It’s Been a Pleasure Doing Business With You …

Kingston at sunset, as seen from the Wolfe Island Ferry.

Gord Downie has died – as we knew, but maybe didn’t-quite-believe he would.

I’m sad.

But happy.

Because, oh, the gifts he’s given us. Surprising, insightful, funny, flippant, lyrics. Music that you feel inside your body. And that voice …

Those were the big gifts – the gifts that everyone in Canada got from him.

But each of us got personal gifts, as well.

Gord Downie has been a part of my life since I went to university in Kingston. It’s fair to say The Hip and Gord Downie are an integral part of my relationship with Kingston, in the way the Ottawa River is part of my relationship with Ottawa. Always there, flashing through my head, when I think of the place.

I’ve loved his and their music always, at every point. Like many people I was always amazed that the new album was just as good as the last album, but different … except the same. I imagine there are many other Canadians, like me, who could never, ever pick a favourite Hip song.

The main gift Gord Downie gave me in the last couple of years was an extra tie with my family – especially my older son.

My kids were 12 and 14 when The Hip embarked on their farewell summer tour. Just a perfect age to understand, and enjoy, and marvel at the spectacle – but still a friendly, low-key spectacle – of that final tour.

The night of the last concert, in Kingston, was magic for us. We were heading back to Ottawa from Wolfe Island. We rode the ferry on a perfect late summer night with sky and Kingston harbour all around us, and pulled off the ferry to face the K-Rock Centre dead-ahead, surrounded by fans.

We drove along Hwy. 15 with the sun setting all around us, listening to the concert live on CBC as we passed through the Eastern Ontario landscape. It was special, memorable, amazing, perfect.

This morning, three minutes after my older son left for school, I heard the news and I immediately thought, “Oh no. I need to run after him. I need to tell him.” He was the first person I thought of.

I wondered – should I send him an email at school? What would be best?

I came up to my office and logged into my email, and there was an email from my son – subject line “Gord Downie” asking “Have you heard?”

I guess I was the first person he thought of when he heard the news, too.

This, perhaps, is the greatest gift Gord Downie has given me – this link my 15-year-old and I share with the moving music of a great man and a great band.

So, I’m sorry he had to go, but it was a pleasure …

(oh, and check out this amazing article – http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/...)