I did throw has broken; usually I throw things when watching Leafs’ games so, you know the source of much of my depression. What I’m trying to say is that I’m as normal as the next guy or gal with just a few minor difficulties with which to cope.

Symptoms Checklist

It is not easy to admit that one has a ‘mental disorder’. I hate that term. According to DepressionHurts.ca, depression is a serious medical condition with a variety of emotional, cognitive, physical and behavioural symptoms. Still makes me sound like I’m, well, crazy. I have to admit that sometimes I feel that way. I feel most frustrated when I know I’m depressed but can’t do a damned thing about it – like right now. No, Virginia, there is no switch I can flip to end my depression. The veritable cry of ‘snap out of it’ is useless to a depressive. I don’t think of depression as a disease or something that’s curable. I believe that depression is a condition one must always manage.

Please go to DepressionHurts.ca for a lot of great information to either help yourself or someone else. I may not agree with everything on this site, but it is a great place to start.

If you even have an iota of suspicion that you suffer from depression I urge you to seek help. The best help you’ll find is by talking with your physician. They can guide you through steps to help you battle depression. Doctors are likely to prescribe medication to help in your fight. There are many different anti-depressants available so, come clean with your physician about everything so you get the right match.

I find it difficult to go the drug route. I’ve been on two separate anti-depressants, both of which totally screwed with my sleeping patterns, and worse, gave me night terrors. I believe that the more creative the person, the more horrible the night terrors they experience. Not to toot my horn (which I really hate doing) but I think I’m a pretty creative guy – read my book Afterlife and I think you’ll agree. I won’t describe any of the images I saw during my terrored slumbers – suffice to say, I’m finding it difficult to want to try a third anti-depressant. Don’t let my experience stop you. There really is only one way to find out if medication is going to work for you and that is to take it under your doctor’s supervision.

Meds often help you ‘fake it until you make it’. For those reading this who’ve suffered with depression, you’re likely very familiar with that term. My wife and I entertained guests last weekend and they were likely thinking, how the hell can he say he’s depressed. He looks and sounds fine. But, if only they’d been a fly on the wall before and after their visit. The energy it takes to ‘fake it’ is exhausting. I likened it to having run a marathon while getting kicked every so often.

Going to bed or, once you’ve actually gotten some sleep, getting out of bed, can be very difficult. I’ve spent nearly forty-eight hours awake and never more than six hours asleep during my current bout of depression. You’d think that would be awesome for a writer, having all that time, especially in the dead of night, to write. One problem with that is the symptom of depression that hurts me, and likely many others, the most - a total lack of interest in what you are usually most passionate about. So, when my depression has ebbed and I sit in front of a blank screen, I see that as a wonderful opportunity. Depressed, I could care less about writing. You’d have to know me to understand just how horrific that statement is. I love writing. I must write. It feeds my soul. Unless I’m depressed and then I just don’t care. Hell, I don’t really care about much in a depressive state.

I think I speak for all those depressives out there when I ask that those closest to us please, please have patience. Telling us to snap out of it is a joke. Cheer up. Think positively. Really? We never would have thought of that. We know you’re trying to help but the best thing you can do is listen. Listen to your spouse or loved one, your friend or neighbour or coworker. Recognize that they are finding it difficult to talk to you about their condition and be sensitive to that. Allow them to lead the conversation. Ask questions, don’t point fingers.

My wife is the best person I know and she handles my depression so beautifully that I feel better just knowing that. She celebrates the little strides I’ve taken knowing they’ll snowball into larger gains. This piece is one such accomplishment. I actually smiled after writing this, not so much as a pat on the back for good work, but for just writing it. Another big accomplishment, I forced myself to eat lunch. Trust me, these are huge gains for me.

Where so few people knew of my depression, now, I’ve put it out there for all to see. I sure as hell didn’t do this for your pity. I hope you learned something and that you’ll continue to search for information about depression. The statistics regarding depression are staggering. 1 in 10 people in Canada will experience depression in their lifetime. It’s time to end the silence and talk about it.

Step one, talk to your doctor.

Step two – well, that’s up to you.

There is no shame.

Photo Flash Fiction

The one thing all writers have in common is that they love to write. I hope you'll get inspired by this photograph and write a flash fiction piece about it. This truly is about participation. I know there are a lot of you writers out there and I'm curious to see just what you'll do with this photo. It's all up to you. Simply post your story as a comment. Only rule is length; nothing over 250 words and no, I won't be checking the word counts, you're on your honour.

This photo will be up forever and writers are free to add their flash fiction to it at any time. However, at the end of February 2011, I'll draw three names from all who've participated, and they'll receive ebook copies of my books Endo and Afterlife.

Please tell your friends about this and let's see how diverse these stories will be. The more the merrier.

