Monday Morning Musings

Posted on January 25, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Me and Peter on our trip across the United States in 2015

Peter MacDonald photo

Music.

For those of us lucky enough to grow up in a musical household, music is “the tie that binds.” You can hear the first few plucks of the banjo and immediately  know it’s the theme from “Deliverance.”  Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” provokes all kinds of memories. Every piece of music resonates with us in different ways. And because the Baby Boomers are absolute suckers for nostalgia, anything written and performed in the 60’s and early 70’s instantly brings us back to that era.

So when I heard of the passing of Glenn Frey, one of the founding members of “The Eagles,” I immediately went to Youtube and looked up “Desperado,” one of my all time favorite Eagles tunes. In rapid fire succession, I listened to “Lyin Eyes,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Take it Easy,” and “Take it to the Limit.” I was living in Victoria, B.C. when the Eagles were in their prime so every one of these songs brings back powerful memories. My humble assertion is that they may have produced some of the finest harmonies ever.

Last fall, I drove across America with my son and it was pretty cool driving past Winslow, Arizona. I was humming “Take it Easy” for the next couple of hours. We were going to stop and get a picture “ standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona” but alas there was only one exit ramp into the town and we missed it. Like most people, my musical tastes are quite eclectic but I have to say that The Eagles are one of my all time favorite groups. Anybody else feel the same?

It would appear that you are enjoying my new feature “Faces in the Crowd.” ( FITC ) For the second week in a row, my “views” have been off the charts with the publication of my story about Lolitha Natarajan. If you haven’t had a chance to read this yet, just go to the bottom of the page and you’ll see it. Or go to the search bar and type in “ Stay Strong, Amma.” Lolitha has a very large fan club according to all of the glowing comments she received.

How many of you have worked at one job your entire career? I’m sure there are lots of you who have done this but this is becoming a rarity. My next FITC , profiles someone who has worked in the retail sector for 43 years. This person is an institution in this iconic business. I know that you will enjoy reading this piece which will appear here on Thursday.

You will have to excuse me because I can’t help but say a few words ( again! ) about the Syrian refugee initiative in our community. On the weekend, our three new Syrian families got together for the first time at People’s Place library for an informal social. It was very heartwarming to see them mingling with new found friends and countrymen.  I can tell you that they are all very grateful that Antigonishers have made them feel welcome. I asked Tareq what the biggest challenge was so far: the weather or language. Hands down… it was the weather. They will eventually learn English. Snow will be with us forever!

The group I am heading up from St. Ninian’s Parish is hard at work as we have begun our own journey to bring another family from Syria. We are blessed to have excellent committee chairs and are most fortunate that the other groups ( SAFE and Tri-Heart ) have been so supportive and forthcoming with information and ideas.

Oh yes. When I was driving Tareq’s father to the social, it was a little tricky as he doesn’t speak any English. He ran a chocolate factory back in Syria that was bombed and destroyed. At one point he looked at me inquisitively and said one word, chocolate, in a questioning kind of way. I nodded and smiled. He would be a pretty popular guy if he opened a chocolate factory in Antigonish, wouldn’t you say?

If you have a moment, please visit the St. Ninian Parish Syrian refugee Facebook page. Just look for the acronym C.A.R.E. which stands for “Canadians Accepting Refugees Everywhere.” We will be looking for cash donations ( now ) and donations of clothing and household items as time goes by.

Have a great week.

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