UNDERSTANDING THE TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION

The computer age and the information revolution have given all of us enormous power and the ability to reach virtually anyone at any time. Technology allows us to live more comfortably and work more efficiently, but can we understand how it makes our lives more meaningful?

On its own, science is neutral; it attempts to give us an objective view of our physical universe and its natural forces, but it does not draw a conclusion as to how we should use these forces. It does not deal with good and evil or with questions of morality. At its best, science acknowledges its own boundaries, recognizing that it is neither the basis nor the code for moral doctrine.

Technology, as with all forces in our lives, can be used either constructively or destructively. Developments such as television, computers, and lasers, and discoveries in nuclear energy, medicine, and biology — these are all instances of Godly forces that are manifested in nature. Man has been charged with tapping those resources to refine and civilize the world, to transform our material surroundings into a proper home for spirituality and Godliness.

"We can choose to acknowledge the “hand inside the glove,” understanding where the power truly comes from, and use these forces as tools to lead a more meaningful life. Or we can choose to be distracted by the glove, to see technology only as a means unto itself, using it for indulgent, selfish, perhaps even destructive purposes." So says Simon Jacobson in his best-seller "Toward a Meaningful Life", a truly fresh perspective on the aspects of life.

Why it's important to understand technology?

The sweeping technological changes that have taken place during the past several generations are in keeping with the prediction some 2,000 years ago in the Zohar, a classical text of mysticism, stating that in the year 1840, there would be an outburst of “lower wisdom,” or advancements in the physical universe, and an increase in “sublime wisdom,” or spirituality, would begin to usher true unity into the world, leading toward the final redemption.

Jacobson contends that the increase in both types of wisdom — wisdom of the mind and wisdom of the soul — has surely come to pass; where we have fallen short is in integrating these spheres of knowledge. "Only by balancing the scientific with the spiritual can we transform the dream of an ideal future into a functional blueprint for society, for true communication can begin only when human minds and souls interact. With communica­tion comes understanding; with understanding comes com­passion; and with compassion comes a natural movement toward universalism," he emphasizes.

So it follows then that the current technological revolution can be seen as the hand of God at work; it is meant to help us arrive at reality in our lives. And as time goes on, science will show itself more and more to parallel the biblical truths found in The Word of God, thereby revealing the intrinsic unity in the entire universe. An interesting prospect, to be sure.

The divine purpose of the present information revolution, for instance, which gives an individual unprecedented power and opportunity, is to allow us to share knowledge — spiritual knowledge with each other, empowering and unifying individuals everywhere. We need to utilize today’s interactive technology not just for business or leisure but to interlink as people — to create a welcome environment for the interaction of our souls, our hearts, our visions. Is that too idealistic, too much high apple pie in the sky? In the end, I will leave that simply as food for thought.

I must confess that my efforts to introduce spiritual pieces on Wrights Lane have been met largely with a big readership yawn while lighter topics and humor have been reasonably well received. Perhaps I am not the right person to be spinning this type of subject matter, deemed lacking in sufficient ordination or character to be taken seriously.

There is much to learn from the technological revolution, however, as long as we understand its role in our lives and see it as a final step in our dramatic search for unity throughout the universe. After all, developments in science and technology have taught us to be more sensitive to the intangible and the sublime: the forces behind computers, telephones, television, and so on are all invisible, and yet we fully recognize their power and reach. Similarly, we need to accept that the driving force behind the entire universe is intangible and sublime, and we must come to experience the transcendent and Godly in every single thing — beginning, of course with ourselves.

As author Jacobson puts it: "With all our human capacity for technological advancement, we should not forget our higher objective. We must strive to enhance our scientific search for truth by constantly expanding our spiritual search for the divine."

Understanding science and technology as divine tools for our personal and spiritual growth is critical for our well-being. It is well and good to learn to program a computer, but unless a student also acquires a sense of discipline and integrity, he or she might just as easily use that skill to wreak technological havoc on the world and we have already had too many examples of that in the past 50 years.

The best students — and the best teachers — recognize that there is much to be learned by inspecting the failure of cultures before ours. By doing so, it becomes painfully clear that no amount of wisdom or technology can overcome a value system that encourages selfishness, evil, character assasination or negativity. We must strive, therefore, to transcend humanity by constantly expanding our spiritual search and refining our ability to communicate objectively and humanely.

That, among other things, is what keeps me awake at night.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF, WHATEVER THAT PERSON REALLY IS

How many times have your heard someone, maybe even yourself, apologize for something said or an action taken by saying "I'm sorry, that really wasn't me" or "I wasn't myself at that moment"?

Well, I dunno. Unless, for some strange reason the apologizer was pretending, what "self" was responsible for what was said or done?

There are certainly times when we believe that a person’s actions reflect the situation they are in or their current mental state. We give the benefit of doubt. But, there are also times when we can't help but think that a person’s actions are indeed a reflection of their true self. 

