Autobiography
Going Traditional: Dancing at the Legion
Dancing at the legion sounds like it should be a Stompin Tom Connors tune. It is not, but there is a reference in the Stan Rogers song Lies, so there’s evidence that going dancing at the Legion is a traditional Canadian behaviour…even if I personally had never done it before.
By Kate Baggottabout 19 hours ago in Chapters
Air & Accomplishment: Taking an Aerial Sling Class
Sass Fitness Studio kicked my ass. That’s not their slogan, but I am definitely not the first to say it. Over the past 7 weeks, I have intentionally gotten myself into some rather challenging situations. Aerial sling was the most physically challenging yet.
By Kate Baggott8 days ago in Chapters
A Typical Lady in her Fifties: Trying Pickleball
“All the other white ladies in their fifties are playing pickleball,” my friend Aldo asked, “why not you?” Aldo, I might add, knows better than most that not all pickleball players are white ladies over fifty, but he is still right. Taking up the game is trendy among my demographic. It was one of the issues that made trying it less appealing for the last three years or so, even though some of my best friends are white ladies in their fifties. Still, Aldo’s suggestion that I am just like them is completely fair. I like many conventional activities like discussing politics and religion, wine tastings and watching cooking shows.
By Kate Baggott13 days ago in Chapters
Aiming for Euphoria: Trying Archery
Artemis, Amazon women warriors, and Robin Hood represent everything I knew about archery. Basically, I knew nothing about the tension of a bow or how to let an arrow fly by rolling the string off the three finger tips holding it in place. I knew nothing about how to take a stance and take aim at a moving target. After trying archery this week, I should probably know more about those things, and I am not going to brag about how well I did because I don’t want to offend archery purists. No, it was not “real” archery. It was virtual archery at BATL Grounds in Niagara Falls . We could also have done knife or ax throwing, but I’ve already tried those two.
By Kate Baggott20 days ago in Chapters
Too Experienced to Land a New Contract
After many years of working as a contractor, I have reached an unexpected conclusion. Finding contract work is no longer primarily about experience, skills or achievements. It is about convincing a recruitment agent that your CV/résumé matches a list of keywords. That may sound cynical, but it reflects the reality many experienced contractors face today.
By Alan Spencer21 days ago in Chapters
Do Not Fear Your Inner Hippy: Ecstatic Dancing
My previous attempt at ecstatic dancing was foiled by my disorganization. It was before the pandemic. It was a dreary Sunday afternoon before the pandemic. I’d managed to get to the Odd Fellows’ Hall for the last hour. I could hear DJ BRIZE doing his thing while I took my socks and shoes off, I saw my friends on the dance floor and went in for hugs. And then, the music stopped. I had gotten the time wrong and missed it all. That attempt to try ecstatic dancing does not count.
By Kate Baggott25 days ago in Chapters
Infrared Lights & Yellow Lights of Caution
Is an experience still new if it ends up exactly where you knew it would? This week, I tried infrared light therapy. It’s one of those new technologies that is “backed by science.” Being under the lights is supposed to improve collagen production, improve skin conditions, speed recovery after exercise and a million other claims we’ve all seen on social media ads for treatments and devices.
By Kate Baggottabout a month ago in Chapters
Episode 3: "Who Are the 'Tsogo' People?"
Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of "The African Latino." On the previous episode, I explained the history of the 'Ateke' people and how they survived through hardships. Today's episode will be about the 'Tsogo' people.
By Michael Reynosoabout a month ago in Chapters
Episode 2: “Who Are The ‘Ateke’ People?”
Greetings, everyone. Welcome to “The African Latino.” In today’s episode, I will share with you in-depth information about the ‘Ateke’ peoples: who they are, their meaning, what they did during their daily lives, migration, survival, and staying true to their traditions.
By Michael Reynosoabout a month ago in Chapters
