Posted on September 18, 2024 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with one comment

Take a walk on the wild side.

 

I’m in love.

I first encountered romance as a child. Most of us had a crush on someone “special” in grade 3. My first time away from home, passion hit me hard in Victoria, B.C. in the summer of 1972. On a trip through California in 2015, I was bowled over and speechless. Those of you who know me well might find that unbelievable. I found love once again in Spain in 2019 and 2023. And most recently, I fell hard again, in the playground of a school. Of all places.

Speaking of falling hard, if you think that this is a typical human love story, you are sadly mistaken.

You see, I have always been in love with trees.

“I think that I shall never see,

 A poem lovely as a tree.

Trees – Joyce Kilmer

I often refer to myself as a hopeless romantic. The key word here is hopeless. I tend to see the world through rose colored glasses. One might even suggest that I am afflicted with the Pollyanna syndrome. For the uninitiated, Pollyanna is a novel that was written in 1913 by Eleanor Porter. Someone labelled as a Pollyanna is one who is excessively positive and blind towards the negative or real. I have to admit that I just can’t watch the news anymore. There is so much negativity in the world.

My one place of solace is in the woods.

The other day, I took “the road less travelled” and went through a path on the campus of St.F.X. University that I hadn’t trod on in eons. This trail meandered through the woods not far from where I grew up. Memories washed over me.

Growing up (did that actually happen?!), I lived on a dead-end street. At the end of that street, there was an endless forest. As children, we spent countless hours in those woods making forts, exploring, eating spruce gum and climbing trees. You see, you had to perch high in the trees so that you could spot invading armies. We encountered snakes and all matter of insects. When we got tired, a bed of moss gave us a place of respite. We even made small fires and roasted marshmallows. The word, idyllic comes to mind.

Do you remember the first time you left home? In the summer of 1972, after completing my 3^rd year of university, I went to Victoria, B.C. It was one of the most exciting times of my life. I came to understand why this city was so popular with young people and retirees, or as they say in Victoria, “newlyweds and nearly deads”! The city and environs are an outdoors paradise. Once you’re outside the city, there are countless places for hikes and long walks in the forest. There are also some gems within the city limits. There is a wonderful walking path on the campus of the University of Victoria. The chip trail meanders throughout this beautiful campus. One of the most unique features is Mystic Vale. This is a forested ravine. It is a Douglas Fir ecosystem, home to more than 75 native plant and wildlife species. When you walk down into the ravine, you enter a truly mystical world surrounded by massive Douglas Fir trees.

I travelled across the United States in 2015 with my son, Peter. We saw a lot of the country but we both agreed that California, with its unbelievable diversity, was near the top of both of our lists of favourite states. In Northern California, we went to Redwood National Park. Standing amidst the giant redwoods was both awe inspiring and humbling. Words can’t describe it.

I walked across Spain twice, once in 2019 and again in 2023. I particularly enjoyed my early morning (5:30 a.m.) walks through the many forests along the Camino. I strapped on my headlamp and wandered alone through the woods. The sense of tranquilty and serenity was almost overwhelming. Gradually, I would hear one bird and then another, often followed by a cacophony, as nature came alive. Quiet walks in the woods are good for the body, the soul and the mind.

And now, I have come full circle. Recently I was substitute teaching at a small, rural elementary school, a throwback to a simpler time. Despite a recent wholesale cell phone ban in schools in this region, there’s no need to worry at this school as internet and cell service are spotty at best. The playground covers several acres and surrounding it on three sides is a forest. This was my first time at this school. I saw children wandering into the woods at recess, unsupervised. I was a bit alarmed until another teacher told me that there was an elaborate trail system and that children were allowed to go there without teachers hovering. I was shocked and thrilled. Imagine, allowing children to discover nature on their own terms.

I didn’t hover but I was quite curious to see the trails. I took a few steps into the woods and found three small children on their haunches, examining a centipede. For a brief moment, I felt that there was still a chance for civilization.