Most certainly, while the true self seems to be an important part of people’s beliefs about themselves and others, it is hard from a scientific standpoint to think of the true self as something that actually exists. That is, I may believe I have a true self, but is there actually a true self inside me? The idea that there is some deep hidden self that may be independent of a person’s actions for much of their life is probably best thought of as a valuable fiction. It can be useful to believe that we and other people are inherently good and moral, but that doesn’t mean that there is an inherently good and moral person lurking within every person just waiting to get out.

I have looked into this subject quite extensively because, truthfully, I have often wondered about my own true "self". It is noteworthy too that psychologists have been interested in capturing the qualities that people think are part of someone’s true self and also in understanding how the idea of a true self affects people’s actions and their relationships with others. This research was summarized in a fascinating review by Nina Strohminger, Joshua Knobe, and George Newman in a paper in the July 2017 issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science.

Generally speaking, when people think about their true self or the true self of other people, what characteristics do they believe that it has?

An interesting facet of the true self is that it seems to be a belief that is similar across cultures. That is, aspects of the true self have been explored in studies using many different populations around the world, and the beliefs tend to be quite similar.

Two core beliefs are that the true self tends to be moral and good. So, when people make a change in their actions, they are more likely to be judged as doing something that reflects their true self when they change from doing something bad to something good than vice versa. This is why someone who stops abusing drugs or alcohol is often judged as allowing their true self to come through, while someone who starts abusing drugs or alcohol is judged as obscuring their true self.

These beliefs also tend to lead people to assume that someone can change for the positive over time, even if many of their past actions have been bad. That is, we are reluctant to decide that someone is truly evil and prefer to believe that their true self has a moral spark that might someday lead them toward better actions in the future.

An interesting facet of the true self is that our beliefs about our true self and other people’s true selves are similar. This belief differs from the way we often treat our motives versus those of people from a different group. Often, we assume that we and people from our group have purer motives than people from some outgroup. But, we also assume that deep down (in their true self) members of other groups are good and moral people.

Again, I dunno!

To be honest, I'm still bothered by the "fake self" syndrome...You know, the plastered on smiles, the pretentious laughs and giggles. It’s the sickly sweet or overly macho personality fronts. It’s the posing and like-whoring on social media. It’s the pouting lips in photos and feigned expressions of surprise. It’s the prancing about and showing people an image of your life that isn’t completely true, just to gain validation or envy. I’m sure you can think of half a million other examples as well.

And here’s the thing: none of us are innocent. We’ve all been guilty of pretending to be people we’re not in the past. Whether out of fear, lack of self-awareness or the desire to be accepted, putting on a mask is sometimes our only choice. In fact, some situations in life do require us to adopt a certain persona. And that’s OK I guess -- as long as we’re aware of what we’re doing.

The danger comes when we have worn a mask for so long that we forget what’s underneath. And we forget who we are. This somewhat horror-like movie scenario happens all the time. Having self-induced amnesia is a terrible way to live life. I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at some point.

If you’re sick of being someone you’re not; if you’re tired of letting others dictate who you “should” be, no time like the present to find your true self and OWN it.

And for me, never having to apologize for yourself is tantamount. To hell with anyone who would dare change who you really are -- how you act, what you say -- just to fit into a manufactured set of circumstances. If, perchance, you determine that you were wrong in something you said or did (no one is perfect), by all means make amends and apologize as quickly as possible. Take ownership. Defend yourself if you have to, but don't pass the buck to the person you really were not at the time.

And another thing, after all said and done, if someone chooses to remain offended by what you were supposedly guilty of, it is no longer your problem -- it is there's.

Your authentic self, real self, or original self, your true self is the most honest aspect of who you are. In other words, your true self is the most authentic version of you – all masks, affectations, and retentions aside. Your true self is you when you’re at your most open, vulnerable, and carefree. Think about the times you’ve spent with those you’re 100% comfortable with or the times when you’ve been completely alone. These circumstances often reveal your true self.

Please note here that we are talking about true self with a small ‘s’ and not a large ‘S’. A clear distinction here is important. When I write about your true self, I am writing about the most authentic expression of your character and personality. I am not referring to your big Self (big ‘S’) also known as your Soul or Higher Self.

That's another story for another day.

THE PERCEPTION OF NOT BEING UNDERSTOOD CAN BE SELF-DAMAGING

One of the benefits of having a blog site like Wrights Lane is that I can work my way through what I perceive to be issues in my life and pass it off as interesting(?) reading. If someone can relate to my often self-deprecating subject matter, self-inquiry and discovery, then I see that as a bonus.

As a natural-born do-it-yourselfer, self analysis also takes the place of having to visit a psychiatrist.

I have never believed in conforming just for the sake of fitting into a set of circumstances, choosing instead to march to the beat of my own drummer as much as possible...and that alone may be a part of a bigger problem. It has been my experience that the average person is all-too-ready to accept like-minded thinking and personalities and does not readily go out of his/her way to try to understand differences of any kind.

All of which leads me to ask: "Do you often feel alone and misunderstood by other people -- readily dismissed?"

I kind of gain comfort in understanding that I am not the only one who feels this way. Come to find out, there are many people out there who feel alone and misunderstood and can even be underestimated by others for a number of reasons.

