Last month we laid to rest one of Canada’s best loved and most respected politicians, or at least that is how it would appear.
It was a little confusing. If you had been asleep for the past 18 months, or perhaps a visitor from Mars, then the outpouring of praise at Rob Ford’s funeral might not have seemed strange as he was obviously a man who was loved and respected by all. But if you had been awake for the past year and a half and living anywhere in Canada, then you probably didn’t recognize the man who was being described in the media last week.
In a rare display of honesty, Rosemary Westwood, wrote in the Metro, “One day you’re a national embarrassment and the next day you’re eulogized by a former premier as Canada’s mayor.” Bizarre, but I guess it goes back to not speaking ill of the dead, but the media had no problem trashing him when he was alive.
So, will history remember Rob Ford as a drug addled buffoon or as a great politician and man of the people? Hopefully they will remember him as both because they are both part of his legacy, a legacy he created by choices he made. The important question though is: What choices are you making?
Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.