Happy Naw Ruz

"Haste thou to life before death cometh; haste thou to the spring season before autumn draweth in; and before illness striketh, haste thou to healing -- that thou mayest become a physician of the spirit who, with the breaths of the Holy Spirit, healeth all manner of sickness in this famed and glorious age."  (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 56)

 The first day of spring is a glorious time and to be our New Years is marvelous.  Here in Hamilton, Ontario Canada it was a beautiful day with warm sun and gentle breezes making the daffodils gently dance in temperatures around 23 C.  It was joyous day.  The only clouds on this day was that I am ill and could not attend our Holy Day celebration.

I found the above quote and was struck with the enormity of Abdu'l-Baha's instructions to us.  I was struck by how often we waste our time on trivia and then all of a sudden it is autumn or we are ill and unable to do what is the most important things in our lives.  Being sick does, however, have its benefits.  It allows us time while healing to contemplate what really is important in our lives.  Is purchasing a new this or that, or going doing this or that more important than serving this Beloved Cause?  Reflection assists one to refocus what our priorities must be.

Missing the Holy Day celebration was difficult but it has given me pause to think of what my priorities in service should be.  I must focus on love.  In my neighbourhood, love is a key to healing.  Seeing the nobility of each and everyone I encounter rather than knee jerking to some negatives.  This needs to be added to my daily journeys.

Happy Naw Ruz everyone.

Wanted to Share

I just posted my "RAP" so to speak about "How We Grew".  I participated in the Discovery Program at McMaster University.  This was a special program provided to 22 individuals who are from the lower social economic areas of Hamilton, ON.  We had our classes on Saturdays at the Main Branch of the Hamilton Public Library.  We read 4 books, Hamilton, a Peoples History by Bill Freeman; where the concrete desert blooms-a graphic novella by tings chak; Falling into Place by John Terpstra; and Road Work Ahead (poetry and images), an anthology.  We were very fortunate to have guest lecturers and our professor Daniel Coleman and his trusty sidekick Jeanette Eby and several mentoring McMaster University students to assist many of us first time "university students".  We each had a project to do and I chose to work on the history of my neighbourhood, McQuesten.  I really wanted to do a Rap but Lordy,  Lordy is that an art form and a half.  Never appreciated Rap until I started to research it.  So I created the Ode to McQuesten poem.

My project is a 6 panel display - 3 large and 3 small graphically showing the history of McQuesten neighbourhood.  Originally it was farmland then the airport and then today.  I interviewed many people and wrote brief comments from the interviews.

It was a great experience and am so grateful to have participated.

How We Grew - Ode to McQuesten Neighbourhood

First we had the neutrals

The original aboriginals

Along came the white man

Followed by the black man

Last stop on the underground line

We became everyone’s lifeline

 

For the Empire loyalists

They were the bravest

Look here at Mary Gage

Her children were teenage

They hued the trees

Man, woman and kiddies

Their strong arms

Built great farms

 

Now came the railroad

This created a new mode

For entrepreneurs like Auld

He built a Shop Yard

Out of a farmyard

 

In our fair city of Hamilton

They immediately took action

In the year 1928

They had reason to zonate

Elliot built an Airport

But Hamilton wouldn’t support

So they took 200 acres of land

Which had been fertile cropland

An airport they built

The land like a quilt

With a large hangar to serve the planes

They showed no restrains

 

As opening day approached

All looked for the skycoach

Goodyear came with their blimps

Everyone strained for a glimpse

Those Nazi Bastards

Started a war

Our men went off to scar

Hitler’s cigar and gizzard

Our service men returned

The Governments were concerned

A Housing Scheme was planned

On old City Airport land

 

In 1948 a new survey

Just East of the raceway

Called Parkdale Heights

Lessoned the vets plights

When five families

Received their keys

The need was still great

The City moved to abate

It was time to correct

So we built a new project

Construction was crazy

It was our bread and gravy

Mr Woodward living on Glennie

He won a TV

His imagination had a spark

And named it Roxborough Park

Construction didn’t dawdle

The area became a Model

For all of Canada to see

That’s not too shabby

Thomas McQuesten

Was a politician

As he was quite famed

A neighbourhood was named

 

Out of all the construction

Neighbours took action

Out of this we raised

A community anew

And that is how we grew.

 

First we had the neutrals

The original aboriginals

Along came the white man

Followed by the black man

Last stop on the underground line

We became everyone’s lifeline