Posted on July 30, 2015 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

Big bike….. great cause!

 

 

The first “back to school” flyers arrived in the mail the other day. Can the Halloween flyers be far behind? Back to school means different things to different people. If you are a parent, the mere thought of preparing school lunches may induce the urge to have a second ( or third! ) glass of wine with the evening meal. If you are a seven year old, September seems as far away as Pluto. The summer seems endless and moves at the pace of molasses. If you are a teacher , the end of July is the first harbinger that school is just around the corner. Intellectually, you know that there’s still a month of holidays left but school is lurking in the deep recesses of your mind.

With these things in mind, I thought that this would be a good time to write a piece about the phenomenon of going back to school. “Class Act” is the fictional tale of a teacher who returns to school in September. Not only will she be teaching a new grade but she is going to a new school. Some of you may know that I was a teacher , once upon a time, so I’m in a good position to write this one.

Now, you know Pat Evans. The response to “positively Pat” was overwhelming. You were inspired by her story as was I when I first met her. Here are a few comments that were sent to me:

“Well, Len, this attitude in a person who has endured severe physical hardship and restricted mobility makes us aware that our minor aches and pains are less than inconveniences. You often find an appropriate word or phrase in a song that you sing/or did sing. One such comes to mind here: When you’re weary and you can’t sleep, count your blessings instead of sheep. And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings. The lady deserves all the praise that comes her way for her positive attitude to life. “

“ Len, what an incredible lady! Hopefully you will be able to persuade her to come to Antigonish in the fall. She is an inspiration to others and we have much to learn from people with courage, perseverance, optimism and fortitude. Keep finding people like Pat and add hope to a world that is in need of heroes and heroines. Thanks for sharing Pat’s story.”

I will keep you posted about a possible visit from Pat to Antigonish in the fall.

My third book is in the hands of my book editor and is scheduled for release in late October. I haven’t finalized the title so if you have any ideas, please send them along. If I choose your title, I will send you a fabulous prize!

Which is a convenient segue to my next topic: merchandise. Now women, don’t get excited. The prize is NOT a crocodile leather handbag from Hermes. And, no guys, you won’t get Leaf playoff tickets (!). The prize is , a soon to be released, “limited edition” Week45 baseball cap. These will be on the market soon. I expect long lineups at fine retail establishments once the launch is announced…. and pigs fly!

Ok. Last thing. If you are having a reunion some time this summer or fall ( would someone please tell me when summer arrives? ), bring me along to your gathering. I can tell stories from my books and also play some Maritime music.

Have a great long weekend and hope to see some of you next Monday 3^rd. at 2:00 at the Visitor Information Centre for “Tales and Tunes.”

Posted on July 28, 2015 under Storytelling with 7 comments

” Sunny side up!”

 

 

“You’ve got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative,

Latch on to the affirmative …”

Accentuate the Positive – Sam Cooke

Some people have everything and want more. Others appear to want little, having found joy and contentment in its purist form.

Pat Evans had it all. She was a successful teacher, admired by her peers.  She was fiercely independent and was athletic, participating in several sports. She had just acquired a new English Springer dog and was about to take possession of a new home the very day her world was turned upside down. In the early hours of a late September morning thirteen years ago, Pat’s car was struck by a moose and, in an instant, she became a quadriplegic.

The house deal never did go through.

She was rushed to the nearest hospital in Baddeck. She already realized that she was in very bad shape. As she lay in her hospital bed, immobilized, she stared up at the ceiling and mused to herself: “Well missy, this could go either way. You can be sad and angry the rest of your life or you can just suck it up and get on with it.” Luckily for every person that knows Pat, she chose the latter. But this was no surprise to her friends. She had always been a “cup half full” kind of person.

Prior to the accident Pat had never been hospitalized. Once there, however, she became fascinated by all the technology, and by the way the medical fraternity was able to help patients in their darkest hours. She spent about six months in the provincial rehab centre before moving back to her beloved Cape Breton. She arrived to her new home on the lake, designed specifically for her physical challenges. There had been no compromising on one feature: she had to be able to see the water.

Not many people would see it this way but Pat claims that “If I were going to have an accident, I couldn’t have picked a better time.” First of all, there was the stroke of luck that someone was following close behind her when her car left the road, enabling first responders to find her quickly after she hurtled down an embankment and into some trees. She had insurance at the time that allowed her to build the home she needed along with all of the specialized equipment. She requires assistance 24 hours a day and has been blessed with wonderful caregivers.

And, speaking of caregivers, sometimes things are just meant to be. Pat’s first caregiver was Debbie Hibbs, who was aching from the loss of her son in a tragic plane accident. During their very first face to face meeting, they talked about many things. Pat mentioned that, by necessity, she would be using the internet a great deal to communicate with the outside world. And like many people do, Pat had a name for her computer: Melvin. I’m sure there was an audible gasp when Debbie disclosed that this was the name of her beloved son. Debbie had silently prayed to Melvin to find her a job. He knew where to send her.

Debbie says that in the six and a half years that she spent with Pat, she never heard her complain. Not even once.

Throughout my conversation with Pat she repeated the refrain “I am so lucky. There are other people who are worse off than me.” I’m sure that most able bodied people wouldn’t see it this way. “I didn’t change as a result of the accident.” she maintains. “I am who I am.”

And who is Pat Evans? Simply put, she is one of most uplifting people that you could meet anywhere. She has always surrounded herself with like-minded, positive people. “I have no time for negativity!” she declares.   Pat points to family and friends who never deserted her. And who would probably tell me that they receive much more than they give, thanks to this inspiring woman.

