hot on the trail: revolutions and mothers

i think someone or some thing, may be onto me.

I can't be certain, nor could I reveal the information were I certain, but lets just say that yesterday afternoon in the midst of one of the most personally profound readings I have ever attended, the soothing voice of David Carpenter expressing the profundity of engaging with nature in the role of hunter, was suddenly interrupted by the sound of what seemed to be a large plane or tank of some sort, overhead.

I was immediately alarmed, though the Millennium library security calmly closed the door to the the Carol Shields Auditorium, as if this was a regular occurrence.

'Has this happened during the Nooners?' I thought to myself.
'Or does this unidenitfied onlooker only concern itself with monitoring the Big Ideas series?' Afterall, we all know what happens when people have big ideas. Revolutions happen, is what.

(Another clue? Is this why people attend the festival? Are they are looking for a revolution?? Is Charlene ready for this? Does she know? Can she tell? The audience has been a little feisty this year. Nothing like bringing up the long-gun registry or an interest in break and enters during a writers festival.
Oh wait. It was Charlene that brought up B&E's....)

I quickly reached for my sunglasses and sunk lower into my seat.
Stacy shot me a knowing glance.
Could it be the Millennium Library hot on my trail? Was Thin Air using the library to try and scare me out of my mission?
It could make sense, but I am not jumping to any conclusions.
And we all know, I am not the only blogger with a sense that something might be out to get them ##jaydiazvsthinair

More recently, I came across Stacy's hypothesizing of my double agent status and was absolutely shocked at the suggestion.
Once I had googled it.
But I can assure you that the target agent I am spying on (Thin Air Attendees) is one and the same as the controlling organization I am claiming to be a part of (I am a Thin Air attendee). Therefore, the only threats against my life, are the ones I create......
##thatsdeep

With the possibility of being found out at the forefront of my mind, I knew that my cover for mainstage last night had to be as inconspicuous as possible.
The theme for the evening was Family Business.
The only option: bring my mother.

It worked well, though I was so caught up in being an 'authentic' looking audience member, I barely payed attention to the goings on. So much so, that as Stacy, my mother and I sat discussing the first half of the evening, expressing our intellectual musings over the magnificent readings of Uma Parameswaran, Craig Frances Power and Sharon McCartney, I failed to notice that 2 of the 3 were sitting DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US.

Spy fail #3: Do not discuss the mission, at the mission site. And for f*** sakes, pay attention to your surroundings.

Luckily Stacy didn't think they had been there the whole time. I'm considering asking her to be my side kick. I will have to consult my spy manual to see if spies are allowed to have those ##myspymanualisgoogle

My most recent conclusions are as follows:
Families, hunting, spy work and Thin Air are complicated matters. You can never be too careful, but if you pay attention in the right ways, you will learn more then you bargained for.

All four are breading grounds for revolution. You just have to look for the signs.

And don't forget to keep an eye out, you never know who might be watching. Your mother, a bull moose, Charlene, the Tin Man. Anything is possible.


over and out.


Courtney Slobogian was born in Winnipeg and likes it that way. She is a writer/understated activist/ irreverent feminist.

Some of her work can be tracked down in quiet corners of the internet.

She co-hosts a radio show on CKUW called Tiger Lilies are Poisonous, dislikes cotton socks and is currently working on developing her spy skills.