The
Squamidian Report – Dec. 22 / 12
Issue #552
Including:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
I experienced something last Sunday that can best be described as ‘interesting’, and a bit scary. I almost never pick up hitchhikers, but as I pulled out onto the old highway as I was heading home from Horseshoe Bay there was a lone, cold looking young man standing at the side of the old highway. Very little traffic uses the old highway anymore as the ‘new, improved’ highway bypasses this section and goes up and over Eagle Ridge. This hitchhiker appeared to be East Indian or of some other eastern race, which is irrelevant, he was alone and looked cold . Either way, for some reason I pulled over and let him climb in. I told him I could only take him as far as Squamish and he thanked me and said the is where he is headed, to visit him mother. After that it got a bit weird, and I began feeling quite uncomfortable with him being in my truck with me. His demeanor was strange and he mumbled away quietly and unfortunately my ear on that side of my head doesn’t hear very well anymore so I had trouble understanding much of what he said. He told me he was thankful for being picked up and that he would pray for me. This was not much of a relief as his demeanor had started to make me nervous. He just didn’t seem ‘right’. He pulled out a small prayer book written is a language that I could not make out, mumbled some words and then did some ritual with his hands. I still couldn’t figure out if he was ‘on something’ or just had some screws loose.
My latest CD, Vol. 4 which as some of you know is now finished, was playing quietly in my truck’s CD player as I’m still testing the mix on different players. He asked if that was Elvis singing. At that point I new he was not quite all there. I turned up the player a bit and told him it was me, and explained it is my hobby and that all the music and voices were me. Saying that made me think that he might think that I’m the one that’s a bit nuts.
He then told me I must be a famous Hollywood rock star and that he was again grateful that I, of all people, would stop and pick him up. He went on to say he would pray again for me, which he did. After a while, as we were driving along, he told me that usually no one will stop and pick him up when he heads for Squamish to visit his mother. He said he loves and misses her and she takes care of him when he is there. He also said his sister and her kids live across the street from her. This kind of conversation made me feel less apprehensive about having picked him up but I was still staying alert. There was something very unsettling about him. When my CD started to play the John Denver song, For Baby, For Bobbie, that I recorded, I told him that when I sing this song to my 11-month old granddaughter, she smiles from ear to ear. He sat quietly listening, then said that my granddaughter was very lucky, and that he misses his mother when he is away, and then he began to cry softly. I didn’t know what to say so I didn’t say anything. This was way out side of my comfort zone.
When he spoke again he repeated that usually, no one will stop for him and that he then has to walk to Squamish. I’m not sure I believed him, so I asked how long it takes to walk the almost 50 kilometers. He didn’t answer as to how long it takes, but simply said he just keeps walking and walking and that sometimes its 3 in the morning and he is still walking. He repeated that he couldn’t believe a Hollywood rock star would be the one to pick him up, and prayed again.
I wanted to ask a few questions but decided not to. As we are approaching Britannia Beach, he answered my unasked questions. As we dropped down the switchback into the village he said this is where he crashed. That didn’t make much sense, but then as we crossed the bridge and started up the hill he pointed at a section of rock wall and told me that 14 years ago he crashed while driving back to Squamish, and he listed all his injuries, including a head injury and that he had been in a coma for 2 months. I now understood why he seemed a bit strange and was now reasonably sure that he was not some kind of ‘risk’ as he sat quietly in the passenger seat of my truck. As we approached Squamish he asked if I could let him out by the McDonalds. I said “sure”, but that I’d be happy to take him to his mothers house. He told me where that was, and I dropped him off there. As he got out, he again insisted on praying for me in whatever language he was using when not speaking directly to me. It had never occurred to me that I needed to be prayed for so much, still not sure but I wasn’t going to argue the point. I watched as he crossed the street toward a small, older looking home, and then I drove away and headed for my home.
As uncomfortable as he had made me feel in the beginning, I’m glad I picked him up and gave him a ride. It was cold out, and it’s a long walk from West Vancouver to Squamish. I’m glad he is home with his mother. It was ‘interesting’. And no, I won’t make it habit of picking up any more hitchhikers.
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Have you ever watched a snowflake fall? I know, that sounds like a silly question but it’s not meant to be silly. Have you ever focused your eyes on one falling snowflake and followed it as it descends? Its easiest to do when there is little or no wind and we seldom get much wind here when it is snowing. It is best to be a couple of stories up at a window when fixing on one particular flake and then follow it the rest of the way down. Each flake follows its own individual path as it moves through the currents and eddies in the air. Then, when it lands it merges with the rest on the flakes and is no longer an individual, it becomes part of the whole. Kind of sad in a way, a crystalline entity made up of many smaller crystals falling from somewhere above on its own short journey, only to be merged with all the other crystals into a blanket of white. But I guess its better than being a raindrop which it could be with a simple and slight change in temperature. No one wants or cares about raindrops at this time of year.
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Well, I guess it’s just about Christmas. Hard to say if we will be having a white one but every indication is that yes, it will be white up here in the Highlands of Squamish. We sure had it white for a few days this past week. In fact, I used my snowblower more times this past week than I did all of last winter. Ryan and Lauren and Kyra will be here over Christmas. This will be Kyra’s first one and she will have no idea what its all about. There is no point in getting her all sorts of presents, she will be much more interested in the rapping paper and decorations. As for the rest of use, we have all agreed that this has been a very expensive year and that we all have everything we need, and probably everything we want, so we will forgo giving gifts. Well, perhaps we’ll come up with some ‘token’ gifts but that will be it. Our Christmas will be family, not ‘stuff’.
