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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1984-01-04, Page 4e as -Advocate, January 4, 1984 • Imes -/idvoca Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 Serving South Huron,.North Middles'ex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by 1.W..,,Fedy Publications Limited BILL BATTEN ROSS HAUGH Editor Assistant Editor LORNE EEUY Publisher . JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: • Canada: $22.00 Per year; U.S.A. $60.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' and 'ABC' - DICK )ONGKIND Business Manager I Vt *CNA Christmas '83 will remain memorable in the min of many people for years to come and it's not pa titularly due to the gaudy tie received from aunt Mar or the cute little verse written on a gift from som child. It will be recalled as the year that Christmas pia went astray due to weather conditions and certainl will be reviewed in years to come by those who ha to seek a haven in the Exeter Legion or the Brucefiel United Church. Given the choice between spending Christmas ev at either of those locations or in a snowbank, there isn much doubt about the selection; and given the war hospitality that prevailed, the unscheduled visits wi undoubtedly be remembered warmly in the reminisc ing that the strandedrfamilies and their hosts will en joy as they look back on the situation. Many area homeowners also extended thei Furthering a reputation ds r- e ns Y d d e 't m 11 r. hospitality to the visitors in the true spirit of the season and as an example of how quickly people will rally to bring whatever measure of comfort and' friendship they can to thoqse who find themselves adversely af- fected by circumstances. While such actions bring their own rewards, all those who took time from their own family gatherings to share their Christmas should receive the thanks of the communities they represented in furthering the reputation for friendliness and hospitality in which everyone shares. There were certainly many who went above and beyond the call of duty and hopefully they have been rewarded by knowing their efforts made it a special Christmas for those whom they helped and that they too kindled warmth in their own hearts that made it a special occasion for themselves. Now there's some help Among the more popular new year's resolutions is the one to quit smoking. Unfortunately, it also follows that it is the one most often broken as smokers battle the nicotine habit. This year, howe rer, they will be getting some viable assistance as the Canadian Cancer Society and Health and Welfare Canada team upina major"Time to Quit" promotion. Popular actorWilliam Shatner hosts three enter- taining comedy/variety TV programs starting this Fri- day on the Global TV network. In addition, a colorful booklet providing a step-by- step approach to quitting has been produced to be us- ed in conjunction with the TV program. Those booklets are available at several local outlets, including the Times -Advocate. So, if you're among the smokers seriously con- sidering another attack on your costly habit, this pro- gram could just be the one,�to help you butt out. The program has been e pducted in other areas of the country with a considerable degree of success, so obviously it has some merits. It really is time to quit, isn't it? Few can work alone We listened to an interesting discussion the other evening, which centred around the contention that the computer society of the future will totally change all our lives, whether we like it or not. One man said that a few years hence much of the world'sbusinesswill be carried on from offices in private homes. The businessman of the future will conduct all his affairs by means of two-way computer without ever having to take his car out of the driveway. The second man did not agree. He contended that men and women are social creatures; although the technology may exist to make trips to the downtown office unnecessary, human beings will not be content to hole up in their private burrows. Most of us, he said, do not want to be isolated ; we need the presence of other people to reinforce our decisions, possibly even to correct our errors. We want to look the other fellow in the eye when we make our deals or sign our contracts. There is.considerable truth in the latter contention. Those of us who have had the responsibility of handl- ing staffs in our businesses know how much the interac- tion of human beings means to the success or failure of a successful company. True, the human element can, at times, be highly disruptive. Jealousies andtt Pe Y grievances can be costly and annoying barriers to ef- ficiency. On the other hand, the spirit of good-natured competition which a good managerrc-an foster is one of the most effective ways to achieve production goals. A good staff becomes, for most workers, a second fami- ly, a working climate which makes the tasks of the day pleasant rather -than boring. The man who contended that society will fall apart when there is a computer in every home - may be cor- rect but we hope he is wrong. Wingham Advance -Times Consider if change is for the better Here we are into a new year and some people may have the strange sensation of already having been here. That's due, in no small part, to the