Only Fitting

Well the hockey play-offs are about to begin and for the first time in 7 years my Boston Bruins will not be playing for a chance for the cup . Its always disappointing not to cheer on your team during a round of play-offs . Yes its bitter sweet in the sense its great when they win a round and crushing when they don't . However when they don't even get to the dance , you realize how much fun and excitement it truly is to cheer them on .

It in a weird way seems only fitting that they failed to make it considering how this year has been so far . Between a long winter , lack of work , family issues and the loss of one of my dearest friends ( shared in the last post ) I'm just not surprised . Life has a way of letting you down . No manner of positive spin foolishness can make things better . At the same time I'm thankful for much as well .

As to the Bruins . Some changes needed to happen next year . A change in style I believe is at hand . They need more speed up front and better depth on the defence . They still have a solid core of players and a few emerging young players . Along with a legit no.1 net minder and the play-offs will be back on the radar I predict next year . Till then its going to be a long off season . Go Bruins for 2015-16 . Guess its time to catch up with some reading .

Its Always Hard to Say Goodbye

How do you say good bye to someone who has been like a brother , a best friend . One who you played with , joked with , laughed with , cried with and enjoyed being with . I'm not sure  how one can truly ever or should say good bye . I have been trying to come to grips with the loss of my double first cousin , Gregory (Greg) Ivan Schofield . To realize that he will never walk in my house again and share a laugh . Nor will I hear his voice , as we talk of music , our love for the Boston Bruins , life in general  . To sit and chill over a cold beer .

Greg with Sal

We grew up so close . Sharing life from the time I was around 4 . Which makes it 47 years Greg has been within my circle of life . From learning to ride bikes , play sports , going to movies , reading books . We were like 2 peas in a pod for our first 20 plus years and even after girlfriends or wives came along , we still stayed in touch . Our shared life made it so easy to re-connect that even when he moved out west back late 2006 , when he came back home for a way too short a visit , it was like he never left . Plus thanks to social media , we would share life on Facebook . Commenting or talking through the message boards.

So let me tell you a bit about Greg . He  was a decent , funny , smart , caring ,forgiving , loyal , kind man . I could add many more words but just know that he was so much more .  He also had a very trying and at times a hard life . Failed relationships took there toll and left him deeply wounded and broken . He was not treated right on many fronts but he never spoke ill of any of those who dealt him some very dreadful blows . The fractured relationships left him with 4 sons who he truly loved but because of reasons I will not go into , he was marginalized to a large degree in their lives . He still was able to love them in his own way and had many good times with them growing up

This was a man that also left school to care for his younger siblings when his Dad and mother split , sadly because of his Mom's mental illness . It wasn't easy for him on so many fronts during this time . But he gave of himself . So when most young men were thinking more about girls and studies , he became a caregiver to 3 younger siblings. He was a cook , cleaner , moral guide etc.. That is not to say it was all bad . I spent many afternoons and weekends with Greg . Helping him at times do different things around the house but we also biked , played tons of hockey and went to movies . So there were many laughs as well .

 He loved Dogs , as he looks so happy with Sal in the picture above . He was just gentle with them and he could lead them . He bled for the Boston Bruins . No huger fan that I know . He loved music from the classic rock era from Led Zep , Aerosmith , Nazareth to newer bands like Alter Bridge . He liked to rock . He enjoyed movies like Braveheart , Lord of the Rings , The Hobbit etc.. He was much smarter than he ever gave himself credit for .
Sadly since at least 1995 , he has battled depression and at times sank so low that he did try to take his life . Each time , by God's grace and intervention , he was spared . But sadly this time , the despair and brokenness of his soul and mental state took over and overwhelmed him and on March 7th 2015 he ended his life .

My heart breaks because he must have felt a complete sense of hopelessness and being alone . His life over the last year has been a spiral that ran out of control very quickly . He lost his fight to the voices in his head that told him there was no life let to live . That he would be a burden to others , that life was over and the struggle to just get up and face another day was too much . I share these thoughts because I know that is at times how he felt . He said he hated getting there .

As a Christian , I'm really struggling to be honest . Was there something I could have done or said ? However I know as well depression can and does destroy lives and sometimes even the best laid plans to watch out for one with depression  ,  its still a choice made by the one who is at the end of road . That the pain or despair is too deep to face another day or breath .

He had a great sense of humour 

At his funeral I gave the eulogy and as I have had time to reflect on my words , and try to recall so many good , fun , great memories of this wonderful man , I'm left with that. How much I would want to tell him , I miss you . I miss you for who you are . You are a great guy , loved and looked up to by so many , that I want to laugh with you , cheer on our Bruins together again , share life experiences be it going to a movie or concert . I could care less of what you have or didn't have , I loved you for you . My home was always open to you . You never had to knock , you were not a burden even with all your hurts or life scars because I loved you and dammit , I wasn't ready to say good bye . Neither was my wife , whom you became great friends with and my sons whom you treated like nephews. They looked up to you and loved you like an uncle .

