Apples of Gold

Sometimes we wonder if our lives actually mean anything to anyone other than ourselves and those of our immediate acquaintances and families. Are we just a waste of time?
Sounds kind of somber, but I got to thinking about this when Dian and I were talking one evening and she mentioned that there are times that she gets fatigued listening to callers at her job. Also in my job as editor of the paper, I sometimes reach the point where other people’s issues drive me to the point of distraction and I can only imagine the pressures that a pastor of a large parish must come under, constantly having to listen to people’s problems. There certainly have been times of late where throwing in the towel and retiring a bit early is starting to look
better and better. Load up that big trailer of ours and just head south for the winter bmonths, lay in the sun with the rest of the snow birds down in Texas or Florida, sucking on a long cool
drink. Getting on the links a couple of times a week, riding our bikes anytime we want to and leaving other people with their issues and the cold Canadian winters behind.
But is that what we were placed on the earth for? I remember watching an old movie some time back that asked the question, “am I my brother’s keeper?”
and the conclusion was that, “Yes, you are your brother’s keeper”. We are placed
on this earth to help others, but as in my job as editor of the paper and Dian’s job as a telehealth nurse, the ways that we help are at times so subtle and undetectable and frustrating, that’s it’s hard to realize that we actually help at all.
We like to see big results in our work. The miracle fix, the instant cure, the revelation, the phone call from an admirer and so forth. However, fixes usually
come in micro increments and are akin to watching grass grow, or paint dry. But we have to continue to try and affect people’s lives because there is no way of knowing what small action or what kind word or deed will turn the tide in another person’s life.
The question is, how many lives do we have to affect to make our lives worthwhile? One, two, thirty, a hundred? Is there a quota, or do we only have to affect one person? If we help anyone,
will we ever know that we did, and in what way?
In my position I am fortunate in that I do get the odd phone call of encouragement that lets me know that yes, I did have some effect, or no, I just made someone angry and I need to apologize
and eat some humble pie. But what about others with less public positions?
Are they any less important? Are they less valued and less able to help and influence others? On the contrary, we all influence others in large and small ways. Just because your job is what
you might consider menial, your attitude could have a profound effect on those around you. Sometimes just a kind word or a smile can be a very powerful tool that will change lives.
Treating others with kindness and understanding doesn’t require a great deal of skill and you don’t have to have a PHD to speak a kind word to an elderly person or a child. Others are molded by the actions of those around them and kind words and smiles lead to kind words and smiles. It says in the Bible that kind words are like apples of
gold.
When I think of what effect we have on others, I always reflect back to that old movie that they always show at Christmas, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, staring Jimmy Stewart. In the movie he
reaches a low point in his life and tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge, He is saved from committing this foolish act by his guardian angel, who shows him what effect his life has had on the people of the small town he has lived in all his life. It’s a real eye-opener to him.
If it were possible to do that in real life, and we were able to see the direct result of our lives, the reality would come as a real shock. However, that will never happen.
In the meantime, one must continue smiling, speaking kindnesses and just being the best person that one can possibly be and realizing that, yes you are having an effect and yes your smile is
being passed on and your kind words are, “Like Apples of Gold”.

Multiculturalism, Who Cares?

Does multiculturalism mean we have to treat everyone that’s from nsomewhere else special? Would they treat us special if we went to where they come from?
Do we as Canadians have a culture? If we do, what is our culture? Or is our culture one of subjugating ourselves to other cultures? Does being multicultural make us less than we are, or better because of our tolerance? Or do we just appear foolish to others who have strong cultures?
What the heck is a culture anyway, and why do we have to have one? Multiculturalism is a much tossed around word these days and here in Canada we think that we are in the forefront of the protection of Multicultural rights.
For every minority group that springs up to complain that their rights are being trampled or ignored in one way or another, a finely honed team of lawyers appears ready to leap into
action to defend the rights of the culturally downtrodden and beat the Canadian majority back into multicultural vsubmission.
The French have their multicultural rights entrenched in Canadian law, so there is no question about their legitimacy, but what about all the rest? How far can what little Canadian culture there really is be diluted before it ceases to exist altogether. I tried to figure out what Canadian culture really is.
Is it the fact that all over the world we are known for the word (or what ever it is) 'Eh”? Is it the fact that we play football differently than any other part of the world? Is a Canadian defined by the wearing of a touque, or is that toque or perhaps tuque? Who knows, the internet accepts all
spellings, but outside of our country few know of it’s existence and most don’t care.
Are we known by our national game, lacrosse? Has any of us actually watched a game of lacrosse, and if we did would we care more about Canada?
Are we beavers, maple leaves, and maple syrup? Or are we hockey at it’s finest when we aren’t
beaten by the Americans, Swedes, or Russians?
Is being Canadian, loving our own heroes such as Terry Fox, Marilyn Bell, Wayne Gretzky,
Gordie Howe, J.A. Bombardier, Timothy Eaton, Toller Cranston, John Candy, Sam Steele,
Billy Bishop, Georges Vanier, Wilf Carter, Oscar Peterson, Tommy Douglas, Mackenzie King,
Maude Abbott, Rick Hansen, Michael Fox, my God, I’m almost out of breath. I didn’t realize there were so many and I have only scratched the surface of Canadian heroes.
When I came to this country from Holland with my parents in 1952, along with my sister and brother, we didn’t even know we had a culture to preserve. But low and behold after 55 years of no one caring, we still speak dutch when we want to, we still love Dutch cheese and herring and all those other little idiosyncrasies that make the Dutch Dutch. The good thing is, no one had to defend my right to retain my national heritage or identity. So why are we trying so hard to defend everyone else’s.
I really don’t care if minorities want to retain their heritage, who am I to hold them back?
All I really want is for them to leave me to my heritage and to respect my right to my view of Canada.
I love my life here, they can learn to love their version of it as well.
Ted Okkerse