North of the 49th | Amway

(Hmmm… I have a hard enough time finding relevant Canadian song titles for these posts and I burn TWO in ONE!!!!)

There are two big things happening North of the 49th this week: one being a look back and the other representing hope for the future!

First off, Remembrance Day is tomorrow. At 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month, many of us will pause for a moment of silence — a time during which we're to reflect upon the sacrifices made by the men and women who fought for a world in which they believed. 

Unfortunately, fewer and fewer of these veterans are around to share their stories. My grandfather served in the navy on the HMCS Buctouche, a Flower-class corvette in the Royal Canadian Navy. He survived the war, but passed away when I was five. My wife's grandfather (air force) also passed away fairly recently — another link to that past severed. And it's a refrain that's heard far too often. Too few of these Canadian veterans remain, their stories are in danger of being lost, and it's up to us — the second, third, and fourth generations removed from that time to keep the flame of their memories not only lit, but burning brightly..

Each year I wear a poppy on my lapel. Regardless of my personal opinion on guns, I respect the sacrifices these men and women made — and continue to make in such far-flung reaches, like Afghanistan. Regardless of one's opinion of war, the members of our armed forces deserve our support and respect. I try to instill that respect in my own children (14 and seven respectively) and I believe I'm doing a good job. But I can see elsewhere that the respect is fading.

It sounds stupid, I know, but one of the things that bothers me most is when people shout out during the playing of our national anthem. In my other life I cover hockey, which has brought me to many an arena over the years. Too often, as the final strains of the anthem approach, some moron uses the pause to shout "Go [Insert team name here] Go!"

Now, I can appreciate how rare it is that, for one who was educated with an inner tube and a banana, those few remaining neural connections and synapses all come together. I appreciate the effort it takes to drag those knuckles skyward to bring them to one's mouth. But there's a time and a place for everything. Our anthem deserves respect — especially at this time of year.

The worst example I ever saw was a couple of years back here in London. We were honoured by the presence of a few veterans — many of whom looked like they would not be around for many more ceremonies of this type. As they stood rigid, once again raising themselves to their youthful glory, saluting the flag, some bottom-feeder from the crowd chose to shout out a "Go Knights Go" during the anthem. I, and the other members of press row, immediately felt sick — and even the majority of the crowd appeared to understand the inappropriateness of this action, as they booed his below. But a moment — a special moment when we were in the presence of those who know true sacrifice — to pay our respects was cheapened by one who doesn't understand respect.

Maybe it's our video game culture. War, both in real-life and on-screen, can be fought by remote control. It's easy to be removed from the humanity of war when you can't see the person whose life you're ending. In World War I, those in the trenches could see their targets across the mud-and-blood-drenched fields. Now, remotes are guided by soldiers watching from thousands of miles away.

We owe it to our veterans — and to each other — to keep those memories alive, as those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Please take a moment of your time at 11 a.m. tomorrow to reflect upon where you are, who you are, and how that was shaped by those who came before you. And please pass that message to your children. The fight to keep those memories alive is one we must not lose.

NOW, on a happier note, we're gearing up for the Pathways to Success Product Expo in Calgary, AB! We're flying out of London waaayyyyy too early on Thursday to start getting ready for the thousands of you we're expecting to come through the Stampede Roundup Centre.

All hands are on deck now as we've literally hit a little bump in the road (I'll fill you in later… trust me), but we're looking forward to a great show. Come one, come all! IBOs, prospects, customers, visitors, people wandering the streets… head on over! And if you can't make it, I'll be live blogging the event, posting photos and audio, and basically doing everything I can to get you as close to the action as you can get, without actually being there!

But make sure you be there, OK? I'll talk to you on Thursday to tell you about the "bump" and fill you in on set-up!

All the best,

Jay