A CHRISTMAS SEASON IN GRAVENHURST - MUSKOKA 2011

A CELEBRATION OF HOME TOWN LIFE, GOODWILL, GOOD NEIGHBORS, AND GOOD INTENTIONS - MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

DURING THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON, UP TO AND INCLUDING THE NEW YEAR, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT A LITTLE "MULTI-BLOG" JOURNAL-PROJECT, I'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR SEVERAL YEARS…..BUT JUST NEVER GOT AROUND TO UNTIL THIS AUTUMN SEASON. FOR MANY REASONS, THIS SEEMS TO BE THE BEST TIME TO OFFER THESE INSIGHTS, AND OBSERVATIONS, TO PROFILE AND REPRESENT, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, A GOOD AND RESILIENT HOMETOWN THAT HAS HAD AN UNUSUALLY TOUGH COUPLE OF YEARS HERE IN THE CLIMES OF SOUTH MUSKOKA.

I FEEL IT IS INCUMBENT, AS A WRITER, WHO HAS ENJOYED SO MANY PROSPEROUS AND INSPIRED YEARS LIVING IN THIS MUSKOKA COMMUNITY, TO OFFER SOME INSIGHT, ABOUT WHY THIS HOMETOWN HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO OUR FAMILY. HAVING MOVED HERE IN THE LATE 1980'S, FROM BRACEBRIDGE, MY WIFE, AND BUSINESS PARTNER, SUZANNE, TOOK A RISK ON WHAT WE BELIEVED WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT HOMETOWN TO RAISE OUR TWO YOUNG LADS, ANDREW AND ROBERT. WHILE WE HAVE HAD OUR SHARE OF MISFORTUNE, AND AT TIMES, SOME UNEXPLAINED, UNEXPECTED OBSTACLES BLOCKING OUR PATH, WE HAVE NEVER ONCE FELT OUR NEW HOMETOWN HAD FAILED US, OR BEEN THE CAUSE OF EVEN THE SLIGHTEST CHAGRIN ORT DISCONTENT. IN FACT, WHEN ENCUMBRANCES AND PERSONAL DIFFICULTIES DID ARISE, AS THEY DO FOR EVERYONE, IT WAS THE COMFORT AND KINDNESS OF OUR HOMETOWN, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT MADE US FEEL SAFE AND PROTECTED. IT IS WHY WE HAVE PLANNED OUR RETIREMENT HERE, AND THE IMPETUS FOR OUR BOYS, AS GRADUATES OF GRAVENHURST HIGH SCHOOL, TO REMAIN HERE TO OPEN THEIR MAIN STREET MUSIC BUSINESS. IF WE HAD DOUBTS ABOUT OUR HOMETOWN, WE WOULD HAVE LEFT A LONG TIME AGO.

AS I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT BEFORE, ON THIS BLOG-SITE, I WAS VERY WORRIED, WHEN WE MOVED HERE, THAT MY WRITING WOULD BE IMPACTED…..AS IT HAS BEEN WHENEVER I'VE CHANGED LOCATIONS. IN FACT, THREE OF OUR FIRST ABODES, AFTER WE WERE MARRIED, OFFERED THE WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE, VERY LITTLE INSPIRATION, AND IT WAS A STRUGGLE EVERY TIME I SAT AT THE TYPEWRITER, LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AT AN ENVIRONS THAT, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, DIDN'T MOTIVATE ME TO WAX POETIC OR ANYTHING ELSE, FOR THAT MATTER. IT WAS A STRUGGLE AS A FEATURE EDITOR, FOR THE LOCAL PRESS, I CAN TELL YOU, AND THERE IS NOTHING MORE FEARFUL THAN A BLANK PAGE IN A SILENT TYPEWRITER. YET FROM THE FIRST MONTH HERE AT BIRCH HOLLOW, OVERLOOKING THE BEAUTIFUL "BOG" I HAVE HAD A MOST REMARKABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS KEYBOARD IN FRONT. I CAN SIT DOWN HERE, AT ALMOST ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT….OR WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING (AS I USED TO, IN ORDER TO WRITE BANNER NEWS COPY FOR WEEKLY DEADLINE), AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE ENTERPRISE OF COMPOSITION. IF I WAS STRUGGLING, AND HATEFUL OF THE PROCESS, I WOULD HAVE BEGGED MY WIFE TO SELL THE HOUSE, AND MOVE SOMEWHERE MORE NURTURING AND INSPIRATIONAL. HONESTLY, I AM SO THRILLED TO HAVE THIS HUMBLE BUNGALOW, IN A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD, IN A GOOD HOMETOWN, WITH GOOD FOLKS, THAT I COULD NEVER AGREE TO A RE-LOCATION. AS THEY SAY….WELL, I'M GOING TO LEAVE THIS PLACE BY UNAVOIDABLE CIRCUMSTANCE ONLY…..A FEET FIRST KIND OF THING.

