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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1977-12-22, Page 4NaNttl-N4MONP,NIA-PAO-Peo PPON:414kraN:4NONIONa0.44.0.140 NO NO NA ;NA Nit Pal NAt P44 PeaN:zN.-^ Peg NZ Pal Pea 4 41'1 Sae Pai0. V.0 0;:t0. 044'410Pi.01 144;14.9i.. witNekeet eiJoee2 eke "0, rrn 4 1 44,4•144•141.* t 441,4saVntit. .71.,:•••tis .:•'`''",X1'....04,41.,1•• ', • 4,1 1044%.4* %""•%.44%;44%••%w 444. 40.0,1" Old) e 4t19. o "."*.rt.10*444004,P4144,40.3,1,}0e, wk' 44,4 "I % .%. .., 4"%'' rr 444••• ,i•y, ..4. .4,,,4444•4• 444 444-S44.4% 4;.;,4.441, "-• %.;,. 44,{ • a t541, 040,4,4 ..u.A•4:4" .44.0 .."4:4:;43`10111.r. Drawn by Jeff Greb, J.A.D. McCurdy g . - t*41q"1411"1;;SS41:r4. rYs (4 ‘{4'Ilr'i'l ''''I'lt Vq4 :'‘4'i 4;14'1 t3/4 Wf414.4 41riPtAvIA t"it( tv' t t*,iz7t,i<AFts tzi't 1;:?4:1?",i^c,st:INVP:Tt:?rd tq.cii vg`e, t.4.1t1"itvla .fa t:N3 tv't4 tWsi Wes, W(3 Wc i t" 1 t"t 4 .4 kiit i.ot 0,,,, i. The,power of positive thinking A A 3 A A People who believe in "positive thinking" must have been delighted last week to see two of the most enthusiastic proponents of that attitude honored as Exeter's citizens of the year. Gwyn Whilsmith and Ron Bogart take divergent tacts in achieving their goals, but those of us who are closely associated with the pair, know full well there is no sense in arguing about the expected success of their campaigns, because regardless of how difficult the task may seem, they'll probably ac- complish it. Gwyn, - of course, uses the power of friendly persuasion. She disarms a person with her quick smile. There have been many times when Gwyn has been in the writer's office to plead her case Do you find it harder and harder each year to get revved up for Christmas? You have company. When the advertising begins right after Thanksgiving, and the Santa Clauses become ubiquitous by mid-November, and the carols are mere cliches by mid- December, it's hard to reach that peak of emotion that com- bines Christian joy for the birth of Christ and pagan revelry to celebrate the equinox, by the time Christmas itself rolls around. One of the trite remarks of modern life is that Christmas has become commercialized, But don't blame the merchants. Blame ourselves., We can call this a plastic age, but it is we who use the plastic, whether it be in the form of goods, ideas or entertainment. It is we who scurry madly' through those overheated stores, going slightly paranoid over the business of buying gifts for peo- ple who don't need them. It is we who eat and drink too much at Christmas, which, if the truth were told, should be a time of fasting and purification, until our heads were as light as our hearts. Wouldn't it be much more ap- propriate if, on Christmas Eve, instead of having people in for eggnog and goodies, we threw out that pagan image, the Christ- 'nes tree, turned off the lights, except for a candle or two, turn- ed the furnace right off and sat around in the cold and dark, transferring ourselves to a stable in Bethlehem on a winter night? No? You don't think much of that idea? Neither do I. It's like saying that in the face of the coming energy shortage we should all blow up our cars, stop using hot water and deodorants, grow our own food in the back yard, and chop down all the trees in the park for firewood, Whether we like it or not, we are caught up in the headlong race of the }Inman species toward its goal, whether it be suicide or glory, and there's no turning back, So get that tree up, buy a fat turkey, spoil your children rotten with an overwhelm of gifts, and stuff yourself silly as a Ronan senator at an orgy. This year it's the Mounties. Next year the government may for some special cause, and we often end up patting ourself on the back that we have been kind and gracious in providing whatever assistance she was seeking. However, in considering the situation after, there is always a_ rather sinking feeling because we then realize that in those visits, Gwyn doesn't usually ask for assistance, but rather tells you what you are going to do for her cause. It's nothing short of manipula- tion, but it's the type That leaves you with a warm feeling. It is doubtful if any one person in this community knows the full extent of her efforts on behalf of other people. Much of that work is undertaken in a quiet, un- assuming way, and only, the benefactors on a collective basis could really tell of all her do away with Christmas altogether because it cuts too deeply into increasing our Gross National Product. My old lady and I almost gave up on Christmas this year. We thought of all the work to get ready and flinched, I suggested going south for a week to play some golf, letting our daughter and her brood take over our house and have their Christmas here. She was all for it. Then we had The Boys for a week, and hastily revised our plans. We realized that if those two were allowed to run un- checked for a week, we might as well put the house up for sale when we got home, or set fire to it, if there was enough left stan- ding to make a