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AGINGHORIZONS.COM ~ 905-60 Cartier Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2E1, Canada Copyright © AgingHorizons.com (2005-2021)
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Aging Horizons Bulletin
January/February 2021
Interview: Springsteen Savours Life on Letter to You
Study: Seniors’ Courses Add Sparkle to Life
Interview: No Prescription for Aging Well
Notable Book: Finding Stillness in Your Story
Roundup
• Success Stories Fuel Climate Action
• Hearts of Gold
• 'Thank You for Walking with Us'
• Pandemic Poetry
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Interview: Springsteen Savours Life on Letter to You
At 71, Bruce Springsteen ponders the meaning of life and the power of music
on his new album, Letter to You.
Recorded with his E Street Band at Springteen's home studio (New Jersey)
in November 2019, the album was released on October 23 to rave reviews.
Sociologist, boomer and
rock musician Stephen
Katz has looked at how
his generation
appropriated rock and
roll as its music, and
used it to make sense of
their lives.
AHB reached Dr. Katz
for his "take" on
Springsteen's 20th
album. He is Professor
Emeritus at Trent University, Canada.
Aging Horizons Bulletin: Anything surprise you about Springsteen's
new album and accompanying film?
Stephen Katz: My wife Patricia and I have been followers of Springsteen's
music since the 1970s. Letter to You, the album and the film, underscore his
genius for compressing his search for sincerity, humility and wisdom into a
rock and roll package. So no surprise there.
Neither are Springsteen's story-telling skills and the power of his music, with
the same shimmering instrumentation, lyrical poetry and athletic vocals that
we expect from him. Letter to You is Springsteen's 20th album, but it could
be his first because the quality of his output never wanes.
Sociologist, boomer and rock musician Stephen Katz has examined
the impact of rock and roll on the baby boomer generation.
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What may be different this time are his reflections as an aging man on topics
of regret, insecurity and death. As Kory Grow notes in his Rolling Stone
review, "When Springsteen sings about glory days, this time, they're his own
glory days."
AHB: Against the background of winter's season, Springsteen ponders
life's meaning.
SK: The film's black and white scenes — inside the house and the wintry
landscapes outside — capture visually the mood and tempo of the music,
and evoke Springsteen's sense of honesty, intimacy and presence. We could
all step into the film and feel comfortable there.
Some may find Springsteen's musings on the meanings of life preachy, but I
think they are revelatory because they remind us not only of what we already
know but what we choose to forget. As Springsteen says at the end of the
film, "While you're buttering your toast, getting dressed or driving home
from work, you stumble into those moments where you can feel the hand of
God gently resting upon your shoulder, and you realize how lucky you are."
I am also struck by Springsteen's conviction that joy, beauty and grace will
triumph over pain, suffering and disappointment. Perhaps this is the
Catholicism in him, but it is the same message he has belted out to ecstatic
fans in halls and stadiums across the world for almost 50 years.
AHB: “Last Man Standing” is one of the songs on the album that pays
tribute to Springsteen's teenage bandmate George Theiss, who died in
2018.
SK: Yes, Theiss was the last surviving member of Springsteen's early band,
and buddy from those "glory days." That Theiss means so much to
Springsteen, who can think about him as if the time between 17 and 71 is
just one long liquid moment, is very touching.
What I also like about this song is how it recreates what it feels like to be on
a rock and roll stage, that moment where he says, "a flock of angels lift me
up somehow" and he is saved by the music. The Springsteen of the past still
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lives on to inspire and guide the Springsteen of the present. While my part-
time musical history in local bands hardly touches that of Springsteen's, I did
play in my teens and still play with people I knew in highschool, 50 years
ago, so I understand that sense of continuity. I also know that ineffable
feeling of being on a sweaty stage packed with bandmates, moving in
unison, where every note and beat is an opportunity to go beyond the turmoil
of everyday life.
AHB: Letter to You is marked with gratitude, especially to the members
of the E Street Band.
SK: Springsteen obviously loves his band and feels indebted to them. After
all, they have created each other, playing together off and on for 45 years.
The band allows him think, play, and dream "big." As you can see in the
film, the band works very hard because to make an album like Letter to You
in just five days in Springsteen's home studio is absolutely astonishing. At
the end of each day, they share a drink, toast their lost mates Danny Federici
and Clarence Clemons, and celebrate their accomplishments as aging
musicians who have grown and discovered so much together.