AT THIS TIME OF DEPRESSING NEWS, AND UNFORTUNATE EVENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES, I FEAR MANY FOLKS, MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY, HAVE ALMOST GIVEN UP ON THEIR HOMETOWN, AND EVEN PARTICIPATED IN THE KIND OF HEARSAY THAT SHOWS A FUNDAMENTAL DISREGARD FOR ITS HISTORY OF SUCCESSES, AND RESILIENCE TO REBOUND AFTER MANY, MANY MISADVENTURES AND CALAMITIES IN THE PAST. ABANDONING THE REASON AND LOGIC OF TRANSITION AND REFURBISHING THAT ARE OVERDUE IN OUR TOWN, AND RESIGNING TO A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS FUTURE OF FAILURES TO LOOK FORWARD TO. WHILE I CAN SEE HOW THIS FEAR AND LOATHING HAS BEEN INSPIRED, IT IS THE RHETORIC AND FEAR MONGERING, THE CEASELESS DOOMSAYING, THAT HAS BEEN SO HURTFUL TO FOLKS LIKE US, WHO ARE OPTIMISTIC AND HAPPY TO LIVE IN THIS STORIED LITTLE BURG, IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL REGIONS ON THE PLANET. IT IS, IN FACT, THE INSPIRATION I NEEDED TO COMPOSE THIS SHORT SEASONAL JOURNAL, TO ILLUSTRATE HOW DYNAMIC THIS TOWN IS, AND CAN BE, WITH THE CITIZEN INVESTMENT IT USED TO GENERATE; BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH PRIDE AND ENTHUSIASM FOR ALL THAT HOMETOWN REPRESENTED. THIS ENTHUSIASM AND PRIDE HAS BEEN DAMAGED OVER THE YEARS, AND WHILE IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE HOW IT ALL HAPPENED, THE REALITY IS, MANY FOLKS WHO USED TO RALLY TOGETHER, TO HELP FORWARD A CAUSE, IS IN A DIMINISHED STATE, AND IT SHOWS. IT SHOWS WHEN FEW IN ANY CITIZENS, WILL REACT BY SUBMITTING A LETTER TO THE EDITOR, IN DEFENSE OF THEIR HOMETOWN, WHEN IT IS BEING ATTACKED OR CRITICIZED. THERE IS AN APATHY OUT THERE, AND IT IS HURTING A GOOD FRIEND.

THIS SERIES ISN'T PAID FOR, AND I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T BEEN ENCOURAGED TO DO IT FOR THE LOCAL PRESS, SUNDRY OTHER PUBLICATIONS, OR BECAUSE OF THIS EGO-MANIA, WHERE I BELIEVE MY OBSERVATIONS ARE BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE'S…..WHO HAS A BLOG SITE AND AN ENTHUSIASM FOR EXPRESSION. THIS IS A SIMPLE, HONEST, GOOD INTENTIONED ADVENTURE, FOR A WRITER, A FAMILY, ADORING ITS PLACE IN A WONDERFUL HOMETOWN. IT WILL PROFILE WHAT I FIND SO AMAZING AND IMPORTANT ABOUT LIVING HERE, AND WHY I WISH TO REMAIN. IT IS A CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS, THE FESTIVE SEASON, AND THE GOOD WILL THAT STILL FLOURISHES HERE, IN EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY THAT COUNTS.

PLEASE JOIN ME FOR REGULAR BLOG ENTRIES, UNTIL MY NEW YEAR'S FINALE. CHEER UP. IT'S GOING TO BE FESTIVE.