Posted on May 30, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

 

My mother’s 91^st. birthday is today. We had a family barbeque yesterday. She made a passing comment that her legs have carried her a long was over nine decades. Well, it seems everyone is counting “ steps” these days so I did a little math and reckoned that mom ( and most of her peers! ) have probably clocked somewhere in the order of 500,000,000 steps. As I have said many times before, and I mean no disrespect to women of other generations, but most would agree that we will never see another generation like hers.

Social media continues to fascinate me. I met the most wonderful family this past weekend and it happened because of Facebook. They are from New Hampshire. Somehow, Meg, an X grad, stumbled upon one of my stories a while back and we’ve had a few chats via private message. So when they decided to come to Nova Scotia for a mini vacation, we decided to get together. Meg and Jeff have seven children including five from Ethiopia. They are a great family. We shared pizza and laughs… and we walked together yesterday at the MS Walk. I plan to feature them in an upcoming episode of “Faces in the Crowd.” ( FITC )

I have two more very interesting FITC stories in the next few weeks. Coming up Thursday, I have the story of a St.F.X. grad who has travelled to all parts of the world and has found his way back to Antigonish. He has roots in Antigonish even though he is a Pictou County native. He’s a sports enthusiast and an avid outdoors person, having scaled some of the tallest mountains in the world.

The other morning, while out on my daily walk, I had a brief encounter with a couple of folks who were attending the Coady. I was on one side of Braemore Avenue and they were on the other. We yelled pleasantries across the road and when I got home, I thought that they would make an interesting FITC story. Well, I tracked them down. Unfortunately by the time we met, one of them had already left Antigonish. The gentleman who is the subject of my story is almost an Antigonisher! He has been coming here every year for the past 6 years to teach a microfinance course at the Coady.

I have been officially retired for one year and I must say that it is better than I could have ever imagined. I am very lucky and extremely blessed.

Have a great week.

Posted on May 26, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with no comments yet

 

“Art is a special endeavour. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel well.”

Meet Patrick Chisholm.

The youngest of twelve in a family from Georgeville, Patrick had a happy childhood. He was born with an inquisitive nature. He would wrap himself in a black cape and swoop into his bedroom, which was his magical kingdom. He loved his mother’s baking, especially the tail ends of the dough which she would cover in butter and sugar and bake in the oven.

Like many children living in the country, he couldn’t take part in many organized sports in town as transportation was always an issue. He loved playing softball.

Even as a child he was conscious of the environment. No wetland or stream would escape his gaze. “I found it a spiritual experience, and even today I stop at bridges to peer down at running water below.”

The school years were not his best, and in junior high he fell in with a bad crew. It was a period of searching and experimentation, which made it a challenging time. Even on the best of days he didn’t feel quite right in body and mind. Shortly after the start of grade 10, he called it quits with schooling and went to get medical help. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia. For years afterward he was disappointed by his lack of formal education. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to learn. I was just too sick to go to school.”

One of his greatest thrills later in life was earning his GED.

He was hospitalized frequently over a period of years until the doctors found a treatment that worked. “My head started to clear for the first time in years. It gave me a new lease on life.”  He was able to get certificates in small engine repair, cabinet-making and adult psychology.

He also discovered that he felt better when he was helping others, and became a loyal volunteer for several charities, including the Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul.

A chance meeting with Gerry MacGillivray was a game changer. The well-known artist took Patrick under his wing. He taught him about shapes and lines and, most importantly, how to feel good about himself through artistic expression. “Even during my darkest times, art was there to sustain me.”  Gerry taught him how to view the world (and himself) differently.

Patrick is a mainstay of the nationally acclaimed theatre troupe, The Park Bench Players.  He and his colleagues have done a masterful job helping the public to accept and understand the challenges and gifts that encompass mental illness … 64 shows and counting!  The trip to Vancouver to receive a major award was a thrill of a lifetime, and the first time that Patrick had flown.

“I have accepted my lot in life,” he says without a tinge of regret.

Those who know him well, speak with admiration.

“He is deeply reflective, compassionate and courageous, and he is wise – his wisdom being distilled from years of complex adversity.”

“I feel confident that he (Patrick) has the ear of God and that his prayers are powerful.”

“Pat reminds me of my grandfather, not a man of many words, but when he does decide to say something listen up ‘cause he’s full of wisdom.”

And what’s next? “I am taking a locksmith course and hope to operate a mobile lock repair business someday.”

He should do very well as he continues to unlock many of life’s mysteries.

Posted on May 23, 2016 under Storytelling with 2 comments

First bonfire of the year

( Previously published )

 

“Get you motor running, head out on the highway”

Born To Be Wild. Steppenwolf

You start thinking about it when you flip the calendar over on May 1^st. When is the Victoria Day weekend?

There is nothing quite as satisfying in life as the prospects for a long weekend, especially the first long weekend in Spring. Especially after a very tough winter. So ,when the forecasters call for warm sunny weather, it is all you can do to concentrate on work, particularly Victoria Day Friday. I haven’t conducted an exhaustive survey but my bet is that the province of Nova Scotia suffers the largest drop in productivity on this Friday than any other single day of the year. Most working stiffs try to build up pious credits ( or vacation days ), so that they can pack up the car and head out with the camper or make way to the shore or lake … at noon, to open the cabin for the first time since the cool fall winds of the previous year blew through.

Anticipation. You can nearly taste it as you assemble your equipment and supplies. You grab bedding, utensils, cleaning supplies and a brew or two and off you go. Whether you are heading east from Halifax or west from Cape Breton, you can expect thousands of other folks just like you traveling the highways and byways. Road rage is at an all time low as you quickly find your “chilling out” gear. If you’re lucky, you can put the roof down. If you’re a biker, there’s no need for that.

Heaven. The open road, sunshine and three blessed days.

You arrive at your place of bliss. You disembark and swat away the first black fly and watch the dandelions grow ( rapidly!) right in front of your eyes. You open the creaky door to the cottage  or enter your camper and discover mouse droppings but far from being offended, you just accept this as nature’s way of saying “ welcome back.”

You do a bit of mandatory housekeeping, unload the groceries and, most importantly, plug in the fridge, praying that it hasn’t given up the ghost over the long winter months. You grab a handful of lawn chairs, crack open a cold one and look out at the expanse before you. If you are at the cottage, your number one priority is gathering the wood for the first bonfire of the year. If you are in a campground, you have either brought your own or paid a king’s ransom for the luxury of not having to scavenge.

It is early evening on day one and you can scarcely control your unbridled enthusiasm. You may have stopped at a lobster pound to pick up your first feed of the year to go along with a barbequed steak or decided to leave that until day two. Sometimes a roasted hot dog is every bit as satisfying.

As the sun sets, you gather round the fire and prepare that rare eastern delicacy: a smore. You are now 100% certain that summer has arrived. Someone grabs a guitar and within the first hour, your neighbors are coming by, when they hear the fourth verse of American Pie.”

The air is filled with the beautiful smell of wood smoke… and laughter, and everything is right with the world.

You stand in awe and wonder as the sun sets over the horizon as it has thousands of times before.  But this one is extra special because it is the first one of the new camping season.

You know it’s getting late when everyone within 100 miles is singing the refrain to Barrett’s Privateer’s with incredible gusto. And then silence descends on the land as the perfect day has drawn to a close. You put your head on the pillow or maybe you lie outside and stare up at the stars. You hear the peepers off in the distance.

And you are one with nature… again.

“And I hope and I pray, we’ll soon make our way, to this old cabin again.”

Oceanside. Sons of Maxwell.