Springsteen also records some very early (previously unrecorded) songs,
which he wrote at 22, some of which, as he says, "remain a mystery to me,"
but the E Street Band adds muscle and relevance to them, allowing
Springsteen to stretch the narrative of his own destiny.
AHB: The album is also about music, and how it drives him: "I turn up
the volume, let the spirits be my guide."
SK: The spiritual overtones of Springsteen's career shine forth in this album,
complete with spirits, angels, ghosts, and relics that seem to live in and
around his house of "a thousand guitars," and the sound and fury they emit.
When I think of Springsteen's live shows, there is no other musician or band
(and I have seen many) who comes close to his level of spirit possession on
stage. His exhaustive four-hour performances leave his audiences
emotionally drained and transformed.
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Indeed, he is driven and despite his many interviews explaining what drives
him, it is impossible to fathom when you see him live. Maybe there is some
kind of cosmic energy released when he plugs in and turns up his guitar,
looks to see his band is primed, smiles at the audience and steps up to the
microphone and lets out one of his heart-stopping yowls.
AHB: Springsteen seems to have learned to accept the world on its
terms, without giving up on its possibilities?
SK: I think the world Springsteen accepts is the timeless one, unbounded by
politics or history. Certainly, he is knowledgeable about both. In addition to
his personal activism, he has created a deep musical catalogue about
American social injustice — destroyed communities and abandoned lives.
But it is this timeless world, bound by values of human kindness, truth,
imagination, love and faith that give the quotidian one its possibilities for
transcendence and redemption, whether they appear in the form of a beat-up
guitar, a rusty convertible, or in a small-town dance hall or along the New
Jersey boardwalk. The possibilities are endless, even if, as he says, "one
minute you're here, and the next minute you're gone."
AHB: You have written of how rock and roll shaped the baby boomers,
and how it continues to help them make sense of their lives. What do
you think Springsteen's fans will take away from Letter to You?
SK: So far, the album has received rave reviews with some claims that it is a
masterpiece. I think if this keeps up, Letter to You will stand out, especially
if the band gets to play it live on tour as Springsteen had planned before the
COVID pandemic.
But it may also be remembered as Springsteen's COVID album, nudging
fans to step back, reflect on their lives, be grateful for what they have and
mourn what is lost. And inviting them to produce meaningful and beautiful
creations in their homes with friends and family, appreciate the small things
in life, and take stock of what truly counts as we grow older in a world
swirling in disarray.
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Maybe this is a good time to write letters of our own. For me, this album
will be remembered for the light it brought to an otherwise dark time. I can
see listening to it many, many times, with my eyes closed lying on the floor
or just dancing around the house, and feeling reconnected through the
rhythms of memory to what gave and continues to give my life strength and
coherence.
Study: Seniors’ Courses Add Sparkle to Life
Opportunities to pursue creative expression and engage in stimulating
conversation with other learners are among the many reasons individuals
sign up for seniors’ courses, a new study finds.
Research by Joel Hedegaard and Martin Hugo from Jonkoping University in
Sweden drew on data from focus group interviews with 33 participants,
enrolled in courses at eight Folk High Schools in southern Sweden. Six of
the schools were located in the countryside and two in cities. The 19 men
and 14 women ranged in age from 55 to 94 years.
Folk High Schools (FHS) are part of popular education in Sweden. Courses
are free, with government grants covering half of the costs, and the rest
coming from various organizations, foundations and municipalities.
Currently, there are 155 FHSs in Sweden with approximately 150,000
participants per year. Around 33,000 of these are 60 years or older,
according to Statistics Sweden.
How are senior courses organized?
Individual learners, who are called “participants,” actively plan and direct
courses. The focus is on personal development and learning for pleasure.
Some courses extend across the academic year, from August to May, while
intensive courses run for several weeks. In some courses, participants choose
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from a variety of activities throughout the day. Examples include playing
table tennis, doing gymnastics, food preparation, singing, or studying the
work of a specific author. In others, they focus on a specific subject such as
art or English.
In addition, FHSs sponsor special days, offering older adults opportunities to
interact with participants from other courses.
