Posted on January 18, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Entombed

 

 

January is zipping along quite nicely, don’t you think? We’ve had a few blasts of winter but there have been no shortage of days where the walking has been perfect. I still enjoy an early morning walk before the town wakes up.

Social media continues to transform the way we communicate and, love it or hate it, it is here with us to stay. It’s hard to imagine what will eventually supplant Facebook but certainly these days, this appears to be the public forum of choice. If you’re not a Facebook user, you might just want to skip the next few sentences because they won’t mean a damn thing to you.

Last week, my “Faces in the Crowd” post received an unprecedented response. I have been writing stories for over three years now. Up until last week , my story about the skunk in Lou Brosha’s grave was the story that had received the most attention on social media. If you’re new to this site or have never read the story before, here’s the link: http://www.week45.com/lous-last-laugh/

“A Heart of Gold”, the short piece on crosswalk guard Bill Ryan, received over 17,000 views, 161 shares, 665 likes and 67 comments…. and counting. I had no idea that Bill was so well known and so well liked. The next time you’re at the intersection of Xavier Drive and Braemore Avenue, toot your horn and give Bill a big wave. He will certainly wave back.

You may have noticed that I haven’t been writing a lot of full length stories recently. No excuses but like everyone else, Christmas has a way of putting a lot of other stuff on hold. I hope to get back on the horse again soon.

I have been quite busy with the Syrian refugee project sponsored by St. Ninian Parish. We have an executive in place along with about 10 committee chairs. I want to publicly thank members of the SAFE organizing committee for sharing their time and expertise to help us get our project off the ground. Our group has a name: C.A.R.E., which stands for Canadians Accepting Refugees Everywhere.  If anyone wants to volunteer to be a member of any of our committees, just get in touch. Please visit and join the C.A.R.E. Facebook page.

As part of the fundraising drive ( we need to raise $27,000 ), I am planning on selling a total of 100 copies of my first two books at a discounted price of $10. each and donate the entire proceeds ( $1000 ) to the cause. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll see that you get one. This offer is not available through retail outlets…you have to get it from me!

Have a great week and keep your eye out for this week’s “Faces in the Crowd” coming Thursday.

P.S. Quote of the week:

“ Preach always. Use words if necessary.” St. Francis of Assissi ( thanks DMG )

 

Posted on January 11, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Somewhere in the Arizona desert – January 2015

Peter MacDonald photo

 

 

George rocks!

My “Faces in the Crowd” ( FITC ) story last Thursday was a big hit. George, the cat, is none too happy about being a townie having recently moved from Georgeville. The story received a lot of attention. I’ll keep you posted on George’s progress.

Coming up this week, FITC profiles an amazing guy who has to be one of the friendliest people that I’ve ever encountered. He had to elbow 10 other brothers for grub around the kitchen table when they all lived at home. He spent a lot of his working life on the road traveling to different parts of Canada. Not much different than what’s going on these days if you’re a trades person. He’s not from here, but when it came time for retirement, there was something that drew him to Antigonish. And we’re better for it. I won’t say anything else for fear of blowing his cover before the story gets published. Look for “A Heart of Gold” in this Thursday’s FITC.

A bit of random and completely unconnected things. A few days after Christmas, Betty and I were at Walmart. As I wandered around aimlessly, as I tend to in large stores like this, I spotted a blood pressure testing station near the pharmacy. Just for fun, I went over and decided to take my blood pressure. I thought that this would make a great picture: people lining up to get their blood pressure taken just after opening their credit card bills after Christmas.

Do you remember the last day of school when you were in high school? Sure you do. Back in the 60’s it was a tradition in our neighborhood to congregate in the field between Hillcrest Street and the old Antigonish High School ( the present Psychology building ) and burn all of our scribblers. It seems a little silly now but at the time, destroying every shred of evidence from the school year was somehow cathartic. “ Burn baby, burn.” And why would I be thinking about this? Well, a year ago, I spent New Year’s Eve in New Orleans and that evening, the entire city was awash in bonfires on streets in the suburbs. No, not in the back yard or in an old steel garbage can… the fires were set and lit right on the street with plumes of smoke and ash flying right over the roofs of the houses. It was certainly one of the most bizarre things I’ve seen in a long time.

