The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-07-19, Page 19sgkes
. I am alive.
I have offered seemingly airtight
evidence --to the contrary but newsroom
cohorts insist this correspondent will
pull through.
Despite objections, I suspect they
have a case.
The wisdom tooth is gone. All that
remians are the moans and groans,
thrown about in good measure for a
little attention, and a bit of a puffy face.
Even the doctor offered assurance
that with the proper care and diet I
may live past 30. It does offer a bit of
hope in these grim times.
But the whole procedure last Friday
was not accomplished in the smooth
and 'efficient manner that was
promised in an earlier visit:
In medical vernacular, they are
referred to as complications.
In all modesty, I was rather calm
sitting in the chair waiting for the
dentist to arrive. It was his arrival'that
• made me nervous.
On the first visit the doctor informed
section:.
Family reunions are the order of the day Page 2A
Cath Wooden's young brother got home from
summer camp Page 4A
Jack Riddell warns homeowners to beware of
the sharpies Page 6A
Dad Million marks his 95th birthday in Calgary Page 8A
Agricrew is available to area farmers this summer Page 9A
Margaret Govier retires after 31 years at Knox
Church office Page 12A
me it was a relatvely!, •:uncomplicated
removal and would take only 20 -
minutes. I could handle that.
But as I sat in the chair a different
doctor came in. Maybe he . Lost his
patient, I thought, and then he turned to
me and said.
"Okay, what have we got here?" he
asked. `'You're getting a wisdom tooth
out, which one is it?"
Now,, I was scared. The other doctors
had probably arranged a golf.game and
sent the rookie in to haul out my teeth.
At least he had the courtesy to ask on
which -side of my mouth he should start
excavating. I respected his thought-
fullness.
They also had the consideration to
pump some drugs into my arm, which I
maintain was only to cover up the job of
the rookie, who' had only become
familiar with my case that very
morning.
Things were fuzzy from that point
and the doctor instructed me to relax
and close my eyes.
He obviously didn't want me to
witness the procedure and live to tell
about it but I can be stubborn. Despite
being drowsy from the drug, I kept
opening my eyes for a first hand look.
The doc kept insisting I close my eyes
to the point that he was getting annoyed
and rpady to close them for me with a
sledge hammer.
What did he have to hide? I just
wanted to see what type of equipment,
was being lowered into my mouth.
He took care of that.
A large object, the size of a football,
was jammed into my mouth,
presumably to keep it propped open
while the dentist went in for a better
Look. It did the fob'.
The object extended my jaws so far
apart that my eyelids were forced to
close. I was vulnerable.
With my sight gone and my body
totally relaxed from the drugs I was
unable to defend myself against the
vicious assault of this young dentist
who, I suspected, had an oper'ator's
manual inone hand and a set of vice
grips in the other.
There was no screaming and my
body did not writhe involuntarily from
the pain.
I had even earlier suspected the
dentist may have had the assisting
nurse sit on my"body as a restraining
measure," her foot lodged against my
upper jaw to allow the doc a com-
fortable view.
But to the best of my knowledge, the
nurse was not called upon to sit on my
scant frame and was not even pressed
to apply'a full nelson as a restraining
measure.
' The.only.drawback to this o'rd'eal is
not being able to eat comfortably. And
that's when my mind begins craving
every food imaginable.
As soon as the mandibles co-operate,
this columnist is going to overdose on
junk food.
r�tderch
132 YEAR -29
mik
J
SIGNAL
THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1979
STAR
SECOND SECTION
Family reunited
after separatio.
BY JOANNE
BUCHANAN
Blood is thicker than
water and the family of
the late James Doherty
from the. Kingsbridge -
Port Albert area is living
proof of this adage.
The late Mr. Doherty
was born and raised in
County Antrim, Ireland.
He was married and had
two daughters. When the
youngest daughter was
only six months old, his
wife died. .
Times were tough and
when his daughters
reached the age, of seven
and five, he decided that
he would have to leave
' Ireland to seek his for-
tune. He left the little
girls behind to be raised
by an aunt and uncle on
their late mother's side.
He fully intended to
return to Ireland when he
left in 1922.