I may be an exception to the rule but paradoxically, such individuals are said to be usually more talented, intelligent and deep than those who reject them. It’s all because human beings tend to be cautious and judgmental towards those of us who live, think, behave or express ourselves just a little differently. So if you don’t share the interests and beliefs of the majority, you will probably face misunderstanding and rejection at some point in your life. For me, the feeling of not being understood has plagued me for most of my life and I have struggled to come to grips with it, often to my detriment.

Not feeling that others really know us can leave us feeling hopelessly estranged from the rest of humanity. It may well be that feeling understood is a prerequisite for our other desires to be satisfyingly fulfilled.

Without experiencing that others know us, or are able to, we’re left feeling alone — at times, despairingly so. It’s a bleak place to be and can lead to feelings of emptiness and despondency. Enduring feelings of acute isolation from others can make our existence feel like a sham. Loneliness has frequently been perceived as virtually synonymous with depression, which is why being afflicted with an oppressive sense of alienation can go hand in hand with dangerous thoughts and actions.

Let's consider some reasons why feeling that others are able to grasp the meaning of your words and actions is critical to achieving an enduring sense of security and well-being:

1. You are known: When you experience being misunderstood, the connection between you and the other person is (however temporarily) severed. You’re by yourself, “dis-joined,” cut off. I list this advantage of others “getting” you as the starting point, because I believe all the other benefits of being understood stem from this.

2. Your identity is confirmed: Having others see you as you want and need to be seen verifies your sense of self. It assures you that who you believe you are is understandable and justified. To feel truly “gotten” is to feel deeply, rewardingly validated.

3. You exist: Because we’re all social creatures, if you’re to feel “real,” a certain amount of external corroboration is necessary. As Michael Schreiner duly notes in The Need To Be Understood: “The unconscious fear that seems to always be lurking in the background is that if we aren’t understood it will be as if we never existed.” (A scary thought, indeed!)

4. You are connected: Feeling understood connects you to others, allowing you to feel welcome. Conversely, feeling all alone and detached from those around you can, emotionally, be extremely painful — as many a marginalized or shunned child would sadly attest.

5. You belong: We all need to feel that we’re related to a community of (at least relatively) like-minded individuals. Such an expanded perception of self helps to make our lives feel more meaningful, more purposeful — and it contributes to a sense of personal value as well. I have first-hand experience at, for various reasons, being disassociated from communities in the broad sense and down deep it truly does eat away at you. An activist, innovator, doer by nature I have found myself eventually withdrawing when I sense that I have become an unappreciated, disruptive force.

6. You’re accepted: Feeling understood is in many ways tantamount to feeling socially recognized, or “endorsed.” Even non verbally, another’s physical or facial reactions to something you’ve shared can be most comforting. Various acts of empathy (as long as they’re accurate) also connote acknowledgement, understanding, and support. And however introverted you might be, gregarious species that we are, no one enjoys feeling alienated from others or “all alone.”

7. You’re empowered: If you feel understood, you’re not groping your way in the darkness. With others’ respectful willingness to recognize you and your intentions, you’re empowered to attempt, and accomplish, things that you otherwise might not be driven to do. Things tend to matter more to us when we have a sense that others care about them, too.

Some may also judge us for being too quiet, unfriendly or aloof; others may believe that you are a weirdo because you are passionate about things they cannot understand. It’s not uncommon when even our close ones, such as parents or partners, seem to misinterpret what we are all about and underestimate our passions. No need to say that this can be much more painful than the lack of understanding from people you are not so close to.

Here's another one to try on for size -- the tendancy for indiviuals to restrict the difference or non-comformity in you to better suit their interests i.e. We'll accept you if only you adhere to sensorship and abide by our rules.

So, what can you and I do when we feel alone and misunderstood?

Sometimes, the best way to stop worrying about being misunderstood is to accept it as a reality you cannot change. You need to realize that other people have a different perspective on what’s right or wrong, good or bad, interesting or boring. Unfortunately, as I say, a lot of people don’t even try to actually understand an alternative thought or opinion –- they are too self-absorbed and quick to judge because it’s much easier that way.

So when attempts to explain myself frustratingly fall on deaf ears, instead of holding grudges and being mad at the world (been there and done that), I try to accept it as a fact and move on. Remember the quote by James Blanchard Cisneros: "Once you awaken, you will have no interest in judging those who sleep." Quite honestly, I continually struggle with this one.

I think that it is important to connect with the right people instead of trying to become more likable to the wrong ones i.e people you've never met or who, in the end do not mean a thing to you, or you to them. It’s pointless to try to connect with people who cannot recognize the depth of your mind and personality in the first place. You will inevitably face misunderstanding and, as a result, will feel alone and disappointed. My weakness is that I die a thousand deaths when people downright do not understand me and I am helpless in trying to do anything about it. I really do work hard to get over that and to understand that you can't win 'em all.

Following passions no matter what others think, is equally as important too. The only thing that truly matters is to find purpose in life and to build a lifestyle around it.

I know that it’s much easier said than done, but as soon as you find yourself and your path in life, you will realize that people’s opinion is the last thing that should bother you. Basically, it’s the need to be likable and socially acceptable that makes many of us unhappy (and especially those of us who are different in some ways from the rest).

