Northern Automotive and my bike rack issues: I was waiting for Bob to find the necessary bolt for my bike rack. His automotive service centre is at Centre Road and Highway 124. One yellow school bus pulled up to the stop sign, signalling
left. There was a tandem of 5 canoes in tow. I just thought — Camp Manitou campers are going tripping. and I did remember the Pioneer Pacific, that I had attended, off Vancouver Island(Chemainus Island). It was a waterfront camp; a high-end rich and religious camp that parents sent their kids. to…. and I was so disillusioned with the socio-economic content/the religious bent/ the kids who had too much stuff….. (YES I REFLECT BACK).
Another school bus pulled into the automotive parking area for some reason. It sat there waiting with another whole load of campers, seemingly quiet campers(maybe they were tired, or just waiting, and it was early am). This bus had at least 8
canoes in tandem.
“Hey, do you want to take some pictures of us inside the bus?”
I stepped up into the bus and said the lighting wasn’t so good. One camper chirped up..”take your photos from the back!”
So that is what I did.
However the yellow school bus brought back to mind, the still viable charity camp, Camp Cucumber
TO BE CONTINUED I just put some pictures up to illustrate that there are camps and there are camps.
The Camp Cucumber venue is made up of people trying to get by. They do it with so much dignity too. No Cheese Cake Smiles.. these women have been through so much. One volunteer counsellor says “I have been given so much! who knew that this experience would be so so great. I feel like I have just been privy to a whole new way of looking at life”.
One CC Camper Mom states: “Living in the city with all the noise and everyday stresses is hard for us all. In the city we never feel accepted for who we are. Here, it’s like one big family and everyone is equal..no matter what background or religion we have come from.”
On this note, I quote the now late Christopher Hitchens. Although he was secular, non religious in his beliefs, and even aligned himself with Karl Marx(Religion is the opium of the people)..he believed in some quotes from the bible that were not religious in nature..like Saint Paul who says: Brethren:
What so ever things are true
What so ever things are just
What so ever things are good
What so ever things are pure
What so ever things are lovely
What so every things are good
If there is any virtue
and if there is any pain
Think on these things.
“I chose this because of it’s haunting and elusive character. It is an essentially a secular injuncture & it shines out from the wasteland of ranting that surrounds us.” writes Hitchens.
Salutation to the Day, recited as the Canadian Flag was raised at the Kinark Campground each morning, is now a memory. One now sets forth to open the Autumn Door of Challenge.
but I do remember in part how the verse goes…on this Anniversay of September 11th, 2012…
LOOK TO THIS DAY……….
for yesterday is but a dream
\and tomorrow is only a vision
but today well lived
makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vison of hope.
2012thislandisyourlandseatosea 