He landed in New York
City and worked his way
around until he met and
married Mary Kelly from
Morris Township. They
ended up settling in
,Huron County and had
eight children, all born in
Blyth --sons Clarence,
John, Frank, Stan and
James Jr. and daughters
Rita (Mrs. Jack. Tigert),
Ann (Mrs. Bill Berry)
and Mary (Mrs. John
Maize).
Last October, Rita and
James decided ,to Jake. a
trip to Ireland and visit
their two half-sisters, the
little girls their father
had left behind. Rita had
been writing to them off
and on for over 30 years.
"Nobody in this family
had crossed the ocean
since 1922 until_ Jim and I
decided to go to Ireland
last year," she says.
She says. she .had
always wanted to meet
her half-sisters. Her
father 'had talked about
them and had pictures of
them. He had• always
hoped to go back but
could never afford it.
Seeing pictures of their
half-sisters wasn't the
same as meeting them in
person, say Rita and Ji'm.
The oldest sister's name
is Mary Catherine (Mrs.
James Rankin) and the
younger sister's name is
Sara (Mrs. Charles
o'Mulland).
"They really treated us
Like a brother and sister
right from • the start,"
says Jim.
Both Jim and Rita say
they loved Ireland. All
the people they met were
friendly and they were
able to see the home
where their father had
lived.
"We got to eat a meal
there in the same chairs
my father had bought
when he was first
married. The same
family who moved in
after he left Ireland are
still there. We also visited
the tombstones of my
grandfather and uncle. It
was just .like...going back
in history,",says Rita.
While Rita and her
brother Jim were in
Ireland, Mary
Catherine's oldest son,
Seamus` called from
Scotland where he works.
He talked to Rita and Jim
on the phone and they
invited him and his wife
Carol to visit them in
Canada some time. They
didn't' know,that they
would get a isit so soon.
. But happily Seamus and
Carol were able to come
'this year.
They arrived from
Edinburgh on June 29 and
.are leaving today, July
19. They spent their first
week with Jack and Rita
Tigert at R.R. 1 Port
Albert, their second week
with Clarence and
Loretta Doherty at R.R.1
Dungannon and their
third week with Jim
Doherty and Ann and Bill
Berry at R.R. 3 Goderich.
While here,' they also
visited with other aunts
and uncles and cousins
and on Sunday, July 15 a
family reunion was held
at Clarence Doherty's
home in their honor.
Sixty-six members ofthe
immediate family ' were
invited:
• The trip provided the
first chance for' the
Canadian relatives to
meet their Irish relatives.
"I didn't know I had so
many relatives here,"
exclaims the 28 -year-old
Seamus. "Five years ago
a trip to Canada would
have seemed impossible.
Even _last year if_someone
had told me I'd be coming
to Canada, I wouldn't
have believed it."
However, now that he
and Carol have visited
Canada, they say they
will be back again next
year if they can afford it.
They like it here because
everyone is so friendly.
• "We've really been
made to 'feel_ at home
here. The Canadian day
must only have 12 hour's
in it. It has all gene too
fast," says Seamus.
• Carol and Seamus have
found that this part of the
country is much like
Ireland. The scenery is
the same, many 'of the
names are the same and
even the rainy weather of
late has been the same.
•They do find things much
cheaper to buy here
though, especially the
liquor.
They also attended
several events they had
never attended before.
Prior to coming • to
Canada) they had never
been to a fastball game.
They attended one here in
which both their uncle
and cousin played. They
had never been to a
harness race. They at-
tended opening night of
harness racing . in'
Goderich and Carol won
$88. They had never had a
barbecue before and
Carol had never been to a
wedding shower.
They attended a
wedding reception,
visited the Legion, the
Bluewater Centre, the
muse um,- - -th-e jail;
Champion Road
Machinery and Sifto Salt.
They also visited London
and Niagara Falls while
in the ar ate. Carol really
wanted to see a cowboy
but when she found out
the nearest rodeo was in
Calgary, she settled for a
cowboy hat from one of -
her "new" little cousins.