Finally, it is well to remember that it’s okay to feel alone and detached from the world and people from time to time. Individuals with a deep personality are particularly prone to these feelings because modern society is driven by ignorance and superficiality. It behooves us, however, to do everything in our power to get over moods of self-pity and detachment as quickly as possible so that we can get on with the job of realizing our uniqueness.

Meantime, it's always a good idea to take an occasional step back and openmindedly evaluate how others may be perceiving us. It's important to know how you're coming across because ultimately intentions mean very little when it comes to social interactions. Communication isn't about what you intend to say so much as how you're heard. 

We may not necessarily be understood some of the time, but that doesn't need to stop us from being understanding all of the time.

RALPH "THE SIGN GUY" CALLED TO HIS HEAVENLY REWARD

One of the first tributes to arrive on the Sign Guy's
roadside bench.  Before the day ended the bench
was overflowing with floral tributes.

A couple of years ago on Wrights Lane I posted the above photo of Southampton's "Sign Guy". He was almost a fixture to those travelling through town on Highway 21. Sadly, he passed away the other day.

The following tribute was written by Sandy Lindsay a neighbour and a friend who probably knew Ralph Dymer as well as anyone.

Southampton has lost another of her ‘characters’ … those who make the community unique. He was known as ‘The Sign Guy’.

To many, he appeared to be a ‘cantankerous curmudgeon’ (which I often told him) but, underneath the tough, rough exterior, I always thought he was a giant ‘teddy bear’.

The old saying, “never judge a book by its cover”, could not apply to anyone more than Ralph. He sat for hours on ‘his’ bench at the bridge that crosses the Saugeen River in Southampton. There, he created and held signs that bore various slogans that he would hold up for motorists and passersby … some were prophetic, some were definitely political but all had an underlying sense of dry wit. Each day, he would hold a different sign that made people, perhaps, think, and often smile.

He scooted around Southampton every day on his motorized scooter stopping and talking to anyone who would listen.

What few knew however, was that he was an incredible supporter of Southampton’s little public school, G. C. Huston. He donated thousands of dollars to the school with little to no fanfare. In 2014, however, Principal Dan Russell decided it was time to recognize the generosity of the man and a special ‘Spirit Assembly’ was held in his honour. Ralph was thrilled, although he would never show it. It was the one day however, that he could not hide his delight as his face lit up in a continuous smile when he was named a ‘Huston Hawk’, the school’s mascot name.

‘The Sign Guy’ will be missed as drivers turn to look at what the next sign will say … but it won’t be there – another tradition that is gone.

OCEAN VUONG IS A FRESH NEW ENTRY INTO THE LITERARY WORLD

Vietnamese poet Ocean Vuong

I have become fascinated by a diminutive, gay, young Vietnamese man with a voice and physical delicacy not dissimilar to that of the late Michael Jackson. Like Jackson, he stands to make a serious impact on the world -- not as an entertainer but as one of the great thinkers and communicators of the 21st Century.

Let me set the stage for this remarkable story.

For many immigrants, the best-case scenario is that their children will never really understand them. Think of a woman from Vietnam, the daughter of a farm girl and a nameless G.I., who moves from a refugee camp in the Philippines to public housing in Connecticut. There she raises a son, who was born on a rice farm but grows up in the back rooms of Hartford nail salons, and becomes not just the first person in the family to attend school past the sixth grade but a poet who wins prizes and is hailed in major magazines. The mother cannot speak English, or read any language; the more complex and ambitious the son’s work becomes, the greater the gulf between his writing in English and her basic Vietnamese -- and the more impossible it is for her to understand him, in return.

The young man we are talking about here is poet Ocean Vuong. He is 30 years old, and teaches in the M.F.A. program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His début collection, “Night Sky with Exit Wounds,” was published in 2016, and made him just the second poet to win the T. S. Eliot Prize for a first book. At the center of his work is the paradox of his situation: the grief and the freedom that accrue simultaneously as he writes his way toward and away from his forebears. In one poem, Vuong writes, “An American soldier (had sexual intercourse) with a Vietnamese farm girl. Thus my mother exists...Thus I exist. Thus no bombs = no family = no me.” In another, the lyrics of “White Christmas” -- the playing of which, on Armed Forces Radio, signalled the final military evacuation of Americans and Vietnamese refugees from Saigon -- are inter cut with images of death, abandonment, a sky “shredded / with gunfire,” helicopters “lifting the living just out of reach.”

Vuong couldn’t speak English when he started school in Hartford, and couldn’t read at grade level until age 11. But as he began to write poetry, in childhood, he wrenched himself into the existence that would separate him from his family even as he honored them. By “pressing this pen to paper, I was touching us back from extinction,” he writes. Language, for him, would be a conduit rather than an impediment. It would allow him to make visible the memory of his mother breaking a pencil as she wrote “a b c” over and over, trying to teach herself the alphabet, the “b bursting its belly as dark dust blows through a blue-lined sky,” nail-salon chemicals emanating from the sweat that seeps through her pink “I love NY” T-shirt. 

