A Hidden Life

Feburary 2026

“For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.

The line is from George Eliot’s Middlemarch, although I mostly know it because it appears on screen at the end of Terrence Mallick’s A Hidden Life (yes, the movie’s title comes from the line.)

I recently rewatched the movie a couple of weeks ago and once again the idea of a hidden life, of unhistoric acts continues to dwell with me.

At around the time of my rewatch, I also went to City Hall to delegate and speak to city councillors, along with around 60 others to speak and advocate for the city to implement temporary bike infrastructure that they themselves suggested a couple of years ago. After being there for most of the day, they moved to scrap the infrastructure.

I felt quite defeated but also full of resolve about the importance of the work of being at city hall (despite what they think and how they act, they work for us!). But that was many hours of my life that I committed to that, and I’m sure there will be countless more hours to come. Who knows if there will eventually be a bike lane there on Wellington Crescent.

What about all the existing bike lanes in Winnipeg that exist now? How many hours of people’s lives did it take to be there? Extrapolating that thought further, What about Canada’s universal healthcare? What about all the behind the scenes organizing work that was done, all the people, whose work isn’t acknowledged? And the concept of the weekend, of sick pay leave? People had to work and fight for that.

Organizing for the greater good of the world is mostly thankless work, and the times we do know about the work done and the people involved, that is the fluke not the norm.

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Feb was cold, abounding, and ethereal . Looking back, it was full of:

Broomball, Sentimental Value, Millenium Library, City Hall By-Law protest, Sherburn houses, Flying to Saskatoon, baby cuddles, bumping into people you know at the airport, working at Tuxedo, Marty Supreme, Manitoba Arts Council writing workshop, foggy bike ride home, skating the river trail, record player finally working, bike ride with Nads on new bike, smashed burgers, arts grant meeting, buying polaroid film, skating with Louis, more broomball, watching Canada lose Gold, Krazy bins, eating shorty’s with TB staff, Home Street AGM, A Hidden Life, Driving out to Boissevain,

Enjoy the photos,

Michael, not Mike