Very often, we can’t see the forest for the trees because we are so wrapped up in our own little worlds.

Grab a pair of boots and go for a walk in the woods.

You’ll be glad you did.

Pick a little spruce gum while you’re at it.

Have a great weekend.

P.S. I will be performing a one man show of music and storytelling on Wednesday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. at the Antigonish Heritage Museum.

Posted on September 11, 2024 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with 2 comments

Crosswalk or angry walk?

 

“Walk a mile in my shoes,

Just walk a mile in my shoes.”

Walk a Mile in my Shoes – Elvis Presley

It’s Saturday as I write this piece.

Warning.

A rainy day rant ensues.

It is a dark, dull rainy day and most of us are elated. After a hot, dry summer, we desperately need precipitation.  The brook that runs adjacent to my apartment is a mere trickle. Wells are running dry in the county and a water conservation order has been in effect for weeks. If today was your wedding day or you were organizing an outdoor event, you might not be as upbeat as I am. The summer was near perfect, but we are now paying the price.

What is one to do on such a gloomy day? Why, this is simple. Ignore the gloom. Embrace the gloom.

After reading Jane Austen’s classic, Pride and Prejudice recently, I decided to go “full on Jane” and I will spend a good chunk of the day reading her other major work, Sense and Sensibility. I also plan to make a coconut cream pie and go for a walk. If I eat too much pie, I will go for a second walk! Sense and sensibility.

So, what’s on my mind?

I’ll get the rant out of the way early. I write about this all the time but being a cranky, old curmudgeon, there is nothing stopping me from repeating myself. One of the joys of aging is that you can bitch and whine incessantly and none of your contemporaries will even notice. They are either doing the same thing or they have forgotten who you are.

I don’t own a car anymore. Don’t need one. Don’t want one. I live in town, and I can walk to all the places I need to in minutes. This includes, the library, the grocery store, the hospital, the Farmer’s Market and the liquor store. Sobey’s and the NSLC are “side by each” and an efficient walk can yield me asparagus and red wine.

On my daily 90-minute walk, I go through a dozen or more crosswalks. Some days, it feels like taking a casual stroll along the 401 in Toronto. Kenny Loggins had it right when he penned the words “Highway to the danger zone; Ride into the danger zone.” I am super cautious and vigilant when entering a crosswalk because many drivers are simply not paying attention. They are dreaming about their double double at Timmies or lamenting another playoff loss by the Leafs. Most likely, they’re checking their Messenger messages.

The other day, not far from home, I started walking across the crosswalk. A car that had been stopped at the stop sign, pulled out as I was a third of the way across the road. The driver of the car looked me straight in the eyes and continued along his merry way forcing me to stop abruptly. I didn’t give him the finger but threw up my arms as if to say “WTF”. Other drivers choosing to respect the laws of the land joined me in the gesture. If I had been distracted, say, by looking at my cell phone with me head down, a family member would be working on my obituary.

Maybe they need to change the name of crosswalk to angry walk!

What? People actually look at their cell phones while walking?

After nearly getting run down by a car, I nearly suffered a similar fate with a pedestrian moments later. The following description will certainly get me in trouble in some quarters but I’m 73 and I don’t give a damn. A tall, blond, beautiful young woman (a university student recognizable with het X t-shirt) was approaching me in the opposite direction. She was wearing earbuds and was frantically typing on her phone. Her body was on the sidewalk, but her mind was elsewhere. We were on a collision course. Now getting run over by a car is one thing but getting run over by a human, and a beautiful one at that, is another thing altogether. I have been threatening to do this for years. I planned to stand my ground and see what would happen. I mean, I have lived a long and happy life, and I wouldn’t object at all having my obituary state the cause of my death! As a matter of fact, I could have great fun writing that obituary myself. It would start off with something like this: BREAKING NEWS. Old Man Bowled Over by Beautiful Blond.

“And how can man die better than facing fearful odds”! Thanks, Horatius.