Thanks and have fun.
Ian

Shooting Captain Miller

Yo-Yo: An Old Dog With A Lot Of New Tricks

There are times in life when you can only find the solution to a problem by playing with a yo-yo. I’ve been a writer for a long time and early in my career worked at a fairly progressive ad agency. I was thrilled that when faced with a creative problem I was able to step outside of my office and do a few yo-yo tricks to get my brain working in the right direction. Some say that Napoleon, too, was a yo-yo enthusiast and would often relieve stress by throwing a yo-yo. Setting aside speculation, the yo-yo was first uncovered in history in 500 B.C. Greece.

The ancient form of yo-yos were produced using wood, metal or painted terra cotta discs simply referred to as discs. An example is on display in the National Museum of Athens in Greece along with a vase depicting a young boy playing with a yo-yo. The toy’s history moves through Egypt, China, Britain and France among other nations. The toy was very popular in the early twentieth century in the Philippines and helped the yo-yo gain ground in the U.S.

An image from a French fashion journal in 1791 shows a woman playing with what was then known as a Bandalore.

In 1866, James L. Haven and Charles Hittrick of Cincinnati, Ohio were given the first patent for a yo-yo in the U.S. It was for a yo-yo ‘coupled together at their centres by means of a clutch’. This was the first but many more followed using great names for the toy such as Wheel Toy, Bandalore and Whirligig. A very popular yo-yo was manufactured in San Francisco in 1920s by a man named Flores. Yo-yo in Filipino means spring.

D.F. Duncan Sr. worked for Flores, marketing the yo-yo and eventually bought out Flores. In 1930, he started the Genuine Duncan Yo-Yo Company and trademarked the name ‘yo-yo’. There have been many companies in the yo-yo business over the years and they all benefited us as consumers because, lets face it, we get a better selection of yo-yos to play with and collect. It is an endearing, unflappable, stalwart in the toy world and has become collectible as well.

Popularity in Yo-yo collecting caused a spike in prices between ‘97 and ‘01

Where does one start collecting yo-yos and what should one collect? Like any collection, it comes down to finding what you enjoy. Collect what you love and you’ll never go wrong. There are a lot of variations to consider when tracking down yo-yos: manufacturers, old or new (pre and post 1970), material (plastic, wood, metal), design (butterfly, traditional, adjustable), colours, sizes…

The Grind Machine by YoYoFactory
A sleeping yo-yo that is designed to do long lasting tricks.

The Velocity by YoYoFactory

An adjustable yo-yo that allows you to adjust the width of the gap which allows a full range of tricks.

Toy collectors are well versed in the art of toy hunting so, finding older yo-yos isn’t really that tough but paying for them can be. Prices for pre-seventies yo-yos can run anywhere from under ten dollars to over five hundred. Always remember to keep a budget in mind for any collection. To help you manage those funds efficiently you’re going to want to keep an eye out for condition when picking up a yo-yo, especially older ones. The graphics on the yo-yo should be sharp and clean and the move vibrant the colours are the better the piece. Flaws hurt value so keep your eye out for chips and dents. Clean paint on wooden yo-yos is almost impossible and repaints are tough to spot but you can see the chip paint under most repaints. Make sure that the two halves are even and aren’t loose. If the yo-yo is stillpackaged, unopened, clean and bright are the best.

There are many brands of yo-yos still sought after by collectors today. Here are just a few:

Duncan

American Spinners

BC/What’s Next

Medalist

Royal

Tom Kuhn

Oxygene

Visit the Museum of Yo-yo History for a yo-yo directory (with photos). It’s a great resource.

Basic Yo-yo Styles

To collect and play!

I took a look at a few yo-yos from an online dealer here in Canada (YoYo-Canada), and as a long time yo-yo enthusiast jumped in and purchased a new, modern yo-yo. I really didn’t know what to expect and when my Grind Machine yo-yo arrived in two days I was ecstatic. It was unlike any yo-yo I’d owned or even played with and it proved that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

The Grind Machine in action

The newer yo-yos come in two categories; imperial with a more traditional shape and a butterfly or wing design. The imperial shape is good for looping tricks since it has a smaller gap which allows the string to catch more easily. A butterfly design is great for sleeping tricks. Yo-yos have advanced to a high state of play when you consider you can now buy string of differing materials depending on your preference. Add to that counterweights, off-string tricks and hub stacks and you have a world of possibilities to collect and to show off.

Basic Types of Yo-yo

The F.A.S.T. 201 Yo-yo put through its paces

One of the catches to the butterfly or sleeping yo-yo is that it is only designed to sleep so, that makes the traditional gravity pull impossible (palm up, throw yo-yo over the top down toward floor, turn hand over, pull, yo-yo returns). Like my Grind Machine, you must learn the bind return. It’s a way of getting a sleeping yo-yo to return and believe me, it takes practice.

The Gravity Pull

Binding Return

The yo-yo may not be as popular as it once was but it definitely has evolved into an amazing toy. Whether you reach back into your youth and search out some older yo-yo versions or look for the newest yo-yos, you just can’t lose with a toy that’s this much fun.

A Fun Yo-yo Fact:

The Primo:

Check out some great tutorial videos at Yo-Yo Crazy.com

Yo-yo photos courtesy of YoYo-Canada; fantastic online retailer who really know their stuff.