Gord Downie and Canada
There are many faults that can be found in the worship of celebrities. But there can also be some good things. Yesterday, October 17th, 2021, was the fourth anniversary of the passing of Gord Downie. He was the lead singer of The Tragically Hip , a poet , and a fighter. He never backed down from a fight. Beyond the brain cancer that he fought and ultimately lost to, he fought for parts of Canada that were swept under the rug. Upon the announcement of his terminal illness, Gord and the rest of the band set out on a national tour. A long goodbye to the country that loved him almost as much as he loved it. I was lucky enough to attend one of those shows. I cried from almost the beginning through to the end. And I wasn't alone. It seemed like everyone there wanted to sing with Gord and the boys one last time. I wasn't the only one crying, I would say most of us there were. Then a few weeks later my family joined the millions of other Canadian households and watched the final show....