Benefits abound
The findings, published in Educational Gerontology (Vol. 46, No. 2, 2020),
reveal seniors’ courses result in a host of benefits for older adults.
Social interaction
Most of all, participants stressed the importance of being with other people.
They especially valued meaningful opportunities to share ideas and opinions
with others. The study found these interactions created close bonds among
individuals and fostered a sense of belonging. Notably, some friendships
spilled over into the community, creating new social networks.
In addition, older adults highlighted opportunities to interact with
participants in other courses. For example, they described cooking with
several women from Somalia, Ethiopia and Syria, and using their recipes.
They also mentioned attending specially adapted courses for their fellow
participants with disabilities.
Structure
Studies have shown the period following retirement can be a time of far-
reaching change in a person's life. For many of these retirees, courses
replaced work, adding structure and routine to their everyday lives. As one
participant put it, "You get up in the morning; … you don't just lie there and
drink tea and coffee and listen to rubbish music."
Some even claimed the courses provided an anchor in their lives, freeing
them up to be able to do more other things.
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Creative pursuits
Some participants joined courses to pursue a lifelong passion, such as
painting, photography or ceramics. "I've always liked art and doing things
with my hands. I've always liked it," one participant remarked, "but I never
really had the time, you know, to devote myself to it."
One man lauded the Bible studies program, reporting that his courses in The
Old and New Testaments, Church History and Belief and The Life of the
Church, had enabled him to gain new insights and a more nuanced
understanding of his faith.
Some viewed seniors’ courses as an integral part of life-long learning. In
short, older adults saw them as opportunities to nurture a sense of curiosity,
stay sharp and ramp up their quality of life. As one participant remarked,
"You look at the world in a new way."
Interview: No Prescription for Aging Well
When Paula Vasara asked individuals in their
80s to describe what it is like to live as an old
woman in Finland today, the answers she got
surprised her.
In spite of sharing a cultural context, and even
similar life events and transitions, the women
told different stories and described strikingly
different routes to contentment and peace of
mind in later life.
The findings appeared online in the
International Journal of Ageing and Later Life (Apr. 24, 2020).
Dr. Paula Vasara
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To learn more, AHB reached Dr. Vasara at the University of Jyväsklyä,
where she is postdoctoral researcher at the Centre of Excellence in
Research on Ageing and Care.
Aging Horizons Bulletin: Finland has a growing population of more
than a million people aged 65 and older. What sorts of services are
available for older people?
Paula Vasara: There are lots of services. Finland is part of the Nordic group
of universalistic welfare countries. At the heart of this welfare model is
universal, good quality and publicly funded services.
For older people, the policy of aging in place is an important cornerstone.
This policy has been widely supported for decades. In short, it means an
individual has the right to grow old in their current home with the necessary
services. Among others, these include home care and rehabilitation services.
Older adults are also entitled to receive reimbursements for housing
renovations.
In fact, in Finland, over 90 per cent of people over 75 continue to live in
their own homes.
That said, the outsourcing of publicly funded services to for-profit and non-
profit providers is on the increase. As in other European countries, neoliberal
tendencies have gained strength in Finland with public services increasingly
targeted only to those most in need.
In practice, then, families often play a complimentary caregiving role; one
that should not be undervalued.
AHB: You asked 16 widows, aged 79 to 89, what it is like to live as old
women in contemporary Finland. Can you elaborate on their
backgrounds?
PV: These women were born in the 1920s and 1930s. They all married and
had children. Many worked outside the home. Several of the women's
husbands had wartime experiences. At the time of the interviews, they lived
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alone in their own homes, with little or no formal help. All the women
reported having long-term illnesses. Most described their health as good or
satisfactory.
AHB: The participants told dramatically different stories about their
later years, which you dubbed the Retiring to solitude story and the
Keeping up with the world story. Let's start with the Retiring to solitude
group. How did these women describe old age?
PV: One could describe the role of these women as bystanders. This was not
their original role in life, but they saw old age as paving the way for gradual
withdrawal from the fast pace of everyday life. They viewed the transition as
a natural part of life's journey.
The women described their past lives as full and happy. Now, they wanted to
savour the time left to them on their own terms. Indeed, they felt entitled to
live a less hurried and more peaceful life.
