The Brussels Post, 1973-12-12, Page 2BRUSSELS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1973 ONTARIO
-serving 'Brussels ' and the surrounding community
published, each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros., 'Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn Kennedy Editor Tom Haley - Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario weekly. Newspaper Association.
Subscriptions fin -advance) Canada $4.00 a year, Others .1
$5.00 a year, Single Copies 10 cents each.
Second class mail HegistratiOn No. 0562.
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What do you expect?
Advent is the season of expectancy. It's a time of
getting ready. It comprises four Sundays
commencing on the one nearest November 30. That
makes it December 2 this year and December 1 in
1974.
Sometimes there is more joy and, excitement in'
gettinveady for something than in the event itself.
As Thomas Fuller put it: "Prospect is often better
than possession."
You've likely had some great-getting-ready-
moments in your life. Maybe you've had experiences
such as getting ready to have an operation, to write
an examination, to have a baby, to go on. a. trip
.overseas, to leave home for the first .time, to leave
home for the last time. ,
Advent is the great-getting-ready-moment for
Christians as we get ready tor the celebration Of the
coming of Christ into the world of
- Mangers and missiles
- Shepherds -and shysters
- Stars and starvation
- Carols and calamities
- Wise men from the east and unrest in
the Middle East
"Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall
never be disappointed," said Alexander Pope. If you
don't expect anything special to happen this
Christmas, it will likely be the same old shopping
spree and holly hassle. How about using this Advent
season for expecting a new coming of Christ into
your life? You Might start with prayer. "To pray,"
said Ralph W. Sockman, "is to expose the shores of
your mind to the incoming tide, of the Holy Spirit".
What's your intent
For this Advent?
United Church Editorial
AM Carving, the turkeY.i'
Misty morning
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Sugar and Spice
by Bill. Smiley
Perhaps someone who has gone 'the
whole course can tell me when one's
children stop dependihg on their parents
when it comes to the clutch.
Is it in their forties, fifties, sixties?
Certainly it is not in their twenties.
Recently, we received a note from our
son Hugh, to tell us he was taking some
vhiosliit.days and would be home for a few days'
I thought, "Good. He's saved some '
money and won't arrive broke, as usual."
He had.
Some days lat er, in a telephone
conversation with daughter Kim, we
learned that Hugh had dropped in to see
her, and had drifted off, muttering
something about going to Chicago. That is
a slightly roundaout way of getting to our
place.
And a few days later there was a collect
call from Houston, Texas. You guessed it.
Hugh, flat broke. Could we wire him
money for bus fare to get home?
He was crafty enough ta call when I was
at work. I would probably have refused the
collect call and regretted it later. Or I'd
have shouted, "No, I will not, send you the
price o one serving of Kentucky fried
chicken", and slammed up the receiver.
But he s eet-talked his mother forlive
minutes befo e he popped the question.
She was not only'affronted but taken aback
and didn't think quickly enough to tell him
we were just off to Florida or the west coast
or anywhere.
She waffled a bit, and eventually said
she'd see what hisdad said but not to
expect anything. He sighed with relief and
told her where to send the money.
I cane home from work on a Friday after
a hard week.All I wanted was to get my
shoes off, have i'quiet drink before dinner,
and read the latest goodies about the •
energy crisis.
And all I got was a family crisis,
scramble to'the bank, and a dash to get to
the telegraph office before it closed for the
weekend.
At first I stood my ground. Not a penny.
Let him starve in Houston: At least he
Won't freeze to death (he'd airily told his
Mother it was 90' degrees down there.)
And She agreed with me. "He doesn't
deserve a cent. He was told he was never to
do that again. Ungrateful young. pup. Why
doesn't he hitchhike home?—
"Well," I said, "some of those southern
states are pretty touch on hitchhikers.
Throw them in jail for a month.-
I could just, see her thinking of her
first-born slaving on a Georgia chain-gang
or something of the sort. After a heated
half-hour, we agreed that money isn't
everything, that you can't take it with you,
that he's the only son we have, that it
would be nice to see him, and that I'd
better hustle if I wanted to get to the bank
in time.
It cost me about $115, counting the bus
fare and grub to get home, the cost of the
collect call, and the charge for sending the
money.
That's what I call' sending good money
after good. Of course, Hugh wouldn't
dream of accepting a gift. It was strictly a
loan. According to his figures, he new owes
me $380.00; without interest, and will have
the whole thing paid Off any time now.
According to my figurs, he owes me
$880.46, at eight per cent interest, and
he'll never pay it off.
This has been happening to me for
years. First, the kids go to their mother;
and soften her up. Then she comes to me,
and softens me up. Then I go back to the
kids and practically apoplogize for being so
slow with the loot.
Of course, I r eason, Hugh's only a
kid.Practically , a baby. He won't be
twenty-seven until July. You can't expect
him, at that tender age, to know enough to
save some money for bus fare home!
But that other kid. She's a different
matter. She's almost a mother, And she
pulled a swifty on us this week. Another
collect call, on Sunday. Nice to hear her
Asked how' big the tummy was. All very
matey and maternal.
Then came the punch line. Don, her
husband, was on the way up froni the, city
with their cat; to put in our care. He had to
hitch-hike because he couldn't Wing the
cat on a bus. Her mother nearly blew a
conk. The' dinged cat isn't trained:
So we have two additions to the
houSehoId this Week. Two fat cats. One in
the back yard, yoWling to get in, The other
Watching TV, sleeping till noon, and
waiting t6 put the bite on me for more bus .
fare back to his job in. Quebec":
Shoulda been a crariiiys old bachelor,