I’d like to wish all of you a very merry Christmas, from all of us here to all of you. I had hoped some of you would take the time to send in your own greeting, or story. I’d like to thank Carol & Al and Lorne & Vivyan for doing so.
doug
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Hi Everyone,
More then once Doug has mentioned how time is flashing by like a run away train. The fact that Christmas is here again, after what feels like only a few weeks since the last one, is proof of that. My grandson has taken to standing close enough to me that he has to look down on me, just a subtle reminder that enough time has passed for him to have well outgrown me. Nick is 15 now and it feels like only a few years ago that my kids were that age.
Christmas is easier now since we don't do presents (other then the home-made truffles) for any one other than the grandchildren. Al and I both hate shopping and agonizing over presents and were happy to eliminate that part a few years ago, besides we have each other and our wonderful family - what more can anyone ask for? And each Saturday all of us receive a wonderful present, courtesy of Doug and Greg, of the Squid - another great gift! We actually had what felt like an early Christmas on December 2nd. Jackie and Jim were down from the north, Vivvy's 4th birthday was the next day so we had a birthday gathering for 25 (including all of Tim's gang who won't make it to the homestead on Christmas) and served the whole turkey with all the trimmings Christmas type dinner. Doug & Sue and Tim & Heidi were able to attend by way of that wonderful invention, Skype. Family, laughter, a good meal - yes it was an early Christmas.
Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ and spreading the Advent message of hope, peace, joy and love. It has also grown to mean the sharing of love, laughter, tears and fellowship with those dear to us. That means, to me, that it isn't about a date on the calendar, a meal nor presents received or given; not glistening snow nor Christmas concerts (but we loved watching Vivvy's first Junior Kindergarten concert!) Christmas is an emotion of the heart, a time when we feel free to tell those close to us that they are important and that we love them. If we are very lucky we can keep the feelings of Christmas in our heart alive all year long and share it with all we meet.
To all of our fellow Squid readers; you are wonderful, we love you and wish you a Christmas filled with love and joy and a New Year that brings you nothing but the very best life has to offer.
Carol & Al
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Wishing you and yours and all the Squad subscribers a good Christmas
and a great new year.
Lorne & Vivyan
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THE ONTARION REPORT
Hello everyone!
Well, it’s almost Christmas and still almost no snow on the ground here in Southern Ontario. I guess if we have an inch or two for Christmas morning it will be enough to make it seem like a real Christmas after all.
It’s been a fun year for me as far as writing the Ontarion goes and I’m looking forward to another one if everyone else hangs in with us! Doug and I sometimes run short of material but always manage to pull something out of the hat and it’s still fun to do each week. I’m sure we’ll continue for a while yet!
Christmas is always a bit hectic but for many reasons it’s always fun too! The anticipation of it extends well before the actual date and it seems that most years it’s a race by retailers to see who can get the Christmas displays up first! I think around here it’s been COSTCO who gets the first inkling of the Christmas season on the floor first. They suddenly have their trees appear about mid November and people are shocked to see this happen so early. I guess the quicker you get people thinking about the upcoming occasion the quicker your seasonal sales start making money for your store! Hopefully though, the commercial aspect of the season isn’t the only thought on people’s minds. The reason for this celebration in the first place is of course the birth of Christ. He should be the focus of most people’s attention at this time of year. Unfortunately the commercialism has crept its way into the thoughts of Christians all over the world and if they really are good Christians they’d think of their religious foundations first. Since that’s not the case, I hope they at least think to show their gratitude to him by stopping and saying a prayer to thank him for everything that this life he has given us affords us in abundance!
Speaking of Christmas, I managed to finish my Christmas Shopping the other day and don’t have any last minute running to do this year. Feels good to be all done early! I went out during the day and the malls that I did get into were not busy at all. I think that the indoor mall is becoming less popular than it was during the past 30 years. It seems that the larger outdoor strip malls or “Plazas” are gaining popularity due to the fact that you can park almost in front of whatever store you are looking for and you don’t have to wade your way through hundreds of people to finally find the store you want. I think the stores with outdoor access inadvertently promote better health for their customers. You don’t find yourself wading through all the coughs and sneezes of other people pushing and shoving in an indoor overheated building. Of course there are crowds in individual stores as well but you can choose to enter or not to enter if things look too hectic inside. You haven’t had to be exposed to crowds of sickies just to get to the store in the first place and that means it’s healthier in my opinion. Anyway, if you have the luxury of shopping during the daylight hours you can avoid the herds of “after work” shoppers and that makes things a lot easier.
I’ve even managed to get all my wrapping finished as well! Now it’s just a matter of waiting out the weekend and hoping that when I awake on Christmas Day I’ll find that Santa has once again managed to stop at our house and leave something nice for each of us. Once again this year, I haven’t asked him for anything but somehow she…. Oops! I mean “HE” always manages to hit the nail on the head when it comes to leaving me something wonderful and I’ve never been disappointed! Well, maybe when I was a kid there was a time or two when I wasn’t totally happy that I didn’t get what I asked for but then again back in the 50’s asking for an “Aqua Lung” and a Horse was a tad much for Santa’s budget, not to mention a tad greedy on my part as well! LOL! I guess when I figured that out at the time, I felt bad for even having asked for such outlandish gifts! When I think back on all the childhood Christmases, we really did have a wonderful experience each and every year. I also have to say that all of my adult Christmas experiences have been great too, especially the times after we had our own family to celebrate with. What a wonderful time of year!
We are looking forward to another wonderful family Christmas this year and I sincerely hope that each and every one of our Squamidian family members have the same!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL from Greg, Carole and Adam!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll be looking forward to talking to all of you next week in The Ontarion Report!
Bye for now… Greg
PS: Something To Think About>
“Peace On Earth Good Will Toward Men” (and Women)
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Have a good one..
the doug
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