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Notes from a Garage

With John Gardiner

The family homestead; the prophet of doom; and getting civilized

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

You know, I was up to my hometown of Hanover over Easter weekend and it was a great outing. For one thing, my grandchildren, Isaac and April, travelled to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa’s as well, and I’m always so happy to see the kids get to see my parents. One of the highlites of the visit was the annual Easter egg hunt, and my grandchildren were the third generation to scour the backyard for the Easter Bunny’s treats. But it was sort of a bittersweet time for me this year and very emotional. You see, my daughter and her family are moving to Thunder Bay this summer and my parents are talking seriously about selling the Gardiner family homestead to move into something a little smaller and more manageable. So, while the Easter egg hunt was a happy time, it was also a sad time for an old fool like me. Realizing that this might very well be the last Easter egg hunt we’ll hold at the old house at 436 6th Avenue. I know I shouldn’t get so caught up in stuff like this. It is life and it happens to all of us. And my parents deserve to have the responsibility of deciding when the house has gotten to be too much. The Gardiner family has had a great many happy occasions at the house on 6th Avenue. Christmases, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, just plain old house parties, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, the basket of toys that each generation plays with, the high chair that every generation has used since I was a boy….there are so many memories that I can barely contain them. I came to the house as a boy and left as a man – I know its every nook and cranny. But I can’t be selfish and be thinking of myself. Because as hard as this decision is for me, it’s got to be a whole lot harder for my Mom and Dad. And that’s why I support them in their decision…because I know deep down that it’s for the best. I don’t really mind getting older – I’ve had a great life and tried to do good and make the best of it. But change is something I have trouble with. And there are some big changes coming….they’re just around the corner….I can see them coming….

I have a hard time being overly positive about the goings on on Planet Earth. Am often too critical of the way things are and maybe don’t smile enough. Have often said that I’m tired of being the prophet of doom. But don’t really know what to do about it….because somebody’s gotta do it. I am, deep down in my soul, actually quite positive about the situation we face on the planet. I continue to feel that humanity, although facing some very difficult problems, has the capacity to solve the problems. I think that way when I’m in a good mood and I think we’re pretty smart. But we do so many dumb things and we are unkind to each other on an almost constant basis, so it’s hard to stay too positive. Even when I see good people doing good things – trying to change the world – I am often in despair, because of my feeling that the overall economic and political system we are using in the world is just so plainly unfair and unjust. The vast majority of people on the planet are hugely disadvantaged before they even pop out of their mothers’ bellies….but we seem to be okay with that…..as long as we’re not the ones who are at the bottom of the heap. The whole world has bought into the American Dream and the only problem is that it’s actually a nightmare for most of humanity. I don’t know….I’ll try to do better at being positive and I’ll try to be somewhat less critical. I’ll try to be less the prophet of doom. But somebody does gotta do it!

Have been watching a re-make of the old movie classic Ben Hur and must admit that we are perhaps getting a bit more civilized as we cruise along through time. Those Romans were a fairly nasty lot at least some of the time. We don’t ram ships full of people into each other any more and we don’t crucify too many people either – at least not physically. No, there’s some chance that a little progress is being made and we are somewhat less barbaric than we were in the past. Indeed, I’m reasonably sure the overall standard of living on the planet and the level of civilization are somewhat higher than they were at most points in the past. Of course, in the past when we did damage, it was usually fairly limited. I mean, the Greeks fighting the Persians wasn’t World War II. These days we’ve got to be somewhat more careful and better behaved because we can cause so much more damage. Anyway, what I’m saying is maybe we’re getting somewhere after all. Slow but sure and hoping the tortoise really does win the race.

Well, out of time for another week and somewhat long winded this week. Hope you are well and enjoying the fine weather we’ve been experiencing. Remember…..”Hew to the line; let the chips fall where they may.”



John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.