Roots and Blues and Jack

My beautiful natural high following this past weekend's Roots & Blues Festival was brought harshly back to earth with the news of Jack Layton's death this morning. The wrenching of the heart when listening to the harmonies of the Sojourners was much the same as realizing the only political force with which I felt any affinity was gone. Barely time to contemplate, to grieve. Then, off to the gallery to receive the work of the artists who poured out their souls onto canvas over the past three days. With each painting that arrived, I felt close to tears with the sheer rawness of their energy - each piece found a way to say something of humanity, of sharing, of love, of the universal language of music. It all comes back to the same thing - we're all in this together. Culture isn't just art, music, theatre... it's what we are together, as a whole. Working in the arts sector, I'm lucky enough to be reminded often of this concept. I'll miss the one political leader who actually stood up and declared this as his platform. May we be so lucky as to see another Jack Layton in our lifetime.