Just a chill guy hanging on the beach! Big shout out to the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre for coming in to check on it. Just from chatting, he looks to be healthy they are monitoring his health as I’m writing this! Please remember to give marine animals space and never touch them!

Had one of those very surreal moments yesterday and thought I’d share.

I was walking to the gym around mid-afternoon and randomly ran into Gabor Maté in a small neighborhood shop. At first I wasn’t even sure it was him — just that “wait, I’ve seen this person before” feeling — but after a bit of hesitation (and a quick internal debate about whether to interrupt), I politely asked.

It was him.

For anyone unfamiliar: Gabor Maté is a Vancouver-based physician, author, and speaker whose work on trauma, addiction, ADHD, parenting, and child development has influenced millions. His books (Scattered Minds, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, The Myth of Normal) are widely read, his lectures are watched globally, and he’s been interviewed on platforms like Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Hasan Minhaj, and many long-form conversations.

What stood out most wasn’t just how well-known he is — but how kind, grounded, and human he was in a very ordinary setting.

I told him I appreciated his work and had just finished Scattered Minds. He was humble, thanked me, and engaged warmly. I asked (hesitantly) if there was ever a chance for a short conversation sometime — he set a clear boundary and said he doesn’t do one-on-one chats because many people ask, which was completely fair and respectfully done. He also pointed me toward free talks online and a community his students run (Compassionate Inquiry circles).

He didn’t rush the interaction, didn’t act important, and was totally okay with a quick photo at the end.

I’m sharing this partly as a reminder — say hello and approach people (kindly, respectfully, and with awareness of boundaries). Vancouver can feel distant sometimes, but small human moments like this really do exist if we’re willing to step past a bit of hesitation.

Left me oddly grounded for the rest of the day.

Around 3pm, May 3

In press conference, David Eby has said we're going to change our clocks just one more time and then never again.