Vuong uses language to conjure wholeness from a situation that language has already broken, and will continue to break; loss and survival are always twinned.

He is conscious that, without his work, the story of his family would seem to exist mostly in the form of uninterpreted bodies moving from one place to the next. Several of the poems position animals as shadow selves. He recently published a novel, “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” (Penguin Press), featuring a narrator whose circumstances closely resemble, and are often indistinguishable from, his own.

I was particularly impressed with this very personable and entertaining young man in an interview with Seth Myers on his Late Night Show earlier this week when he spoke of "the lexicon of destruction" in the English language today. "In this culture we celebrate a young boy's success by saying things like "You killed it...You smashed em...You went into that game with guns blazing...You really blew em up"."What does it say of a culture when the measure of success for our boys is the lexicon of violence, death and destruction?" 

In another interview he spoke about language and understanding in history.

"A lot of our thinking comes from the Western canon, the Western canon comes from the Greeks and the Romans. And they are often celebrated as the forebears of democracy. But what is often overlooked is that they celebrate war. They were a belligerent and bellicose culture, as much as they had philosophy, arts, and science—they celebrated the warrior as the ideal of human beings and also the future. So their art and their stories, much of which frames our American imagination, is steeped in violence. 

"The protagonist always has to destroy something in order to find his worth in the world. If we read that, we think 'Do I have to destroy something to be a worthy human being?' Do I have to conquer? And oftentimes the answer is yes, even if it’s subliminally, in the American lexicon. We teach this particularly to our boys—this is where masculinity becomes toxic—it begins with the lexicon of death. We celebrate our boys through the language of destruction, and it’s no wonder they end up leading destructive lives."

He suggests that changing all that begins with understanding where we come from with our violent history, and also what we do with language. "Our language is violent. I understand that some of it is powerful, and it’s good to reclaim...-- I get it. It’s celebratory. But why must we see the language of death as the only way to celebrate our lives and living?"

I, for one, look forward to hearing much more from Ocean Vuong. He is different and he is refreshing.

...BUT BE PREPARED FOR THE FALL OUT 

I have been writing for public consumption now for the better part of 60 years, first as a news reporter, then a columnist/editorialist and finally as an author and publisher of my own work in various print and electronic forms. As I evolved, it became clear to me that in order to survive, I had to learn to be at ease speaking my own mind...It did not come naturally. Voicing my feelings, opinions and convictions was a necessary acquired skill.

But, you know, there is a price to pay for speaking your own mind and a writer has to be aware of that fact and prepared to live with it. It simply goes with the territory. Yet I have never been totally comfortable in the environment. I've just accepted it as a fact of my chosen life

My foray into social media special interest groups, however is something else again.

When you join an interest group, you become part of a like-minded set of individuals who want to pursue topics of interest that you are also passionate about right. The structure of these groups ideally makes it possible to express opinions that may be unfavorable, which could create difficulties if they were expressed individually. By coming together as a group, special interests make it possible to encourage a more diverse set of opinions while presenting facts that may fall outside of the mainstream media.

There are also closed online groups where nostalgia and sweetness are welcomed but not personal opinions, observances or controversy of any kind. You can't look cross-eyed at anyone on these sites let alone trigger some one's sensitivity with a comment that has potential to be taken out of context. Sports and hometown groups are perfect examples. People are in love with their teams and special memories...and always on the offensive.

Because I like to be conversational and offer my thoughts on various subjects, I have lost count of the times I have seemingly offended someone on one of these group sites, prompting a warning or a scolding from the administrator after receiving complaints. I was recently told that I was welcome to continue posting items of interest but asked not to "weigh-in" or comment on other peoples' posts...All of which defeats the purpose in my mind.

And here's a rather ironic trueism. I have never had a bad experience with someone I've known personally. My disputes over something I've said or written have always been with people I've never met in my life and wouldn't know if I bumped into them on the street. That shouldn't make these matters any easier to accept, because it doesn't.

Bottom line, social media sites are no place for serious writers who are worth their salt and especially one who truely does care about what people think. On the otherhand if you are full of niceness and passivity, go ahead knock yourself out, but rest assured there will always be someone who will disillusion you -- spoil your fun -- and you will succumb to the instinct of running away and hiding.

Based on his experience handling such malice, a fellow blogger has come up with five different strategies one can implement when unknowingly offending someone in such cases. I find them to be extremely applicable, even for a worn out veteran of verbal warfare.

Tip #1 – Kill Them With Kindness

We all know there are people on this planet who can be overly sensitive. People who come to ridiculous conclusions from “reading between the lines.” People who turn non-issues into major issues, and try to make others side with them. People who are simply all too willing to start a fight.

You might be tempted to tell those people to go f*** themselves. Understandably, that's what most of us want to do. The trouble is, it only adds fuel to the fire. Take the high road and act like the better person instead.

Nobody's perfect. People can't always be counted on to think rationally or keep their emotions in check, including you and me. Keep that in mind the next time you face a situation that you can't resolve rationally.

