Flying Fish by John Henderson

For this week’s speedlink, we throw around some flying fish by way of Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Krista Ewert has taken the four simple principles from the fish philosophy and has decided to apply them to every aspect of her life. Indeed, life “doesn’t suck” when you choose to be present, choose your attitude, make their day and remember to have fun. Happiness is a conscious decision.

Going with the flow, we head back to the home of those delicious fish as led by Rebecca Bollwitt and her recent trip down the Kicking Horse River near the town of Golden, BC. She went kayaking through the Rocky Mountains with her companions, having a great time as she literally went with the flow down the river. As someone who has gone whitewater rafting himself (and who doesn’t know how to swim), I can empathize with Rebecca’s fear. It is fun though!

Most people have jobs. Many people have careers. But only a relative minority have a calling. Perhaps Sandy Huang is one of those lucky few, as she explains why she writes. It has always been a passion of hers and she’s been keeping journals ever since she was little (she still has them). From exploring her creative side to wanting to have her own space online, writing makes her happy. For those of us who write for a living, we just feel compelled to do it.

Turning to the world of politics (stop your groaning!), Joanne Cronrath Bamberger questions whether Republican Paul Ryan should really be the new face of work-life balance. When asked to become the new Speaker of House, Ryan said that he will not give up his family time. The not-so-subtle irony is that he once ran for President of the United States, one of the most consuming jobs a person can take. He’s also incredibly opposed to paid family leave.

And finally, with Halloween this weekend, we go back in time with Andy Herald as he explains the various ways that a kid’s Halloween costume can suck. It’s not particularly uplifting when you learn that every other trick-or-treater in your neighborhood is also dressed up as Kylo Ren, nor is it a lot of fun when you find yourself needing to explain who you’re supposed to be to everyone that you meet. He’s Pikachu, not a cat.

Image adapted from Flying Fish by John Henderson on Flickr