20 Questions with advocate Suzanne Brake

1 . What is your full name?

Ethel Suzanne Brake.

2 . Where and when were you born?

In St. John’s, in May of 1957.

3 . Where do you live today?

I live in Cupids.

4 . What’s your favourite place in the world? Right now, I would say favourite place in the world is right here in Cupids, on my deck, looking at out the ocean.

5 . Who do you follow on social media?

(On Twitter) I follow people like André Picard, who’s a health reporter, and is very interested in long-term care issues. I find his writing fascinating. I love following the B.C. seniors advocate. She’s a real leader in this country in terms of advocacy. I will certainly continue to follow my own office. On Facebook, it would be mostly family and friends.

6 . What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Maybe that in 2000, my husband and I circumnavigated Newfoundland and Labrador in our (35-foot) sailboat.

7 . What’s been your favourite year and why?

I don’t think I have a favourite year. I think that every year there’s wonderful things that happen, and sometimes sad things and challenging things that happen. I don’t think any year is more important than any other year.

8 . What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

I think probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done is let my husband go. That was just terrible. He had dementia for five years, but he ended up having an aneurysm in the driveway shoveling snow. It was so hard to let him go.

9 . Can you describe one experience that changed your life?

My engagement and involvement with the Girl Guides, and the Guiding movement, was very influential in my life. It helped me to become confident as a young woman — confident and curious — and it taught me many, many things that I still to this day live with and recognize.

10 . What’s your greatest indulgence?

Buying hand-dyed wool. It’s like an addiction.

11 . What is your favourite movie or book?

One of my favourite shows over the many years has been “Star Trek.” I love “Star Trek.” Captain Kirk was my favourite — although Jean-luc Picard has a place in my heart, too.

12 . What are you reading or watching right now?

I’m knitting socks for my son who lives in Denmark, and the socks I’m knitting are called soldier’s socks — socks that were knit during World War I for the Newfoundland Regiment by Newfoundland women. So I started reading Kevin Major’s book “No Man’s Land” again. I just finished André Picard’s book called “Neglected No More.” It was really excellent. Last night, with my five-yearold grandson on his bed, we were reading a book called “The Space Race.” We just finished Chapter 2 and I can’t wait to get to Chapter 3.

13 . How do you like to relax?

I like to garden. I like to knit. I like to read.

14 . What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear would be becoming dependent and not having the services or supports that are needed to help me to be independent.

15 . If you were singing karaoke what would be your song?

The feminist in me screams out right now “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar” by Helen Reddy.

16 . What is your most treasured possession?

I think my most treasured thing in this world is when my oldest son — he’s 40 now — when he was two or three years old, he was in the backyard and he came in through the door with a twig, and he said ‘Mommy, I love you. This a present for you.’ And I have kept that for 38 years.

17 . What physical or personality trait are you most grateful to a parent for?

My parents instilled in all nine of us the importance of education and its relationship to independence. Also, my mother taught me the importance of giving back to society, the importance of goodness and kindness.

18 . What three people would join you for your dream dinner party?

I have not seen my two young grandchildren for a year and a half. If I could have the three of them (including my local grandson) and sit out on the deck or on a beach and have a picnic, I would be the happiest person in the world.

19 . What is your best quality, and what is your worst quality?

My best quality is, I think I’m open-minded. I think I can look at many different perspectives. My worst quality is I take on things and I do too much. I don’t know when to say, ‘Suzanne, it’s time to give yourself some time and space.’”

20 . If you didn’t take this career path, what would have chosen?

I went in several different directions, but the common denominator always was my interest in addressing ageism and ensuring that this world is a more inclusive place. I think I would have found a way to work with seniors and for seniors, regardless of what path I took.