this is the first post of 2019 and proof i'm still alive! sorry it's been awhile, i ran for city council here in Kamloops last fall and i ran a short 6 week campaign with an awesome team of my sister Sandra, Cassie was finance and sign roadie along with Mike on camera and social media roadie. We got 3304 votes, which is half i needed to win a seat on city council.
it was whirlwind, with an average 2 events a day, 5 days a week, which i used transit and biked to each one, it was kind of exhausting. would i do it again? yes. this council is getting closer to representing people, but i think all of them except 2 are business people, which is ok, but it doesn't represent the diverse spectrum of people in this city. indigenous people still aren't represented and i'd like to help change that by at least inspiring others to run AND or winning next time.
it's an interesting time of change these days, after something like 15 years of liberals in power who really only seemed to care about corporations and breaks for the rich, we now have the NDP in the province and suddenly we're getting affordable housing, investing in education and people, it's almost like they care and want to make this province for the people again instead of the rich and powerful. and corrupt.
i've also done a few more gigs, mainly poetry readings in vancouver and here at home, which has been fun and exciting again. i took a long, long break from the road because i was so exhausted and burnt out from endless touring that i nearly died and lost it all. fast forward a couple years or so and i'm feeling much, much better. it took a long time to get the road out of my body, always traveling, always moving to a different city, different venue, festival, stage and whatever. it was what i had to do to survive. i didn't have an escape plan or safety plan. hence the burn out.
i can now relax and do nothing, read, watch tv, play guitar, spend time with the kids and exercise to keep my body fit, instead of fat, haha, life on the road with endless buffets, beer and a sedentary lifestyle catch up to you. i no longer get ansty around 7 or 8 at night, when i'd usually be storming onto a stage getting people up and amped and more importantly i just don't miss the lifestyle.
my creativity isn't back a 100% but i'm not worried, after spending the better part of a decade constantly hustling and coming up with murals, art exhibitions, projects, books, films, riffs, songs and whatever it took to keep making that almighty dollar i can't expect the tank to be full, but it'll get there.
to my friends still on the road, i don't envy you and i hope you have learned to take of yourself, still have fun and have an escape plan/safety plan because you need one. know when to get off the road. know when to take a break and know when to rest and let your body and mind heal itself because it ain't easy the work you're out there doing.
speaking of which, i'm going to take my kids to the park and enjoy the beautiful day outside. get some sunshine and a little fun and exercise on the playground. peace out y'all! i also have a new book coming out this year, we'll talk more about that later.
take care,
CB.
2010 in kelowna at the alternator centre
for contemporary art.
last fall at the kamloops writers festival
fat and bloated, still recuperating
i've lost some weight since then
and work out regularly now.
me and my daughters and my son
in the art in the background.
sometime about 6 years ago.