In Scotland,' Seamus
works as a shift super-
visor in a knit wear
factory where cashmere
and lamb's wool sweaters
are made and Carol
works in an insurance
office as a cashier. In her
office, she says, there is a
canteen for employees
only where a four course
meal can be purchased
for 50 cents. •
Mary ,Catherine has
another son too, His name
is Sean and he hopes to
visit Canada with his wife
soon. Sara and her
husband have no
children. •
Even though they had
never met before, Rita
says she recognized
Seamus as soon as she
saw him-, from a picture
she had. She says that
Mary Catherine looks a
lot like her father and
that there are some
resemblances between
him and Seamus too.
"We „all get along so
well. It's so nice the way
things have worked out,"
says Rita.
If the late James
Doherty could see his
children and grand-
chtldren reunited'
I'm sure he would be
,happy with the way
things have worked out
too.
Seamus and Carpi Rankin of Edinburgh, Scotland.
(fediff Iliard a their aunts ait ubees "an&
cousins in Canada this year. Seamus is originally
from Ireland and is the oldest son of the oldest
daughter of thelate James Doherty. Back row, left
to right, are Ann Berry, Jim Doherty Jr. and Rita
Tiger"t,' all children of the late Mr. Doherty. Seamus
'is holding little `-Jennifer-TFgeri, one of the many,
cousins he had never metbefore this year and Carol
is holding a shamrock plant from Ireland. (Photo
by Joanne Buchanan) •
Going to bed should be a real ex-
_perience around my house _ -for- a while
Now don't go filling your head with
lewd thoughts I'm not talking about
that kind of experience:''
I'm going to get a pithe helmet, a net,
a high powered rifle and perhaps a
bazooka. And sooner or later I'm going
to nail that rotten fly.
The stupid thing takes great joy in
sleeping all day when all normal house
flies are looking for sandwiches held
carelessly or supper plates sitting
unprotected. This fly is willing to
sacrifice what most flies consider
gourmet meals and wait until .1 hit the
pillow to begin his journey around my
head.
Every night seconds after the light
goes out. I hear his wings shatter the
evening's silence. He crawls out of his
place of hiding, warms up the old wings
and goes airborne. A couple of runs
around the rodm and he zeroes in on my
face. ._
I turn on the light, jum.p out of bed
and watch disgustedly as he' zips out
the door. I wait for him to think I'm
back in bed but he's smarter than that.
As soon as the light goes off the buzzing
starts.
I wait until I'm sure he's in the room,
flick on the light and bang,'lie's gone.
Shutting the door will do me ab-
solutely no good. I've searched the
room in the morning and have only to
tear out the furniture and lift the carpet
to find" his hiding place. I have no idea
where he goes but when hegoes not
even his next of kin know where he is.
I've gone as far as follow other flies
around but they never land anywhere
another fly could hide.
You got any idea what this kind of
ordeal is like:' You hear him coming
and what- was exhaustion when you
turned the light out quickly turns into
anger. You do the mind over matter bit
and convince yourself you can sleep but
it does no good. You lay there tearing
great hunks out of your pillow.
The little jerk cruises down and
lights briefly on your face close enough
to your mouth to give you concern
about where he's been. You can't
smash him without first checking with
your dentist and I'm not all that crazy
about spreading a fly over my face.
I considered sacrificing" -a chocolate
chip cookie as bait for the intruder but
I've got this thing about crumbs in my
bed.
But I think I've got the thing licked
now. I'm considering getting one of
those mosquitoe nets that cover beds in
movies set in Africa. I'm going to leave
it open and when my friend alrrives.I'll
tuickly trap him.
If can keep the light inside the
netting I can turn it on and wait for the
fly to tire himself flying about. As soon
as he lands its lights out.
If that fails I'm going to practice my
shooting and load the rifle. I'll setit
beside the light and quickly grab, it to
gun the fly down as he zips out the door.
I'm not convinced I'll hit him but with
an automatic rifle I can fill the air with
enough lead to make him gp back with
his relatives.
If that fails the bazooka comes off the
shelf. I'll put pillows under the covers
to make him think it's me in bed. As
soon as he buzzes close to the pillow I'll
fire a heat sensitive missile at the bed
hoping the fly is hotter than my wife,
If all that fails I'll sell. Nobody ever
asks if flys are a problem when they're
buying a house, And if nobodj asks
about flys I'll hedge when they ask
When I last slept.
jeFr----
seddo-n