Latest news with #PaulJenkinson
CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
Meet Paul Jenkinson: He shows up ready to listen and it won't cost you anything
Paul Jenkinson is a retired social worker who's on a cross-Canada mission to sit down and listen. He made stops in Charlottetown and other locations on P.E.I. to look for people with something to say, hoping that he's making a difference by listening to one person at a time.
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Beat Today's NYT ‘Connections' With Hints And Answers For Thursday, May 22
Find the links between the words to win today's game of Connections. Each day's game of NYT Connections goes live at midnight local time. As such, 'today's Connections hints and answers' depend on where you are in the world. In case you need them, here are the Connections hints and answers for Wednesday: Hey there, Connectors! I hope you're having a fabulous week. I recently read my favorite story in ages. Paul Jenkinson, a retired social worker, is travelling Canada and offering people a friendly ear to talk about whatever they want. He's not charging them any money, just listening. He likens it to any other kind of volunteering, but this feels like a project that's really going to make a difference to those who sit and share what's on their mind. Such a lovely, important initiative. Before we begin, we have a great little community on Discord, where we chat about NYT Connections, the rest of the NYT games and all kinds of other stuff. Everyone who has joined has been lovely. It's a fun hangout spot, and you're more than welcome to hang out with us. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Discord is also the best way to give me any feedback about the column, especially on the rare (or not-so-rare) occasions that I mess something up. I don't look at the comments or Twitter much. You can also read my weekend editions of this column at my new newsletter, Pastimes. Today's NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, May 22 are coming right up. Connections is a free, popular New York Times daily word game. You get a new puzzle at midnight every day. You can play on the NYT's website or Games app. You're presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. The groups could be things like items you can click, names for research study participants or words preceded by a body part. There's only one solution for each puzzle, and you'll need to be careful when it comes to words that might fit into more than one category. You can shuffle the words to perhaps help you see links between them. Each group is color coded. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. The purple group often involves wordplay. Select four words you think go together and press Submit. If you make a guess and you're incorrect, you'll lose a life. If you're close to having a correct group, you might see a message telling you that you're one word away from getting it right, but you'll still need to figure out which one to swap. If you make four mistakes, it's game over. Let's make sure that doesn't happen with the help of some hints, and, if you're really struggling, today's Connections answers. As with Wordle and other similar games, it's easy to share results with your friends on social media and group chats. If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can access the publication's Connections archive. This includes every previous game of Connections, so you can go back and play any of those that you have missed. Aside from the first 60 games or so, you should be able to find my hints via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or the answers to the search query. Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of today's Connections groups, I'll reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them. Today's 16 words are... And the hints for today's Connections groups are: Need some extra help? Be warned: we're starting to get into spoiler territory. Today's Connections groups are... Spoiler alert! Don't scroll any further down the page until you're ready to find out today's Connections answers. This is your final warning! Today's Connections answers are... I got a perfect game today to bring my streak up to 86 wins! Here's how I fared: 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟨🟨🟨🟨 That's a fun bunch of words and phrases! I love the Asterix and Obelix reference (from ASTERISK and OBELISK). I loved those comics as a kid. Anyway, two things jumped out at me right away: the green movie characters and the Washington, D.C. landmarks. I went with the latter first to get the blues taken care of. The spelling of CAPITOL (as in the U.S. Capitol building) was a giveaway there. The Reflecting POOL and Washington Monument (which is an OBELISK) went neatly with those and MALL was the only other one that made sense. After that, I got the greens squared away. RIDDLER could have been here given his green suit in Batman Forever (a childhood (and current) fave of mine), but that didn't quite fit the brief. SHREK is from the Shrek movies, ELPHABA is from Wicked, HULK is from the Marvel films (and The Incredible Hulk) and the GRINCH is, well, The Grinch! At that point, the yellows became pretty clear. I put through the purples first. I figured the connection might be "associated with something two-faced" or some such, but not quite. Of course The RIDDLER is a famous riddle-giver! I didn't really know anything about the SPHINX in this context, though. Anyway, that left the yellows to wrap things up on this journey of mine toward 100 wins in a row. Also, I can't say I'm a fan of the title of a category including a word (or a very similar one) that's in said group. It happened twice today with MALL and RIDDLER! That's all there is to it for today's Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and the solution for Friday's game if you need them. P.S. This video of The All-American Rejects playing a backyard show popped up on my feed the other day. They've been playing a few shows like this recently, including a graduation party the other night (the cops showed up and shut things down after letting the band play one last song). I really enjoyed the first couple of All-American Rejects albums in particular. (A new album is coming soon.) The song they play here, 'Move Along,' has been a mainstay of my iPods and playlists for a very long time. The positive message in the lyrics hits home. I love the energy here, with fans packed into the backyard and others peering over the fence and everyone singing along. There's no barricade or security; everyone's just having a good time. More bands, especially well-known ones, should do stuff like this. Still, I'd be very interested to find out what the neighbors thought of this show: Have a great day! Stay hydrated! Call someone you love! Please follow my blog for more coverage of NYT Connections and other word games, and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Sharing this column with other people who play Connections would be appreciated too. You can also read my weekend editions of this column at my new newsletter, Pastimes.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Retired social worker travels to listen — and remind strangers they're not alone
