So many of the most profound words of wisdom are frustratingly simple. Phrases like be yourself make us roll our eyes despite being solid advice for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the lack of how.

NDG is in my blood. Yes, I've lived in a lot of places, and yes, I'm currently pretending I've always lived in the Plateau, but NDG is where my core history happened. My pre-school still stands there, though my first elementary school closed long ago.

On Sherbrooke street near the corner of Harvard, in the heart of NDG, sits Encore Books and Records. Well known to locals – and to fans of literature and music throughout the city – Encore has been a fixture of the community for twenty-four years.

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

For those close to me, it’s a well-documented fact that I am a massive pro wrestling fan. I believe my friends are mostly happy to let me have my obsession, as long as I’m not forcing it upon them. Many acquaintances, however, are surprised by this when I drop it into conversation.

If you know me, then you know that artistic collaboration across mediums is my bread and butter. Very few things get me hyped up like seeing the words “genre-bending” or “multi-media kaleidoscope” on an event poster, so you can bet that when I read those exact terms on the announcement for The Painters’ art film screening I was chomping at the bit to be there.

He asked me if my husband liked sports, and I said he didn't, she told me. She isn't married though, never was, has no inclination to be. It's so cute that he doesn't know I'm a nightmare, and thinks I could be married like a normal person.

It's that time of year again, is on everyone's lips. Whether referring to flannel season, pumpkin spiced anything, or simply said with a tired sigh, we are all marking the changes. From my perspective, besides the style switch (my leggings are back in rotation, and layers adding up), I can't help but notice how dark it is.

My family didn't do Thanksgiving when I was growing up, though I didn't catch on at first. Familial structures define normal, so I didn't notice the missing holiday for years (much like I didn't realize we were apparently the only family in Canada that never watched hockey).

The thing about boundaries is that I'm terrible with them. A therapist once explained to me that just because someone asks a question, doesn't mean I have to answer it.