PREMIER MCGUINTY STEPPING DOWN
I ALMOST INHALED MY DINNER. I'M A KEENER FOR BREAKING NEWS, BUT AT DINNER-TIME, I'M IN A SORT OF IRISH / DUTCH / GERMAN QUANDRY. WHETHER TO STOP EATING, CONTINUE EATING, EAT SLOWER OR FASTER DEPENDING ON THE UPDATE. THE MORE EXCITING THE NEWS, THE FASTER I EAT, AND THAT'S NOT GOOD. IF I WAS AMISH, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE TELEVISION IN THE FIRST PLACE, SO I COULD HAVE KEPT EATING HAPPILY, AND THEN READ THE NEXT DAY'S NEWSPAPER FOR THE "PREMIER STEPPING DOWN" STORY.
I AM NOT SORRY TO SEE DALTON MCGUINTY STEP DOWN. IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M A TORY, LUSTING AFTER POWER, OR A MEMBER OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THINKING THIS IS OUR BIG BREAK……OR BECAUSE I WANT HIS JOB. IT'S BECAUSE OF THE OUTRAGEOUS SQUANDERING OF MONEY ON THE AIR AMBULANCE DEBACLE, THE SHIFTING OF POWER PLANTS WHICH COST MULTI-MILLIONS, AND THE LATEST ASSAULT ON COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE PARTY'S GREAT UNDOING. THEY HAVE GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEMSELVES, WHICH ONCE AGAIN, ALMOST MADE ME CHOKE ON THE LINGUINI. THEY CAN PAT THEMSELVES ON THE BACK ALL THEY WANT, BUT THEY GOT THEMSELVES INTO THIS QUAGMIRE, ONE DEBACLE AFTER ANOTHER.
FOR THOSE LIBERALS READING THIS BLOG, I OFFER AN APOLOGY. I HAVE SUPPORTED THE LIBERALS MANY TIMES IN THE PAST, PROVINCIALLY AND FEDERALLY. BUT LIKE MANY ONTARIANS, I'M JUST A VERY ANGRY TAXPAYER, AND IT MAKES ME WRITHE, TO HEAR ABOUT THE HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY LOST BY THIS GOVERNMENT, AND THEN, WITH A HUGE DEFICIT, TURNING ON TEACHERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS GENERALLY, FREEZING THEIR CONTRACTS, AND CUTTING BENEFITS……TO AS THEY SAY, BALANCE THE BUDGET. I'M SURE THAT HE FOUND THE FUTURE AS PREMIER A LITTLE DAUNTING, AND OF THIS HE IS CORRECT. BUT I THINK IT WILL BE A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT……..AS DEVELOPMENTS ON THE POWER PLANT RE-LOCATIONS, SEEM TO GET MORE INTERESTING, WITH NEW PAPER FINDS AND REVELATIONS ALMOST EVERY WEEK. AH, THE LIFE OF THE POLITICIAN. DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE IN THAT SEAT!
A CHRISTMAS SEASON SERIES FOR GRAVENHURST; FROM AN UPTOWN POINT OF VIEW
BEGINNING ON DECEMBER 1ST TO JANUARY 1ST, SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
MAYBE IT SHOULD BE ENTITLED, CONFESSIONS OF AN ANTIQUE SHOP CLERK AT CHRISTMAS TIME. POSSIBLY, LOCAL WRITER TRIES TO IMITATE STEPHEN LEACOCK, BY PENNING "WINTER-TIME SKETCHES OF A LITTLE TOWN." BETTER STILL, STORIES ABOUT CHRISTMAS ON THE OLD MAIN STREET…..AS SEEN BY THE CLERK VOYEUR. POINT IS, I'M DOING IT, AND I'LL WORRY ABOUT THE HEADING WHEN I GET CLOSER TO ITS LAUNCH. IT WILL BE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE SAME DAY AS THE GRAVENHURST SANTA CLAUS PARADE. WHAT A NICE SAGUAY INTO THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.
I THINK IT MAY ACTUALLY BE A FIRST FOR GRAVENHURST. HOW MANY SHOP CLERKS, HAVE WRITTEN CHRISTMAS STORIES ABOUT THE OLD HOME TOWN, WHILE WORKING AT A SHOP THAT SELLS KNITTED SCARVES AND TOQUES, AND OFFERS AN ARRAY OF DOILIES, TABLE CLOTHS, QUILTS AND ROCKING CHAIRS? AND FROM A WELL KNOWN HISTORICAL PORTAL, BEING THE FORMER MUSKOKA THEATRE BUILDING, OPPOSITE THE OPERA HOUSE. I AM WILLING TO BET THAT, AT THE VERY LEAST, I'M THE FIRST WRITER TO TRANSMIT AN ENTIRE CHRISTMAS SEASON PROFILE, OF OUR HOMETOWN, INTO THE VASTNESS OF CYBERSPACE. I'M SO PROUD OF GRAVENHURST, THAT I WANT THE WHOLE WORLD TO SHARE IN THE HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES, RIGHT HERE IN THE ALLURING HINTERLAND OF SOUTH MUSKOKA.
