Posted on October 29, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with one comment

Live in Moncton with Betsy and Pete

(Terry Mosh Dunbrack photo)

 

“What the people need, is a way to make’em smile,

It ain’t so hard to do if you know how.”

Listen to the Music – The Doobie Brothers

It’s happened so many times in my life. Sometimes it’s planned but more often than not, it is totally spontaneous, unscripted, unrehearsed, and unexpected. It happens in places where one would expect and occasionally in some of the most remote corners of the world and most unusual venues. Sometimes it happens with just one person present and other times a small gathering, and once in awhile in front of large crowds. Invariably, it brings joy.

Of course, I’m talking about music and more specifically the power of music to move the soul.

Last week, I was in Halifax at the Seahorse tavern. No. It wasn’t part of a pub crawl which was all the rage decades ago when we were university students. My son was in town with Jesse Roper and The Pretty Good Band. It was their 16^th stop on a 30 city North American tour. A few family members travelled up from Antigonish to see Pete and the guys perform.

It was a long day. This notoriously early riser was on the go at 5:30 a.m., walked to school, taught grade 7 math all day and then hopped in the car for a 2-hour drive to Halifax. The performance time got shifted around and it was close to 10:00 p.m. before the boys took the stage… well past my bedtime!

I was minding my business sipping on a can of cold Keith’s when Jesse walked by and jokingly asked if I wanted to go up and sing a tune with Pete. Of course, being the shy, withdrawn type (!), it took me about two seconds to say yes. In that instant, I became part of the opening act.

Now it is safe to say that Pete and I have performed together many times so we didn’t need a formal rehearsal. We performed Neil Young’s “Old Man”, and it was very well received. For me, it was one of those magical musical moments that just appear randomly and left me feeling so incredibly lucky that I have music in my life.

I lay my head down on a pillow at 1:00 a.m. Tired but happy.

These moments are precious and have, in many ways, defined my life, a life of gratitude.

There are far too many instances of the magic of music but here are a few standouts.

. Performing “Let It Be “with 16 young novitiates in India on International Women’s Day in front of a crowd of 500 Indian women dressed in colorful saris.

. Finding a guitar in an alburgue on the Camino and singing “Country Roads” with people from every corner of the globe. It seems like everyone knows this song.

. Singing spiritual songs with elders in Kangiqsujuaq, Quebec. I was singing in English. They joined in singing in Inuktitut. Many of the women were moved to tears.

. Performing with my brothers at St.Peter’s Hall in Ingonish Beach as part of the Escorts band back in the late 60s.

. Playing for one of countless kitchen/beach parties at our summer homes in Bayfield.

. Singing in choirs and being in the presence of musical royalty such as Raylene Rankin and James MacPherson.

. Sharing my music and stories with my students at St. Andrew Junior School.

. Performing at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home, most notably in the Alzheimer’s unit, watching people who have lost so much, come alive when they hear an old familiar tune.

The most magical moments of all are when I watch my 4 children perform. When they were teenagers, they played at concerts and festivals. They shared the stage with the legendary Bruce Gouthro and took part in Celtic Colors International Festival as part of The Next Generation concert. They have sung at funerals for family members and friends. Some of the best times are when they’re just hanging out and they decide to do some tunes.

It’s hard to rank the very best musical memory but it would be hard to match the gig at Piper’s Pub on my 70^th birthday. All of my children and grandchildren were there and at the very end, we all got on stage and sang the last song together.

Material wealth is highly overrated.

Most of us know where true wealth resides. It’s in our hearts and being in the company of loved ones.

Music has given me so much joy. I feel incredibly lucky.

Music moves the soul.
Have a great weekend.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend.

Posted on October 22, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with no comments yet

 

Knock on wood

“Hello darkness my old friend,

I’ve come to talk to you again.”

Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel

It won’t be long now before we are thrust into darkness. In the wee hours of November 2^nd, Daylight Savings ends, gifting us with longer, darker days. Yes, we will receive an extra hour of sleep, but the joy will be short lived as we adapt yet again to the realities of the coming winter.

Take one’s medicine.

“To accept something that is unpleasant because it is necessary and cannot be avoided.” Merriam-Webster

There was a time that I took pride when filling out medical intake forms. For most of my adult life, I didn’t have any aches, pains, or illnesses that required medications. Oh my, how the script has flipped. The aging process eventually takes its toll and now I might have to build an extension on the medicine cabinet. On a recent visit to my family doctor, I commented that I had seen her more in the past five years than I had seen my previous family doctor in 35 years.

Indeed, we must take our medicine along with the half cup of pills many of us take on a daily basis.