AHB: They had a limited network of friends, which didn't seem to
bother them. In fact, several said they enjoyed time alone.
PV: It is true, some did enjoy their solitude. However, getting around had
become more difficult, so maintaining larger social networks may have
become too strenuous. In other words, they may have been willing to
exchange fewer social ties in return for more effortless living. Also, most
mentioned that they had lost close friends and important peers through death
and illness, and that these ties were never replaced.
While some women had chosen solitude voluntarily, some suffered from
loneliness. This was especially the case, where casual encounters were
scarce, or even non-existent.
Some theorists suggest that advancing years and approaching death may
prompt some individuals to seek solitude. This may also be related to a need
to reflect on the past, and to come to terms with various life events. Also,
research suggests religious issues may become more important for some
people, as they age.
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AHB: What about their families?
PV: In Finland, many older people have family living close by. And, as I
mentioned, they are important sources of unofficial support. But for the most
part, older people prefer to use public services instead of relying on family
and friends.
A sense of reciprocity is prevalent, with grandparents, especially women,
providing assistance with grandchildren. Yet women in the Retiring to
solitude group tended to step back from active duties. Take Karoliina, the
mother of six. Pictures of her grandchildren crowd the walls of her home,
but she considered her years of active grandparenting, over. Grandchildren
were welcomed for occasional visits, but they were not overly encouraged.
But even if contacts are more casual and less frequent, these women
consider family an important source of consolation. And staying connected
has never been easier. Many older people have smartphones, and a
surprisingly large number use WhatsApp or Skype to keep in touch with
family and friends.
AHB: How did these women spend their time?
PV: Many described making crafts, knitting — that sort of thing. Those in
good physical condition, enjoyed spending time outdoors — gardening,
berry picking, walking, and so on. They described life as slowing down.
Indeed, these women spoke comfortably about their death, which they
viewed as happening sooner, rather than later.
When one woman sought home help, her physician advised against it,
suggesting the workout was good exercise. Inkeri was unconvinced, noting,
"I won't live for very long anymore, I am going to be 89 next month."
AHB: The study showed these women were content with their lives.
What accounted for their contentment?
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PV: Despite some regrets and misfortune, they were at a point in their lives
where they could look back with a sense of accomplishment and make their
peace.
Women also mentioned their children with a sense of satisfaction. Even if
there were challenges, their children had gone on to find their place in the
world, and to raise successful families of their own.
AHB: Participants in the Keeping up group took a different approach to
later life?
PV: Yes, these women's stories were strikingly different. Despite their aches
and pains, they looked to the future with optimism. They saw their lives as
open, still unfolding — with some happy surprises to be hoped for. They
were not only getting older; they wanted to get better — to ramp up their
skills.
Moreover, they took pride in their years, deeming themselves "fortunate" to
be able to do many things at their age.
What kept them going? Perhaps these women had a certain resilience.
Perhaps it was a personality trait. Or maybe it was their attitude towards life:
a lifelong willingness to welcome new experiences.
AHB: Unlike many retirees, these women saw relocation as an
advantage. Can you give me an example?
PV: For one thing, these women's lives did not focus on the home. They
wanted to maintain their chosen way of life and to pursue meaningful
activities. Some were willing to relocate to maintain lifelong habits such as
theatre attendance, or, as in the case of one woman, easy access to the
library.
At 90, Enni moved from her fifth-floor family apartment that had no elevator
to an assisted living facility, where she met new friends. "I don't know what
I have. I have all sorts of ailments," she remarked. "But it's okay, just as long
as I can manage. And I am really happy with my life."
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AHB: For these participants, being 79 or 85 was the moment they were
in; it didn't have to be a time of wrapping things up. How did they live
their daily lives?
PV: They were involved in a plethora of activities. Some delighted in
supporting the younger generation in their role as grandmother or great-
grandmother. Many maintained longtime hobbies; some started new ones.
Others were actively involved in various charities. Some worked as
volunteers.
Travelling abroad no longer appealed to them, but they took regular
excursions closer to home. These outings offered inspiration and
opportunities for social interaction.
Some continued to engage in outdoor activities — gardening, picking
berries, spending time at their summer house. In the winter, they skied.
These were activities they did not put aside easily.
