Monday Morning Musings

Posted on July 20, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

Our “community in bloom”

Our Main Street and environs look terrific thanks to all the folks who give their time to keep our community looking beautiful. I believe that the “Communities in Bloom” judges were in town recently and we should know soon if we are, once again, an award winning community.

And speaking of Main Street….

I think I am going to stand in the middle of Main Street and scream at the top of my lungs. It will go something like this: “ People, would you please stop whining and complaining about mundane things like mosquitoes, humidity or the price of gas.

Just in case you have taken a break from reading my rants lately, for the past several days, I have been documenting the challenges faced by the Mulcahy and van Bommel families with the precarious health of their precious Maud. It is not too late to make a donation. You can get in touch with me or check out this website: http://www.gofundme.com/yfdqjc

Last Friday, I traveled to George’s River just outside of Sydney to spend some time with an amazing lady named Pat. She has the sunniest disposition one could imagine. She is definitely a “glass half full” kind of gal. She is very bright and has a great sense of humour. She repeatedly told us how fortunate she feels every day of her life. She has a 13 year old English Springer dog who is her constant companion and she has a wonderful view of the Bras D’or Lakes. Did I mention that she is a quadriplegic?

Thirteen years ago, on her way to school ( she was a teacher ), she hit a moose and in an instant became completely paralyzed. She can move her head… and that’s all. Now, if there was someone who had a legitimate right to complain and be bitter, it would be Pat. I don’t want to spoil the story that I’m writing about her , called “Positively Pat”, but here is a tiny excerpt. This is what I wrote about the day the accident happened:

“ She was rushed to the nearest hospital in Baddeck. She already realized that she was in very bad shape. As she lay in her hospital bed, immobilized, she stared up at the ceiling and mused to herself: “ Well missy, this could go either way. You can be sad and angry the rest of my life or you can just suck it up and get on with it.” Luckily for every person that knows Pat, she chose the latter. But this was no surprise to her friends. She was always a “cup half full” kind of person.”

Rarely have I been so inspired than I was after meeting Pat and I think you will find a lot of inspiration when you read this story.

It’s normal to complain and there are very real legitimate complaints, especially when it comes to things like health and employment. .. and people like Pat and Maud, but the mundane stuff has got to go. Agree?

I also made a trip to Johnstown, Cape Breton yesterday and spent a delightful 2.5 hours with one Michael MacDonald, Rita Campbell and two of her brothers. Michael is quite a character. He has done many things and was once an up and coming boxer who trained with the likes of George Chuvalo. Later in life, he learned how to repair , build and play violins. I am looking forward to writing a story about his life. We had a lot of laughs.

After my meeting with Michael, I was a guest at the Johnstown Fire Hall and did a two hour story telling and tunes session to a small but engaged, appreciative crowd. I sang a lot of Cape Breton songs and they sang along with me. It was very pleasant way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Let us be grateful for our blessings as we head into another week. My, but they slip by quickly.

Have a great week.

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