blaze. If it weren't for that mob, go- ing away would have been easy,• both physically and emotionally. I could enjoy Christmas dinner in a hotel in Texas just as much as I do at home, where I have to stuff the 'bird, mash the turnips and wash 8,000 dishes far into the night. I think I might justpossibly be able to forego having to find a Christmas tree, dragging it in covered in snow, and spending four hours trying to get the dam' thing to stand upright. It would be a wrench, but I might even be able to stand not watching my grandboys rip the paper off 48 gifts and go right back to beating each other on the head with a couple of drumsticks. Real ones, not the turkey kind. It's one of their favorite games, However, as the hired man said in Robert Frost's poem of that name, "Home is where, when you go there, they have to let you stay." And it looks as though that's 'the way my daughter feels. We tried to fill up the house with other people. But my son is in Paraguay, one brother and his wife in Costa Rica, the other brother way up at James Bay. So we're stuck With the kids, and I'll be happy if I see the New Year without being on my hands and knees. With that wrapped up, there's nothing left to do but send my best wishes for the holiday season to all sorts of people, through this column. To my old friends in the newspaper business: hope you all achievements in brightening the world for them. Exeter is certainly a better place in which to live because of her. Ron Bogart takes a much different approach in his tactics, He uses the straight-ahead ap- proach that he developed as an accomplished football backfielder. When things start to slow down, he tends to exude an at- titude of "give me the ball and get out of the way", although he does it in such a' manner that most of the people around stay in to "block" for him. They're caught up in that air of positive thinking and soon find themselves undertaking work that previously they had suggested was impossible. It's one of the reasons behind got that big Christmas issue out without being hospitilized with total exhaustion. To my teaching colleagues everywhere: hang in there; it's only six months until June. To the prime minister: dear Pierre, hope that other turkey doesn't turn up and spoil your Christmas. To all the people to whom we used to send Christmas cards: it's the thought that counts, and we think of you every six or eight months. To all those people who want a baby so badly: hope you get twins twice in the next two years. To all those people who don't want a baby at all: hope you don't get pregnant, not even a lit- tle bit. And to all the people who bother to read this column at all, whether you agree or not, a merry, merry Christmas, with a special thanks to those who write, God bless us, one and all. his success as a coach, as many times his players have gone out and played "over their heads" to accomplish goals that were possible only because the physical effort was accompanied by a strong sense of a positive at- titude. Certainly, Ron's positive ap- proach was one of the in- gredients which helped make the fund raising campaign for the rec centre a success. While many scoffed at the suggestion the area could raise the required funds, he never let it dim his enthusiasm and in fact it probably made him all the more determined to prove them wrong. As we approach the festive season and a new year, we think it is important to consider the at- titude of our two citizens of the year, because they display qualities that appear to be wan- ing in many others in this com- munity, and in fact in the nation as a whole. There's a rather negative feel- ing that much has gone wrong and there is little we can do about it, Well, there is much we can all do about it, if we only get our minds into the proper gear and take on that positive approach. Christmas can easily have that special meaning if you open your heart and allow it to happen. Sure, it takes some special effort amid the voices of doom and gloom, but few positive things are ever accomplished without that special effort. There's little doubt that many Canadians have had it "too good" in recent years and now that things have slowed down, they spend their time despairing, failing to realize that in com- parison to most of this world's population, they are still among the most blessed. Certainly, we can sympathize with those who are unemployed and perhaps can't enjoy the festive season to the extent they could on full pay cheques, but few of them go hungry or homeless in our society, It may be difficult for them to pull themselves up by the bootstraps, but if they spent some of their leisure in visiting the sick or elderly or running errands for those who need help, they would possible find that with a positive attitude they could enjoy the season to a greater extent, There are indications that all Canadians will have to tighten their belts in the year ahead, but if they do so with a positive ap- proach, they'll find it much easier than most would expect. The choice is yours . . • to be a