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Notes from a Garage

With John Gardiner

Who can you trust? speaking of health cards, old movies and my grandson Isaac

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

This week, a little about trust. One of the very first things I learned about life when I ventured out of my hometown of Hanover into the big wide world was that nobody out here trusts anyone else. I learned this when I went to buy my son his first bike. His mother and I had collected pennies and nickles and such and faithfully rolled them up waiting for the day our young lad was old enough for a two-wheeler. When the day arrived, we picked out the bike and then took our rolls of pennies to the nearest bank for get some paper money for the purchase. When I set my bag of rolled change on the counter in front of the teller, she looked at me like I was from another world – and she refused to take my money. The manager was called and he also refused to take the money. He told me there might be slugs wrapped in the rolling papers instead of money. Put simply, he didn't trust me. It was the first time I remember running into that attitude. Back in Hanover, where everyone knew everyone else, there was never an issue with trust, but out in the real world, things were apparently different. I'm telling you this because I've just had to renew my health card – somehow, without my knowing it, it had expired 'way back in 1999 – kind of amusing until you try to get the darned thing replaced. Meant a trip up to Sarnia carrying quite a bit of paperwork to "prove" i was entitled to provincial health care. I suggested I bring my wife along so she could vouch for me, but that was no good – after all, why should they trust her? Basically, no one trusts anyone in our society and the government – our very own government – trusts everyone the least. Great way to run a society, eh? Where everyone thinks everyone else is out to cheat them or rip them off. I don't understand the world of today – I find it a confusing and bewildering place where it's likely not safe to trust others. Sad, but true.

And speaking of health cards – man, oh man, what a scam. If any of you read my columns of the late 1980's in the old Wallaceburg News, you'd realize that this is not the first time I've had trouble with a health card. Two decades ago, my old red and white health card somehow expired as well. At that point, I refused to get a new one. I argued that if I had a valid Canadian birth certificate and a valid Ontario's driver's licence, I should be entitled to health care anywhere in the Dominion of Canada without question. I still feel that way. And even so, if our health cards have our photos on them, why should they have to be replaced at all – unless perhaps you undergo a sex change operation? Anyway, this time around, and with my wife's urging, I decided to get my new health card. It's something I hope not to have to use but I suppose it is inevitable sooner or later. C'est le vie!

I know I harp on about this too much, but I watched a couple of old movies again on the weekend on TVO's Saturday Night at the Movies. A couple of old courtroom dramas, one featuring Orsen Welles as the great trial attorney Clarence Darrow. I also watched a couple of new movies recently – too much time on my hands, I guess. Anyway, I really do enjoy the old movies better. And it's not always about the writing or the acting. I just like the way they used to make movies with a lot of long, slow shots that let you actually get into the movie. Movies today are all about flashing images – the camera never rests for long on any one image and today's movie makers seem to think this is the way to make a movie. Well, maybe for the younger set. But I've decided not to go to the movie theatre anymore because all those flashing images tend to make me ill – sort of like sitting in front of a strobe light for two or three hours. This is the pattern on TV and in the movies these days and I think it's a deliberate marketing ploy to speed up our metabolisms so we get out there and consume more. If I was a psychologist, I'd do a study and prove it.

Can't believe but that my grandson's first birthday is fast approaching. Wow! Hard to believe that little Isaac will soon be turning the big O-N-E. Although I don't get to see the little guy as often as I'd like, I must admit I feel a special closeness to him – my heart melts every time I see him. He is the next generation and I hope the world treats him okay. But he's just another one in my life who I wish I could put my arms around and protect from all the bad stuff. And I know I can't and it brings a tear to my eye. But what it really makes me want to do is give a lot of people in this world a real serious shaking. I shouldn't be worrying about my grandson's future. I should know that no matter what happens to him in his life that the people around him will always help him out – help make things better. But after living quite a bit of my own life, I know that's not going to happen. He'll be on his own just like we all are. And that gives rise to a bout of melancholy and tears for humankind.

Well, out of time for another week – and hope things are going well for you. Take care and 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.