fact many have already been introduced to 1984 through a book written several years ago by George. Orwell. His book has been on the course of study for some, so his revelations of Big Brother, manufactured people and dic- tatorship by technology will be well known. The writer can recall, albeit hazi- ly, having been assigned the book to read in an English class a few decades ago. I'm sure 1 must have flunked the course badly, because recollections of many of his predictions are non-existent although the periodic reviews that have been published indicate that many of his futuristic prognostications have already come to fruition long,before 1984. The majority of people accept change as it comes about and only through a review of the past do they gainsomein- sight into how drastically things have really changed in their lifestyle or work place. People, in fact, expect change and therefore it is taken for granted. The pro- blem is, that too seldom do we stop to ponder whether that change is for the better. Some change, of course, is inevitable and has to be accepted as such. However, it is often surprising, at least in retrospect, that other changes are ac- cepted without complaint or attempts to stave them off despite the fact they are not what could be considered beneficial or advantageous. . . •. • One in awhile, people do take a look at the changes and decide that not all have 4 been for the better and decide to take some corrective action. A case in point is the current attack be- ing jaunted against the drinking driver. The pro ems of the drinking driver is certainly not new. For decades society has virtually turned a blind eye to the situation, however, and suffered almost silently against the -death, destruction and sorrow which has resulted. Now, the pendulum has started to swing in the opposite direction. The drinking driver is no longer socially accepted. .racticaily every conversation sooner or later appears to get around to the new at- tack beingstaged to reduce the problem. The result is that the majority of drivers are closely watching their drink- ing due to the increased risk of being caught and punished. That may not be as good as a renewed sense of responsibili- ty towards other drivers, but at least it has the same beneficial results. Conversely, society has accepted the change in the drinking habits of young pedple with the exception being that those who imbibe too heavily and get behind the wheel of a car are subject to the same ramifications as adults. But in general, most people appear to have accepted the fact that young people below the legal drinking age are going to drink and have resigned themselves to the fact there is little they can, or perhaps in many cases, need to do about the Situation. ' Underage drinking has also been with us for a long time, but perhaps what has escaped due co ideration is the fact that it has steadil reached down into the low teens and eve re -teens. ' Much of that came about due to the lowering of the drinking age in most jurisdictions. When the legal age was 21, the problem stemmed mainly with the 18, 19. and 20 -year olds. Now that the legal age. has been dropped by a couple of years, the underage drinking has dropped by the corresponding two years or even more. A recent meeting of parents held at SHDHS to discuss a party staged after a junior football game was possibly not in- dicative of the general feelings of some parents in view of the extenuating cir- cumstances which surrounded the meeting. The discussion on the main topic got side-tracked, but it appeared to the writer that the majority of.parents in at- tendance were not particularly concern- ed over the party or that their offspring had been drinking, Some would suggest that the parents who brought the matter into focus by rais- ing their concern had a personal problem related to their child only. I tend to disagree. The problem has to he shared by everyone if the continual lowering of the.age of young people who drink is to be effectively checked. To,condone it, is to encourage it. When does a community take a stand? Before or after the problem leads to some ilerious incidents? Or does it accept the change as inevitable? 1 "I'm being laid off!" The tributes pour in Surely it is permissable to write more than one col- umn about the loss of a woman you have lived with for more than 37_ years? Well, I'm not going to. I'm going to Iet some others do it for me. The letters and cards and donations to the scholar- ship fund are still piling in from all over the country, and I'm going to pick a random few and let them say it. Here's an old school friend: "I remember the countless times we walked to school together, both in Colpoys and then to High School. I always loved and respected Ivy for all her good qualities. She was a good example for me. Helen (Farrow) Robb." Suze, as I called her, loved rapping with young people: Here's a note from Blair Shakell a friend of my daughter, now living on the Wesoast. After the condolences, "You and Suze have played an im- portant role in my life. Your kindness, generosity and support of Marlene opened a world of possibilities to her, which, by extension has greatly influenced the course of both our lives. We will be forever thankful to you both for permitting us to be married in your