pessimist or an optimist, Your cup can be "half empty" or it can be "half full" but even though that may indicate it con- tains the same amount, there's considerably more in the latter. We hope that in this festive season and the year ahead that your cup of blessings is half full, because with a positive approach it could appear overflowing to you, • The First Christmas BY DARLENE SILLERY Grade 4 Usborne Central One day in Nazareth a couple came to a donkey seller. The couple's name was Mary and Joseph. They were going to Bethlehem for King Herod's count. They bought a donkey and started out the next day. They travelled a long time and there was a lot of sand and rain storms, Finally they got there. When they came to an inn it was packed full with people but the inn keeper was kind enough to give them his stable. Mary was going to have a baby as the angel told her before. Soon the baby was born. She named it Jesus as the angel had also told her before. Jesus is Christ the King, When King Herod heard this he ordered all of his soldiers to kill all baby boys that were under two. The angel told Joseph about this in his sleep and told him to go to Egypt. They had to carry all of their gifts that the wise men and the shepherds gave them too. Mary and Joseph got to Egypt and Jesus was never killed. We have Christmas today because we want to remember baby Jesus. We also give gifts because the wise men gave Jesus gifts. Hard to'get revved up r.N• metweemewee‘.eeNeseatleieeweeeie•oeezeiet,weeieveeeeeeeteeeewee.geoleezeietweseeoweeeeeeetweeemeeewawarl , e• ..e. ti § lee tv 0 tv Drawn by Charlotte Webb 'er,ThbOrne Central 0 444!,AVV*Ai Old dY4 W.(40%1'414 t"P-4iG3 ?;(4' 013$ 01`,4i 411,V0:441 12V6 OM wed wtd wood I I a "Yee4tee% 4V1 4„, • Page 4 Times-Advocate, December 22, 1977 A letter to Jesus By Gwyn Whilsrnith Dear Jesus Christ: Well, Jesus, your birthday has rolled around once again finding me a little more frustrated, frantic and flustered than usual. Such a lot to do...the food preparation, the cleaning, the shopping and card addressing to finish, the wrap- ping; parties to go to and Christmas con- certs to attend. I felt push-pulled in every direction at once< Then there were the hangovers from too much of everything. „too much eating, too much spending, too much travelling, too many late nights and too much mess to clean up. Too much, too much, too much. We become like drug addicts unable to quench an insatiable thirst for hectic activity that makes us reel or drop in our tracks. Take the other day, for instance. I staggered in from shopping, foot weary and emotionally drained from trying to choose the proper gifts for friends and family. The assortment of beautiful but expensive things in the stores bewildered me to the point that by the time I reached home I was doubting my choices and wondering if I should make the trip back to exchange them. Laden with awkward parcels, I struggled through the door, dumped them on the kitchen table, pulled off my boots and sank into a chair. For a few moments I closed my eyes to contemplate what the next project should be for my Christmas preparations. "Where's the peace? Where's the joy? Where, indeed, is the feeling of celebration that goes with this time of year?" I asked myself wearily. Something was certainly missing but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Bestirring myself, I got a stool and reached to a top shelf to take down the box containing the nativity scene. At that moment there was a tiny tap on the door and my friend's little girl, Kathy, had come, she proclaimed, "For a visit." Now, Jesus, I really didn't need her right then, but how can you turn away a smiling bright eyed angel even though she rims over with too much talk and curiosity? So, we pulled off her heavy boots and jacket, got her a few crackers (no cookies baked yet) and went back to the business of unwrapping the figures and trying to place them in the crowded creche on the living room table, "Whatcha doing?" Kathy queried munching her crackers in my ear and dropping crumbs on my clean carpet. Not receiving an immediate answer she concluded, "Oh, I see, you're un- packing Jesus for Christmas and trying to fit him in." Unpacking Jesus for Christmas? Trying to fit him in? What was the child saying? Looking down at her beautiful face wreathed in childish innocence, I sat down and pulled her to my knee. Giving her saucy, turned-up nose a playful tweak I said, "You know, Kathy, I think you just said something terribly wise and important." She wriggled and giggled as we went off to the kitchen to make some 'real' tea, spread strawberry jam on those dry crackers and have ourselves a party. We finished setting up the creche before she went home, Jesus, and after she left I thought about what she'd said. I knew beyond a doubt she'd hit the nail on the head as to why I couldn't muster tip any sparkling, joyful Christmas spirit, It was because I was just un- packing you for Christmas and trying to fit you into my busy schedule, Like thousands of others I had got the cart before the horse. What I needed to do was to get thoughts turned around, cen- tred on you first, then keep them there as I made the preparations to celebrate your birthday. Isn't is funny, Jesus, how we all manipulate you so we can squeeze you into the picture we have of your birtD? We can justify almost anything we want to throw into the hodge-podge of the celebration. For example, there are those who bellow out Christmas carols at drunken parties, hoping by some miracle the singing of these hallowed SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND 0.