Hero Takes a Fall

As humans, we have a disturbing tendency to idolize other human beings, a precarious position to put them in as we may forget they are as fallible and flawed as we are. Often, this creation of idols and heroes leads to inevitable disappointment, as we learn our "heroes" may not be quite what we believe them to be.

Recently, Darby Allen, the RMWB Fire Chief who stewarded the emergency response  during the wildfire in 2016, was the subject of an article that depicted this regional "hero" in a new light - and not a flattering one.

While a court case is outstanding, some of the facts are known, including that Chief Allen was fired from the City of Calgary prior to his arrival here, and the circumstances surrounding his dismissal appear to be directly related to the complaint of sexual harassment from a female employee. There are still plenty of questions that remain unanswered, such as if our municipal leadership knew of this past when he was hired, if they did know prior to his being hired why this was not factored into that decision and of course if any similar complaints occurred during his time here. Perhaps those answers will one day be revealed, but in the interim what we are left to ponder is the concept of heroism.



I must admit that even in 2016, I struggled with the concept of Darby Allen as a hero. That's not because I had any knowledge of his past or any particular disagreement with his actions during that time, but rather because I didn't quite understand how his individual actions led to the badge of hero. He did his job, as many did during those days, and while he became the "face" of the fire, his calm and measured voice in videos reassuring panicky residents, I felt that tagging him as a hero was a bit dismissive of all the others who showed equal, if not greater, heroism: the firefighters on the front lines, the RCMP officers who dealt with residents as we evacuated in a panicked state, the folks who provided evacuees with food and water and gas and places to stay, the people who rescued pets, the people who opened their cars to other fleeing and frightened residents, and every single one of us who pulled together during what was likely the most difficult experience of our lives. Those, I thought, were everyday and real heroes, but they were nameless and faceless and not in daily videos, and so their acts of heroism, while noted, did not lead to the kind of  public accolades Darby received. If we reflect deeply we also may realize that the label of hero is one we affixed to him, not one he chose; so if someone we have decided is a hero then disappoints us, is the blame on them - or us?

And the evaluation of the job he did during the fire depends on who you talk to, of course. Some think he was a hero; some do not, and much depends on what they experienced and their individual perspective. But the real challenge is that there is great risk in identifying any one individual as a hero, as when we discover that our "heroes" are imperfect our bitter disappointment is often magnified.

Over the last few years (and through some difficult times) I have learned some disappointing but fundamental truths. People can have brilliant minds, but house dark hearts. People can be talented and accomplished professionals but be deeply destructive leaders. And people we deem to be "heroes" may well be deeply, deeply flawed.

And it is because at the end of the day we are human. We are all subject to the same traits: and some of them lead us to heroic acts of courage while others take us down dark paths.

When our heroes take a fall, we should  perhaps not look more closely at them but at ourselves. In our rush to proclaim them as heroes we often fail ourselves, as we are set up for that deep disappointment when we discover that our heroes are, in truth, simply humans after all.

Here’s Your Sign: Welcome to the City of Fort McMurray

This sign.

In May, 2016,  this sign was destroyed during the massive wildfire this community will never forget. I recall coming back when the long evacuation ended and realizing the sign was gone and sadness washing over me. The loss of this sign troubled me far more than I ever thought it could, and I still miss it even today.

Maybe it’s because it was so reflective of Fort McMurray in all its quirky “wrongness”. Fort McMurray ceased being a city when amalgamation took place in 1995 (yes, 25 years ago in April of this year). And even the look of the sign was a throwback to the days when Fort McMurray was smaller and didn’t concern itself with grandiose placemaking signs. No sir, a sign made of items that looked like they were dragged out of the boreal forest was just fine with us, no need for your high-falutin’ graphic design work (I mean, look at that font! It makes me grin every time).

So, here’s the deal. In my heart, I want this sign back. Not an updated version, not one with the error corrected, not one that’s part of some grand signage scheme so it looks like all the other signs in the region.

No.

This sign.

The sign that made me smile every time I came home after a long trip, the sign that was wrong and yet so right in every way that mattered, this sign that was destroyed  by the fire but barring that fact would likely still be standing today.

I want this sign. As a reminder of the past, as a replacement of what we lost, as some small “in your face” to the fire that broke our hearts but that failed to break us.

This sign. How I miss it.

The Return of the Muse

In 2016, just weeks before a massive wildfire changed our lives forever, I made the decision to "close" McMurray Musings.

It was not a decision I made lightly; I had invested not weeks or months but years into this blog, pouring into it every possible effort in order to try to capture the faintest glimmer of the place I had come to love.

And, as occasionally happens, over time it had come to feel more like work than pleasure; more like something I "had to do" rather than "wanted to do". And so, with only a mild twinge of regret, I said good-bye, with the caveat that I would continue to blog at another site that would allow me a broader range of expression, beyond the confines of the borders of this community.

The trouble though is that what was in my heart - what begged to be let out in words - was this community.

Things have changed since April, 2016. The economic downturn - which we hoped was a blip - has continued. The fire that tore through our community changed our landscape - and our hearts. And time has marched on. And just as our community has changed, so have I.

One thing has not changed, however. My love for this community, while tested and tried, has never lessened. In fact, I think it deepened, as during that long evacuation - the month that felt like a year - I was forced to re-evaluate my connection to this place and the people it holds.

And during that re-evaluation, I recommitted to this community. I will admit at times it has faltered; I have feared for our future and for what is in store for us, as I have seen other resource communities buffeted by change they cannot control. But time and time again, I remembered why I was still here: because this is where my daughter grew up, and I want other children who grow up here to be as proud of their home town as she is.

Over the last four years, I wrote sporadically in that other blog, touching on my life here but also on other themes. But over time I learned that I missed this blog with an intensity I had not anticipated; I missed telling the stories of our people and places and events. I missed being able to share my life in Fort McMurray, Alberta, a place so deeply misunderstood, mis-characterized and mislabeled by those who have often never even seen it.

And so, here it is. The muse has returned, although in truth she never left, not physically or emotionally. At one time I thought I needed to distance myself from McMurray Musings, because I was more than that; but over time I have come to realize that while I am more, I am still McMurray Musings too, just an older, and hopefully wiser, version.

In the future of this blog - however long that might be, as I have learned that things change too quickly to commit too firmly - I hope to write about the things that made me love this community: the people who live here, the history, the beauty, the quirks and oddities and the things that make us who we are. And I will touch on our troubles too - the things that divide us, the issues we face and the challenges we have to meet, because I have never suggested Fort McMurray is utopia; it's just another town on the face of a very large planet, and like the rest it is not perfect (but it just happens to be perfect for me).

I hope you will consider joining me for this adventure. I considered redesigning the blog - changing up the colour or the photo or the logo - but in the end this is the classic McMurray Musings look. I am not sure I am still the classic Triple M, though, as I have learned a few things over the last four years (good things, bad things, funny things, awkward things, things I didn't need to know, things I wish I didn't know, whatever).

So pull up a seat. Maybe I will make you smile; maybe I will make you laugh. Maybe you will agree with me or maybe you will be angry with me; whatever the outcome, I accept it, as I have so missed being able to share the story of this ever-amusing, ever-changing and ever-baffling place I am so very proud to call home.

And, so here we go. Again.