As many times as I can each week, I go for a walk on a section of the Bruce Trail close to where I live in Ontario. Every so often I come across a caterpillar slowly making its way from one side of the path to the other. I always stop, gently grab onto it as it curls itself up into a circle, and deposit it out of harm’s way on the other side of the path. I’m sure you’d do the same thing.  After all, the more butterflies there are in this world, the nicer place it is to live. Big picture-wise it’s a small insignificant gesture (not to the caterpillar, of course, though she or he will never know it). Whenever a caterpillar crosses my path, I can’t help but think of the scene in the film Monsieur Verdoux, where Verdoux reaches down to pick up a caterpillar on the garden path and subsequently deposits it safely in a bush. He does this while the incinerator in his backyard is billowing smoke for the third day running.  Inside the incinerator, the smouldering remains of an elderly lady Verdoux recently married. One of the first “grown-up books” I read growing up was called My Autobiography written by Charlie Chaplin. I remember thinking to myself at the time that I couldn’t believe I was actually reading words written by the Charlie Chaplin. Looking back I know how silly that seems.  It was just a book.  He wrote it.  A publisher published his book.  I bought the book.  Nothing magical or unbelievable about that. But for me, my awe for Chaplin had elevated him to larger-than-life status.  And the fact that I had access to words actually written by the man himself seemed pretty wonderful. Monsieur Verdoux was released in 1947 when Chaplin was in his 58th year. Because of his prior suggestion that the United States should align with Russia to fight Hitler’s Nazis (coupled with his well-known leftist tendencies,) Chaplin had been branded a communist. Chaplin’s recommendation, as we all know, was exactly what transpired.  Together the U.S. and Russia successfully put an end to Adolph Hitler’s Germany.  A very necessary partnership. Chaplin being labeled a communist has more to do with times – the Red Scare/McCarthyism that was quickly sweeping across America – than the accuracy of the accusations against him. Chaplin’s public perception was not helped by the paternity suit brought against him in 1943 by actress Joan Berry.  (Although blood tests indicated Chaplin was not the father of Barry’s child he was still ordered to pay child support which he did until the girl, Carol Ann, was 21 years old.) So being that Chaplin’s popularity was not at its...

“I can’t believe you would be writing a book. You’re not serious enough to write a book.” Presuming you want to write a book, what would you say if one of your friends said that to you? Would you get mad and slightly depressed about it… Or would you use it as fuel to inspire you to greater heights? One lady chose the latter. She was so insulted that she gathered up her manuscript and presented it to Harold Latham, a MacMillan Publishing editor. He’d heard about this lady and her manuscript, but she seemed entirely uninterested in having it actually published. When he first spoke to her, she said she didn’t have a book. Upon further prodding, she admitted she had a book, but “it wasn’t ready to be seen.” It was only upon her friend’s slight that she decided to take action. When Latham finally did get his hands on her manuscript, because of its bulky and scattered nature, he quickly anointed it the worst manuscript he’d ever seen. Then she got cold feet and sent him a cable with the words, “Send it back. I’ve changed my mind.” But he refused. Because he’d started reading it, and he was hooked. The novel was published on June 30th, 1936. The reviews were extraordinary. In the first six months, it sold one million copies. This was during the height of the depression. And this, with the book selling for an unheard-of-at-the-time price of three dollars due to its robust girth (1,037 pages.) The book went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1937. According to a 2014 Harris Poll, it was the second favorite book of American readers, behind only the Bible. As of 2010, it had sold over 30 million copies. If you haven’t guessed, the person I’m talking about is Margaret Mitchell, and the book is Gone with the Wind. And to think it might never have come to light if not for a condescending remark. Have you ever used something like that to inspire you? Perhaps it’s the image of a friend you never really considered a friend who you always felt would take delight if you never accomplished a thing in your life… Or the words of an ex-boss are etched in your brain. The one who never had your best interests at heart. It can be a powerful motivator. It could be just what you need to work that extra hour, make that extra series of phone calls or get up an hour earlier each day. Because sometimes, to be successful, you need a little Scarlett O’Hara in you. You need to stand up with a fist clenched and say to the world...

It should have been a routine uneventful trip. All they had to do was travel the 118 miles from Bristol to London, England. But as soon as she got in the Ford Consul Mark 11 taxi, a sense of doom came over her. She later said that when the taxi door shut, it felt like a “tomb was closing on me.” She did not think they could have an accident but wondered when they would have one. There were five people in the taxi in total. The man in the backseat in the middle asked the taxi driver to slow down three times. He did so, in part, because she (his girlfriend) was visibly terrified at the high rate of speed they were traveling at. After each request, the driver slowed down, but only for a while. He would soon speed back up again. The minutes and seconds ticked away… They were quickly approaching the point in time when everything would change. Their lives. Their loved ones’ lives. Rock ‘n roll. A legend was about to be born. It came with a heavy price, though.  A young man full of promise, energy, life, and the pulsing beat of rock and roll would soon be dead. Music, laughter, and fun would soon be replaced by fans quietly speculating, “I wonder what would have happened if…” Then, suddenly, it happened. The twenty-year-old girl remembers hearing a horrible blood-curdling scream. She quickly realized the scream belonged to her. Patrick Thompkins, the front passenger seat occupant, later recalled how the accident unfolded… “You come out from under the viaduct and come across a bridge in front of you. On your right is the A4 and then the bridge and on your left is the A4 to London. Well, he (the driver) saw the A4 and turned right, going the wrong way. When he  saw the milestone, he realized he was going the wrong way and hit the brakes.” The taxi hit a curb and then slammed into a concrete lamppost on the other side of the road. Just before the taxi smashed into the lamppost, the girl’s boyfriend had pulled her body over his lap to shield her from the upcoming destruction. She later learned that doctors had given her only a 10% chance of surviving. She attributed that 10% and her survival to her boyfriend’s noble actions. “He gave me his life,” she would later say. The date of the fateful crash was 11:50 pm, April 16th, 1960. The only person who died as a result of the crash was a 21-year-old American male. Minutes after the crash on that cold night in Chippenham, a lady from a nearby house, powerless to do anything else,...

