Try Something New; It Won’t Hurt!

From the age of ten, this little girl’s determination has allowed her to enjoy life to the fullest

Cause For Applause

Ionce watched, with great interest, an infomercial depicting a woman at a potter’s wheel expounding on the various courses and exercise classes she had taken over her lifetime. She was always looking forward to her next venture, which in this case, was “improv.” Shortly thereafter, I read an article in the Toronto Star about “Fashion Guru” Iris Apfel, stating that she wished everyone would put away their cellphones, computers and other digital devices and reconnect with their fellow humans. I have been mulling over what these two insightful women had to say and have thought how interesting my life has been, without ever spending hours manipulating an electronic device with my thumbs.

When I was ten, I thought I would be a great Canadian writer and I’ve still held on to that dream. I’ve always been an avid letter writer; in fact, one of my correspondents in Australia saved all of the letters I ever wrote to him and assembled them all into three separate books.

At 11 years old, I joined my cousin’s pipe band and played until I was 15. At 16, much to my mother’s chagrin, I entered the Miss Toronto pageant. I had a lot of confidence and genuinely thought I could win it all. I ended up making it to the finals at Exhibition Place but didn’t win anything except a gold-coloured, elasticized bathing suit, which looked ghastly with my bleached skin, dark hair and black pumps.

At 20, I found myself slopping about in ankle deep mud during the excavation of what was to be my home for 35 years. With no money saved for a down payment on the new house, which was located south of Bolton, Ont., my husband and I decided to slowly build it on our own as each paycheque came in. Our very own television came a few years later when a friend loaned us $50. There was still too much living to be done, so we only decided to purchase a television because everyone else had one. I remember it having a 12-inch screen and we only watched it in the evening.

When I was 48, there was an ad in the Bolton Enterprise. Someone was starting up a pipe band. “I think I’ll join,” I told my son. “They won’t take you, mom, you’re a girl and besides, you’re too old,” he replied. Soon thereafter, I became the newest member of the Bolton and Kleinburg Pipe Band! The only bad thing was that I hadn’t played my pipes in 30 years. I had many happy times with those guys and gals. I was given the opportunity to explore small-town Ontario and to play for a number of Remembrance Day parties, Santa Claus parades and summer Scottish events. I was a member of that band for five years, until the age of 53.

Then came the day to leave my beloved house and relocate for retirement. There was never a question of “What shall I do?”

I took up quilting as a new endeavour. For nine years running, I made a quilt (one each year) for the Flesherton Kinette club’s annual draw.

At 55 years old, I began teaching Sunday school. It was always a goal of mine to do so. What I loved most about it was that we educated the students in a very unique way. We organized field trips to visit a synagogue, as well as a Pentecostal, a Lutheran and a Roman Catholic church. Because I had always been curious and interested in what’s around the next corner, I wanted to instill that same excitement in the students’ young minds. Also during my 50s, I joined a local night school course in creative writing. This snowballed into joining several other groups, one being the Owen Sound Writers Group. Not only did joining these writing groups help me publish many of my essays in Curious, The Leaf, Dialogue, Mosaic and Daytripping, it also allowed me to form several lifelong friendships.

So now, at 83, like the lady in that informercial, I am looking for something new; however, I can assure you it won’t be improv. I had taken a six-week night school course from a well-known artist, in watercolour art. Perhaps you’ll see my paintings at a local rummage sale one day! Whatever the next few months hold in store, I can assure you it will not consist of exercising my thumbs and index fingers.

While I understand that today’s younger generations have to be technologically savvy, I find it very sad that they seem to always be playing with these gadgets. There is less human interaction and, as a result, society is becoming less and less fulfilling. Come on, all you young people out there—start to really live, experience and enjoy! Put away your ipads and cellphones: Life is a dance! ■