Posted on September 19, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

” The Cove “

I appreciate all the feedback and heartfelt comments about last week’s Faces in the Crowd  ( FITC ) story on the late Jill Brymer. As I said in the comment section on Facebook, “ While the story is about Jill, it is also undeniably a story about family and community. You should all take a bow for providing a nourishing environment for Jill, and others who face obstacles, to thrive.” Guysborough is an awesome community.

I have three more interesting FITC stories waiting in the wings.

What does it take to get to the top of any profession? Hard work, dedication perseverance and a bit of luck are typical responses. You may not be a golfer or even a sports enthusiast but this week’s story is about a young man from California who is trying to make it onto the PGA tour… the same tour that greats like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods plied their trade. Very few golfers make it to the big times. The LPGA tour is the women’s equivalent.

Ben Geyer is playing on the Canadian tour and paying a lot of dues in the process. Every week is pressure packed and like most of us when we were young, he leans heavily on family and friends for support ( moral and financial ! ). Golfers will certainly understand the challenges he faces but his journey is very similar to people in other walks off life. Even if you don’t know the difference between a slice and a hook, please take a few minutes and read Ben’s story. He’s a really decent human being, by the way.

We are all quite familiar with the Syrian war and the efforts of Canadians to welcome refugees. In an upcoming FITC story, you will meet a remarkable woman who fled her parent’s country with bombs hailing down on her…. twice and several years apart. She is also our province’s Minister of Immigration, the Honorable Lena Diab. She and I sat down in Halifax last week and had a great chat.

And finally… I had the honor of sitting down with a gentleman who received his C.A. ( Chartered Accountant ) designation at the age of 20 and only recently officially retired just shy of his 90^th. birthday. He may very well be the longest serving C.A. in Canada… ever!  His story, like everyone else’s, is remarkable in many ways.

Grab your calendars and mark this down. Now! I mean right now. On Sunday, October 23^rd. we’re having an evening of music and dance at the St. James United Church at 7:00 p.m. As you know, St. James helps to feed the hungry two days a week, all year long and it is time to fill the pantry once again. All proceeds from the evening will go towards purchasing food for the Hot Meal Program. Can’t make it? Too many things on your incredibly busy social calendar? Fear not. If you want to help, you can drop off a cheque or cash to Andrea at the St. James office on Main Street. Or you can track me down and give it to me. You will get a receipt for your charitable donation.

Have a great week.

Posted on September 15, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with 3 comments

Jill Leanne Brymer –  1976-2016

Jill Brymer had a mind of her own.

According to her parents, Jill was lovable from the day she was born and it became evident early on that she had an independent streak. And she definitely wasn’t shy! From an early age, she was eager to try things and she embraced challenges. From clothing to food, Jill knew what she liked and what she didn’t. She was neither a “girlie girl” nor a tomboy. She would go rabbit hunting with Blair or go cutting brush with her father, Ken.

 She was Jill. Unique Jill.

She enjoyed going to school and she was surrounded by warmth and friendship. Pity help the person who said something untoward about Jill. Two of her passions were sports and music … especially dancing. She played t-ball and she curled and she was manager of the GMHS basketball team.

As well as participating in sports, she was a rabid fan; especially when her siblings were competing against each other in curling. While not trying to show favoritism, she realized that sisters stay together, so she rooted for Shauna!

Her mother, Frances, fastidiously curled Jill’s hair every day before Jill went to school. And as sure as the sun rises in the east, Jill would immediately go into the washroom at school upon arrival, wet a comb, and remove the curls. One evening there was an event at the school. Frances curled Jill’s hair and off they went. Several teachers commented on how good she looked in curls, having never seen them in all the years that Jill had attended school!

Upon graduation, she embarked on the next part of her journey by attending Guysborough Options for Adaptive Living Society (GOALS). Jill attended GOALS for 18 years. According to administrator Donna Cook, “Jill will be remembered for her love of hockey and dance, as well as her strength of character and wonderful sense of humour.”

While she enjoyed the programming at the centre, she really hit her stride when she took on work placements. She was a fixture at the local schools for years. From all accounts, it was Jill’s job to keep the staff in line at the school. “Jill loved to be part of our day and would always have something to say to set us in the right direction,” reminisced former principal, Paul Long. “The gift that Jill brought to our school was that everyone became a better person, from our youngest students to the veteran teachers. She showed us that people with special needs and abilities can and should participate fully in the workplace.  She helped us develop a respect and sense of appreciation for everyone.”

Jill’s bedrock was her faith. Nothing was more important than attending Mass and when she became an altar server, the stakes were even higher. Nothing would keep her from fulfilling her commitment to St. Ann’s Church. She felt a sense of duty and responsibility and often filled in when other servers didn’t show up. She had a special bond with Rev. Ray Huntley. “Jill’s deep faith in God, and the care and dignity with which she performed her role as a Minister of the Altar, touched the hearts, strengthened the faith, nourished the souls and lifted the spirits of all who participated in any Mass where Jill was present,” remembers Father Ray.

