We shared our broken hearts of wards and baggage scars and you said let's walk again but two jobs kept me from you And now that your gone I wish I could've made time and it kills me I can't explain These passing days rob us slowly of your presence. I wish not for memories At Grey Owl Tattoo Your energy still lives in the walls that echo the warmth of your character But now that your gone We are all lost in dismay and it kills me I can't explain But You Will Be Remembered. For Karla Hilchey, R.I.P., April 23, 2020

(Ambient)

i am enamoured with her spirit she's fighting and sweating blood for her morals while moving forward i'm rooting for her to win every battle the one against art, included. she's planting seeds illuminating the bumblebees and her moonlight aura, bokehs alive with purpose, under ocean waves beckons us far from our abyss to the surface of our own becoming. ..i gotta get a life..

I love the people who work at the Gas Station they're from all over the world and they all work two jobs while also going to school to learn our language I don't understand the fear of people from different cultures for we all have a pulse and we all breathe the same air... ...So, I went to the Petrocan gas station, that I often go too, the other day and I paid for some gas and cigarettes. Tanvir, who is from Bangladesh, was working behind the counter that day and as I walked through the entrance he said, "Josh, my brother, how are you today?" and I said, "Oh, hello my friend. I'm doing well how are you?" "Always good, buddy" he replied "Always good." And I just thought that was a wonderful way to greet someone, you know? I wish we could all treat one another in that way more often. Usually, I've found that if I try to greet a local from my hometown with the same sort of spirit it's not always reciprocated. But I've found that people from a foreign country are usually a little bit more receptive. Ge is almost always out and about at the gas station. Topping up the windshield wash containers or sweeping the entrance way. He's very patient with me whenever I practice speaking Mandarin with him and I always hope he's not annoyed with how I pronounce "nǐ hǎo" and "xièxiè". I got pretty good at speaking Vietnamese back in the day: "Bạn ơi! Xin chào! Bạn có khỏe không? Em nói tiếng việt giỏi!" and I hope with practice that I'll have a good grasp on Mandarin too one day with Ge's help. Swehn is very shy like me and I think she's a bit intimidated to speak english with people from Canada. She's from Punjab which is a state in north India. When I first met her I asked what was her name and she said "Heaven, like paradise" and she pointed to the sky like Plato in that famous painting. I asked her if Heaven was the english translation of her name and she said, "Yes, Punjabi is my first language" "So, what is your name in Punjabi?" I asked. She smiled and said, "Swehn" and I tried to pronounce it a couple times but I failed miserably. But she laughed warmly and said, "Oh, no it's okay. Don't worry" and I really appreciated that. Donnie is from Korea but I haven't seen him in awhile. I asked Ge where Donnie was and he said that he moved to a different gas station. And I was bummed to hear that. Donnie always wanted to work on cars he said that was his childhood dream when he first moved to Canada and was living in Toronto. I hope he gets to live that dream one day and I hope he's keeping well. He reminded me alot of DooWon. DooWon was a foreign exchange student from Korea who was learning english in Canada. He also lived with my family when I was just a kid along with other students from Korea, Japan and Switzerland over the years. But DooWon was like my older brother he looked out for me and walked with me back from school sometimes. He also made amazing Bulgogi and Bibimbap that were absolutely amazing. He's married now with 3 kids. Him and his family live in Seoul and I plan on visiting them. As soon as international travelling is safer and when COVID-19 has lessened its grip on us all... ...There's so much we can learn from people of a different life. A coloured perspective to a heart with open eyes. We all have a pulse and we all breathe the same air ..A heart with open eyes..