The Value of Those who Dig the Past!

Perhaps it’s funny, or maybe amazing, or even strange, but last night I received an email from an individual I hadn’t heard from (or even thought about) for almost six [6] decades. He was a former student of mine from a year that I taught part-time to help pay the bills while I was in my final year of my B.Ed. and also as Coordinator of Student Activities for the Students’ Union at the University of Alberta.

First a little background. The setting was Ottewell Junior High in a rather middle class community within the city of Edmonton. I was married, with a young son. After doing some student teaching there under a wonderful mentor (the late Mike Demaine) I happened to drop by one spring day on my way to play golf. Mike informed me that a teacher had to resign suddenly and they needed a short-term social studies teacher for the month of June. Would I like the job? Yeah, for sure! I could still carry out my duties as Coordinator and I could use the extra five hundred dollars. As it turned out the month of June in 1967 was the time of the Six Day War in the Middle East –> this made teaching Grade IX contemporary social studies a breeze and the students loved my interactive approach (before computers and cellular phones). I was good enough that the principal offered me a contract for the next year – he had a young grad coming to take on the major social studies load for grade nine but he was still in need of someone to teach three courses and he was willing to schedule me mornings only.

Having a young colleague turned out to be a real blessing as she was innovative herself, but also liked administrative tasks, so all I had to do was teach and try to keep these energetic early teens focussed. Somehow I managed to do that in a way that made me somewhat popular. I was also doing some part-time work on the weekend at the local Woolco store (before it was bought out by Walmart) as the announcer at the Accommodation Desk. Occasionally the students would come by and chat – they thought what I was doing was cool!! So I guess I was doubly popular!! It turned out to be a great year… And it all came back to me with that e-mail last night…

And it got me thinking. Isn’t it wonderful that technology has advanced to the point that people who are keen to dig into the past can track down aspects of our history that we might have lost or at least misplaced? This former student may bring me more information in the months ahead of people who we knew who have done interesting things.

As I reflected further I again realized that a long-time friend and colleague is doing this for a small town where I lived for a short period (actually graduated from its High School). He has been digging into the past and coming up with fascinating stories, now recorded in short, very readable books. Gordon Pitts is a gift to me – I now know more about the town which in itself is interesting, but he also has keep track of some of the more recent significant graduates of the successor to that high school. And in so doing he has shown me that for a small town it has contributed muchly to the betterment of the world. Doesn’t make me any cooler, but it does give me reason to be thankful for having lived there, and for getting to know Gordon himself.

Upon even further reflection I thought about my brother, Alex, and the folk group he was part of for many years – Tamarack. That group also did a considerable amount of digging into aspects of Canadian society, going back well before Confederation. Some of their songs reveal aspects of the fur trade, the development of the prairies, early industrial growth in Ontario, the attitudes of the Maritimes, the impacts of the American revolution on Canada, more recent impacts of free trade, lotteries, Aboriginal moments, and a variety of other bits of information that has expanded and/or clarified my understanding of how Canada evolved.

These are just three examples of why I am thankful thoughtful Canadians are willing to dig into our history and reveal tidbits that might not be earth-shaking, but certainly brighten up my life. If you have someone in your life who does similar digging, thank them. Celebrate their energy and tenacity – who knows they may reveal something very necessary, but even if not, maybe your own world will gain new illumination!

Last night’s email has been a real antidote to all that is transpiring in the world around me these days…

In reflection,
g.w.