If I was asked what I like about having stayed in the old home town, one of my responses would have to be - local weekend shopping. This activity takes on an edge of discovery -the possibility of bumping into someone from Highschool days.
In the baking section of IGA, seeking the right brand of sugar for weekend cooking, I happened to look up to see Marian Peacock. There she was -picture perfect, as if right out of the year book!
Marian is a single mom these days with a son in highschool.
After chatting a bit, I realized once again that we have all come so far in life, not just in age or material well being, but in actual 'becoming'.
We were such kids back then. While 'the kid', is still perhaps just beneath the skin, that persona is not who we are now. Yet when we come into contact with those from the past, we tend to see through the lense of our high school being. Once we have a chance to refocus, we can then rectify the past characature memory with this person standing in front of us.
I had known Marian in the past, not well, but to say hello in passing. She had always been friendly, not 'stand-offish', with her smile, always at the ready.
On this day, I did not want to stop listening, her words and ideas -soft, intelligent and to the point; topics bordering on the philisophic and even theological, while centering on processes of education and their effect on our local youth these days.
We discussed violence in hockey, the focus of religion as it pertains to 'exposure' to youth in schools- a true dialogue; an exchange of ideas, in short, a conversation which transcended the norm.
Sure, we reminisced a little about 'the old days', referenced such names as Robin Hewitt and Dave Poirier when she linked my name to a growing-up location in Chateauguay. We dropped names of people we see these days from the past as well.
We touched on how we have even gone back to the past to re-explore certain glanced over facets and subjects from High School, such as Algebra as an example of one; - not that we spend our time doing equations, but that perhaps these topics were and are for some, wasted early on while later, we have become 'ready' for these interests.
While this blog entry does not delve into personal elements of Marian Peacock, it does give you an impression . I don't think she would really want me to discuss her recent past surgery upon her brain stem, except perhaps to tell you that she has been very lucky and is still fully functionning and with us for quite some time to come, is still working flights (a hostess with Air Canada if I am not mistaken), remains in Chateauguay and is just as lovely as ever.
I remarked on this encounter to my wife Jane when I got back home.
"Oh yes" she said, "I met her years ago when our son was in pre-school. Marian would come to the school looking in on her brother's little girl. She was always an angelic-like presence."
Some things just don't change.
