By Mike Rainone for the News
Even in this fast-paced era of robotic lawn mowers and vacuums and all sorts of other electronic gadgets and gizmos we all know very well that dear old Mother Nature will always be in control of our everyday lifestyles. Look at it this way … no matter what we might be planning or setting out to do on each and every day of work or play, the final outcome will quite often depend on the weather, which can suddenly change as quick as you can say “head for cover,” or “did you remember to pack the raingear?”
Thank goodness that we all get to see the magic and the power of nature each and every day of the year, not only through the seasonal display of its creatures and growth, but also with the joy of spring showers, a fresh fall of snow, rainbows, the glory of autumn and the harvest, the ever-changing winds, summer sun and sand for family fun and holidays, and all the rest. Our perfectly natural alarm clocks in the hot months are the birds uttering their wake-up call, the kids rolling out and wanting to dash outside and play, the joy of an early tee time, a chance to jog or exercise early before breakfast and work, browsing through all sorts of garage sales and auctions, the lure of the lake, and so much more that can be usually accomplished in shorts and T-shirts.
We have found out on so many occasions that we really need to listen to our usually totally unpredictable daily weather forecasts at every opportunity. Even though it may have started out as a great sunny day, we must always be prepared to get off the ball diamond, the golf course, the lake, and wherever else and head for cover, especially when a thunder storm roars into the neighbourhood. No matter what the day may have in store for us, we always need to be prepared, just in case the weather or sudden emergencies throws a sudden curve ball at our perfect game plan. Whatever the case we need to get outside whenever we can, share and enjoy our choice of fun together, and always respect and protect our pristine surroundings and habitat.
What we learned while growing up in the 50s and 60s
As somewhat pampered seniors we can now fondly look back, remember, and happily share with our own siblings and friends about what life was like when we were trying to grow up in and around Ponoka in the early 1950s and 60s. Just for fun here are a few of the daily tasks at home and at play that we were required to learn how to do, quite often failed at some miserably, and in many cases have never been able to master to this very day.
Most of us likely had a great deal of fun, lots of laughs, and only a little frustration learning how to: care for a pet, shell peas without eating them all, making scrambled eggs, making a $2 a week allowance last for seven days, to iron our pants and shirts and then hang them up, to wash our own clothes, to change and pin a diaper, to wash the dishes and clean the house with “hands-only” appliances, to respect our parents and all adults, and to understand the words “no” and “now.” We always tried to make friends and keep them, to know when is the right time to share/speak/and listen, that quiet time and homework are mandatory, how to treat a lady, to be a good teammate, to get the best out of our school experience, to play fair, how to speak to seniors, and so many others, that helped us to get through our childhood, and then very casually pass on all this age-old knowledge to our own children and grandchildren.
Whatever the case, one day when they are all grown up …
As parents or grandparents we hope that children will always continue to come through our front door without knocking, will head out to kitchen for a snack of their favourite cookies and then slump down on the sofa to watch T.V. Along the way we will always hope and pray that they will always come back home to that old house that they grew up in, and then feel free to let that extra weight of their adulthood adventures leave and let them be kids again for just a little while. All we need to do is continue to give them hope, our praise, and our love every day, let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle, and always remember that our front door will always be open. In the meantime, in between time, just keep right on enjoying summer to the fullest, always remember that life is way too short to spend too much time arguing about politics on Facebook, and then just go ahead and have a great week, all of you.