A very small coming of age story

B is letting us edit here to let you know that we have a new blog called "herbandartmuse". We chose Wordpress as our new blog home, and we are having difficulties understanding some of the ins and outs, but at least we CAN publish posts. We can't yet understand how to make the blog available to those who use Blogger, so if you would like to visit  "herbandartmuse", you could scroll down B's bloglist here, and click on "herbandartmuse".
Miaooow for now!! ... er we mean Ciaooow for now!! 
Herb and Art :)


I am remembering the late 1960's, and me as an awkward 13 year old. Our family had moved into a lovely new home, and my youngest uncle, Uncle Brian, came to visit for Christmas. I remember feeling shy around this uncle, who'd divorced my beautiful aunt, and was now living in Toronto. This was my favourite uncle, but he didn't know it. I'd grown up, having him and Grandma, living in the basement suite of our small home, but now everything had changed.

 In the late 1960's my family moved, from our small bungalow on Mullin Avenue, to a larger house, in a new neighbourhood, with undeveloped lots, and spindly saplings for trees. I had watched Uncle Brian grow up from a 13 year old boy entering high school, get married, move to Calgary for university, become a young business man, settle down with his lovely, intelligent wife, and their fluffy Samoyed dog. And then, the news that he had divorced and moved to Toronto felt like something shameful, not to be discussed, and so I found myself awkward, and even abit afraid around him. I believe it had something to do with feeling sorry for him, and afraid to say the wrong thing.

 As was my usual custom, as a child I eavesdropped when my parents had company. Generally, once my brothers and I had settled in upstairs for bed, I would soon sit at the top of the stairs, and just listen. I always was fascinated by what there was to learn about the world of adults, and most particularly the secret knowledge I might acquire about my parents and their siblings lives. I believe this may have been, because there were always undercurrents in our family, as there are in many families. Things that were not right - that were painful, disturbing, and sometimes even frightening. So, I would listen, store the information, and try to solve some of the mysteries of why things were unhappy in our home, perhaps with some thought of fixing them. I think this was the beginnings of my interest in psychology, and mysteries as well.:)

The Christmas, Uncle Brian came to visit, without his wife, and now newly living in Toronto, I naturally found myself sitting at the top of the stairs listening to the adults talk. Uncle Brian was talking about a street called "Yonge Street" and various small coffee shops where he went to listen to music, and mainly he talked about Gordon Lightfoot.

That Christmas, was for me a changing point, when I began to think more deeply about my family, and about the world, and why people would divorce, and what was happening out in the world. I felt quite alone at this time, not understanding that my family was not singular - that others were going through similar changes and upheavals. We were unique of course in many ways, as each family is, but as well we lived in a certain time, and were affected by it.

It didn't take long for me to find the music of Gordon Lightfoot, and become entranced by the beauty of his songs. Now, 44 years later, I'm listening to his music all over again, and rediscovering how fine his songs are. In some of Lightfoots' more recent performances, which I've watched through the magic of Youtube, he seems truly happy and lighthearted. His love for his music, and performing is very evident.  I found the following interview on Youtube, and am sharing it here. If you enjoy his music, you may enjoy this interview as well. It's quite long, so I  understand if you choose not to listen. :)