cktimes.ca Archives for Notes from a Garage


Notes from a Garage

With John Gardiner

A little darkness, the technological fix and the family home at 436, 6th Avenue

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Finished doing some recording work at JustB's House of Rock over the weekend – for me, an exciting project....a chance to do something I've been dreaming of for several years – produce a spoken word CD, but one with a difference – with original music accompanying the poetry. And with the help of old friend Richard Knechtel, and relatively new friend, Justin Burgess, I have been able to make this happen. First let me say that Richard and Justin are both extraordinarilly talented fellows and I couldn't have done the project without them....They immediately grasped what I was looking for and captured it superbly – even though I wasn't sure what I was looking for myself. It is odd and strange material. Extremely dark, perhaps somewhat disturbing for most people. Some of it is sort of funny, but most of it is very, very dark. And the reaction to it is either very positive or very negative – something that is strange for me after years of positive comments on my other writing.
But I sort of wrote some of it for the shock value......I am deeply concerned about the future of the planet and the only real way I feel I can help is to write something that might make even one person do something positive. I want this great human experiment to succeed. I want us to somehow make the journey back to Eden......or to "the Garden" as the Woodstock song mournfully reflects. And it cannot happen if we keep carrying on the way we are. And so it seems I must write about the state of the human condition in at least some small way each week here in cktimes.......and it's what drives my creative writing these days as well.....I'll keep you updated on the spoken word CD.....some of you might find it interesting....

See that a couple of the car companies are releasing "electric" cars in the next year or two....and.....yawn, yawn, yawn.....this is not at all what we need. And I don't understand why we're pouring billions into these car companies if the best they can come up with is the 100-year-old idea of electricity. This is dumb beyond belief. Most of our electricity comes from fossil fuels or nuclear – which ain't safe – and so we don't need to replace gasoline with electricity. Note to all the engineers and scientists on the planet – it's time for a technological fix. And we need one of major proportions this time around. So let's get on with it. I don't know anything about hydrogen fuel cells, but if could get us off fossil fuels, let's head in that direction. Let's head somewhere safe for a change. But we need some new technology like electricity, or air travel or the steam engine. It's like I was talking to a young guy a while ago and I told him we could solve a lot of problems on earth if we could just reach out into space. Much to my surprise, he said it was impossible. "We can't go fast enough to get anywhere," he said. Not with today's technology, I told him, but you never know what's around the corner. Perhaps some enterprising young fellow somewhere is about to develop "warp drive" or "teletransportation" or some other really cool useful thing. Of course, in today's world, most of our scientists and innovators are busy working on cell phones that can wash dishes or blueberries that can teach you to mamba. It's a strange world. I used to argue against the technological fix, suggesting it was an easy way out. But we're in so deep at the moment on the planet that we really could use a bit of a miracle. Technology has provided that miracle many times in human history and perhaps could again. But not if half the nucelar physicists on the planet are busy working in the cosmetics industry.....

I had a wonderful visit home with the folks over Easter, but it was a bit of a time for sober reflection as well.....my parents telling me they've put their name on a waiting list for an apartment in the seniors' complex. I have, of course, known this day would come. My Dad just celebrated his 81st birthday and Mom's not far behind. And I know they have a serious desire to manage their declining years in a logical and comfortable fashion, rather than being forced as old age comes crashing down around them. I greatly rspect them both for that and fuly understand their decision. But it will be hard to part with the house at 436 6th Avenue – the house that has been the Gardiner family home for 48 years – almost half a century. And, indeed, my parents may yet celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in the house. I have special memories and fond recollections about pretty well every square inch of the house on 6th Avenue. From the bedroom I shared with my brother to the basement where Strange Brew rehearsed.....to the carport my Dad and I built......to the funny little linen cupboad in the bathroom where we used to hide as kids – it had a special smell that comes back to me even now. I know it has to happen, but it's a hard one for me. Life won't be the same for me without that haven of safety, warmth and comfortableness. But I will support my parents in their decision bcause it will be harder for them.....much harder indeed.....and I love them both....

Out of time for another week and glad some of you are reading along.....can't see the keyboard for the tears in my eyes right now, but I'll get over it.....don't forget about my podcast on the site.....don't forget that together we can change the world.....and..."Hew to the line; let the chips fall where they may."



John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.