As I have aged, “pondering” has become a bigger part of my life. As an octogenarian I have been up a few rivers and through a lot of valleys. My work career and personal travel have seen me visit 81 countries and protectorates, plus all of Canada; the 10 provinces and the three territories.
I have rounded Cape Horn in the south and visited uninhabited Axel Heiberg Island in the High Arctic, next to the ice cap.
This morning, I was thinking about favourites and realized that Canada is breathtaking. My favourite spot in the world is not Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side but Signal Hill in St. Johns looking out across the Atlantic and turning to look down into the St. Johns harbour and ‘pondering’ those who made that journey and, then turn my head to see the original spot of the Marconi telegraph message to cross the Atlantic. My favourite city in the world is not magical Paris but wonderful Quebec City. It has it all; charm, setting, structure and heritage.
But if I wanted to pick a spot to “ponder” my life, it would be in a lawn chair beneath the Chantry Island lighthouse tower. I would look to the north and see the harbour lighthouse and “ponder” 1851 when my Great Great Grandfather brought 10 family members to our town that had hardly 100 people at the time.
I would continue to scan the shore and consider memories all along it. I stop for a moment and think about getting swimming lessons from our ‘Grande Dame’, Jane Kramer, and fishing off the short dock for perch and white bass with a bamboo pole. At South Street, I think about it going up to Sparks Corner and the life lessons I learned at my Uncle’s farm there. Next is Port Elgin and I would “ponder” my years at Saugeen District High School. Mostly good memories but a couple that I would like to forget.
I worked away but I always had a bed here. It is home and it has always kept me “grounded”.
YES, this is the best place in the world … have a wonderful day