Tip #2 – Ignore Them (Shake It Off)

I know the first tip isn't for everybody. That's why this one is a perfect alternative.

Are you absolutely sure that there was nothing wrong with what you said, wrote or shared online? If so, be confident enough to ignore the haters and those who claim you offended them. Remember that it's their problem, not yours.

You can't please everyone. Someone out there will always react negatively to your beliefs, ideas or values. Nowadays, it happens way more often thanks to social media. Anyone can spew out vile or ignorant comments in a matter of seconds while hiding behind their devices. Anyone can complain to a group administrator.

Forget those people. Stick to what you stand for and keep moving forward. When you shake it off and ignore the haters, you show them that they're just wasting their time trying to bring you down.

Tip #3 – Evaluate Your Position

This is where you have to put aside your ego and wonder if the offended party may have a point. This requires two actions that aren't always easy: 1) Having empathy for others. And 2) accepting that you're not perfect.

When you evaluate your position, try seeing things from the other person's perspective. How might you have come across without realizing it? Could you have chosen your words a bit more carefully? Made doubly sure that you weren't guilty of any of the silly power plays that often make people hate you?
Sometimes, little details in your speech or writing can trigger extreme reactions if you're not careful. Content that's subject to quick public scrutiny, for example a blog or social media special interest group, is particularly susceptible to this. When people smell a rat, they will jump on you with lightning speed, all too eager to thoroughly air their grievances. If you realize you're in the wrong, and that they have a point, then Tip #4 comes into play.

Tip #4 – Apologize Quickly

Have you concluded that you made a mistake? Then take responsibility for it right away. Willingness to make things right quickly is a clear and sure sign of a person who deserves respect, even after they've done something wrong.

Give such apologies privately. Public apologies almost always look insincere and often fail miserably, especially if the offense was serious. If the injured party sees that you've gone out of your way to personally apologize, they're far more likely to accept it. No promises: it is, after all, up to them. But at least you know that you've redeemed yourself.

Tip #5 – Communicate Effectively

A lack of effective communication is often the reason that conflicts don't get resolved. You may be “right”. You may have plenty of good reasons to hold your ground. But that won't settle the conflict unless you and the offended party give each other a chance to talk. And that is not always an automatic outcome. There are occasions when you do not actually know who you have offended, due to anonymity guidelines.

At the end of the day, communicating effectively with the injured party won't guarantee that both parties end up being friends or even agreeing with each other. But it always allows you to clear up any misunderstandings. And offering a private conversation is far more gentlemanly than waging a vicious Twitter or Facebook war. (Pro-tip: stop having arguments on social media altogether. They're a fool's errand, a waste of time, and really not good for your health.)

Bottom line: Don't let detractors stop you from doing what you do best and what you enjoy most. Don't allow yourself to be muzzled if you have the courage of your convictions. Just be true to yourself. You do not always have to be perceived as being nice because you cannot stand your ground, speak your mind, and expect to win the favor of everyone. Life is simply not like that!

When you've exhausted all five of the forgoing tips and you still have a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach about a personality clash or disagreement, take the closest exit. That's what I've done. Within a matter of days the stress, lost sleep, anxiety and hurt will all be but a distant memory.

At least that has been the case for me.

I can speak my mind to my heart's content on Wrights Lane, even though there are times when it gets kind of lonely here.

MARINE HERITAGE SOCIETY READY FOR CHANTRY ISLAND TOURS

The Marine Heritage Society (MHS) in Southampton helds its annual Volunteer Appreciation BBQ this past weekend to start off the summer season.

The MHS has grown from the original Propeller Club to an organization of more than 200 volunteers that maintains the historic Chantry Island Lighthouse and Pioneer Park at Southampton Harbour. The group was formed in the late 1900s by a group of Southampton retirees dedicated to restoring the Chantry Island Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters to its historical context of the 1800s.

Chantry Island

Chantry Island is today a migratory bird sanctuary regulated under the Federal Government and only the Marine Heritage Society is allowed to conduct tours with restricted numbers to the Island. The tours have created not only a world-wide destination for lighthouse enthusiasts but has also meant an economic boost to the local community.

In July each year, the Society also hosts the Marine Heritage Festival that features a weekend of marine activities, including the famous Cardboard Boat Races at Southampton Harbour on Lake Huron.

The highlight of this year’s Volunteer Appreciation this past wekend was a performance by renowned Canadian composer, record producer and entertainer, David Archibald. His work on Great Lakes marine heritage Spirit of the Inland Sea has been featured at National and Provincial Parks as well as the Blyth Festival and his music has been featured on CBC radio programs such as The Vinyl Café, Morningside, Fresh Air, Ontario Morning, Radio Noon and more. Archibald has been a long-time supporter of the Marine Heritage Society in Saugeen Shores and has often performed at fundraising concerts for the organizations. *Click the video below to have a listen to Archibald as he performed "The Rocks of Tobermory".