IT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY, AND AS THEY SAY, A LITTLE BIT ROCK 'N ROLL. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, IT WILL BE A PROMOTION OF OUR TOWN, AND IT WON'T COST THE TAXPAYERS ONE LEFTOVER PENNY. MY CRITICS MAY ARGUE VEHEMENTLY, THAT MY COPY ISN'T WORTH A PENNY, (MAYBE A LUMP OF COAL) AND THAT I SHOULD STICK TO CLERKING. EVERY COLUMNIST / BLOGGER HAS HIS OR HER CRITICS. IT'S PART OF THE "OPINING" TRADITION, AND IT'S A LOT OLDER THAN WE ARE. I WANT TO SHOW THESE SAME CRITICS, WHO HAVE THE SUSPICION I'M A BRACEBRIDGE SPY, LIVING AMONGST THE LOCALS, THAT I AM TRUE TO MY WORD……AND TRUTH IS……I'M NOT A VERY GOOD STORE CLERK. HOPEFULLY I WILL MAKE UP FOR ONE DEFICIENCY, BY PERFORMING GREAT FEATS WITH MY OTHER SHRED OF CAPABILITY. I LOVE THE CHRISTMAS SEASON, AND I LOVE THIS TOWN. SO IT JUST ALL WREATHS TOGETHER, YOU SEE, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL ALL BENEFIT A WEE BIT, FROM SOME SELF EXAMINATION DURING THIS FESTIVE SEASON.
WRITING FROM THE MAIN STREET ONLY FOR PROPER PERSPECTIVE
Each of the seasonal columns, will be written from our family's main street business enterprise. It's not intended to be a specific promotion of our business, but if we did better because of it, well, that would be nice too. The Christmas season blogs, which I began as a model last December, will have a main street overview, and a narrative that reflects the view from there…..not from our home at Birch Hollow. The business location, will provide me a central place to work, and provide a picturesque view of the Opera House, and Carnegie Square, where the town Christmas tree will be illuminated, once again. As I have been experimenting with our location, as a place to write, since the first week of July, I've decided it is perfect for what I want to accomplish this December, penning these sketches about what we possess in our town, that other communities only wish they could claim.
Sometimes we forget how special this place can be as a place to work and reside. When we take it for granted, which is typical and not exceptional, we become more susceptible to criticism. More vulnerable. We have been bombarded with critiques and negativism over the past few years, and for some, it has been difficult to get past…..when deciding to remain living and working here in the future. What happens over the years, is that the negative vibes out-perform the music, of all that is sweet, and promising, of hometown life. It's there. I see, hear and feel it every day. But many never give it a thought, and pass one day to the next, without recognizing the true and important hometown attributes, that nurture us each day, over the years of our residency; most of it, those gentle, subtle influences, that should remind us, we do live in a comfortable, accommodating, inspiring place.
There is so much more to understand about this community. Even a lot of long-time citizens have found more to complain about recently, than to feel blissfully encouraged. Maybe the blogger has led his readers down this path, by feeling the necessity to harp-on about the political woes we have here……without the repeating footnote that, by golly, show me a community, a province, or a nation that doesn't have political woes of one kind or another that irritate its citizenry; even Oz had its administrative, political shortfalls. The idea is to correct what can be corrected; fix what needs to be fixed and replace what needs to be replaced. All very rudimentary. But we don't need to replace our town. It's dynamic is moving a long fine, despite what some people will claim is a pending economic armageddon. Ever since we arrived in this town, back in the late 1980's, there has been a prediction of an economic melt-down. And every year it is less than what the projections were, and when it does rebound, with the birth of new businesses, very little optimism prevails to the contrary, that this just might be the turn-around of renewal. A citizen, watching the fire at the Muskoka Road drug store recently, said to another spectator near me, that, "it's true, Gravenhurst is cursed." If it is cursed by anything, it is this kind of attitude. Citizens seemingly thrilled to have their point illustrated, by anything that seems extraordinarily negative, for foretell the future.
