Posted on January 30, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with 3 comments

Hamish’s home away from home

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your exuberant support of my latest project called “Faces in the Crowd.” ( FITC ).

Antigonishers and other people who live in small communities, are not easily fooled. We don’t fall all over celebrities and we’re not terribly impressed with the rich and famous. We know who the real people are: people like Hamish MacGillivray, Lalitha Natarajan and Bill Ryan.

The response to their stories is both heart warming and somewhat overwhelming. The three stories combined have received over 60,000 views on Facebook and several thousand likes and hundreds and hundreds of comments about these beautiful people.

Many of you are formerly from Antigonish. You left by choice or by circumstance but you all have some things in common: you pine for the East Coast and you love your old town.

Some of you are new to my writing and I would like to invite you to visit my website and become a regular visitor. There are lots and lots of stories about the old days. Also, I have published three books of short stories about everyday stuff. It’s sort of like FITC on steroids. Check it out when you have some time to browse. www.week45.com

Have a great weekend.

 

Posted on January 28, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with one comment

 

Ask any business person what is the key to running a successful operation and they will quickly point out that it’s their staff. Forty three years ago, the late Creighton Jewkes made one of his most astute hires.

Meet Hamish MacGillivray.

The young 18 year old lad began his working career at the 5¢ to $1.00 in 1973. And in the natural course of things, this is where he will end it. But don’t hold your breath. When asked what he might do at the age of 65, Hamish replied, “ I’ll probably keep working.”

Good thing. According to one of the owners of the business, Hamish is “the heartbeat of the operation. The store is very quiet on the days that Hamish doesn’t work.”

On warm summer days, Hamish can be seen driving in from “The Point” on his motorized scooter. This is his pride and joy. And when the winter winds howl and his bike is grounded, neighbors and friends drive him back and forth between work and home.

Hamish is passionate about Chinese food, Daryl MacLean’s “Beach Party” on Friendly 58 and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is not 100% sure why he keeps cheering for the Leafs!

Asked what he likes most about his job, he quickly points out that helping customers is the thing that is most important to him.

One could easily argue that Hamish embodies both the heart and soul of a business that has served the community for a long time.

 

 

Posted on January 25, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Me and Peter on our trip across the United States in 2015

Peter MacDonald photo

 

 

Music.

For those of us lucky enough to grow up in a musical household, music is “the tie that binds.” You can hear the first few plucks of the banjo and immediately  know it’s the theme from “Deliverance.”  Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” provokes all kinds of memories. Every piece of music resonates with us in different ways. And because the Baby Boomers are absolute suckers for nostalgia, anything written and performed in the 60’s and early 70’s instantly brings us back to that era.

So when I heard of the passing of Glenn Frey, one of the founding members of “The Eagles,” I immediately went to Youtube and looked up “Desperado,” one of my all time favorite Eagles tunes. In rapid fire succession, I listened to “Lyin Eyes,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Take it Easy,” and “Take it to the Limit.” I was living in Victoria, B.C. when the Eagles were in their prime so every one of these songs brings back powerful memories. My humble assertion is that they may have produced some of the finest harmonies ever.

Last fall, I drove across America with my son and it was pretty cool driving past Winslow, Arizona. I was humming “Take it Easy” for the next couple of hours. We were going to stop and get a picture “ standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona” but alas there was only one exit ramp into the town and we missed it. Like most people, my musical tastes are quite eclectic but I have to say that The Eagles are one of my all time favorite groups. Anybody else feel the same?

It would appear that you are enjoying my new feature “Faces in the Crowd.” ( FITC ) For the second week in a row, my “views” have been off the charts with the publication of my story about Lolitha Natarajan. If you haven’t had a chance to read this yet, just go to the bottom of the page and you’ll see it. Or go to the search bar and type in “ Stay Strong, Amma.” Lolitha has a very large fan club according to all of the glowing comments she received.

How many of you have worked at one job your entire career? I’m sure there are lots of you who have done this but this is becoming a rarity. My next FITC , profiles someone who has worked in the retail sector for 43 years. This person is an institution in this iconic business. I know that you will enjoy reading this piece which will appear here on Thursday.

You will have to excuse me because I can’t help but say a few words ( again! ) about the Syrian refugee initiative in our community. On the weekend, our three new Syrian families got together for the first time at People’s Place library for an informal social. It was very heartwarming to see them mingling with new found friends and countrymen.  I can tell you that they are all very grateful that Antigonishers have made them feel welcome. I asked Tareq what the biggest challenge was so far: the weather or language. Hands down… it was the weather. They will eventually learn English. Snow will be with us forever!

The group I am heading up from St. Ninian’s Parish is hard at work as we have begun our own journey to bring another family from Syria. We are blessed to have excellent committee chairs and are most fortunate that the other groups ( SAFE and Tri-Heart ) have been so supportive and forthcoming with information and ideas.

Oh yes. When I was driving Tareq’s father to the social, it was a little tricky as he doesn’t speak any English. He ran a chocolate factory back in Syria that was bombed and destroyed. At one point he looked at me inquisitively and said one word, chocolate, in a questioning kind of way. I nodded and smiled. He would be a pretty popular guy if he opened a chocolate factory in Antigonish, wouldn’t you say?

If you have a moment, please visit the St. Ninian Parish Syrian refugee Facebook page. Just look for the acronym C.A.R.E. which stands for “Canadians Accepting Refugees Everywhere.” We will be looking for cash donations ( now ) and donations of clothing and household items as time goes by.

Have a great week.