At the very last moment, I chickened out. Gallantry is a theme in Jane Austen’s book, and I did the honorable thing and stepped aside. The young lady, to this very day, never knew I existed. For the second time in a matter of minutes, I was muttering WTF. But old people mutter a lot. Nobody noticed.

Originally, I had planned to write a piece about Tupperware lids and missing socks, but I simply had to get this rant out of my system.

Is there a rational explanation of where Tupperware lids go? And can someone explain how a person puts laundry in the washer and dryer and somehow socks end up lost and mismatched? Maybe the missing socks turn into lost Tupperware lids or vice versa.

Time to finish the pie and go for my walk.

Pie. Walk. Pie. Walk. The perfect antidote for a rainy Saturday.

I will keep my head up.

Have a great weekend.

 

 

 

Posted on September 4, 2024 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with no comments yet

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Building blocks of education

 

ABCDEFG

HIJKLMNOP

QRS

TUV

WX, Y AND Z

Now I know my ABC’s,

Next time won’t you sing with me.

Children’s Nursery Rhyme

It all starts again tomorrow. School buses will be running. Anxious parents and anxious children. Teachers will be bracing for the onslaught. It’s not New Year’s Day but the beginning of a new school year feels like the actual start of a new year.

Getting back into a routine.

And substitute teachers like me, will be waiting for that first call. It is highly unlikely that that will occur tomorrow. A teacher would be hard pressed to argue that they are stressed out on the first day of school. I suppose stranger things have happened.

Why do we go to school?

It seems pretty obvious until you dig a little below the surface. A few times a year, when I’m substituting with a difficult class, I will ask them to stop what they’re doing and ask them that very question. I start by suggesting that many of them would rather be anywhere else. School is pure torture for many students.

The first two responses are the obvious ones:

“I’m in school because my parents tell me I have to go.”

“I’m in school to learn.”

I probe and I poke and gradually several themes emerge.

Learning the Pythagorean Theorem might be relevant to someone who wishes to pursue studies in math and science. However, for the rest of us, knowing that the square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the square of the other two sides might not be particularly useful to a lobster fisherman or a musician.

Is it necessary to study English literature, science, history and geography? It might not get you a job when you get out of school, university or trade school but that’s hardly the point. If your life depended on it, could you write three paragraphs on the war of 1812? Did dissecting that frog in grade 10 biology set you on the path of discovery.

Here is what I tell the students:

You go to school to learn how to think and problem solve. You learn how to follow instructions. You learn how to read, write and listen. You learn about teamwork and cooperation. You learn about mutual respect. You learn about failure and success. You learn about accepting responsibility for your actions. You learn how to forgive and forget. You learn about relationships.

In essence, school prepares you for life after school, arming you with information but more importantly, life skills.

And why, pray tell, does a 73-year-old still get excited about going to school?

Community.

I often chat with people who have recently retired. Many adapt quickly to retirement and can’t get the grin off their faces. Others find it much more difficult. Losing one’s community and one’s reason for getting out of bed can be extremely challenging. Staying connected might be one of the most important determinants of a happy retirement.

I am very fortunate. I like being in school with teachers and students. This is an important community for me. Many of my contemporaries are shedding friends at an alarming rate. I am gaining new friends.

I have my writing community. I don’t have millions of followers but enough who keep in touch with me to keep me engaged.

I (gasp) have my Facebook community. Most days, I keep threatening to close down my FB account for good but then I hear from an old schoolmate from 50 years ago and am glad that Facebook reconnected us.

Most organized religions are in decline. They were once a primary source of community. Churches, synagogues, mosques were all places that people gathered. Even if you weren’t particularly religious, you got to spend time with a group of friends, neighbors or acquaintances once a week.

Chatting online doesn’t feel quite the same.

And unlike the good old days, people rarely visit anymore and dropping in on someone unannounced is as rare as common sense in politics.

Find and keep your communities. Stay engaged. Stay active.

The ABC’s of life.

Always Bring Coffee!

Have a great weekend.