When Senja, in her 80s, broke her leg in several places, she demanded
rehabilitative services. As she explained: "I told the doctor last winter, I said
that I had bought a new pair of skis, skis and ski boots, modern ones, and I
have to be able to ski again."
AHB: What would you like people to take away from your study?
PV: The findings suggest the ability to arrange one's way of living in a
manner that compliments one's personal values and preferences is key to
aging well.
At the same time, it is crucial to remember that our lives are linked. And so,
it is important to live in a manner that respects other members of society.
Here are a few thoughts:
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• Aging is an intensely personal experience. There is no prescription for
aging well; what suits one, might not suit the other.
• Older adults are bombarded with contradictory advice. Search within
for your own answer.
• Think about the things that are important and meaningful in your life.
Consider what brings you joy.
Finally, individuals should be free to pursue their own path to well-being in
later life, including the choice of whether to retire to solitude or plunge deep
into the whirls of the world.
Notable Book: Finding Stillness in Your Story
In Pathways to Stillness, Gary Irwin-Kenyon draws on his experience as a
gerontologist and long-time tai chi teacher to show you how to find stillness
in your personal story
and bring more peace
into your life.
Dr. Irwin-Kenyon is
founding chair and
professor of gerontology
at St. Thomas University
in Fredericton, New
Brunswick, Canada. In
this article, he shares the
main ideas in his book.
Your life story contains your unique pathways to stillness. When you slow
down and quiet the "monkey mind" — the mind that is constantly thinking
about anything from the next meal, to what is going to happen to you in the
future — you find stillness. Stillness is always available in the present
moment. It is part of who we are as human beings — but it is often forgotten
territory.
Gary Irwin-Kenyon is author of Pathways to Stillness.
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Stillness is an experience — it is nothing, and therefore cannot be controlled
or forced to occur. One writer calls it a sunlit absence. Stillness has its own
rules. Yet we can create conditions for the emergence of stillness.
We find stillness, or it finds us, when we relax and let go. It is about
acceptance of the present moment. Really, all we need to do to experience
stillness is to "show up for it."
Research is increasingly demonstrating what spiritual traditions have taught
for centuries: silence, stillness and/or mindfulness have a significant impact
on our physical, psychological and spiritual well-being. Still, in our
contemporary culture, many of us think that doing nothing is simply a waste
of time. When I asked this question of a monk friend — someone who
spends hours a day in prayer and meditation — he simply smiled and
responded, "And what is wrong with wasting time?"
We are often brought to an appreciation of stillness through loss and
suffering. You can read more about this in my book Pathways to Stillness.
The longer we are on the planet the more
chance there is for changes to happen. Some
changes are welcome, and may be readily
celebrated, others bring challenges. These
changes might have to do with your health,
relationships, work-career story or more than
one of these existential themes at the same
time.
Even though it has its own rules, there are two
ways to find stillness in your story. The first is
in solitary stillness practice, such as meditation
or prayer, which are often performed alone.
However, even though you are alone, the
attitude you bring to the practice is to be open
to something larger than what is sometimes called the "small self:" the self
that wants to figure it all out; that needs an answer; that must know what is
going on.
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Stillness practice is about creating space between you, and your thoughts
and emotions. With time, it is an experience of watching your mind like a
movie, or, as I have heard it called, a "bouncing screen saver," while you rest
in the peaceful center of the story.
There are many pathways to stillness, formal and informal. The formal
practices are specifically designed to invite stillness into your life — prayer,
yoga, tai chi, kirtan, chanting and Sufi dancing, to name just a few.
You may notice that the stillness experience does not only happen when you
are literally sitting still in "cross-legged immobility." It can occur in intense
physical activity as well. In tai chi the guideline is to find stillness in
movement — to move fast but not to rush.
Informal stillness practices, among others, include kayaking, playing a
musical instrument, running, fishing, walking in nature and gardening.
This leads us to the second way to find stillness in your story — explore
your life story with stillness as part of the agenda. In this way, you may
discover your own ordinary wisdom — your personal pathways to stillness.
The word pathways is intentional, as you may find that you have a number
of vehicles, or what Eckhart Tolle calls portals, that help bring stillness to
your life story.
