My God I feel old.

There are numerous reasons for this and all of them are beyond my control.My back always aches, a hangover from my years as an Antique furniture dealer. My foot causes me constant pain as a result of the accident and as a result I walk with a cane.Despite the success of  "House" I find walking with a cane makes people think of nothing but old age.

Not exactly a pretty picture. I remember when I had muscles of steel and sex appeal. Now I just have the sex appeal.

I took my Cuddlebug to an Antique Market today. It was an interesting experience. I used to go to this market when I was first getting set up in the business.Back then I had a hard time deciding what to buy... there was just so much great stuff to choose from.Today I went through the entire market and didn't find anything I would have bought for my store.

Back then they called me the kid , today they called me sir. Back then I soaked up the knowledge of the Dealers like a sponge. I asked questions, learned from them all that I could, and then put that knowledge to use to ensure that I wouldn't be embarassed by any customer.I used that knowledge to buy well . I can sell, I can sell sawdust to a beaver, I just have the personality for it, the sense of humour needed to get folks on my side so that they WANTED to buy from me.Back then it didn't matter how good you were at selling ,  you had to know your stuff.

Back then the Dealers took pride in being Dealers, took pride in their wares, took pride in offering stuff that couldn't be found anywhere else.

Today I had to educate a few dealers about their own stock.When I asked them about it they improvised with such shit that it was embarassing.They obviously knew nothing, had done no homework, had asked no one the right questions. Back then they wouldn't have been allowed to sell their stuff at this market.

Cuddlebug loved today, she asked me questions and we had a blast checking out all the stuff.There was some interesting things there, I don't mean to give the wrong impression, but I hate the term "collectible", and in my mind if it isn't one hundred years old it isn't an antique.Back then Dealers would beat you up if you tried to pawn off something as an antique that wasn't one hundred years old. Today finding something that old was a rarity.

So why do I feel old? Because I just realized that I started almost every sentence with the term "back then". And I never would have done that if I wasn't old.

I turn 49 in May.

A little while ago I was featured on the Home page here at Xanga. It was an interesting experience and I made many new friends here because of it. I am extremely grateful.

One of them kept reading me and came to the realization that I am Canadian, I think she was a bit freaked out by this , I could be wrong but I don't think she has had many encounters with Canadians in her neck of the world.I want her to know, hell, I want the entire world to know....you owe Canada a HUGE thank you!!

There was an interesting program on TV here a while back. It was called the Greatest Canadian Inventions and it was a real eye opener for me.

Now I am a proud Canadian, I have written of this before. But it is not just because of hockey that I am proud , although that sparked it when I was a kid. Once I was sparked I started learning more and more about the contributions Canadians have made to the world ( Insulin for example) and to our own country.

Did you know the lightbulb was invented by a Canadian? No, it wasn't Thomas Edison. Edison bought the patent from a Canadian. The best $5000 he ever spent.

Our military sucesses and contributions have been acclaimed world wide with regards to the first two World Wars, so I am not referring to those. Nor am I referring to the telephone, which was invented by a Canadian, in Canada. Though Scotland lays claim to Alexander Graham Bell as theirs, as do the States since he moved there in his 20's.

The Blackberry is another Canadian invention that the world has embraced, some folks say they would die without it.But that is not what what opened my eyes that night.

No, the fact remains that the GREATEST invention in the HISTORY of the world was invented by a Canadian.

This invention is sooooooo FANTASTIC that even men and women will agree. There simply is no room for debate on this one, and yet like most of our Canadian accomplishments we have downplayed it, even in our own country. It seems like we Canadians are not supposed to blow our own horns and feel proud.

Well I for one, am EXTREMELY proud to call this a Canadian invention. To lay claim to the fact that it was invented here, and that the whole world benefits from Canadian creativity and ingenuity.

Think about it....how often in history does an invention benefit both sexes, regardless of race, age,  creed or colour? Well this one does and I am here to let the world know it is a Canadian invention.

And I am PROUD of it.

I am , of course, referring to.......

The WonderBra.

I hope you all will look on Canadians a little more favourably  from now on.