“My family are all nuts,” Pat claims. Even when she was in hospital and on a ventilator, they teased her unmercifully because they could get away with it. As in most large families, good natured ribbing is a given. Her legendary verbosity was compromised for a time but soon she was able to come right back at them.

Pat’s former colleagues come in a group several times a year including Christmas, when they roll up their sleeves and decorate the house. One of them commented that Pat was the embodiment of the expression from Epictetus: It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.

And what has been the hardest part of this life-changing journey? “It took me a long time to accept that I wouldn’t be able to return to teaching. It was the only time during this whole ordeal that I cried.”

But one would argue that Pat never stopped teaching. She has inspired children when she has visited schools to give talks and she has a profound impact on young people who have disabilities. On a recent trip to the Mayflower Mall, she noticed a young boy in a wheelchair who looked to be about seven. He was marvelling at Pat’s ride, which she activates by head movements through a neck device called a Peachtree. After explaining how it worked, she asked him if he wanted to race. One can only imagine the stares from the mall patrons as Pat and the young boy spent a few joyous moments of exuberance together.

Pat has had the travel bug her whole life. Prior to the accident she had visited Australia and New Zealand on a number of occasions. She was and is a firm believer in “not putting off tomorrow what you can do today”. That spirit of wanderlust continues as she travels south in the spring of each year.

Getting from A to Z is not easy for Pat. Nothing is easy, but her indefatigable and unwavering spirit and zeal for life outstrip the many barriers she faces on a daily basis. During our conversation, Pat mentioned that she had to wear a halo for a long period of time during her recovery. I suggested that she still had one! We had a good laugh over that; one of many chuckles shared throughout the afternoon.

Her dog, Abbey, has been her constant companion. Abbey knows Pat’s routine every bit as well as do her caregivers. She lays low in the morning, but once the wheelchair swings into action, Abbey does likewise and is there by Pat’s side. In the early, dark hours after the accident, Abbey discovered Pat’s lap. They’ve been inseparable since then.

And when asked what is her greatest joy (besides family, friends, caregivers and Abbey!), Pat is quick to reply; “I love to be outside in the sunshine.”

I’m not sure if Pat can sing (I bet she can!) but I suspect that she knows the lyrics to this song:

”Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side, Keep on the sunny side of life. It will help us every day; it will brighten all the way If we’ll keep on the sunny side of life.”*

Next time I’ll bring my guitar.

* Keep on the Sunny Side of Life – Ada Blenkhorn/Howard Entwisle

Posted on July 27, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Join me for some tunes and stories

 

 

Here I go, shamelessly promoting an upcoming gig at the Visitor Information Centre. As mentioned in a previous post, I hadn’t been to the VIC for years ( decades? ) until recently , after sharing a table with them at Saltscapes. It is one of the best kept secrets in Antigonish. The centre is staffed by knowledgeable and pleasant people who are wonderful ambassadors for our community. I am going to put on a show on Monday, August 3^rd. at 2:00 p.m. to help shed a light on the VIC. Grab a chair and join me and some of my friends for some music and a bit of story telling. I am lining up the musicians and am hoping to have a few of my musical children as guests… and a few other surprises. There will be refreshments.

And speaking of events, the Antigonish Art Fair moved indoors last Friday with the prospects of inclement weather ( snow?! ). The event was held at the Market Square ( the rebranding of the Mall ) and a large crowd enjoyed an evening of art, music and food. There was a stellar lineup of performers on stage including the irrepressible Sunshine Sue who is one of the best children’s entertainers you will ever meet. Here’s a name to watch out for: Clifton Pettipas. He was the last performer of the night and it was unfortunate that most of the crowd had disbursed. He is an amazing young talent who has a great voice and can handle a guitar with the best of them. We’ll definitely bring him back for an encore performance.

Upcoming stories….

“Michael’s Mitts” is the story of Michael MacDonald of Red Islands, just up the road from Johnstown in Cape Breton. The central theme of the story is his rather large hands and what he had used them for. One of my favorite passages in the story is about his time in Toronto, training in the same gym as the legendary heavyweight, George Chuvalo. When I asked him if he ever entered the ring with Chuvalo , he replied,” No. And that’s why I’m still alive today.” Michael has a keen sense of humor and we shared many laughs during a two hour lunch. You will meet “Johnny Rye” and “Neily John the Widow “ when the story is published. Stay tuned.

Coming up this week is the amazing story of Pat Evans, a “glass half full” kind of gal. She lives in George’s River, Cape Breton along with her dog, Abbey. Pat requires 24/7 care after she became a quadriplegic thirteen years ago when she hit a moose on her way to work. This is a great story and should be required reading for everyone. ( Not because I am the author but because of the content! ). Pat has agreed to come to Antigonish this fall to do a talk at the library. “Positively Pat” will appear in a few days at Week45.

What if you opened up a storage bin and found a human being inside? ( alive! ). This is one of the many interesting tidbits to be found in my story about The Opportunity Shop. “When Opportunity Knocks” is the story of an amazing small business that has been around these parts for over 60 years. Besides providing good usable clothing and household items, the Op Shop uses its profits for the betterment of the community. It is an interesting story and will appear in next week’s Casket and on my website.

“Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.”

Have a great week.

P.S. Did any of you catch the special on CNN about the 1970’s? They did a whole segment on television programming. If you are under 60 , the Saturday evening lineup of shows on CBS back in the mid 70’s won’t mean much but for us old farts, these were some of the best shows ever:

8:00 – All in the Family

8:30 – Mash

9:00 – Mary Tyler Moore

9:30 – Newhart

10:00 – Carol Burnett

If you can get a podcast of this , it will bring back a flood of memories.