The Lucknow Sentinel, 2013-12-04, Page 44 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, December 4, 2013
opinion MIP
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My favourite kind of `whine' during winter
Merri Macartney
QM! Agency
ell, it's back! Wmter that is! And
once more the challenge is the
winter driving. Of course, you
have to get out of the driveway first and
that can be a challenge unto itself. But
mostly it's once you're out on the road
when you find that conditions can
change so quickly.
This is another one of those times
when I realize just how "off" the weather
people can be. Have you noticed that?
From where 1 live, it is really difficult to
discern what the roads are like. It isn't
until I've braved the outdoors that I find
out. Sometimes I want to turn tail and
run home and other times, it is too late
and I am already committed. I have
pushed through lots of time when per-
haps I shouldn't have and maybe I
should have been committed for a psy-
che evaluation!
For eight years my hubby and I com-
muted to Mount Forest where we both
taught. Actually, he went for seven years
and I did the last one by myself after he
retired. You just know that that last year
was the worst ever leaving the house in
the dark in the dead of winter and com-
ing home in the dark while he was hun-
kered in at home. You just know that was
going to be short lived.
In all those years, my favourite whine
was, "Why are we the only ones out
here?" For sure. Many times over, hubby
and I would be travelling those roads
with nary a soul in sight. Yes, the
weather was bad but didn't anyone else
HAVE to be somewhere too? Didn't
anyone else need to show up for work?
After that whine, I could be heard to say,
"What do they know that we don't
know?
A few times, we found out that they
knew the roads were closed. A few times
we had driven into town from the Old
Elora Road only to discover that there
were barricades up at the corner of Hwy
21 and 9. Who knew? Not us! We found
out that we could make that trip all the
way home with the radio playing and
not hear anything about closed roads.
One night it took me over two hours to
make that trip. At one point when I
could see absolutely nothing it crossed
my mind that I should get out of my car
to see if I could figure out where I was. I
didn't. The scary part for me is that it
never occurred to me that I shouldn't;
that it was a really stupid thing to do! I
just didn't want to stop.
When I finally made the turn to head
down the lane to my house, I looked
over and saw it was completely dark I
was steamed. Here I had been white -
knuckling it for all that time just thinking
of the warm welcome I'd get and my
hubby had gone to bed without me.
Gamic. I was so focused on that dark
house that I nearly ran my hubby over as
he crossed the lane in front of me. He
had just got home from his nearly three
hour trip from Owen Sound.
One such trip home, we drove that
same route nearly entirely on the wrong
side of the road. Of course, I had said,
"Why are we the only ones out here?"
Since the plow had totally cleared that
side, it made perfect sense to drive there
until we saw some oncoming traffic. We
didn't. And you just know that when we
got to town, there were the barricades.
Go figure.
Now you might just think that this is a
winter problem but it's not. At least not
for us. I can't begin to tell you how many
times we've been out sailing, far from
shore and on our way somewhere only
to discover that we were the only ones
out there. As far as the eye could see not
one boater was in sight. Great weather,
bad weather, no matter. "Why are we the
only ones out here?"
Except for the day when we motored
our sailboat in total fog all the way from
Killarney to Wingfield Basin at the north
east tip of the peninsula we couldn't say
for sure if we were the only ones out
there. But it's probable given our history.
The weatherman had said that there
were fog patches. Who knew that the
whole of Northern Georgian Bay was a
patch?
I've come to the conclusion that we
are just "out there" kind of people. We
could have been US postal workers;
"neither snow nor rain nor heat nor
gloom of night will stay these coura-
geous couriers from the completion of
their appointed rounds" Or maybe
FedEx; when we positively have to be
there overnight.
Note to Self: Life is full of surprises and
sometimes you just know that it's going
to be worth the journey. Merri Macart-
ney is a professional speaker, seminar
leader, author and certified success
coach. Her new book, Thoughts from
the Tub, is sold locally. Send comments
to: merri@MerrimacCommunications.
com
letter to the editor
Twas the night before Jesus came
Dear Editor,
Twas the night before Jesus
came, and all through the house
not a creature was praying, not
one in the house.
The Bibles were lying on a
shelf without care, in hope that
Jesus would not come there. The
children were dressed to crawl
into bed, not once ever kneel-
ing, or bowing their head. And
mom, in her rocker, with baby
on her lap, was watching the late
show as I took a nap.
When out of the East there
arose such a clatter, I sprange to
my feet to see what was the
matter.
Away to the window I flew like
a flash, tore open the shutters,
and threw up the sash.
When what to my wondering
eyes should appear but angles
proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun send-
ing forth a bright ray I knew in a
moment this must be the day.
The light on His face made me
cover my head. It was Jesus
returning, just like He said.
And though I possessed
wordlywisdom and wealth, I
cried when I saw Him... in spite
of myself.
In the Book of Life which he
held in His hand, was written
the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as he
searched for my name, when He
said, "It's not here," my head
hung in shame.
But those people whose name
had been written with love, He
gathered to take His Father
above. With those who were
ready... He rose without sound,
while all the rest were left stand-
ing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was
too late. I'd waited too long, and
thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose
out of sight.
Oh! If only I had been ready
tonight. In the words of this
poem the meaning is clear.
The coming of Jesus is now
drawing near.
There's only one life, and
when comes that last call.
We'll find that the Bible was
true after all.
Gordon Morrison
Lucknow