As Ian Sees It

   It's our day.  Father's day.  For fathers like me, that is pretty well everyday.  I realize not all fathers have had the experience I have had.   I know choices come with consequences.  I was in a job for a very long time that had me doing some things to which others shy away.  But the job gave me some things that are really worth having.  There is no such thing as a life without pressure, or challenges, or worries.  But I had a good paying secure job that afforded me a decent retirement at a fairly early age.  And all I had to do was get to that age.     A cops life isn't constant danger.  It isn't overly exciting and it isn't glamorous or romantic.  It is often staying up long long hours.  Spending endless nights driving around alone.  (Singing at the top of your lungs to the radio, or doing interviews with the press about the game winning drive you have day dreamed.)  The routine is often int...

   I was raised by a practical religious man in a kinda normal house.  My dad was a veteran of the second world war.  He fought in France, Belgium, and Holland and was wounded twice.  Sometime during those days of constant fear and action, he promised God that if he was spared he would be a good Christian and raise a good christian family.  My Dad was a promise keeper.  While I am proud of his involvement with our church,  I have come to realize I am more proud of the life he led outside the church.  He put every effort into walking the walk.   And in reality,  that is what Christianity should be all about.      I was a pretty steady church goer while raising my children.  There was shift work and what not that made for easy excuses not to attend Mass on Sundays.   My better half, however,  was much much better at regular attendance.  Our children all attended Catholic school until it wasn't offere...

    Being Canadian has been very important to this family.  We have served.  My grandfather Lemual McLean was old for a soldier when he went to France.  He was in the big ones.  Passchendaele,  Vimy Ridge.  He was wounded.  He was gassed.  My dad Jack McLean was first wave on D Day, on Juno Beach.  Wounded there he escaped the capture and murder of those with whom he went into action.  But he was back....in Belgium and the Netherlands.  My service pales in comparison.  Won't say I wasn't left with some mental scars.  Some entry level joint issues that have lead to arthritis.  But in reality it was a cake walk to what members of my family have seen.  My son in Law serves as did I.  Different times have made his service a little tougher than my own.    The Canadian Armed forces have been there for the world.  I've used this quote before but a perfect description of our brave men and wo...

      It hasn't been easy being a patriot here in this corner of my home and native land for the last few years.  But that started changing last spring.  The upheaval came some time ago really.       The natural shelf life for a Canadian government is about 10 years.  So,  just about 10 years ago the Canadian voter decided it was time to move from our decade old Conservative Government to the Liberals.  We are a several party system however there are only two parties that ever formed a government.      After a decade, governments just get stale.  Every government has a plan.  And in truth most of them are good plans with the very best of intentions to serve the public.  Now they say every battle plan is thrown out the window when the first bullet is fired, but I don't believe that statement is all encompassing. Running a country is hard.  You can't control the weather.  You don't get to dictat...

     If you were to ask my grade four teacher she would tell you I was a day dreamer.  She was an honest sort and she wouldn't be telling a falsehood.  What ever the reason,  imagination,  Z.O.S.  ( Zone out syndrome), A.D.H.D.  or as Mrs. Ibbotson maintained to the day I met her some forty years later just plain lazy,  I confess my entire life I have been a dreamer.  In full disclosure this may not be a blog for everyone.        Daytime dreams take you away to somewhere freer, safer, prettier, and sometimes much much braver.  Night time dreams,  well  they aren't always as welcome as the day dream.  I have had as many dreams as times I have been asleep.  Some of them were wonderful.  Some of them were terrifying,  some of them were just plain stupid.  Stupid to the point that in the middle of my dream, my dreaming self has actual said something like "Aw that's just nuts." ...

       I know what today is:  It is the eleventh day of Christmas.  Tomorrow is the Epiphany.  Or the 12th day of Christmas and The end of the season in our house as well as many.  Our interior was dismantled and stored on January 2nd, but I do leave the exterior of the house decorated and lit up until January 7th.  I am first to admit I have trouble letting go of Christmas.  But life goes on and this Christmas was so good.  So wonderful.  It is time to move on.  And with that,  new developments internationally have garnered a good deal of my focus.         My politics are no secret.  And lord knows I have no head for business.  I do have some concerns about what we see happening in the world,  and perhaps equally disturbing,  at home: It's been better than a couple of days since America saved Venezuela and countless Americans from the horrific drug trade.  So why is it alm...