Writing a series of Christmas sketches, will hopefully prove, that despite all the doomsaying, political uncertainty, economic shortfalls, and perceived disadvantages we endure, that tucked in behind the rhetoric, and blanket negativity, there is a charming, vibrant, exciting Ontario town, heaped with tradition and history, shining through all the dust of ages with a glow of unmistakable promise. The internal fortitude of its residents, to defy those who continue to predict its decline, into economic irrelevance! There's more to life than money, wrote Charles Dickens, for his character, Old Fezziwig, in "A Christmas Carol." It's hard to get along without money. It's even harder to get along without something to believe in…….and I'd like to show you, and demonstrate for your reading pleasure, just how much I, and our family, believe in this town of ours, as a wonderful place to live and work. In this case, I think this is the Christmas season, that we really need to come together as a community, to help and encourage one another, and demonstrate our good will to the good old world.
What you may discover, if I do my job well, is that we have a truly fascinating town, that holds a lot of interesting, but underknown historical facts; many pleasant realities, and some truly amazing stories of personal fortitude, leadership and creativity.
Unfortunately, I do believe we have become a little less proud of our town; somewhat neglectful of its needs….., and there has been a build-up of philosophical tarnish, on a home place that should shine in perpetuity. I can't change this image, or perception, by myself. If I can show you what has become obscure through this same tarnish, then maybe we will find it a worthwhile project, to refurbish our attitudes, about the potential we have here…..right at home. I applaud critics for helping us find what we need to observe. I am thankful there are eternal optimists, who push forward despite the tangled path that lies ahead. But you know, having the critics and the optimists work together, well folks, I'm sure William Henry Smith, the British author responsible for the name of our town, would be delighted…..because there is something immensely powerful in the commonplace of mankind, to prevail over its enemies. History is clear evidence that Gravenhurst should be proud of its reflection.
I want to present a wee collection of unique, locally inspired and themed Christmas-season sketches, with nary a crumb of political meddling, lobbying or critiquing. Consider it my Christmas gift to our municipal council. A month's hiatus. I hope they won't do anything controversial that would force me to re-consider my kinder Scrooge. I want to study this town from the main street outward. I want to know how Gravenhurst celebrates Christmas. How excited we can get, living here in the snowy, picturesque hinterland of Ontario. I want to look over shoulders, and around corners, watch comings and goings, witness greetings, and fond farewells. I want to hear church bells, sleigh bells, and even the school bell. I want to feel snow on my face, and hear kids laughing along the street, and watch a snow angel being made in the park. If that doesn't make Gravenhurst special….then what does?
My mission is to portray the main street as it should be characterized, in the historic, traditional, and current sense; yet paying particular attention to the people who work along this business corridor….hunkered down each day, in the hustle and bustle of good economics, and the not so good. Economics and social-cultural heritage do merge, after all, although we don't always recognize it for what it represents. It tends to be "economics or else" these days, which makes me ponder, that if our main street businesses all failed, would we still in essence have a home town? There are some critics who believe this is inevitable, and that we shall cease to exist as a community of any relevance. Possibly slipping back to our hamlet days of the 1860's. I am not one of them. I believe that there will always be renewal and re-investment in this important Muskoka town, and even when things might look a little bleak, there will be someone, somewhere, cooking-up a plan to open either a new shop, new industry, or erect a new building. Gravenhurst has a great future ahead, but I'm sure, confronted by the present realities, William Smith might say, "be patient," and "fear not, that there is a shortage of ambition." I think Gravenhurst is on the brink of profound and exciting change. And we have to be ready to handle this new growth. In ten years, you will see how optimism has prevailed, and re-invested itself in our town.
I intend to write every day from our main street shop, these sketches about our town, and its Christmas season immersion. My first blog of Christmas Sketches will appear on this site, on the eve prior to December Ist, and the final one of the series will be published on New Years Day 2013. I want it to responsibly reflect the qualities and quantities of a fine town, and the nice folks who live and work here. And what will make this even more remarkable, is that the man with the pen, is a notoriously grumpy old man….a modern day Scrooge, who will be writing these seasonal sketches. I'm willing to bet, you'll find that even the stalwart curmudgeon, (the ogre), can prove his critics wrong……joyfully so!
This Christmas season project, will be my alternative, to the monthly column I had been asked to write for the local press…….until I found out, that I no longer get along with editors. So this seems like the better alternative, where the editor and the writer are on the same wave length…..and the same page.
Thanks for joining me for today's blog. Please help celebrate Christmas in Gravenhurst…..the old fashion way. Drop into the shop and say hello, and I'll tell you what I'm working on for that day. Bless you for always being there! Always good to be in friendly company!
AS FOR THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE………THE CLOSURE SIGN WAS APPARENTLY REMOVED TODAY, AFER MORE THAN A WEEK. IS IT WET INSIDE? SAFE INSIDE?I'M WATCHING THIS WEEK'S BANNER FOR AN UPDATE! MAYBE EVEN A COUNCILLOR COMMENT.
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