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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1978-10-11, Page 20Mottiber inettrilriCe. Ocitptitiititin RIA and GREY TRUST COMPANY SINCE 1889 THE BRUSSELS POST, OCTOBER 11, 1978 19 Sugar and Spice by Bill Smits), Layman presides at One of the deepest satisfaetionsin writ in .g column of this kind is the knowledge that von are getting into print the angers and frirstrations of a lot of other people, who have no recourse for their resentments, and consequently take them out on the old man or the old lady. How do yoll know this? Well. because pcpple write you letters cheering you on to further attacks. and other people come up to you, perfect strangers, shake hands warmly, and say, ""By the Holy Ole Jum pin! Bill, you really hit the nail on the head," This can be a little disconcerting. as you are never quite sure which nail they are referring to. If the congratulator is a woman, smile weakly and change the subject. Because sure as guns, though she thought you were one of nature's noblemen for ;i,our assault on male chauvinism last week. she'll turn on you like a snake when she reads tomorrow's paper, with the column exposing female chauvinism. Speaking recently to a class of potential writers in a creative writing course, I tried to pass along the personal satisfaction one gets from this type of personal journalism. I emphasized the "personal" satisfaction, because there's a lot more of that involved than there is of the other kind, financial satisfaction: Columnists and free-lance writers have no union working for them -, nor any professional association, as have doctors, lawyers, teachers. -They have only their own talent and wit and perseverance with which to penetrate the thick heads and thicker skins of editors and publishers. But it's a great feeling when you vent your wrath, say, about the rapaciousness of Mechanics, and you are button-holed six times in the next three days by people with horror stories about mechanics you can scarcely- .believe. Trouble is, they all want you to write another column about mechanics, and put some real meat into it. This means, in effect, that they would happily stand in the wings and applaud when you, were sued for libel. Some* readers • would like' you to be constantly attacking whatever it is that they don't like. Capitalist friends are aghast when you refuse to launch an assault on capital gains taxes. Welfarist friends think you arc a traitor and a fink when you won't attack the government for not providing color TV for everyone on the take: Lam not by nature an attacker, and I think there is nothing more boring than a writer of any kind who tries to make a career of being a "hard-hitting" journalist. Once in a while my gently bubbling nature boils over. Throwing caution and syntax to the winds, I let my spleen have a field day of To find YOUR home, Read Classified ads VACATION PROPERTY. AND REAL ESTATE GUIDE miami.•••••••••••• and try to throw some sand in the grease with' which many aspects of society arc.' trying to give us a WYNN' job. And that's. OK of the finest Nrag.r4phs I've ever written, if mixed metaphors are your bag. Fair game for the hard-hitter are; garage mechanics., plumbers, postal workers. supermarkets, civil servants, and politicians. Most of them can't hit back, and everybody hates them, except garage ineehanies and their wives, plumbers and their wives, etc. Smaller fry are doctors, lawyers, teachers,. used Or salesmen. They 4111 squeal. like dying rabbits when attacked. birt nobody pays much attention to them except doctors and their wives, etc. etc, There are a few areas ;.hat even the hardest-hitters avoid. .When have you, lately. read a savage attack on greedy farmers, callous nurses, or unloving moth- ers? And yet. there are lots of them around. One of these days. perhaps, one of these hard-hitting writers will Muster enough guts. after about five brandies. to launch an all-out attack on othe audacity of women. th in king they're as good as men. Boy, that fellow will learn what real hard-hitting is all atxmt. Personally. I. can't Stay mad at anybody long enough tobea voice of the people, or a public watch-dog. or any 'of aif these obnoxious creatures who try to tell other people how they should feel. The only constant in my rage is the blatant Manipulation of self-seeking politicians who will twist and warp and wriggle and squirm . and. bribe for . self-perpetuation in office. Best examPle of the moment is Torey government in Ontario, which has called a totally unnecessary election in that province through sheer hunger for greater power. Otherwise. I get a great deal more joy from' touching the individual life than inflaming the masses. When I get a letter from an old lady in hospital, crippled with arthritis, who has managed to get a chuckle out of my column, it makes me feel gbod. Recently, I got a letter from a young Scot who has immigrated to Canada. Be says: "I have learned more about Canada and Canadians through reading your column t han all the accumulated wisdom from the Canadian newsmagazines, novels and TV programs I have absorbed." Now there is a man with his head screwed on right. If I. as a newcomer, tried to. get my impressions of this country Trom • news- magazines and TV programs, I'd catch the first boat or plane home. So, I guess I'll just try to go on talking to people, getting sore, having. some fun, looking for sympathy in the war between the sexes. That's what life is all about, not plumbers and politicians and othei' horrors of that ilk. ANNUAL A home your own a 7 ° 010 Guaranteed Investment Certificates b.14, Lefebvre, Managee Listowel, Out. resbytery meeting Harold Knisley„ Ooderieh. presided at the opening meeting of the 1978-79 session of the Huron-Perth. Presbytery, United Church of Canada last Tuesday. He is - the first lay chairman since Huron and Perth presby- teries amalgamated ten years ago. The- ministerial and. lay del egates met in the new _Christian Education wing of Atwood ,United Church. The addition 'was . built • almost entirely by volunteers of the congregation. Eight new ministers were NVele0Med to Huron-Perth: Rev. Daniel YOurkevich. Tavistock; Rev. James Vanslyke; Seafortly.- Rev. • . Bruce Eaton. Sebringyille; Rev, Alun Thomas. Barfield: 'Rey. Robert McMullen. Brucefield: Rev. Roy Bab- stock, Parkview, St rat ford; Rev. James • Forsythe. ' Exeter: and Rev. Camilla. LaRoche, Kirkton. An enthusiastic report of • the Presbytery's booth at the International Plowing Match revealed that a minimum of 15.000 people viewed the "Market Place Ministry" \vhich served 5755 cups of coffee acid 800 dozen cookies. The facility was operated by 238 volunteers headed by . -chairman Tom Dunn and secretary Evelyn Dem cry , both of Bliley:ale. Rev. Ed. Baker, Walton was in charge of the daily program; Mrs. Myrtle Waikom: Mitchehi. publicity and- literature; Gordon Richardson, Clinton. float; Rev. Bruce Eaton, Sebringville. missionary display Clayton Bender, Listowel, property and. Mrs, Muriel Cottltes , Belgrave, LICBWu'dlgtoesttess for the undertaking was $2,5001e 1 funded. largely by .the Fres- bytery and at •LOrielOn. Cort- feretwe block grant. Rev. Fred Faist, Mitchell and Mrs. Cora Thistle, Strat- jord. in their report of needs and resonrees indicated there was a strong concern about youth work. couples' clubs, visitation and personal bible study. The survey began a year ago. Mrs. Thistle is the Conference and National representative for the "people bank". a source -of experience and talent. As a result of its report on camping facilities by a HERE'S THE INFORMATION — Kay Johnston handed out brochures on arthritis to the Brussels Leos Leos collected for the ,Arthritis Society on Thursday night. Here is Cheryl Bauer. special committee headed by Harold Coade, Mitchell, the Division of Mission in Onada was asked to develop a purpose for the two camps, in the Presbytery to ensure a Christian emphasis and promote leadership develop- ment._ It was -announced that a School of Theology would begin in M itcheP on October 17 for six weeks, I will be led by Rev. Maurice Boyd and Rey. Frances Clarke. London. The UCW Presby- 10.61 has been set for January 31 in Exeter. Despite a controversial be- ginning the court was told that there are 500 Kerigma bible study groups across the church. 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