Monday Morning Musings

Posted on October 24, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 4 comments

Yaser Almashhoud, Tareq Hadhad and me. Friends.

Please note: Faces in the Crowd will be published on Tuesday this week only.

Volunteerism.

If there is anyone who embodies the notion of volunteerism , it’s Clarence Deyoung. Last week’s Faces in the Crowd story showed the difference that one person can make when they commit to a life of helping others.

But Clarence would be quick to point out that there are hundreds and hundreds of unsung heroes in every small town in our province and indeed the country. Volunteerism may be the most unreported and underappreciated part of the economy. You never hear economists talk about it when they quote GDP ( Gross Domestic Product ) numbers. Let’s face it, our community could not function without people stepping up in a variety of ways.

Here’s a very small and incomplete list of the ways that you make this community special: coaching a sports team; ushering at the Bauer Theatre; delivering Meals on Wheels; singing and visiting at nursing homes; sitting on boards and committees; delivering communion to the sick and shut in; serving at the Hot Meal Program; manning the barbeque for an SPCA fundraiser;  community suppers; the Highland Games; The Exhibition; the Antigonish International Film Festival; teaching newcomers English. Sorry. There’s not enough space here to list them all but you get my point.

 If you’re ever feeling bored and restless ( let me know how that feels! ), why not get involved with something… anything. You will make a difference and you will feel good doing it.

Last Friday, I spent several hours at the home of Yaser Almashhoud and Raghda Ahmad to hear the story of their flight from Syria. Our good friend and neighbor, Tareq Hadhad acted as translator. Tomorrow, I will be publishing their harrowing tale . ( They grew up in middle class families in Aleppo and lived a very peaceful existence. And then the troubles began. Respectful protests of the regime turned in to full scale violence and war. Please take a few minutes to try and understand why the efforts of community groups like SAFE, CARE and Tri-Heart are so important. (“ From Aleppo to Antigonish – A Journey to Peace” )

  “ All my bags are packed and I’m ready to go…” ( Leaving on a Jet Plane ). Actually, my bags are not packed but I’m getting close to being ready to leave for India tomorrow. There are many things I will miss about Antigonish… winter is NOT one of them! If you are interested in seeing some information about the organization that I will be volunteering for, check out their website: www.APMAS.org . I will be sending regular reports at www.week45.com . BTW, I won’t be answering calls or texts for obvious reasons but FB private messages, e-mails and Whatsapp are all easy ways to stay in touch.

Be safe, be kind and be generous.

Have a great week.

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