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Today’s Blog Post
Usually after a long day of being away from it all I reflect on what happened for Alida and me. Today there is lots of reflection… lots and lots and lots of it. Almost to the point of overload.
Every so often we treat ourselves to “date”. We try to get away together and remember the joy of ourselves – of just being together. For years we have given away much of ourselves and now hope to keep a little for us. That is what the “date” is all about.
Yesterday was another really long “date” together.
We left at 7:30 AM and returned home at 12:25 AM – the next day. On the date we walked almost continuously from 10 AM to 10 PM – only 12 hours – except for a sit down when eating of trying out comfy chairs (which I almost didn’t get out of).
Now that I have found your attention I can share what it was like to like to be young again as we traveled to the CNE again this year. The CNE for anyone that isn’t from Ontario… is the Canadian National Exhibition… which as some may guess is a collection of hundreds of thousands of interesting people all milling around each other, dressed in casual clothing, spinning in hundreds of rides and eating some many different kinds of foods that it are hard to imagine!
It is one of Canada’s largest exhibitions and it is amazing.
As we strolled through the long avenues and side streets of the massive fair grounds we were in love again – that first love again. 48 years ago we did the same things just after we met in Regina, Saskatchewan… when we walked around the Regina Exhibition. At that moment I was 18 and the beautiful girl beside me was 16. The smell of Hamburgers and Hot Dogs and Corn and Candy Floss mixed with the sounds and the sights were almost the same.
We held hands yesterday and remembered what it was like to be young again… WOW! What a feeling!
At every Exhibition in our country there is not only that potential “relationship” thing between young people, but there is also humungous display of all kinds of things that businesses and people bring to show and sell. There are also people showing off what they do with talents and unique abilities.
There is the Farm Building with Cattle and Sheep and piglets and chickens and turkeys… all the stuff of my Roots. Yesterday we smelled and felt all that again… and the prairie rushed back into my life again… I was a boy all over again… with a beautiful girl walking by my side at the Ex!
Then there were the Butter Carvers… in the very cold room with their pounds and mounds of Butter, simple carving tools and the unbelievable things they were carving. The poor girl inside the cold room was stamping her feet and rubbing her legs to get some heat into them.
The sheep shearing was totally amazing. A gal from near Peterborough, had a Ewe sitting on its rump and supported against her own legs… as she passed the electric clippers up and down its body. In less than 4 minutes the sheep was wagging its tail happily without the heavy coat of wool. The shearer stated for all the possible worriers in the audience, “The sheep is not frightened as it cannot think ahead or worry about what might happen next… there is no for-thinking.”
As I heard that statement – my thoughts bounded forward for a sermon illustration… where I will preach about sheep shortly… WOW… “We are the sheep of His pasture”!
We wondered on our adventure until we were standing at maybe one of the most amazing art shows that I have ever witnessed! There on the wall were life like creations of women’s partial torsos… which included their breasts and tummy… kind of a body armour plate… suspended from the wall. I had read about this special Art Show but never guessed I would ever see it personally. WOW! It was amazing to take in.
I struggle to find words to describe the amazing feelings I had just standing there... taking it all in.
Remember that we were at the CNE with hundreds of people milling by the exhibit every 5 minutes… like a human river… and all with bodies that were far less than sexy… or Playboy/Play Bunny types of pornography. Just real people passing by… hot… sweaty… tired and together.
As I stood looking at the amazing creation I wondered who had thought this through so well… WOW!
It was at that wondering moment that a striking and friendly worker at the exhibit grinned at us and asked how we were. She was very friendly.
I looked at her for a moment and then asked, “You wouldn’t happen to be the artist that created all of this would you?”
I stumbled over my words as I tried to tell her of my own art work and how much I appreciated what we were taking in. How do you share the feeling of inadequacy as a creator of stuff – when you stand in front of a creative genius? YET Cheryl-Ann is so real… not stuffy… not elite… not unreal… not so popular and so important that she can’t or won’t talk to dumb people that ask dumb questions! Cheryl-Ann is down to earth and sparkles… duh… now I sound dumb as I stumble over words to describe this artist who has stirred me deeply.
In the next 20 minutes as she walked through the exhibit with Alida and me she told us amazing stories that had been some of the catalyst behind the show as it developed.
Her discovery of the fact that one of her daughter’s friends was saving money for a breast implant at 13 years of age… helped spur her on with the project that would shout out to the world… “You are beautiful the way that you are!”
We were attending the CNE with some friends of ours that also hale from a church background. The show triggered strong feelings in me as we discussed the possible reaction church people would have… and what the “Beautiful Women Project” showing would produce in these folks.
My thesis is simple… most Conservative, and dare I say Evangelical, Dear Christian Folk (CDCF) freak at nudity or a suggestion that some one was possibly nude for an artist to look at… when creating the work of art. Old Holiness Roots are deep.
I told my friend that the show that I had just witnessed would freak out the CDCF in their teeny, tiny, CDCF Boxes of life.
That led to some active discussion as we walked on and on… and left me reflecting back again to a world that I once was a part of CDCF… shuddering… oh the little boxes!
We wondered on and on… more stuff to see… more worlds to discover.
In one of the worlds that yesterday was a delightful and very large Goat Rotti. Alida and I treated ourselves to one each! So different than that first Hot Dog that I bought her 48 years ago!
As I sat there thoroughly savouring every bite of the delicious curried, boneless goat… I thought of our 48 years together… which has involved world living… traveling… and savouring culture from everywhere. We have been living so far from the little CDCF box it hard to imagine.
Yep – most CDCF will not eat a Rotti either (with apologies for the generalized statement… to the few that have stepped outside the little box).
In the gigantic International Building we met a wonderful family that hovered around the products that they were selling from the UK. Here they displayed delightful critters of poured stone and clay mixtures. Along with the most amazing pewter animals – this booth was super!
Yes we bought one for a friend…
With the gal that was telling us about the UK products was a beautiful baby… only six weeks old… and with that baby was his mom and dad, two uncles, a proud Grandma and Grandpa… that all were looking after him. The new daddy boxed the product we bought… laughed as he told us of the family’s delight with the First Child, First Grandson, First Nephew, and First of everything in the family taking part in their very first CNE Showing.
These were not just vendors but real people that loved and lived and shared their real lives. In years to come the new baby would tell of how photos were taken on him with grandpa at that very first CNE in 2010.
In the International Building we met vendors from Israel and Africa, from Russia and Finland and from China and from Burma and from every corner of the Earth. We were traveling again…
WHAT A WONDERFUL DATE with my best girl ever!
At almost 1:00 AM I slipped my arms around my beautiful wife and said good night.
Oh Lord… thank you for a wonderful day and wonderful life!
~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
Source:
http://www.cawebster.com/
http://www.cawebster.com/bwp/
Bling from the 2010 CNE
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