RIP Jack Layton or The loss of a great Canadian

This is only a small personal story, but it's all I have to share...

Jack Layton was speaking here in Winnipeg in '04 shortly after being nominated leader of the NDP. I had been very impressed w

ith his politics and had purchased and read his book "Speaking Out: Ideas that Work for Canadians." In addition,

I had just met a girl who had worked for the NDP and thought that seeing Jack could be an interesting first date. He took the podium in a room full of longtime "grey" NDP'ers and spoke about hope and possibilities, his ideas for tak

ing the NDP to greater heights, which included some "softening" perhaps. Some members in the room spoke angrily and he bore the brunt of some firey criticisms with grace, engaging in a rigorous conversation, listening to ideas and presenting his own. I don't think that there was a single person in the room who left with the same impr

ession of him that they had come in with, everyone was impressed.

After his talk, he gave time for 1 on 1 conversation, and I nervously approached him with my copy of his book to sign. He asked me a little about myself and what brought me there, what prompted me at 24 to take an interest etc. Being shy, I related what I could and asked him what was really a silly question. I mentioned his striking resemblance to the "Video Professor" from infomercial fame and how he responded to those among some people I knew that used that as a strike against voting for him. He laughed and joked that he wanted to "control-alt-delete" the liberals and passed back my signed book, thanking me for attending and supporting the NDP.

I hadn't looked at that book for a long time, but 7 years on, I'm still with the same girl, we have a house, a dog, and a baby boy. It was with the sad news today that I opened the book up and saw the inscription, simple, yet a perfect sum up of everything:

"Dear Ian,

With thanks and hope!

Jack Layton

Nov. '04"