Are you familiar with the name Lee Stafford? If you live outside the UK, you probably aren’t. But even if you live in the UK, you might not be familiar with who he is and what he does. Stafford is a UK Essex-borne celebrity hairdresser who now resides in Soho. In addition to styling hair, he’s developed his own line of hair care products, and today his brand is worth over £20 million. A few years back he was on the show, Secret Millionaire.  It’s a show where a millionaire goes undercover to volunteer at a number of charities.  At the end of the show, the millionaire reveals his real identity and gives his charity contacts checks of varying amounts to continue their good work. It’s a great show.  And one where you just might find yourself shedding a tear or two before each episode ends. And while the show is called “Secret Millionaire,” the actual secret millionaire is not the real star of the show. The real stars are the people who devote their time and efforts to helping others.  The people who through their kindness and compassion make a difference in the lives of the many people they come in contact with. When Lee first arrived in Salford, shortly after moving into his temporary flat, there was a knock on his door. His new next-door neighbor, Edna, had brought him to mince pies “just like his mom used to make.” Lee speaks to the camera expressing his appreciation for her kindness… “In the apartments, I live in no one has ever done that, never.  That touched me, it has.  Bless her.” Reminder #1:  Random acts of kindness still go a long way. Lee has selected two charities to get involved in the eight days he’s spending in a town called Salford. One is called B.A.S.I.C. assists and supports people living with cancer.  The other C.A.L.L. and helps people adjust to life after experiencing a brain injury. He selected those two because ten years ago his brother had a motorcycle accident that left him with a brain injury.  He can no longer hold a regular job and is under the care of Lee’s 70-year-old mother 24 hours a day.  His brother recently requested that his mother help him kill himself which, obviously, caused his mother a lot of stress and worry. He chose the cancer charity because his mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Both charities were forewarned that a celebrity, who was taking part in a documentary about celebrities getting a reality check, was going to be visiting them. When Lee appears at B.A.S.I.C., the person in charge, Carol, is unfamiliar with his ‘celebrity.’  Soon after meeting...

There are two ways to watch The Wizard of Oz: 1) Not focusing on Toto. 2) Focusing on Toto. A couple of months ago, while watching The Wizard of Oz for the umpteenth time, I chose to watch it using method number two. Throughout the entire picture, I didn’t/couldn’t take my eyes off Toto. Even when Toto was not in a shot, I wanted to know what she was doing. Despite knowing a happy ending was in the cards for all involved (except for the Wicked Witch of the West of course,) I always felt a tiny sense of relief and comfort when my Toto came back into view. Few Wizard of Oz purists would argue that Terry, who changed her name to “Toto” after making The Wizard of Oz (Toto was no fool) delivers a stunning performance as Toto. Just as it’s impossible to imagine say Errol Flynn or Humphrey Bogart playing Jimmy Stewart’s role in It’s A Wonderful Life it’s equally unimaginable to picture Errol Flynn or Humphrey Bogart as Toto. What makes Terry’s performance even more remarkable is that Terry was a female playing a male. Few actors or actresses have pulled off playing the opposite sex so successfully. A distant second, in my opinion, can be found in the picture Tootsie where Dustin Hoffman, in the title role, turns himself into a surprisingly attractive and very dateable female. One of the most memorable scenes in The Wizard of Oz is when Dorothy sings “Over The Rainbow.” It’s also the scene where Toto does some of her greatest acting. After Dorothy starts to sing, we first see Toto in about a two-second shot eagerly looking up at Dorothy through the spokes of a wheel. A bit later, Toto jumps up on the piece of farm equipment. She gently extends her paw for Dorothy to grab, but Dorothy – busy singing turns the other way. I think we’ve all had that happen to us. We extend our hand out with the intention of shaking someone’s hand, but they don’t see it. I’m not sure why it’s so embarrassing, but it is. Our embarrassment only stops when we try again and the person actually sees our hand and completes the handshake. But Toto handles it gracefully. She merely moves her paw back in and waits for a more timely moment to extend it — which happens a bit later. Here are some of my other favorite Toto moments: 1) When Glinda the Good Witch of the North originally meets Dorothy she asks her if she’s a good witch or a bad witch. After Dorothy says “no,” Glinda asks if Toto is a witch. I think Dorothy was as shocked as we viewers by that question. Next, we’re treated to a shot of Toto excitedly waving her tail – thankful that she survived the tornado and seemingly just happy to be alive and oblivious to the fact...