HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-10-25, Page 191
Ed Everet, a resident of Maitland Manor, paints a ceramic bowl for the
bazaar which will be held at the Manor on Wednesday, October,31 from 2 to 4
p.m. This year's bazaar will feature more goodies than last year, says ac-
tivity director Rita Toby. A bake table, tea room, Christmas decorations,
dried flowers, ceramics and other crafts will all be included. (Photo by
Joanne Buchanan)
to become an artist
Mrs. Olive Procter paints a ceramic vase for the Maitland Manor bazaar to
be held on Wednesday; October 31 from 2 to 4 p.m. Mrs. Procter is a resident
of the Manor. All the residents are now busy doing ceramics, making
Christmas decorations, arranging dried flowers and doing other crafts for
the bazaar which will also feature a bake table and tea room. (Photo by
Joanne puchanan)
Vito Barbaro of Maitland Manor paints a ceramic pitcher in preparation for
the bazaar to be held at the Manor on Wednesday, October 31 from 2 to 4
p.m. The bazaar will also feature a bake table, tea room, Christams
..decorations and other crafts. Vito is the Manor's top bowler. (Photo' by
Joanne Buchanan) fl
dave
sykes
This column is being presented under
the influence of dire stress.
And at my expense, I might add.
The reader of this column ( you still
give it a loving glance don't you
mother?) may feast sumptuously on
the jocularity and mirth and deduce the
writer to be a sportive type with a
notebook full of semi -humorous
anecdotes.
Not so friends.
At a quick glance this offering is now
but 12 minutes from deadline and
should I exceed the sacred time limit
the editor will apply an excruciating
full nelson while hurling this scribe
about his desk with forceful body
slams. ,
The stress factor is obvious.
To be honest, there is much nail
biting, coffee consumption and
smoking while attempting to propel a
meagre idea into a substantive column.
And I am certain the little body will
coon give in to the pressure and stress.
Pressure, stress and hyperactivity
have been under close scrutiny by/the
medical' profession and they claim
stress comes in three types.
Under stress -simply too little;
regular stress -it keeps people keyed up
and going throughout the day; and
stress overload -this is the type that
burns out our emotional, physical and
mental circuitry.
The best kind of stress is regular and
apparently too little stress is as bad as
too much.
Now to deal with stress some in-
teresting theories have been purported.
For example; talk tenderly to yourself,
says to hell with nasty chores at home
after a tough day and roll your head or
,row an imaginary boat while waiting in
lines or working at your desk.
Exercise at any tithe or place is not
only good for success or advancement
in a career but also helps to reduce
stress.
So now, 20 minutes after deadline„I
am on top of the desk rowing imaginary
boats and rolling my head. The editor
storms into the pulsating newsroom.
"What on earth is he doing?” she
said to newsroom cohorts looking at me
in amazement.
"We're not sure," they offered in
response. "Either his underwear is too
tight or he's doing hernia exercises."
"What are you doing Sykes and
where is your column?" she deman-
ded.
"Well, I was working on it when I was
overcome by stress," I said. "And by
performing a few simple ,exercises it
will reduce my stress and also help my
career." •
"A miracle wouldn't help your
career," she said. "And as for ad-
vancement how would you like to work
say in Carlow or Auburn?"
"Really, this is serious," I explained.
"The stress and pressure of producing
a column has dulled my razor sharp wit
AiTh
and have you noticed that even my
winsome smile is drooping at the
corners? I fear, perhaps, that stress is
exhausting my creativity."
The editor almost fainted.
"If you don't get that column done
you'll be doing rehabilitative exer-
cises," she said convincingly. "Will
you quit talking to yourself."
"It's all part off the program to
reduce stress. Talking to oneself
tenderly is reputed to be therapeutic."
"You need therapy all right," she
claimed. "Now maybe a little stress on
Your body would help get that column
done."
"And sometimes just saying to hell
with thing you don't like helps," I said.
"So, to. hell with the column, the
pressure is too great."
"Now!"
Another coffee, another cigarette
and voila.
I can't take the pressure.
Inside This Section:
Goderich Garden Club has speaker from
Royal Botanical Gardens Page 2A
The Colborne Country Fair had plenty of
variety again this year Page 3A
Martha Rathburn's Round'n' About Page 4A
Jack Riddell talks about the new equalization factors Page 6A
Prominent psychologist speaks to Huron's
elementary school teachers Page 7A
Church page Page 8A
New column for children starts this week on
Captain Comet's page Page 9A
Farm news
Page 11A, 12A
tederich
132—YEAR 43
IGNAL-STA'
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1979
SECOND SECTION
u're never too
r
This year, as even the least informed
individual should know, is the Year of
the Child. But what many may not
realize Wednesday is the Day of the
Child.
I'm not exactly sure what that means
but I feel I should do something to mark
the event. Take the kids out for a
burger and fries, give them each a big
hug, let them spank their mother for
stepping out of line, something.
I was trying hard to come up with
some novel idea to celebrate the Day of
the Child but I honestly don't know
what I'm supposed to do. It's tough to
explain to the kids why you're making
such a big dealgbout Wednesday when
it's nobody's birthday, you didn't win
any lottery draws and there's no
holiday from school.
Y decided rather than party I would
just sit down and think about the
changeS my kids made in my life.
1/4
'The first time I realized '1 was a
parent was when 1 was in a public in-
stitution trying to stay calm despite
being up to my elbows in human waste.
My wife and I were in the offices of a
community college trying to get some
information about courses offered by
the school. Waiting for an appointment
my wife noticed that ocr child had that
familiar look on her face. She was
relieving herself.
Minutes later, long after the familiar
facial expression should have disap-
peared, the exercise was still going on.
No sweat. Just whip out the old
disposable diapers, the handy
disposable wipes, and clean things up.
Forget it. As soon as the diaper was
off we realized It was everywhere.
From her neck to her heels and, once
the diaper was off, all over the desk we
were using as a change table.
Y realized then and there that my life
was going to change but I must admit I
had a tough time believing it was
changing for the Netter.
And now, hundreds of diapers, more
sleepless nights than I ever thought I
would put up with, an abundance of
fevers., runny noses, had coughs, sick
stomachs and nasty cuts and I qualify
as a parent.
All that means is that my life is no
longer my own. It belongs to three
other people and what is even stranger,
I don't mind one little bit.
I remember my days as a bachelor'.°`
Kids were great because I could give
them hack when I got sick of playing
tag. When the baby started crying
during the last five minutes of a good
football game I didn't have to budge.
I swore up and down it would he
years if not centuries before 1n had any
kids running around that belonged to
me.
And now I smile when a bachelor
tells me it will be years before he has
any kids running around that are his.
He may he able to stay tuned to the
football game when things get too
rowdy in the playroom. He may he able
to,go catch a movie when a fever hits.
But he'll never feel the pride swell up
when his child warms an audience at a
concert at school, He can't understand
why it tears your heart up when a child
walks up to you, gives you a big hug,
and says "I love you daddy".
Why try to explain it. It's impossible.
1 only hope that if there is ever an
International Ydar of the Parent my
kids realize they feel about their mom
and dad the way mom and dad'afeel
about them.
I think they will. And I think that's
what the International Year of ,the
Child is all about.
Jeff
1 Seddon