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC Published by J. W. Eedy Publications Limited LORNE EEDY, PUBLISHER Editor — Bill Batten . Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh Adverrising Manager Jim Beckett Plant Manager — Bill Weekley Composition Manager — Harry DeVries Business Manager — Dick Jong kind Phone 235-1331 +CNA Amalgamated 1924 hymns will somehow sanctify their un- christlike behaviour. Most of us fall for the gimmicks designed to 'promote' the Christmas spirit. Everywhere there is the big push by every kind of business to make as huge a profit as possible. And we go right along with every bit of it. What do you think aboui, it, Jesus? What's it like having your birthday celebrated in this crazy, mixed-up fashion? It seems to me you're having a tougher time than usual in the world this Christmas becal:,se the forces of evil seem to be let loose and are more violent and subtle than ever before. We can watch a clever, my well known TV personality casually straightening the crease in his $500 suit while he smugly tells his audience that you weren't really who you said you were when you stated you were the Son of God. You just thought you were, he says. Or, we can read in the papers that a movie is being produced by greedy, money-hungry men depicting you as a craven, and perverted man. And we, your followers, get uptight and anxious. But come to think of it, Jesus, we don't need to be concerned about your reputation, You have weathered many a storm and will withstand this present one. Because whereas the fallen empires of Caesar, Charlemagne. Napoleon and Hitler were built upon force, your em- pire was built on love and that is why it has survived and why it will continue to survive. We see pain, suffering and wrong do- ing around us, Christ, yet we know the world into which you were born was not a happy one either. It was a grim, poverty-stricken, force-directed world. An emperor could determine whether a person lived or died by simply turning his thumb down. There was no concern about equality among the races, let alone between men and women. The majority of the people were servants or slaves; some were even chattels and could be sold and bought like cattle. There was little expressed concern for human beings. There was plenty of misery: happiness was in short supply. People died young and they died like flies. While we know our world is far from perfect, still we know that most of the good things like hospitals, schools, orphanages, homes for the aged and han- dicapped came into being through your motivation and stimulus that moved men's and women's hearts to do something. That we are at the level we are today is mainly due to you, and we would be a lot further along if more peo- ple believed in Christianity more enthusiastically and practiced your teachings. It has always been your aim to help people live their lives more abun- dantly and joyfully. Somehow or other, Jesus, we have to learn that to be truly happy we've got to start putting you first in our lives every day of our lives. We can't just unpack you at Christmas, as Kathy said, and try to squeeze you into our hectic preparations so that you fit some kind of nice, unrealistic, sentimental picture we have of your birth. That event heralded God's great love, which, if we will accept it, will br- ing us the joy and peace we so much desire. We all need a time of renewal, a refresher course, and it can start with remembering your birth at Bethlehem, but to overcome our addiction to the im- balance we place on that day we must get a proper perspective of what Christ- mas is all about. Perhaps the answer of just keeping you, first in our lives, of loving you and passing your love along to, others is too simple and even unpalatable for most, but it seems to me to be the only answer of making Christmas and every day the happy, peaceful, loving times they were meant to be, Amen, Jesus, and God bless. And Oh yes, thank you for Kathy; she and I wish you a Happy Birthday, AVAZIMMii'MWOCAMEN'sman&f •:.&:,..gDMIAREOM:Of," • " Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 SCRE:=7:Zrzrere' WON; toinh Numn,744.4%411ddkwr lanes dvoca e ,44.11 (4/niqn0ince Ian OMMIM.Z.MINV .WM;. ..... ................................................................ Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number I:486 Paid in Advance Circulation September 30, 197$ $,409 SUBSCRIPTION RATE:. Canada $11.00 Per Year; USA $2.00 .. e"ieeeeeeZife.C.,"."