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page 2, August 25, 1976 - Nerth Shore News. _

Old peopie impress me, not just because they |
have wrinkles in their faces, but because they are
living proof that they have survived a lot of
changes. That may sound a little harsh, but the tife
of a senior citizen can bring a lot or changes, and I
think that we should appreciate what they are
before they happen to us. For they « will happen te.
us. ' :

It must really be very very old gentleman who was
difficult. to be .an active having some difficulty mak-
person, with independence ing it back up.on the curb.
and freedom of movement, after negotiating a cross-
and .to lose some of those walk. Sam assisted him, and
freedoms bit by bit until you the gentleman thanked him.
are no longer as free as your “‘I’m out to do a little
once were. For instance, shopping,’’ he explained.
what happens to an active 4
elderly man who suddenly i is Sam said that it must be ~
not allowed to drive his car difficult for a man his age to”
any more? Or a proud and get - around. The:.old man
independent womar who has twinkled and said, ‘Well,
seen her income erode with it’s all in how you look at it. .
inflation and her standard of |. Actually, I’m doing. shopping
living steadily reduced? fora friend-of mine who’s not
What can they do? ' as spry as me.”

‘I know -what they. do do. LIKED A DRINK:
. They cope. _ ce
me Whén we at the. North
_ SHOPPING . ° Shore News were running a
. . ‘(Dine Free’. contest, . several
-One of the qualities I most‘ years ago, the first prize was
admire in the old people is a dinner for two at any one of
their acceptance of their the restaurants advertised.
limitations and the humour’ The winner came. to ‘the .
and understanding of others - newspaper office to. pick up -
that often accompanies such \her.voucher. She was about
acceptance. For instance, our ‘Seventy-five, with’ a good-
ad man Sam Stewart was humoured: face. After the
walking’ up Lonsdale the presentation, - she took me-
“other day and. came across é a ‘aside and asked me “‘Does |
: this’ ticket buy: the dsinks, |

. ou and. you . 1 assured her that ‘it : would |

- buy whatever she wanted in
two. cows | the restaurant, up to the
+] value of the ticket and that if.

she wished she. could spend --
the entire amount in the bar. |
“But -you don’t: drink, of
.course,”” I teased.  ‘‘Orily
_ when -I’m_ alone ‘or with.
‘somebody,’ she smiled’
back, and departed. I. hope’

- ~_ | she had a good time.
Communism: You have . _NONCHALANT

cows, and you give one toy
your neighbor.

é.
“ Someone recently told me
of a very old man rene te a’.
bus. He negotiate e first
Faciom; You have ~ taker ‘step with difficulty, assisted
by his cane.

takes both of them and give 5
syou milk. vy “2d

“Then. he teciered pn the -
“step, and: for ‘a: breathless |
' moment it looked as if he was .
. “going to fall backwards out of

‘the’ open door. onto; the
‘ foadway.: But,- ‘with’ a light-
. ning movement, that startled
‘the bus driver, the old fellow
flicked: out his..cane and.
- caught. ‘the... jhandie Ona
stanchion ‘near. the. dtiver" 'S
head. He. hauled himself up’.

-in an open-fronted restaurant

. it bounced along the street. It.
was a strong wind that bent |

_Chinese man and his strugg

_was about eighty and I guess.

- along slowly in the lee of a-
cross street ‘ene BE blast of wind

While on the island of:
Maui I spent some time in
the town of Wailuku, and one
of the days there I was sitting .

when a freak wind gusted in
from the sea, causing .a

great commotion as dust and _
papers . from the ‘gutters |

swirled through the air ‘and -

proprietors of. the open--
fronted shops. ‘rushed ‘to.
retrieve their merchandise as
nearby trees.

I witnessed an “elderly

les against the wind,.and it .
gave me food for thought. He .

he weighed about seventy
pounds. He was so frail that
the arms that protruded from
the sleeves of his sports shirt
appeared like thin brown.
Sticks. He was shuffling

_ building, and as he came to a
hit him. 7
“HAT TRICK -

a | thought it would knock
him over, but- he - reeled
under. its: power and. angled
himself even more closely to
the ground and. continued
‘on—supported by the wind,

- with his body: at a'45°° “angle ;

to the wind. Half-way: ‘across.

the intersection his straw hat .
. blew off, and the .old. man |
changed . his :.course ‘and F
' patiently pursued his hat: for i
“a few. minutes. He. would’ —
shuffle: along’ until-he almost [i \.°.:
‘caught it-and then the wind (f° ”
-- would pick it-up.and move it .
still further. His face was i .-
expressionless, but I could 9.” -
_almost. see. his mind working [f°

as he planned his. attack.

7 Finally he. cornered it and
pinned it tothe ground with |
his stick in the manner of a

. snake handler -: ‘cornering | a:
‘particularly . vicious: rattler,’ ay —_ .
picked it’ up, settled it oe

- securely’ back : ‘on ‘his “head,

‘produced a .piece ‘of .twine. G vt a
‘and tied it.on and resumed’ # .\.-.. ae |
~ his walk. ‘But I tought I saw. Sn gm

“a smile on his face..

‘So . it’s ‘had 0. “find ie
“anything .. cheerful; about i: .
being old, unless, asMaastey. Bs
Chevalier was fond of sayihg; -@ :
ore ‘considers: the. alterna-
tive. | watch the old people of.
North. and. West Vancoitver:: -
going about ‘their business, i’
and: every, now. .and then. —:

10 Ib. Minimum

Vb. p. Containers :

hen I see one of. the seniors. |
"the other step and nonchal-,, Wirt
y coping with the fact of |
_ patty went ‘into. the bus," be am old i. feel pretty,
umble. -

“‘Cireutaiton: 48 ‘a 49,000 .

Founded, in 1069" "as an: “Independeni, “y
community newspaper, tho: Norih ‘Shore’ |
News Is published weekly, and distributed. -
to every door on the North Stiore:: leh

registered newspaper under Part’: att,’

Schedule 111, Paragraph 111, of ‘the

Customs and Exclae Act.
ALL CONTENTS ARE COPVAIGHT. .
olflee (080-0614 . 4
clasaltisd” 080-3464 ‘
.. olrculation 066-1337

- impressed ,

oe
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Publisher - ao PeterSpeck

i "Anslotant Publisher, at Rex Weyler |

: Managing Editor ' * Neal Weight |

“, Ploture Editor Elleworth Dickson

’ News Editor . Guillermo Lam
1:1 Advertising Manager. _ BobGr

I ‘Production Manager “ “Marna Le siren ;

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