Home

Coming home from an extended time away, especially returning from the Tour D'Afrique, has been a mixed blessing. There is the excitement of reuniting with loved ones juxtaposed to the deflating reality of ennui brought on by the ordinary lifestyle into which one reintegrates. My partner Cathy and our son Josh patiently awaited my arrival at Pearson Airport. The cozy embrace of family was extended for days after landing. And now the process of reflecting on the adventure is not without sadness. 

There is the pursuit of equanimity for those of us who aspire to live compassionately. Whether one is riding through Africa or living in downtown Toronto, the realization of this goal is attainable if one is capable of a simple existence. Alas, life has a way of becoming complicated. What grounds me is riding my bike, caffeinating, and baking cookies. 

Thanks to the legacy of my parents, Elizabeth Anderson and David Kilgour, my family and I enjoy the privilege of being close to nature. The photo above commands a view of Lake Huron, facing due west to Michigan. The white flowers in the foreground are trilliums (Ontario's symbolic bloom). This place is home too. 

My parents spent their last years living on a farm that they replanted with native tree species, pine and maple, to create a woodlot that could grow into a nature reserve for everyone to enjoy quietly in perpetuity (to the extent that land stewards can sustain a millennial vision). I rode my wife's old bike over there, realizing how embarrassingly fortunate my family is. You are welcome to hike the trails or cross-country ski when the snow flies. Home sweet home.