I’ve never ever claimed this space was a news column and, thankfully, it’s been a long time since anyone wrote in a huff and asked why I wasn’t commenting on this or that. That having been said, I’m at a total loss as to what is happening in Ottawa or at Queen’s Park these days. But especially Ottawa. Rob and I have been reading up on SNC Lavalin to try to understand just what’s happened (and keeping up is a challenge with the daily additions, subtractions and interpretations) and how things have gotten to where they are now.
 
I know we’re not alone in our search for the truth and not the so-called “facts” as one party or another projects them. In fact, when you type “SNC Lavalin” into Google (as I did yesterday to make sure I had the right number of Ls happening here) the sentence was completed by the two words “For Dummies.” One thing this dummy knows for sure: I need to learn more about this from people who didn’t hate Trudeau to begin with.
 
I am trying hard these days to adhere to the wise words of a prayer that I’ve often cited here: 

God Grant me the Serenity to Accept the Things
I Cannot Change
Courage to Change the Things I Can
And Wisdom to Know the Difference.

In the past week or so, Rob has frequently reminded me of these words to the “Serenity Prayer,” as I’ve been really down about the lack of transparency in terms of the Mueller Report. Rob said it again as we watched a teary Kevin Pillar depart the Blue Jays, the only pro team he’s ever known, as management who claim to be building have systematically dispatched any player whose name graced a fan’s jersey.
 
And so I change the things I can. I’ll watch the Jays, but won’t go to another country to do it (as we did two years ago); I’ll cheer, but I won’t cry. Same with the Leafs. I will vote in the next election (even a local one for council that’s happening here in our area next week when we’re away; we will vote in advance tomorrow) and I’ll do the research and read more than just the writers with whom I agree. Truly that is literally The Wisdom to Know the Difference.
 
Tomorrow: a lovely man I’ve gotten to know better since we’ve both had our books published. Enjoy this day.