The news is everywhere, while some choose to tune out of the mass hypnosis of what is known as the Rob Ford Story. But just like many things in life, it’s not the content, but the usage of the content that has significance. There’s entertainment value, of course, and the need for information distribution in our open public democracy. More than that, there’s an opportunity for inspiration, empowerment, and transformation, as illustrated in the eight life lessons below.
1. Use What You Have Got
From day time talk shows to late night comedians, Rob Ford has become a verb, providing bucket loads of material and having an influence on our global consciousness (when was your last “drunken stupor?”). Popular public figures have used Ford to grab attention and promote their brand. Yes, I am doing the same thing, and feeling good about pushing the brand of personal development.
2. Big Business Starts in the United States
Ford started becoming world-famous when the New York web site Gawker.com (in a different country than Canada) started their allegations. The road to Canadian success is through the US – a great lesson for entrepreneurs. Kevin O’Leary from the Canadian franchise of Dragons’ Den (US equivalent being Shark Tank) often points to the potential of US patents, sales and distribution, as opposed to anything Canadian. Fellow proud Canadians sometimes correct me on my US-centric spellings, until I remind them that 60% of my newsletter/blog readers are based in the United States.
The National Inquirer paints a bad image of gossip and personal development programs often exclusively point to how gossip serves no positive function. But it can. Gossip can be good things about good people. In the case of Ford, it may be bad things about good people, in order to have a transparent government.
4. Drugs Are Better Than Lying
Many people believe that had Rob Ford acknowledged the possible existence of the crack video immediately, and apologized for his crack experimentation, he would still be in office with respect and dignity. While the media (and even politicians in city council) make “drugs” the bad thing, they miss the real issue of integrity. That is, to consciously avoid a topic, then deny it, then attack other people for lying about it (who are not), is a much more serious offense. Why wasn’t that a line of questioning in question period?
When asked “Have you purchased illicit drugs in the last two years?”, Mayor Ford takes a full eight seconds (1, 2, time it out for effect, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) to answer. It is not in the buying of illicit drugs, but in consciously taking time to decide whether to be honest or not, proves that someone is not very transparent. Non-communication is a form of communication that sends a very strong message.
6. One Word Changes Everything
Why is one word (that is beeped out) such a cause for concern when all it does it refer to oral sex that pleasures women? The news media talks about detailed sexual acts, rapists, and pedophiles excessively, and yet one word is such cause for concern? Even the Amanda Todd story by CBC's The Fifth Estate essentially taught boys how to use web cams for sex-extortion (which many probably wouldn’t know was possible, but I bet have used the word “pussy” before).
If you could afford a car and driver all the time, wouldn’t you get one? What if you were in public office and you liked to drink? Wouldn’t it just make sense to get a driver if money was no object? Ford admits he is independently wealthy, yet chooses to put the lives of innocent people at risk for what reason? Even if you’re in a drunken stupor, you’d think the next day, maybe... not many months after the world has been begging you.
8. It Is Never Over
The art of war is never to end the war, especially if you are the beneficiary of it (I wonder how much Doug Ford got for his ten minute exclusive on CNN?). Just when we think we’re at the end of our rope, there can be more pull. Now Ford has hired one of the most prominent municipal lawyers, George Rust-D’Eye, and a whole legal phase is about to begin. Life goes on, and the circus continues.
Let’s love the world together...
Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary
P.S. Much of the connected world now knows about city Mayor, Rob Ford. And people on my street have no clue that I am the Leader of the Party for People with Special Needs in Ontario. Ha.
Here’s another article I wrote about Mayor, Rob Ford.
Busy like the Mayor?
http://ordinarysparks.blogspot.com/2012/08/arent-you-as-busy-as-torontos-mayor-rob.html
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