When a group of seniors get together for coffee these days and lays out their litany of medical issues, we call this an “organ recital”.

I returned to the classroom a few weeks ago. Day 1, I had a rocky start. I was teaching French. “Est-ce que tu parles francais?” I was summoned part way through the day as one of the teachers had a family emergency that needed immediate attention. As I get older, I’m finding it more challenging to pivot quickly and arriving unprepared is not ideal.

I found the first class very challenging. I couldn’t seem to get the students settled. The thought crossed my mind that maybe time had finally caught up to me and that it might be time to fully retire. At lunch time, I felt a bit battered but was soon reassured by my colleagues that I wasn’t losing my touch. Everyone was having a challenging day. There was a full moon the night before. I was also informed that the first class that I had taught was a challenging bunch.

The next day, I substituted for the Gaelic teacher and on the third day, I filled in for the art teacher.

I saw this quote which nicely sums up the life of a teacher:

“Teachers who love kids teach elementary school. Teachers who love their subject matters teach high school. Teachers who are crazy teach middle school.”

Enough said!

Are you afflicted with Blue Jays fever? The Toronto based baseball team seemed to catch the imagination of the entire country in their attempt to get to the World Series. During the divisional series with the New York Yankees, my brother and his wife hosted a game watching gathering at their house. By the second inning, the living room was full. It brought back many memories of the Summit Series of September 1972 when a group of NHL stars defeated the Russian Red Army in a nail biting 8 game series.

World Series, here we come!

A pleasant distraction from wars and tariffs.

My 8^th book, my autobiography, will be sent off to the printers any day now. I will be doing a book launch at the Antigonish Heritage Museum on Saturday, December 13^th at 2:00 p.m.

Have a great weekend.

P.S. If you want to pre-order a book, drop me a note.

Posted on October 8, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with one comment

The cover of my autobiography

Pete MacDonald photo

 

“I’m back in the saddle (classroom) again,

Out where a friend is a friend.”

Back in the Saddle Again – Gene Autry

I will launch into the present shortly… but just a few footnotes from the past.

I have decided to call the past month spent in Metchosin, B.C. as “My West Coast Camino”. No, I didn’t walk across British Columbia as I have done twice in Spain but as part of my “holistic” therapy, I did manage to walk more than 300 kilometers. I reckoned that spending 2.5 hours nearly every day, walking through old growth forests, was good for the body and soul.

Those of you who have been courageous enough to read about my exploits in B.C. during the month of September might remember the incident with the outdoor shower when I managed to lock myself inside the shower. On my second to last day, I decided to have one more of these exquisite cleansings. The latch on the shower door had been fixed so I had no fear of incarcerating myself again. The shower is surrounded by gravel on the outside to facilitate drainage. There is one flat stone lying at the entrance to the shower. Rather than take off my shoes and have to walk on gravel, I decided to step into the shower, fully shod, and then place the Sketchers on the flat stone.

In the shade of a giant arbutus tree, I luxuriated as hot water rained down on me. I toweled myself off and opened the shower door. Sure enough, my Sketchers were awaiting my arrival but sadly, they were filled with water. I thought that the water would go through the openings in the floor slats, but water runs downhill, I discovered.

One other unique experience. I will spare all the unnecessary details, but I had my final treatment outdoors. Carly moved her massage table outdoors onto a concrete slab. Eagles and hawks soared overhead, the sun shone brightly and to the sound of two dozen clucking hens, I had my last session. Hard to believe that you can tan while getting a massage.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

For some unknown reason, Porter decided to put me in first class for both of my flights home. I’m a small-town guy and first class is not in my lexicon. I did not ask why but for the first time in my life, I wasn’t herded like cattle during boarding. I was first on and first off on both flights. Those of you who fly Porter regularly know that they only have two seats on either side of the aisle. There was enough leg room for a 7-foot basketball player, and I didn’t have anyone in the seat beside me. When they passed me the dinner menu and a glass, yes, a real glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, I thought I was in heaven.

I have decided that if I ever win the lottery, I will always fly first class in the future. I guess I had better buy a ticket! And, from this point on, I will be a Porter regular.

By the time this story has been published, I hope to have had a few days of substitute teaching under my belt. I really miss the stimulation of being around young people.

My arm is feeling much better, and my orthopedic surgeon is very pleased with my progress.

My autobiography is in the final editing stages, and all the other pieces are falling into place. My son, Peter, took the photos which will appear on the front and back covers of the book. I’m hoping to publish in late November and am planning a launch at the Heritage Museum sometime in December.

Have a great weekend.