This podcast is a deep dive discourse on my Substack written just over a year ago, right after the super-charged USA-Canada hockey game in Boston. The game coincided with the outbreak of chilly relations between President Trump and Prime Minister Carney on the whether the US would, could, or should acquire Canada.
As a reminder, the sign my friend Ian brought to TD Garden that night reads:
Welcome to the USA: Canada’s 11th Province.
Ian is a lifelong friend whose brilliant mind takes him places most can’t fathom and only a few dare to tread. Such brilliance that defies gravity can be a curse because it is so far beyond the reach of mere mortals. Many just don’t get him. But a wise President surely would.
To lighten the load, Ian is also blessed with a side-splitting, mind-bending, and other-worldly sense of humor. And it’s CLEAN! Ian needs no foul language to punch through the BS and tickle your funny bone…though it’s often with a pointy stick. But it doesn’t hurt…not that much, anyway. Unless you actually have no sense of humor at all. Then, it might hurt where you need it…which is probably a good thing. You can thank me later.
It’s no surprise that Ian also has a memory that continues to astound. While my mind seems to have slipped into the permafrost sludge of half-baked Covid cookies, Ian’s mind continues to expand far beyond the known universe. Ian’s mind is like the James Webb telescope that keeps discovering new galaxies once unimagined. But he still remembers everything. Unlike most of us with limited cranial real estate, he doesn’t need to purge his old memories to make room for new ones.
Ian ingests new information and turns out funny, zany, goofy, and usually profound creations in a style uniquely his own. They are usually in the form of “performance art”, which is so…old school. But it creates ripples of impact. Some of those ripples die quickly; others grow into larger waves. And others transform into alien lifeforms. But they always generate a reaction. If he can’t get a rise out of you, then you might be dead. Ian’s gift is sometimes a kick in pants to make sure our head and heart are still working.
A classic Ian moment was Thursday night in Boston. Standing in front of the TD Garden (sports arena) before the super-charged USA-Canada hockey game, Ian held up this simple sign.
(By the way, “TD” stands for Toronto Dominion. It’s a Canadian bank…that sponsors the area where the Boston Bruins play hockey. Ahhh, but hockey IS Canada’s game.)
Ian should be the Presidential Jester. Every king employed a Court Jester, who played a critical role in the proper functioning of the kingdom. Entertaining His Majesty and guests with wit and humor was the core job requirement. Talk about stress: many jesters lost their heads for not being funny. And kings aren’t the easiest people to please. Bad joke: “Off with his head!” Bad mood: “Off with his head!” Bad coffee: “Off with his head!” Bad Bunny: “Cook him for dinner!”
But the real gift of the Jester was the insight and wisdom he carefully conveyed to the King, who was often too busy or blind to appreciate what was happening beyond the fortified gates of his golden kingdom. The Jester was able to inject some needed perspective into the Crown’s cranium and bring some sensibility and awareness about the consequences of his Royal actions…or inactions. His Highness would then find sudden Royal revelation, believing of course that those insights were from his own magnificence, not the lowly Jester’s humble suggestions.
And so, many kingdoms operated successfully for centuries due in large part to brilliant Court Jesters who knew how to engage with His Highness and still keep their heads. But it also required that the King could tolerate an occasional jibe or subtle inuendo that maaaaaybe there’s something amiss in the Magic Kingdom. Those kings knew they needed wise outside counsel. They listened. And, if they were truly serving their people, they would take the Jester seriously. And be grateful.
Could ours?
For a unique perspective on the tumultuous period of Great War of 1914-18 through World War II, please check my recent book, A Delicate Dance: A Noble Family’s Journey Through Legacy, War, and a Broken World.
