HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1971-12-09, Page 6PAGE 6
. . roIll ri y iv in (J O'W
If I have another life to live,
let me live it as a waitress or
a cleaning woman or a dental
assistant, but not, please,
please, please not as a column-
ist and a newspaper type.
This has been a terrible month
for me. I've done just about
everything wrong it is possible
to do wrong., . and the month is
just underway. And when you
do something wrong in the news-
paper business, everybody in
town knows about it and is
ready to kill without asking any
questions.
I've been enjoying quite an
active social life these days.
At least I should be enjoying
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
it if were not for the fact that
I'm constantly pestered by
people who know me and want
to make some comment about
my work.
For instance, the other even-
ing I was out to a little night
spot in our town with my husband
Lots of wives do that sort of
thing with their husbands on a
Saturday evening. You go out,
have something to eat and to
drink and then you dance a little
before heading home. I didn't
think anyone should become
too concerned if I did the same.
I was wrong. During the
evening, a &entleman came to
Christmas meeting
The Hay Township Hall was
brightly decorated with a light-
ed Christmas tree, a lighted
manger scene, and many
Christmas greeting cards for
the meeting of the Zurich
Women's Institute,
The president, Mrs. Lorne
I<lopp conducted the meeting
with Mrs. Victor Dinnin as
pianist. Members and guests
enjoyed singing Christmas
carols.
Mrs. Pask gave a reading,
"Friendship is a blessing."
This theme was carried through
the lunch hour, when table
napkins' friendship verses were
read,
Musical talents were rendered
by two young ladies of Dash-
wood. Misses Susan Grigg and
Patricia Bender played accord-
ian duets. They are daughters
of Mr. and Mrs, Ivan Grigg
and Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Bend-
er.
of Zurich Institute
Mrs, Tetreau sincerely exp-
ressed the meaning of the poem
she read, "The Key. "
Daughters of Mr. and Mrs.
Ward Neeb played piano duets
of Christmas music. Request
carol numbers were sung at
the closing of the program,
Mrs, Pask, Mrs. Tetreau and
Mrs, Keith Westlake served a
dainty Christmas lunch of color-
ful tasty sandwiches and Christ-
mas cake.
During business groups report-
ed that a wedding was catered
to; also lunch was served to the
men attending the bean board
meeting. Reports were that a
few additions have been made
to the town hall and plans were
to purchase coat racks and the
renting of a hot water heater.
A motion was carried to
serve a banquet dinner to the
Zurich Centennial Band, in the
near future,
.ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
me and asked if I was the Shirl-
ey Keller who wrote for the
newspaper. When I told him I
was, he warned me that what I
was doing was just not approp-
riate for a woman in my position
After a11, how could one think
sanely and sensible if one has
been out on the town. I had the
news of the nation to consider!
Not long ago I was invited out
to a dinner party with some
friends. There I was, halfway
through my salad and about to
slip my fork into a cheese cube
when the boom was lowered,
"Shirley Keller!" someone
gasped across the room. "What's
she doing here?" I can tell you
that from that moment on I
felt about as welcome in that
dining room as a carrier of the
plague.
A simple little thing like
joining a club can become an
absolute nightmare for someone
like me. If you approach the
group, they are certain you are
trying to get into the inner
circles so you can reveal their
society secrets to the world. On
the/ other hand, if the group
asks me to join them, I: m
immediately suspicious that the
group is desperately in need of
additional publicity which only
a newspaper can provide. It is
a horrible feeling.
l've developed a hard outer __
shell attitude which makes me
appear thick-skinned and tough.
I've learned to swagger through
my duties with the seeming
assurance of a bulldozer and to
disregard the side looks and the
stinging comments which usu-
ally are there.
Maybe it is the wrong app-
roach but it is the only one I
know, I love my work and would
hate to give it up.. , so a devil-
may- care facade is my only
defence.
So you see, while the colum-
nist's world looks like a big
reir r+'V Gi t ?C't?tlteSW"mtlO.tl?k1G!tlorti ? isittlOUseVor t.' Otellettesettiteereeraiettiveovarecetkeftonceeroremeaoria
It Could Be Western Ontario's Biggest!
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Saturday,
DEC. 11
2:00 0.m.
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8 -$10
3 - $50
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ZURICH BAND
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Over 40 Floats Entered Already, Including the Exciting
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marshmallow from the outside,
it is just one sticky mess after
another on the inside. It is the
kind of a life which causes
blood pressure to rise and hearts
to palpitate each time a new
issue of the paper hits the street.
Not long ago, I addressed a
meeting of women. My topic
was newspapers and my audience
seemed farily friendly. Sudden-
ly one woman said, "Now that
we have Mrs. Keller captive
here, let's ask her a few quest-
ions. I want to know, Mrs.
Keller, if you deliberately set
about to make your column
infuriating for people. Every
time I read your column I am
provoked."
Another lady in the crowd
hastened to my d efence.
"What you mean to say, my
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9. 1971
dear, " said the second lady,
"is that Mrs. Feller's column
is thought provoking,"
"That's not what I meant to
say at all, "insisted the first
lady. "Her column makes me
angry. I just don't agree with
what she writes."
Another woman had this to
say to me: "I have a friend who
never reads your column. She
says she can't stand you but I
tell her whether you like Mrs.
Keller or not as a person should
make no difference. You should
read her column. It's just great!'
With support like that in the
countryside, who needs anti-
Windowists around, , ,and those
are just a few of the reasons I'm
looking forward to the next life
when present things shall pass
away.
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