The headline here is a direct quote from the most unlikely of sources… Vince Gilligan. He is the creator and master mind behind shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” I have heard of this man but never heard or read any interviews with him. I made, what I thought, was a pretty safe assumption about Mr. Gilligan. He must have a darkness in his heart and soul to create such “evil” characters and scripts.

But I was absolutely wrong! I was fortunate to be driving at the time, and I commonly listen to CBC Radio, the Canadian equivalent of PBS. I really enjoy the talk show format of “Q,” with Tom Power. He’s a very talented host and is known for attracting an eclectic range of guests – most of them celebrities. His real magic is booking people who never do interviews.

So interviewing Vince Gilligan, known for steering clear of media, was a Coup For Power. It was a rare opportunity to learn about this award winner writer, director and showrunner. He had so many surprising gems in this amazing interview, so I looked up the CBC “Q” website and chose one. It’s a direct quote from the speech Gilligan gave to the Writers Guild of America while accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award.

       “As a writer, speaking to a room full of writers, I have a proposal. For decades, we’ve made villains too sexy. They say, ‘Man, those dudes are badass. I want to be that cool!’ When that happens, fictional bad guys stop being the cautionary tales they were intended to be. God help us, they become aspirational.”

Let me ask all of you an important question: Who inspired you? Were they good or were they bad?  

I want to acknowledge, “escaping” into the fictional world of “bad guys or gals” through a film or a book isn’t the issue. I love reading edgy books of fiction occasionally. This topic is about “real life!”

So, here’s a “real life” example that recently happened to me in LAX while connecting to a flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I am grateful for my status with various airlines, in this case, Delta. I’m in a very busy VIP Lounge and contemplating food, or just a coffee. While I’m standing at the dispenser, a total stranger comes up asking if he can help get me some food or a beverage. I am not surprised. This kind of thing has been happening to me forever.

Yet, it never ceases to amaze me how a “good guy” like this young gentleman seem to just “show up!” So, I graciously accept the help, and he gets me a latte from the machine. He asks if I need sugar, and I do, so he opens a couple of packages and puts them in my coffee. He then carries it to my table and excuses himself because he’s on a business call on Zoom, which he excused “himself” from to give me “a hand!”

He finished our brief encounter by saying: “I’m Evan. Pleased to meet you!” I replied: “I’m Alvin. Thanks for you, brother!” And without hesitation, he gave me a fist bump! I used my foot. He didn’t even flinch!

A question… “How difficult was that?”  

Of course, it helps that I give off a very positive vibe myself. Someone recently observed that meeting me felt like meeting – in his words – “An energy ball of life affirming joy! Alvin’s like a magnet that pulls you in and you don’t want to let go! He reminds us to be grateful and kind!”

But this isn’t about me. Everything I do is not to feed my ego. One of my absolute favourite mottos comes from Rotary Club. It states: Service before self. I’m honoured to be an Honorary Life Member of a Rotary Club in Calgary and an Honorary Paul Harris Fellow, which acknowledges the top tier of giving to charity.

My parents taught me to be “a giver, not a taker”, and that lesson became a practice I employ every single day. If I can do it, why can’t everybody? Well, I think it’s a simple choice.

Let me add one more very recent example.

I usually fly to my gigs, but circumstances saw me need to drive to a speaking engagement from our cottage in Saskatchewan to Jasper, Alberta… 1,300 km one way! I did it in two days and the weather was cold, windy, and rainy. I also had to gas up my Toyota 4Runner several times during the round trip. It’s quite an achievement that I can pump my own gas, although whenever I can, I find a full-service station, like Co-op outlets in Saskatchewan.

On this road trip, I needed to do it myself three times and not once did that actually happen. Complete strangers noticed I had no arms and even in the rain, offered to pump my gas for me! If that seems like “no big deal,” I disagree. It’s a huge deal and restores my faith in humanity.

That’s what this blog is about. It feels like humanity is taking a beating right now and it’s easy to give up hope. If we had more “good guys” and we “chose” to be more kind, more giving, and more empathetic, wouldn’t that make a difference?

My answer is an emphatic “Yes!” How about you?

Let’s have more “Yes I Can’s” please!

Thank you 🙏👣❤️