I know that this is a touchy subject and I don’t mean to offend any of my loyal readers. ( I probably will ! ) As you may know, I am knee deep in an initiative sponsored by St. Ninian’s Parish to bring another Syrian refugee family to Antigonish. Many Canadians are honored and proud that the country has taken this on but there are also many people who fundamentally disagree. I am respectful of other people’s opinion but there is one point that I simply can’t let slide by without commenting. Those who are critical continue to say things like “ they don’t look poor” or “why aren’t we looking after our own poor people?”  I think that these people need to understand the definition of a refugee:

“ A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster.” Nowhere in this widely accepted definition is there any mention of poverty. In the case of the Syrians, their homes and businesses have been bombed. Syrians aren’t necessarily poor. They just don’t have homes anymore. That’s why Canadians are stepping up to the plate.

Just sayin.’

Have a great week.

Posted on January 4, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 3 comments

Four generations: Margaret, Betty, Leah, Toni

Role models.

Our 2 ½ year old granddaughter, Leah Rose is one lucky girl. Her mother, Margaret is smart, hard working and looks after herself. In addition to an already busy life, she is a wellness coach and helps people of all ages achieve their goals.  Her grandmother, Betty, is smart, hard working and looks after herself. She has practiced moderation her entire adult life and is a committed walker. Leah’s great grandmother , Toni, is smart, hard working and looks after herself. Can you see a pattern emerging? Toni is the poster girl for people of her generation. She has always been an outdoor enthusiast and still finds time to walk or cross country ski every day of the winter. She keeps her brain active by reading and doing difficult crosswords puzzles like the New York Times Saturday crossword. She volunteers and is very supportive of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Leah is a small bundle of energy and will benefit from the example set by the important women in her life.

Last Thursday’s “Faces in the Crowd” received a huge response. Our first Syrian refugee, Tareq Hudhud, arrived in Antigonish a short time ago and it would appear that he has embraced his new home…. and his new home has embraced him. He is a fine young man and will make a contribution to our community.

As some of you know, I have decided to discontinue writing for two local newspapers. I have some other writing projects that are going to consume a fair bit of time and energy. I am also trying some new things for my website. Besides “Faces in the Crowd” ( you must check out this week’s story on Thursday! ) I am thinking about a new feature called “Lives Lived.” When I look back at all of the stories that I have written over the past 3 years ( close to 300! ), the ones that always garner the biggest attention are the ones about people.  I would categorize these as human interest stories and let’s face it, everyone has a story.

Here are a few examples of the stories I’m talking about: the first ones are tributes to people who have passed away. Most obituaries simply don’t ( and can’t ) capture someone’s life in a short column. My tributes dig a little deeper. The second set are living tributes about extraordinary ordinary people . For the next little while, I plan to run a contest. All you need to do is send me a short paragraph about someone you know ( living or deceased ) whose life story deserves to be told. I will choose one that catches my eye and then, with your help, will put a piece together. You ( we ) can decide whether or not you want the story published here on Week45 or if you would like to share it with your FB friends or maybe just keep it for the family.

Ok. If you are new to Week45 here are a few examples of what I’m talking about:

http://www.week45.com/gentle-man-ben/

http://www.week45.com/no-ordinary-joe/

http://www.week45.com/lous-last-laugh/

http://www.week45.com/the-life-and-times-of-michael-campbell/

http://www.week45.com/positively-pat/

I sincerely hope that the year ahead is a good one for you. I would like to thank all my loyal readers for supporting my efforts in 2015 and I look forward to hanging out with you again in 2016.

P.S. Come and meet Tareq Hudhud on Wednesday, Jan.6th. at 6:30 p.m. at room 018 St.Ninian  Place. I am going to need lots of volunteers to help bring another Syrian family to Antigonish.