David Archibald performs the Rocks of Tobermory May 31 2019

Marine Heritage Society - Chantry Island Tours

CHURCHES TODAY SAILING INTO UNCHARTED WATERS

United Church delegates from across Ontario gather in Port Elgin. ~~ 
Saugeen Times Photo

No question about it, our churches today are at a crossroad and many are finding it necessary to look inward, often utilizing outside commercial communications sources, as congregations dwindle and an uncertain future with assorted social issues closes in.

This past weekend for instance, the Unifor Center in Port Elgin (Saugeen Shores) was the site of a unique first for the United Church of Canada. Approximately 550 delegates from across Ontario attended the inaugural meeting of a major restructuring of the church. The southwestern Ontario region has been re-formed into three regions: Antler River Watershed (Region 7), Western Ontario Waterways (Region 8) and Horseshoe Falls (Region 9).

While it was a busy weekend for delegates, among the highlights was guest speaker Rev. Cameron Trimble, a serial entrepreneur committed to the triple bottom line -- a concern for people, profit and the planet. Driven by an adventurous spirit, she runs businesses and NGO organizations, both secular and faith-based. She serves as a consultant, a frequent guest on national speaking circuits, is a pilot and an author.

Rev. Cameron Trimble

Cameron currently serves as the Executive Director of Stop the Traffik USA, an NGO focused on putting an end to human trafficking around the world through the use of technology-driven intelligence-led prevention. STT works in partnership with IBM, Barclays, Facebook, the Financial Times and many others to develop the tools to identify and disrupt human trafficking networks. She is the CEO of Convergence and the Center for Progressive Renewal, an international non-profit made up of subsidiary companies and organizations. She is the Co-Founder of Skycross Media, a for-profit venture that provides online solutions for organizations doing good in the world. She is also a partner in Trimble Properties, a real estate company dedicated to housing vulnerable people in the Atlanta area.

A petite and animated young woman, Cameron is particularly focused on the empowerment of women, people of color and LGBTQ (Gay-Lesbian community) people in leadership. Her coaching clients are primarily executive leaders going through dynamic culture transformations. Diversity, she believes, is the source of lasting innovation and the driver of fair profit. Becoming a pilot at a young age, Cameron learned many of her leadership lessons through the adventures of the cockpit of her airplane. She has also served as the pastor of four congregations in the Atlanta, GA area.

With humour but blunt dialogue, she focused on the ‘shared common vision’ that the United Church should now be considering. “You need to work together to hold the scale of vision through trust,” she said. “There are two kinds of trust – earned and granted. The church today faces the challenge of creating in a new unchartered territory. A congregation is a community as a whole and also individual communities (opinions).”

When it comes to disruptive people within a congregation, Trimble was adamant. “You have to ask them to leave. It’s nothing personal but you can say … ‘this is not the church for you’. If you don’t establish a culture and react to maintain it, then you lose credibility.” Now, there's a controversial challenge if there ever was one...In other words, get on side or get out!

There is no doubt, according to many clergy in attendance, that the United Church is undergoing major changes and ones that congregations may find difficult to accept.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AN ACTS 11 MOMENT

And, coincidentally, on the same weekend Rev. Randy Benson, in a sermon to the small congregation at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Southampton (Saugeen Shores) was more blunt and specific.

"...Looking at a more contemporary situation, our denomination now finds itself in what I am convicted to believe is an Acts 11 moment. Our denomination has a binding and losing decision to make. For the past few decades God has been including people into the Body of Christ whom many believe to be unclean...and yes, I am referring to that pesky sexuality and gender matter that we stand divided on. General Assembly is coming up in two weeks and the matter will again be on the table. I, being your dutiful minister, must brief you on what is happening so that you won’t be caught unawares if the PCC (Presbyterian Church in Canada) should make the national news at some point during the first week of June," Benson explained.

Rev. Randy Benson

"This is a difficult topic, this deciding who is included, who is acceptable, who is clean in God’s eyes. I’ve often heard ministers preach that when Jesus was crucified, He was nailed to the cross in such a way that his arms were wide open in love to all. Yet, when it comes to us, His disciples, we seem to have our arms crossed in judgement. But, you know, we should be careful when we construct boundaries around the love of God because it makes Jesus’ arms look crossed in judgement."

Benson went on to point out that sometimes God, through the powerful workings of the Holy Spirit, gets out in front of us and does things that challenge us and doing so He leads us to accept those whom we believe we have a Scriptural basis to consider unclean. "When God does this we have a choice: either to continue to exclude them and hinder what God himself has done, or to take a deep hard look at our own spiritual state and, considering the grace God has shown us each, humbly acknowledge as Peter did, 'Who am I, who am I, to hinder God?'

"As a matter of background, the current stance of our denomination is that we recognize that homosexuals and people who are differently gendered are the way they are because they were born that way not that because (and excuse my crassness) they made some “perverted” decision to “swing the other way.” To take this stance is to say we understand that God formed them in the womb to be the way they are just as he formed each of us to have the sexual identities that we each have. We have welcomed the work of some very sound science to come to this conclusion.

"This is also to acknowledge that nearly all of these folks have suffered greatly for simply being who they are. Historically, the Church hasn’t helped them much at all. Rather, we’ve called them an abomination to God and contributed to acts of violence against them. Our denomination has repented of these hate crimes and has vowed to discontinue and counter any practice that might continue this violence. It is the stance of the PCC that we want our churches to be safe places for people who are not heterosexual.