Paul Jenkinson, left, talks with Steve Skafte at a park in Nova Scotia. Image: Supplied PAUL Jenkinson isn't a therapist. He doesn't write in a notebook, charge by the hour or offer solutions. Instead, he sits in parks, coffee shops and community centers, with a sign that says: 'You are not alone. I will listen.' Jenkinson, 70, is a retired social worker from Nova Scotia, and he is on what he calls a 'listening tour' across Canada. 'I'm creating a safe space, inviting people in and then listening carefully to what they're saying,' Jenkinson said. 'It's total, unconditional acceptance. No judging. No shaming.'Jenkinson retired in 2017 and was looking for ways to engage with others - and possibly help them. 'I thought I would really like to do something that is positive, that is inviting, that allows me to travel the country … to use my skills that I have for the benefit of the community,' Jenkinson said. 'I have professional knowledge, but I also have lived experience; I have sorrow and grief and tragedy and those kinds of things that are just part of the life journey.' Jenkinson set out on his tour on May 1, and he intends to make it to British Columbia by winter. He is traveling from east to west in his Subaru Forester. 'I'm not going anywhere in a hurry,' said Jenkinson. The same is true for his conversations with strangers. Jenkinson said there is no time limit on how long he will listen; people can stop and chat with him for as long or as little as they like. 'I am available to listen,' he said. 'But only if you want me to.' Jenkinson sets up his listening station in public spaces and stays there for several hours a day. Most often, passersby give him a smile or waive when they see the sign, then carry on without approaching. Others, though, will stop to talk. So far, Jenkinson said, he has had conversations with about 45 people on a range of topics - including tragedies and triumphs. 'I hear it all,' Jenkinson said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ He's spoken with parents who feel alienated from their adult children, people struggling with addiction, people falling in love, people contemplating their future and people grieving. A few days ago, a man approached him with his young daughter. The man's wife had died on Mother's Day. 'I have a child who died on Mother's Day,' said Jenkinson, explaining that his adult daughter died in 2007. 'You can imagine the gut-wrenching realization that we're sitting in the same space.' While many of the people he talks to are struggling in some way, others use their conversation as an opportunity to celebrate something in their lives. 'Somebody might sit down and just tell me the most wonderful thing that happened recently,' Jenkinson said. 'Life is not all sorrow and challenges. It's actually pretty beautiful some of the time.' On average, people will sit with Jenkinson for about 30 minutes, he said. Jenkinson will not counsel them or give clinical advice - he will just listen. People of all ages have stopped by. People tell Jenkinson they find sharing their problems with him to be cathartic, he said. They usually come to a conclusion or solution on their own. 'My general understanding over all the years of work is that the person actually has a pretty good idea of what would help them move forward,' Jenkinson said. 'They're the experts in their own situation.' 'This is a skill, to assist people in ways that they might move forward that they would be comfortable with, without giving advice,' he added. 'I'm helping them acknowledge what they're capable of.' Jenkinson said he believes everyone should have a therapist - and what he is doing is not therapy. He likened himself to a stranger on an airplane 'who you're never going to see again.' This gives people the freedom to share whatever is on their mind. Nothing is off limits. I let people know you can share anything, and it will sit with me,' Jenkinson said. Jenkinson recognizes that what he is doing is unconventional. Sometimes, people who see the sign seem wary. 'Initially, they wonder: 'Who is this? Is this a religious thing? Is this a trolling of some sort?'' Jenkinson said. But before long, he said, most people warm to the idea. 'Everybody is generally comfortable at some point,' he said. 'I think most people find it somewhat encouraging.' During his travels, Jenkinson will stay with family, friends and strangers who hear about what he's doing and invite him to visit their town. He has already gotten requests to visit Alberta and Quebec. Jenkinson is raising funds through Patreon and GoFundMe, which will go toward gas, auto repairs and maintenance, food and lodging when he is between people's homes, as well as buying 'coffee and grocery cards to brighten the day of someone who appears to need some encouragement,' he said. For the most part, though, Jenkinson said he is using his savings to carry out his listening tour. As he's getting older, 'this could be my last grand adventure,' he said. 'Might as well go big or go home.' Jenkinson believes many have 'lost this gift of listening,' and he hopes to show people how powerful it can be to simply sit and listen to someone's story. 'They'll often leave saying, 'I feel a lot lighter' or 'This was good; I'm glad I sat down,'' Jenkinson said. 'People appear to be benefiting and I'm benefiting, too,' he said. 'I am so blessed to meet all these wonderful, sweet, smart, seasoned people.'
Washington Post
17-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Man sits with chairs and his sign: ‘You are not alone. I will listen.'
Paul Jenkinson isn't a therapist. He doesn't write in a notebook, charge by the hour or offer solutions. Instead, he sits in parks, coffee shops and community centers, with a sign that says: 'You are not alone. I will listen.' Jenkinson, 70, is a retired social worker from Nova Scotia, and he is on what he calls a 'listening tour' across Canada.
CBC
15-05-2025
- General
- CBC
#TheMoment a N.S. retiree embarked on a cross-Canada ‘listening tour'
Paul Jenkinson, a retired social worker, recounts the moment he started a cross-Canada 'listening tour' — creating a safe space for people to share what's on their minds, free of charge.
