When I was younger and more cantankerous, I mistakenly thought older generations had narrower minds. My erroneous assumption was that as generations passed we became more and more educated on social issues and our minds became more open.
Under this false assumption, our parents would be less open-minded than us, making our grandparents even less open-minded and so on. It was easy for me to blame mistakes made in the past, such as discrimination of any kind, on previous generations and puff up my chest that today’s generation was so much better than that.
What changed my mind radically was spending more time with my elders as I grew older myself. I began listening more closely to their opinions on social issues and their stories about what they had faced when they were younger.
During the recent event, An Evening with Elsie, honouring Tla’amin Nation elder Elsie Paul’s contributions to our community, it struck me how much Paul has been able to inspire younger generations in the Powell River area to expand their knowledge of the past, as well as always strive to create a brighter future.
The one thing that will stick with me most from the wonderful ceremony for Paul is how fondly her children and grandchildren, as well as other younger members of Tla’amin Nation, spoke of her. The knowledge, support and ideas they and the rest of the community have gleaned from Paul’s open-mindedness is truly amazing.
Earlier this week I snuck away on a coffee break to help celebrate my grandfather’s birthday. He recently turned 82 and is very close in age to Paul, who is 84.
A fisherman all of his life and always one to speak his mind, my grandfather taught me to have strong opinions, make quick decisions and think on my feet. When I was younger I thought he was strict and, at times, unfair. Some of his opinions seemed narrow-minded. As he has aged, he has become more mellow and thoughtful. He runs on instinct and speaks in common sense. He cares about all people and will defend the underdog every time. I absolutely admire him for that.
My wife’s 93-year-old grandmother came to visit us in Powell River this past weekend, from a tiny village of 200 people in Kelliher, Saskatchewan, via my in-laws’ house in Victoria.
Soon after arriving at our Townsite home she downed a raw Okeover oyster, the first time she had ever tried one. Later that night she was greeted at the Old Courthouse Inn, where she was staying, by owner JP Brosseau dressed in full drag, including a beautiful, floor-length gown and sensational wig. When my wife asked her grandma what she thought of that, her grandma replied, quite simply, “He was such a nice man!”
Older generations teach younger generations about right and wrong, and sometimes we stumble along the way and forget our path. Our elders do their best to stick around as long as they can to remind us when we have strayed.
Jason Schreurs, publisher/editor
