Very rarely will I stray from trains, but today I need to. Last night, in two very different, but very personal ways, I was reminded of how short life is, and how much Cancer sucks.
One is a family member battling cancer, who we got some bad news about their condition worsening literally as we were leaving dinner to go to the Air Canada Centre and see The Tragically Hip, one of my all-time favourite bands. As you may know, Gord Downie, the lead singer of The Tragically Hip announced earlier this year that he has inoperable brain cancer. That means that their current tour is potentially their last. Hopefully not, but that possibility is out there. We were lucky to get tickets after a lengthy search, and wound up getting ridiculously close seats to the stage to say what may be our goodbye to a person we’ve never met, but whose art has moved us and given us pleasure for close to 30 years.
Despite everything else going on around us, we managed to enjoy the show, but it’s yet another reminder, be kind to each other, or as the esteemable Wil Wheaton would say, “Don’t be a dick”. We don’t have a lot of time, appreciate those you love and care for.
Gord Downie, August 10, 2016 at the Air Canada Centre
Musings on my Model Railroading Addiction 
All my Best Wishes for your family member, for you, and your family.
Rick
Thank you Rick, we appreciate your thoughts.
Stephen
Cancer does suck. I’m old enough to have felt its touch on too many members of my family and too many of my friends.
As you note, we don’t get a lot of time and we should be trying to live like we’re conscious of that. The end points are facts but we get to play in the middle and that’s a very good thing.
Thank you for sharing these touching thoughts.
/chri
Thanks Chris. I was in fact doing model railroad stuff in the apartment tonight just to get my mind off everything going on with our family members illness. If nothing else playing with trains for a couple of hours got me a few minutes of not fretting.
Stephen