It’s Yahoo! time in Calgary once again. A time when blue suited executives and office clerks take off their business wear and don blue jeans and cowboy boots to kick-up their heels. It’s a time when every hostelry, every drinking post is chocker-block full of smilin’ cowboys and cowgirls edgin’ up to the bar to grab them some cool libation and partake of down home, country-style fun!

It’s the kick-off to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, the Calgary Stampede Parade and I am off to the parade.

My cousin’s fifteen-year-old daughter is here from France and I am taking her down to the parade this morning. And… I slept in.

Most unusual for me. I know. I know. 6am is not really sleeping in, but when you have to be out of the house by 7 and have meditation, writing, and getting ready to jam into an hour and are accustomed to getting up at 5, it’s late!

The way I figure it pardner’, this parade will be different than the Pride Parade C.C. and I watched in San Francisco.

This parade will be filled with horses and cowboys and Indians (and yes, I’m being politically incorrect but when it comes to parades and First Nations in full regalia and horses prancing and all that jazz, political correctness takes a back seat to the spectacle of the parade!)

This parade is a two hour extravaganza of floats and western heritage and civic pride rolled out along two downtown avenues. It wends its way west then turns up three blocks to find its way back in the East Village two hours later.

My cousin is excited.

My daughter, Liseanne will be joining us, but first, I have to stake out our turf, set up camp and wait it out for the parade, and my daughter to get there. She has a course from 7:30 to 9 — seriously — a course on parade morning!

So, really, today’s blog has little to do with ‘making a difference’. I’m out of time!

And perhaps, that is the message.

Sometimes, we have to give ourselves a break.

Sometimes, we have to let ourselves deal with what is in a way that says — it’s okay not to…. and then let go of whatever the shoulda’s, coulda’s, woulda’s are that would have us feel we’re not doing our best.

This  morning, there’s a parade to watch.

This morning, I am letting myself off the hook of writin’ this here column. (and yes, I know I did write it– but ya’ know what I mean!) I’m givin’ myself a break from ‘makin’ a difference’ and gettin’ into the difference of what makes this city so different.

Yessireee. I’m ready for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth — The Calgary Stampeeeede!!!!!!

See ya there!

Yahoo!