Loved your Bruins 

But here we are and I ask , why couldn't someone give you a break , a chance or why did you have to go where you did .  I have to be honest , if I had you here I would kick your ass for doing what you did  but I also forgive you . I had always hoped you would come home to the valley for good . Like you told me , you might have been out west but it was never your home nor did it feel like one . Your are home for good , but not the way it should have been .

So now I have to cling to memories . Camping out as kids in a tent talking until the sun came up , of riding our bikes to the record store buying a few records and hurrying home to air guitar our newest finds . Playing sports together , laughing over our stupid jokes , so much more . So I say goodbye Greg and for now that is all I can say . I will miss you and I loved you .

In Loving Memory - Gregory Ivan Schofield  Sept 24 , 1961 - March 7 , 2015 - Be at Peace I pray 

It Has Been a Trying Time

I will not go into all the details right now , but someone as close as a brother , and a life long friend lost the fight to severe depression and sadly took his own life. So many thoughts have been running around in my head .

I will write more soon and share about this amazing guy and what he meant to me plus many others.

A Fitting Song To End An Amazing Journey

You can have your Marvel cinematic universe . and that galaxy with the force ( more of a Trek guy anyway ) for me , the journey I have loved to take has been Middle-Earth . Don't get me wrong I like movies from that genre I mentioned but my excitement or looking forward to new movies pale to what I have looked forward to over the last 3 years with Peter Jackson's The Hobbit . Just like in the past with Lord of the Rings , for 3 years near Christmas , I looked forward to going back to the Shire , Erebor , Laketown and seeing those grand characters .

Bilbo Baggins , Gandalf the Grey , Thorin Oakenshield , Elrond , Galadriel , Legolas , Tauriel , Bard and the Dwarfs with the company Balin , Dwalin , Fili , Kili . Gloin ,Oin , Bofur ,Dori , Ori , Nori , Bombur and Bifur . They became friends and ones I enjoyed going to see in the halls of the modern theatre . But now it has come to an end . One that I truly enjoyed . But before I review and give my thoughts and insights on the Hobbit  , I will share this amazing song by one of the original Hobbits , Pippin played by the excellent Billy Boyd .

Back in the Blogging Groove

I marvel at people who Blog with regularity . Last year I just didn't feel like it , nor did I have the discipline . But as this year kicks off I'm attempting to challenge myself to do certain things with more consistency and Blogging is one of those things.  So with that in mind , I will launch again my views , opinions and reviews of things that connect and concern me.

Hopefully if anyone is still reading any of my post they will be amused or annoyed , but not bored out of their minds . Hopefully I will endeavour to write each day . So here goes 2015 with good intentions .

2013 A Brief Overview

Since I promised a overview of 2013 so I can kick off a proper start to blogging a new in 2014 , here it it is . A quick look back at 2013.

As I reported last year , my wife in February was given the 5 year clean form cancer . Needless to say we were both truly grateful and thankful . Its a strange thing really because after we were told no more trips to the city for checks , it took me a while to really feel that it was done . So that was a true highlight of the year .

Turning 50 . On November 15 last year , I entered into my 50th year on this planet . Half a century if you will . I can't say I was bothered by it , but it still felt different and a bit strange. It was a great birthday . My boys both got some really cool stuff for me  , had a small gathering just with my family and truly felt blessed and grateful .

On a sad note , I lost a a friend to cancer in August of the last year . He was only 59 . We had worked together years ago and had our ups and downs but we had remained friends and I always looked forward to chatting with him about  life , hockey and whatever else came up . I was asked to speak at his funeral , and I was truly honoured to speak . His wife and son both said I did him proud and I truly hope I did . It was a very hard thing to do . One thing I took away from this is the brevity of life and how I truly wished I had more time to connect with him more over the last few years . Yes it caused me to regret time wasted but it also taught me how precious friendship is and family.

Christmas was an excellent once again , with lots of food and family .

In general it was a year of highs , lows and struggles . So that is enough about last year . I look forward to writing with new vigour and hope it will be a regular thing . So 2014 here I come .

Slow Start or What

Ok , I had every intention of blazing into Blogging like a crazed fiend , but as they say best laid plans . However , my first real kick off will be a over view of 2013 . So be ready for the epic , OK more like the ordinary review of a year in the life of a guy living in the valley in the province of Nova Scotia , Canada .