Jul1

oh! canada?

Posted on by
Standard

11183466_10153469951954662_5763447689192269397_n-2

we set out on a 2-hour tour

not unlike

 *’gilligan’s island’

all kinds of us

togethe

with high hopes

for a grand day

on the detroit river

a natural boundary

between

the united states

and

canada

and were

met with

gale force winds

and

torrential downpours

and slippery decks

but we made the best of the rough seas

10408834_10153468770244662_1436703803829669193_n

most people are rowing against the current of life.

instead of turning the boat around,

all they need to do is let go of the oars.
– esther hicks

11403061_10153468770294662_4488993711891167650_n

and this guy

jack

our mascot for the day

survived

a bit the worse for wear

paper mache mashed

one eye blown off

quickly balding

open wounds

but

like jack

we all hung in there

(nowhere to get off really)

11412335_10153469952434662_7397188657079080165_n

and it was a grand adventure

11692582_10153469952069662_336817305679475439_n

we may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.
– martin luther king, jr.

11542097_10153469952344662_1353370390303410595_n

canada is like a loft apartment over a really great party.
– robin williams

happy canada day to our very friendly neighbors!

—

*gilligan’s island backstory:

IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A “METAPHORICAL SHAMING OF WORLD POLITICS.”
One day in a public speaking class at New York University, the professor had students compose an impromptu one-minute speech on this topic: If you were stranded on a desert island, what one item would you like to have? Sherwood Schwartz (the show’s creator), was a student in that class, and the question so intrigued him that it remained lodged in the back of his mind for many years.
After working for some time as a comedy writer for other shows, Schwartz decided to pitch his own idea for a sitcom. Thinking back to that desert island question, he thought it would make for an interesting dynamic to have a group of very dissimilar individuals stranded together and have to learn to live and work together. The island would be “a social microcosm and a metaphorical shaming of world politics in the sense that when necessary for survival, yes we can all get along,” Schwartz explained in Inside Gilligan’s Island: From Creation to Syndication. Schwartz quickly discovered after his first few pitch meetings that words like “microcosm” and “metaphor” were not very helpful when trying to sell a comedy.

MV5BMjM1Mjg3NzU4M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzE3ODMyMTE@._V1_SX640_SY720_

—

credits: cbs television, mental floss, sherwood schwartz, diamond jack boats

 

 

33 responses »

  2. That is fun Beth. You know some years ago I happened to be a part of a high-power team that was put together for a specific long-term purpose by a psychologist. She tested a large group of professionals extensively and then chose six members for the team who all had wildly different personality types from every part of the spectrum. OMG. It was like Gilligan’s Island. We argued incessantly and heaven help the poor soul who had to write a consensus report. Shredded. And yet the reason why she did this was so that there was a voice for every possible perspective. And when we were done thrashing things out and thrashing each other, the end result was amazing. To this day i am still astounded by the quality that we produced and the fact that there was no topic that we couldn’t handle. It was inconceivable to me that we could have produced the quantity and quality we did.

    That being said, it sounds like you were on a Gilligan’s island tour yourself. Ha! A lot of fun Beth. 😀

    P.S. An apartment above a party? Be careful or we’ll sic a beaver on you 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  4. Good to know the background “pitch” for a fun favorite of mine, “Gilligan’s Island,” Beth. Your trip sounded like against all odds, together you made it to Canada (via water) and back. Do you have to have passports? I need to get my renewed one of these days. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  14. Good for you to get out and about together in less than great weather. Thanks for the birthday wishes too. At 148 years old, we’re merely a youngster really. Interesting bit on Gilligan’s Island. I’ll still watch the odd clip if I come across it, loved that show. Then again, I was probably under 10 when it was on TV.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  16. I just heard this trivia about Gilligan’s Island …. the boat was called the “Minnow” as a shot against Newton Minow (former FCC chair) who was famous for calling television a “vast wasteland.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment