Monthly Archives: June 2025

Jun27

Writing Prompts

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Writing Prompts

Here on WordPress, writing prompts are suggested for those days when you want to write and are struggling to come up with a topic of your own. I scrolled through a few today and I’m not inspired to write using even one of the suggested prompts. And I think back to that creative writing course I took back in college. The prof’s advice….Write about what you know.

Having been around for more than a few decades, I think I know a lot. Yet I also believe that there is still a great deal for me to learn in my lifetime. After all, you can never know too much.

Or can you?

I have gingerly gone back to reading daily newsfeeds. Locally, the news is all about the ongoing manhunt for a father accused of murdering his three daughters. Nationally, the headlines deal with the political situation. Globally, all eyes are poised on a potential World War lll.

On a happier note, I attended a luncheon the other day for a woman in my book club who was celebrating her 99th birthday. She is moving to the other side (a Washingtonian knows this means to the other side of the mountains) this week. We’ll all have to travel next year if we want to attend the 100th.

I’ve learned a lot about American history in the past few months. Book club has focused on historical fiction. The current read is all about Patsy Jefferson, daughter of Thomas Jefferson. I find it to be lengthy and long-winded, although a few others find it most interesting and a delight to read. However, I must admit that I do find American history to be much more colorful than Canadian history.

I wonder what the history books will say twenty or thirty years from now. It will depend if they’re written by a Democrat or a Republican; or in the case of Canada, a Liberal or a Conservative. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine the world I’m living in now. Enough about that.

Back to happy. Come to Cashmere this Saturday for a Founders Day celebration. I’ll be volunteering at a book sale organized by Friends of the Cashmere Library. Other events include a classic car show, a parade, games for kids and entertainment.

I decided to end this post with a Johnny joke, because we can all use some humor in our lives.

Teacher: “If I gave you 2 cats and another 2 cats and another 2, how many would you have?” Johnny: “Seven.” Teacher: “No, listen carefully… If I gave you two cats, and another two cats and another two, how many would you have?” Johnny: “Seven.” Teacher: “Let me put it to you differently. If I gave you two apples, and another two apples and another two, how many would you have?” Johnny: “Six.” Teacher: “Good. Now if I gave you two cats, and another two cats and another two, how many would you have?” Johnny: “Seven!” Teacher: “Johnny, where in the heck do you get seven from?!” Johnny: “Because I’ve already got a freaking cat!”

Groan………..

Jun18

Music Triggers Memories

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Music Triggers Memories

We all grew up listening to music. Swing, jazz and big band dominated the 30s and 40s. Rock n roll evolved from various genres of music back in the 50s. My teenage years were the 60s. There will never be another decade like this again and no other decade need even dare to compare.

The 60s began with the British invasion. I attended concerts featuring The Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, The Who, The Kinks, The Hollies, The Animals, Peter and Gordon as well as Chad and Jeremy. Sadly The Beatles never made it to Winnipeg back then.

I also attended concerts featuring American artists such as Paul Revere and The Raiders, Simon and Garfunkel, Sonny and Cher, Blues Magoos and The Monkees. But by far my favorite group was The Beach Boys.

The first time I saw them in person was at the old Winnipeg Auditorium, a popular venue for concerts back in the day. The promotor was leery about the size of the crowd they might attract so this smaller facility was chosen rather than the larger Winnipeg Stadium. The group I saw back then had all the original members…Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine.

While Brian Wilson wrote several songs about the beach, (such as Surfin’ USA and Surfin’ Safari), in reality he was afraid of the water and spent little time by the ocean. Instead he surfed a different wave in the dangerous waters of drugs.

In the mid-80s, the Beach Boys returned to Winnipeg and I took my six-year-old son Kyle to the concert. People sitting near us marveled that Kyle knew all the words and happily sang along throughout the evening. Kyle was a big fan of this group. He grew up listening to their music as his mom constantly played their cassettes. (By then I had replaced the albums with the then new modern cassettes).

But the group we saw in the 80s was very different from the one in the 60s. Brian Wilson, co-founder and leader of the group, was not on stage. Plagued by mental health issues resulting from constant substance abuse, his ability to go on tour had been severely restricted.

This talented musician passed away on June 11th of this year at the age of 82. He is gone; but his music is sure to live on in our hearts forever.

Jun12

Where Do you See Yourself Five Years From Now?

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Where Do you See Yourself Five Years From Now?

Anyone who has ever worked a day in their life has been asked this question in an interview at some point. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never gotten the answer right.

And when I’ve been on the other side of the desk there is one response I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I was interviewing potential support workers in a group home for mentally challenged adults. As a manager, I was well aware of the questions I was allowed to ask as well as the ones I was not allowed to ask. But the five year was always a favorite. I got the usual responses about the entry level position being a stepping stone to a future career in social services. I also heard that a part-time job while attending school would provide the much needed funds to further their education. And then there were the ones with the canned responses of doing something meaningful and making a difference in someone else’s life.

But this one response came across as being both brave and blatantly honest. The interviewee was a recent high school graduate. “I haven’t got a f***ing clue.” He went on to explain that his parents were pressuring him to go to university. He had no interest in doing this and wanted to head out into the work world first. Criminal records check was clean and he had minimal volunteer experience on his resume. Working with mentally challenged adults sounded interesting to him. He was also willing to take on overnight shifts and work on weekends. I hired him. And he turned out to be quite as good as he looked on paper.

While I don’t recall recall any of my own responses to the 5 year question when I was being interviewed, I highly doubt that I was as blatantly honest as this young man. It’s also been decades since I’ve been asked this question in an interview. Instead I’m quite confident that I’ve asked it of others far more times.

It’s also been years since I retired. And if anyone asked me that 5 year question today, there’s no doubt in my mind that I would be as honest as that young man was, although I would probably express it in a far less colorful manner. Sometimes I can’t fathom what my life will be like in five months or five weeks or even five days, so please don’t ask me about five years from now.

But it is a good question to ask. It is something to contemplate.

I’ve told you my answer. What’s yours?

Jun6

Hug Your Kids Tight

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Hug Your Kids Tight

Last week a horrendous event occurred here in the Wenatchee Valley. It wasn’t an accident. It was cold-blooded murder. While I don’t personally know the family involved, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by this senseless tragedy. Actually a myriad of feelings fill my head. Frustration that an amber alert hadn’t been called immediately when a distraught mother reported that her ex-husband hadn’t returned her three daughters after a custodial visit. Anger that the father had done the unimaginable. He had murdered his three daughters. Compassion for the mother deprived of the opportunity to watch her children grow up, sharing in their joys and sorrows. And fear because this dangerous man is still at large.

While today more than ever people are encouraged to seek professional help when mental health issues arise, they are often reluctant to do so. Sadly sometimes the resources are not always readily available. There is also the danger of a misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. The system definitely has its flaws.

Wild speculations about the circumstances that led to this horrific event fill Facebook, fueled by the fact that the father was a veteran who had served in the military. This isn’t a time for Facebook gossip. This isn’t an internet soap opera. This is real life involving real people.

Instead, this is a time for prayer; for the mother, the three little angels now in heaven, and even the father.