Family meant everything to Jill, especially Ken’s mother, Hazel who lived on the same property for many years. Hazel would sit by her window waiting for the bus to drop off Jill at 3:00. Jill would retrieve “Gram’s” mail and head up the lane for a slice of fresh homemade bread or some other treat. Jill often spent the weekend with her. They were inseparable. Shortly before she passed away, Jill awoke from her sleep one day and said, “I miss Gram.”

Jill loved participating in the Special Olympics. She could run like the wind and could execute the shot put with the best of them. But what she enjoyed most was the camaraderie, especially the closing dance where it would be all but impossible to get Jill off the dance floor!

It seems that she had an eye for good looking men. Whenever she encountered a fellow who caught her eye, she would casually look at his hands and say, “No ring on that finger!”

Her sister, Shauna, points out that Jill was the real deal. “She was truly genuine … there was nothing fake about her. What you saw was what you got. It was amazing how many people knew her. She was like a local celebrity.”  And once Jill met you, she never forgot you, your name or your birthday or anniversary. Her recall of dates was legendary.

Life can be cruel, and at the age of 25 Jill was diagnosed with both liver and celiac diseases.  Jill was stoic about the news, although it forced her to change some of her eating habits. She always hoped and prayed for a liver transplant. Over the last 5-6 years her decline was progressive, and on August 19^th this year she succumbed to her illnesses.

According to Paul Long, “If you were a teacher and you attended Mass at St. Ann’s, you were definitely in Jill’s good books. I had the great pleasure of working with her each day and sitting with her in church on Sunday morning, so my place was on page one.” KC, a fellow teacher from a neighboring community, routinely poked fun at Paul as he attempted to share Paul’s lofty status as a “page one-er”. When he would kid Paul, Jill would pipe up, “You’re not from St. Ann’s, so back off buddy.” According to Long, “At her graveside, the skies opened up and we all got a good soaking. I said to KC that she was getting one last shot at you and we’re all paying for it.”

“She didn’t let her disability define her, “says Shauna. “ She was determined to make her life her own, and in doing so, taught us that you never know what you can accomplish if you don’t try. At a young age I realized that Jill was special.  As our lives progressed I saw that it was not her limitations that made her extraordinary, but how she embraced life, her courage and determination, and who she chose to become.”

Although it won’t be the same now at GOALS, the school and St. Ann’s, Jill’s absence will be felt most intensely at home.  Jill’s exemplary life is to your credit, Ken and Frances; you left nothing undone.

“Up, up the long delirious burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,

where never lark, or even eagle, flew;

and, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

the high untrespassed sanctity of space,

put out my hand and touched the face of God.”

High Flight – John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

 

Posted on September 12, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 3 comments

Sidewalk dining on ” The Main”

This past week’s “ Faces in the Crowd” story about Dr. Ron MacCormick generated a great deal of interest… and many new readers to Week45. So, if this is your first visit to my website, welcome!

First things, first. The name “Week45.”  Anyone who travels to the United States and owns a timeshare, knows that purchasing a unit is done by the week of the year. So if you purchased a week’s accommodation the first week of January, then that is considered Week 1. Conversely, the last week in December would be week 52. Because our vacation always fell around the beginning of November, we endeTd up purchasing Week 45 in the timeshare calendar. And because this is where I started to take my writing ( but not myself! ) seriously, I decided to name my business “ Week45 Story Telling.”

Since I started writing almost four years ago, I have published three books of short humor stories, have been a regular columnist for three weekly newspapers and have been known to deliver a positive and often humour laced after dinner talk at conferences.

Do you have any faith in Facebook metrics? Does it really mean anything when someone “likes “one of your posts or pictures? If you are a business, do “ views” and “ post clicks” count unless it leads to sales of your product?

Up until two weeks ago, I had never heard of Ron MacCormick until a friend suggested that I interview him. He had just had a long day at the hospital and I managed to pin him down for an hour before he headed out for a bike ride. It was an easy interview to do as Ron is an engaging person. The reaction to the story left me somewhat in shock. To date, the story has over 47,000 views, 1350 likes, 8700 post clicks, 327 shares and 225 comments.

The comments were the most telling. Ron is respected by his peers and revered by his patients and their families.

I try and keep my Faces in the Crowd ( FITC ) stories brief to keep the attention of my readers. This week’s FITC will be a bit of a departure as I delve into the life of an extraordinary young woman who passed away a few weeks ago. She was born with intellectual challenges and later in life, was cursed with poor health. But Jill Brymer taught so many people so many lessons about life. On Thursday, please take a bit of extra time to read the story of her remarkable, and all too short, life.

BTW, the answer to last week’s quiz ( What is the most common cause of death ?) was embedded in the Ron MacCormick piece. I apologize as it was a bit of a trick question. The answer is : old age. One of my loyal readers ( thanks LD ) mildly chided me for not being more specific!

So here is this week’s quiz. A “ loveliness” is the collective noun for a group of what insects? I must say that I never heard this term used before other than in a romance novel.

Have a great week.