Exploring your story can be practiced alone, or with others. In my book and
workshops, we first practice some relax-into-stillness movements to help
calm the monkey-mind. Then we explore parts of our story. I often talk
about the third way, beyond fight and flight (or freeze). The third way is to
follow — meaning let go, accept and watch the movie.
The intention is that stillness will provide new meaning to a life theme that
is of interest to you, or just bring more peace to your life. This approach is
not therapy but may be therapeutic. It is a way of sharing with no
expectations. For example, in one session a participant approached me at the
end of the workshop and told me that he was able to find new meaning — to
re-story his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience. He shared that
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the word follow was a major insight for him — it meant that he was not
trying to control, not running away, but still doing something. His
experience brought him a degree of stillness in his ongoing journey with
PTSD.
Again, there are no guarantees, and you cannot approach stillness with any
expectations, but wonderful surprises do occur.
For more, visit: www.pathwaystostillness.org/blog
Editor's note: This is a slightly abridged version of the original article that
appeared in AHB November/December 2018.
Roundup
SUCCESS STORIES FUEL CLIMATE ACTION: A relentless focus on
doom and gloom is hamstringing our ability to tackle the climate crisis,
according to Elin Kelsey, a science and environmental writer, and an adjunct
professor of environmental studies at the University of Victoria.
Her new book is called Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is
Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis.
Hope Matters is brimming with stories that show we can get things done.
The aim is to support and amplify examples of climate solutions that are
moving in a positive direction.
Telling stories that inspire change
Conservation solutions: In 2014, Kelsey and a group of women friends
launched Ocean Optimism, a movement designed to share marine
conservation successes and solutions happening around the world. Since
then, other global movements have blossomed, including #Earth Optimism,
initiated by the Smithsonian Institution, and #Conservation Optimism,
hosted by the University of Oxford.
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Goodbye food waste: Project Drawdown , a global research organization,
ranks reducing food waste as the third most important step on a list out of 80
solutions to climate change. The momentum against food waste is gaining
speed. For instance, South Korea now recycles 95 per cent of its food waste.
In 2019, eight leading Canadian companies, including Walmart Canada and
Sobeys, committed to drop food waste in their operations by 50 per cent by
2025, and to measure and report on their progress.
Solutions journalism: Launched in April 2019, Covering Climate Now is a
go-to source for news on climate change issues and solutions. The global
initiative partners, with over 400 news outlets, reaches a combined audience
approaching two billion people.
HEARTS OF GOLD: When Tom Lumby's wife Sadie died in 2002, at age
90, neighbours rallied to support Lumby, who was now alone.
Twenty years on, Lumby, 109, is still living in his west-end home in Ottawa,
Canada.
According to his only son, Peter, the neighbours have done an incredible job.
Susan Pearl, a neighbour for more than 30 years, says Lumby is an endlessly
curious man who "lives in the moment," adding he is full of gratitude for the
good things in his life.
A Canadian war veteran, Lumby became a tank commander with the Lord
Elgin Regiment, and served in Holland. In 1953, he joined CN in Montreal,
becoming head of the department of human resources. He remained there
until 1977.
THANK YOU FOR WALKING WITH US: Max Gros-Louis, former
grand chief of Huron-Wendat First Nation, died in Quebec City on Nov.14,
2020. The legendary Indigenous leader was 89.
In a written statement, current Grand Chief RémyVincent thanked Mr. Gros-
Louis:
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Grand Chief Oné Onti, thank you for walking with us and by our side.
It is very difficult to summarize in a single message all of the actions
that you accomplished over many years as you dedicated your time to
our Nation and defended our rights. You are among those who forged
our Nation. You had a lasting impact on the hearts and minds of many
people, both here and elsewhere, with your strong personality and the
influence of your interventions. The Nation wishes you a wonderful
journey on the path of our ancestors.
PANDEMIC POETRY: Poets are creating a "living record" of the COVID-
19 pandemic for future generations.
Carol Ann Duffy, Britain's former poet laureate, has launched the
international poetry project with the Manchester Writing School at
Manchester Metropolitan University. It is entitled Write Where We Are
Now.
The project has attracted contributions from poets around the globe. In
Psalm for a Pandemic, the 26-year-old Singaporean poet Theophilus Kwek,
wrote, "As hair gone uncut, the whole earth thickens. We can be kind too, if
they let us."