Pioneer on the Internet – Sean Gursky

In light of the world downturn, layoffs locally and abroad, you can’t help but wonder what life beyond your current situation would be like. For the last week I have been thinking about a quote from one of my favorite movies, Vanilla Sky.

Julie Gianni: What is happiness to you, David?

The question is simple enough but to answer it honestly requires some thought and personal insight. I know what I enjoy doing with my time but is any of that able to sustain me and grow into a career? I have taken that thought one step further and wondered what would make me utterly happy in a career. What is my perfect career?

What would offer me growth, happiness and money? Unless you are an entrepreneur or self employed and in control of every aspect of your job can you expect to obtain all three?

Should you just be content getting by with what you have, enjoying what your current job affords you or do you sacrifice a piece of the triangle for the other pieces of the pie? Obviously growth and enjoyment outweigh money, but overall happiness has to play into the delicate work-life balance.

At the age of 26 I thought I would be able to answer such questions easily but the truth is I don’t know. The fact that I am unable to answer this makes me wonder if I am apathetic toward the whole thing, and if I am just floating through life, which is a concerning and scary thought.

And still it all comes back to: What is happiness to me?

This past weekend I joined Gord, Andrea and Jaymie on a Backside Tours trip to Revelstoke. This was my first time on skis since March 2007, as I missed last season due to my broken ankle. There was also the concern about bruising my toes, but I was confident that my new boots would solve the problem.

I don’t know what it is between putting on boots at a ski hill or at the store in Edmonton, but the moment the foot went into the boot I instantly felt pressure on the nails. No matter, I came here to ski and was determined to not let a little pain bother me.

Revelstoke is a fairly new resort and it seems we went there at the worst time because there hadn’t been snow in over 11 days and there were a few mechanical issues with their gondolas. There are only three lifts that cover the entire mountain but there was enough variety to challenge yourself.

When Gord and Jaymie skied together Andrea and I did some hiking to access the back side of the mountain. The snow was better here and the challenge increased. I could feel the pain in my toes increasing as we navigated our way through some impressive terrain. By 1PM I was spent for the day and my feet were sore so I hung out in the chalet and tried not to think about what was happening under my boot.

When we got to the hotel room on Saturday I was not surprised to see that both of my big toes were black, hello subungual hematoma! Black toe’s are something I have become quite familiar with, and on Saturday night I administered an emergency bathroom surgery with a safety pin and a lighter reliving most of the pressure under the nail. There was still a lingering throbbing pain but it was better than the alternative.

I need to create a medical category for my blog posts for the times that I damage myself bad enough that the effects last a whole calendar year.

Needless to say my Sunday of skiing was going to be very relaxed. I brought out my camera to document the hill and did two runs that covered most of the mountains vertical climb before retiring to the comfort, and warmth, of the chalet.

I will see about returning my recently bought pair of boots, but regardless I think it I have learned my multiple lessons and will be purchasing a higher quality boot that is properly fitted by someone who knows such things.

And so this concluded another ski trip which ended the same way it has for the last few years, with a limp and promise to not let it happen again.

Nearly six months to the day I saw The Dark Knight in IMAX again. Since last July I have also seen The Dark Knight in a regular theater and twice from the comfort of my living room, and one of those was on Blu-Ray. Yet nothing can beat the feeling of seeing it on the six story high screen, even for a second time.

While watching it yesterday I had a realization that made me a little sad. During the scene where Harvey Dent is being transported by the GCPD and Joker and his “Slaughter House” truck track him down, I realized that this may be the last time I see this in IMAX. No matter what home theater I possess, my favorite scene in the movie would never be presented as beautifully I was witnessing then.

For the movie to get a second engagement in theaters is special but I don’t think this is something they would do again and it made me savor the remainder of the movie that much more. Because I was given another chance to see The Dark Knight how it was truly meant to be see I urge anyone who liked this movie enough to buy it, or had heard about it but never made it out to a theater, to see this before it rides off IMAX and into the darkened streets of Gotham City for good.

I want you to close your eyes and imagine a place of happiness. Picture this place just off the Pacific coast. It is nestled in the rolling hills of the country side, surrounded by green and lush vegetation. It is always the right temperature and never too cold.

You are close enough to civilization that you are not isolated from the world but you have your own utopia there. You can live here forever and never leave, that is the kind of comfort this little slice of paradise offers. Although you begin to notice some familiar faces around this world of yours.

At first you don’t mind, but after a while these tourists become more common and they begin to irritate you in ways only a family member knows how. Suddenly you are awoken from your daydream and realize that everyone there was related to you. You were at Gursky Ranch!

Jenna came across this site yesterday and I was as shocked as she was. I am not sure when I will be in California but if I am ever close to San Fransisco I will be making a trip out to see this ranch.

Maybe this is where all Gursky’s meet to discuss politics, sports and world domination and I have been missing out on it? Then our family portrait is taken by Andreas Gursky and we all sit around a quiet lake and watch the sun set.

The Gursky family has been involved in agriculture for three generations. My grandfather, Nathan, and my dad, Ephraim, formed the original “Gursky and Son”…

This was almost as much of a surprise as finding Gursky Ranch in the first place. You will recall that one of my drinking birds was named Ephraim. Was this purely a coincidence, a subconscious acknowledgment of my family heritage or something else?