lovely garden that autumn day 13 years ago. "Suze was intelligent, sensitive and demanding of honesty and logic in argument I remember her challenging the clari- ty of my thought and the emotional foundation of my reasoning, compelling me to re-examine my motives and my goals. Through all the fighting words, I always felt ing me, asking me out for meals, trying to cheer me u But Isaid I wasn't going to write a column. I give the last word to Ray Hughes, my brother-in- law. We married those Sugar and Spice Dispensed By Smiley welcome." There's more, but that's the essence. And she got along well with older people as well. My uncle, so ill he can scarcely write, took time to write a note. He is 91. From her father, also 91, wrote, his heart sore, and called her "our, dear, sweet, loving Ivy." Mrs. R.A. Dinniwell remembers the Bull girls, Iris and Ivy, being noted for their beauty in those parts, in an interesting let- ter establishing a relation- ship between he families. She is 81. Les Taylor, from Florida, writes succinctly and sincerely: "I am tru- ly sorry, Bill." He knows it. He's been through it. I could go on and on. Bill Jory, an old student, now a journalist, remembers a summer day in our backyard, working on the school yearbook. He still can't spell. Friends have been call - 4 beautiful Bull girls. Ray's brief eulogy at the funeral was eloquent and moving, better than I could have done. Here it is. "I have been asked to say a few words about Ivy, or Suze, as Bill called her and by which she is known to many of you. As her brother-in-law, I have had the great good fortune to be much involved in her life and that of her family. I loved Ivy and I know she loved me. "I know Ivy to be a warm, loving person. Bill and Hugh and Kim were the centre of her life and shoved them, mothered them, tended for them, worried with and for them and frequently scolded them: This same love was givenunsparinglyto other members of her family - her father, her sister Iris, her brother David, and there was still lots left over for the rest of us. "Ivy was a passionate person - she loved with a passion - cared with a pas- sion - and she lived with a passion. To be with her was an event - a happen- ing - something 'spec al. Suze had a facility f r listening - for focusing on you - you were for that mo- ment, the centre of the world - important - spetrial. She cared. "When with Ivy, a joke was somehow funnier, music more beautiful, col- ors more vivid, life more exciting. "Like us all, Ivy was not without her imperfections, shortcomings, - the same qualities that made her' unique, presented challenges that most of us are spared. But she fought these imperfections and conquered many of them. "Ivy brought the same love and passion to her music which absorbed so much of her creative life and which she instilled so successfully in Hugh and Kim. One of the joys of her life was teaching music. Ivy would be thrilled to know of the musiccholar- ship established 'in her name. Bill, I know, is grateful for this gesture. "We are'here to share in themourning and grieving of Bill and family for the loss they and all of us feel. But after today, when we think of Ivy it will not be of death we think, but of life, for she had it in great abundance and she gave each one of us a little more of it." Roses and brick -bats Looking back over the last year it seems it's about time to hand out my annual Roses and Bricks Awards. First off a whole pile of cement blocks to the ter- rorists who think that by exploding themselves and a bunch of innocent vic tims up that the problems of the world -are going to get any better. A rose to the movie en- titled, "Ghandi", one of the best that I have ever seen. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate it aii 11. If you haven't had a chance to view it, I can highly recommend it. A rose to the clerk who, after 11 and a half hours of a. twelve hour shift, took time to make a box for my extra -long Christmas gift, taping two smaller boxes together to do it. Then she panies with their off again - on again price wars. You can be darn sure that they f Perspectives By Syd Fletcher decided that the brass part of the gift needed polishing, hunted up some polish andmade the little boat look as good as the day it was made. Twenty minutes she took to do the job right. It makes me feel good that such caring is still around in our business community. A brick to the oil com- put the backup just before turas aikl kept them there during the travelling season. 1 get tired of being manipulated by these people. If there is a fair price, an honest price for gasoline then charge it but don't tell me it's worth twice as much this week as it was last, or that everyone suddenly gets the idea to put it back up to 15 cents a gallon more than it was before the price war, and all at once at that. A rose to all the people who donated to the Salva- tion Army and other relief organizations which are trj+ing to help out the un- fortunate at this time of the year. Believe me, even though the economy is starting to go forward again and inflation is com- ing down, there arAstill a tremendous number of people out of work out there. I wish a Happy New Year to you and yours. May the spirit of this Christmas past extend to all around you throughout the whole year. w Y;