A Moment With Jack

I have a had a lot of run ins with celebrities, politicians, and various dignitaries in the past. Some of these stories are fleeting anecdotes with simple punchlines. There was the time I accidentally stepped on Jon Stewart's foot and forgot to apologize. There was the time I mistook Whoopi Goldberg for a Whoopi Goldberg impressionist. There was the strange moment where I was with former US Presidential Candidate John Kerry when we both heard the verdict of the OJ Simpson trial. I once dated the girl who starred in Curly Sue (for about ten seconds) and I had a girlfriend who cheated on me with... well, the world isn't ready for that story yet.

I never knew former NDP leader Jack Layton and it pains me to even put "former" in front of his name. As a dual citizen who has only lived in Canada full time for less than a decade, it was easy for me to be drawn to someone as outwardly cheerful and passionate as he was. His demeanour was almost infectious and it led to me getting a better appreciation for the NDP platform.

I am not a political pundit in any way, but when someone as well liked as Mr. Layton passes away, it becomes a good time to talk about a moment that you shared with them. My Jack Layton story was one that I always liked to share with people over drinks or in private because it is the perfect blend of lunacy and warmth that makes a story worth telling.

One afternoon, several years ago, I don't remember which one exactly, I was walking past City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square. Just between the rows of greasy food trucks and the entrance to the parking garage sits a statue of a seated Winston Churchill. Thanks to the proximity of food, the statue is somewhat inappropriately becoming a pooping ground for local pigeons and seagulls.

I happened to be walking by the statue as Jack Layton was; that day sporting an NDP baseball cap and street clothes. We both stopped in front of the statue and looked at it just as a seagull took one of the largest dumps I think either of us had ever seen right on Churchill's face. Then we looked back at each other.

"That was a pretty huge dump" was the first phrase Jack Layton ever said to me in the only time we would ever meet face to face. He was with two other people, but from there he introduced himself to me and we proceeded to have a friendly conversation. We only once talked politics after he told me who he was.

I pointed at the statue and said, "In your line of work, you must be pretty used to that."

Jack smiled. "Well, it's like any other job. There are good days and there are bad days. Churchill had those days, too, but he rarely ever complained about them. You fight the good fight and sometimes it doesn't always work out. You just have to stay strong."

Never before has something that was said to me at a really awkward time held so much weight, especially in light of his passing today. I don't remember the rest of the conversation as it was mostly about innocuous things like summer heat and travelling (once he picked up on my slightly American accent). But that one thing has always stuck with me. It was pretty great advice and something that I will not soon forget.

I can't properly eulogize the man, nor would I want to. I just wanted to pass along the one thing Jack Layton imparted on me, and that was to constantly roll with the punches no matter what life throws at you.

RIP Jack. You will be missed by all.