"Furthermore, it is our denomination’s practice that in acknowledgement of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of these folks we welcome these folks into the membership of our churches hoping they will find the love of Christ embodied in us and be accepted as they are. Moreover, they are welcome to serve in any ministry in the church even as elders and even ministers provided they stay celibate. Yes, homosexuals can be ministers in the PCC provided they stay single. For us to have this practice means that we recognize that the Holy Spirit is at work in these folks just as he is in us. Therefore, we must listen as did Peter to the voice in his vision that told him not once but three times, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'"

Benson added: "Presently, the matter that we continue to wrestle with as a denomination is what we call  'full inclusion'. This involves permitting or prohibiting homosexual marriage and permitting or prohibiting married homosexuals to serve as Ministers of Word and Sacrament. To do this we must change our definition of marriage. “Full inclusion” is on the table because we need to discern whether or not our current stance of being welcoming as long as they are not practicing is an insult to their basic human dignity and right to be in a fulfilling relationship."

He suggested that this matter has proven immensely divisive and threatens the very survival of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. from a Holier Last year’s PCC General Assembly formed a special committee consisting of former Moderators of the General Assembly and charged them with the task of trying to find a way to go forward. The report came out Tuesday (May 21) with four options which are: change nothing; full inclusion; create three sub-denominations under the one big denomination; or, let ministers, sessions, and congregations do what they want.

"Well, back to the council of Apostles in Jerusalem, and to Peter, and to the point I wish to make," Benson concluded: "Sometimes God, through the powerful workings of the Holy Spirit, gets out in front of us and leads us to accept those whom we believe we have a Scriptural basis to consider unclean. When God does this we have a choice either to continue to exclude those whom God has included and hinder what God himself has done or take a deep hard look at our own spiritual state and, considering the grace God has shown us each, humbly acknowledge as Peter did, “Who am I, who am I, to hinder God?” And maybe we should take a page out of Peter’s playbook and just spend time eating with and getting to know those whom we regard as uncomfortably different from ourselves. Amen."

Indeed, big changes and much soul-searching in the days ahead for members of protestant churches in Canada...Some communicants will go with the flow of the current while others are sure to bail out, if they haven't already! Still others may be asked to leave if they are "disruptive" and deemed to be making waves.

The old church vessel, she is a listing in churning waters

Personally, I float in a life raft with the possibilty of never coming ashore again. If I can't swim, perhaps I'm better off sinking anyway. A fellow can get to that point in life!

Is it just me, but wasn't doing church a lot easier when one could cast an insular, sanctimonious eye from our holier-than-thou comfortable pews?

TWO SYDENHAMS WITH SIMILAR HERITAGE

Old Sydenham at Dresden in "the day".

Sydenham River at Harrison Park, Owen Sound.

For a long time I thought that the Sydenham River that flows though my hometown of Dresden also connected with the City of Owen Sound in Grey County. It seemed logical to me because Owen Sound actually served as the last terminal on the Underground Railroad for escaped slaves who made their way across the Canada-U.S. border in the early 1800s.

It really wasn't until I moved to the Grey-Bruce area about 20 years ago that I finally realized that there are actually two Sydenham Rivers in Ontario. Did you ever stop to think about that. Quite frankly, I feel kind of stupid now when I realize that it took me 60 years to become aware of the geography and the rarity of rivers by the same name so relatively close to each other.

1) The Sydenham River at the base of the Bruce Peninsula flows north from a source near Williamsford, drops over the Niagara Escarpment at Inglis Falls and empties into Owen Sound harbour on Georgian Bay. It was named after Lord Sydenham, governor of Canada from 1839 to 1849.

2) The Sydenham River at Dresden flows west and south from near London, ON. emptying into Lake St. Clair just beyond Wallaceburg, as Dresden Virtual History Group members well know. At different times, by different people, the Sydenham River in Kent County has been called Jonquakamik, Ah-yan-yon-kege, or Big Bear Creek. One tributary off of the northern branch of the river is still referred to as Bear Creek. Again, the name Sydenham comes from Lord Sydenham.

It is also interesting to note that when escaped African-American slaves did not take advantage of Josiah Henson's Dawn Settlement "Institute" and safe haven on the bank of the southern Sydenham, many no doubt continued north to the end of the Underground Railroad at the Village of Sydenham (now Owen Sound) where they settled, found work and raised families, just as those who stopped at the settlement that would become Dresden.

In honour of these settlers, a commemorative cairn in Owen Sound's Harrison Park (see photo) was unveiled on July 31, 2004 at the annual Emancipation festival and picnic. The picnic has been held every year since 1862, always on the first weekend in August, marking the anniversary of the British Emancipation Act of August 1, 1834. It is believed to be the longest-running Emancipation event in North America.

The Town of Dresden and the City of Owen Sound have more in common than just two rivers by the same names.

Cairn in Owen Sound park commemorates early settlers.

DICK SALUTES...

Students line the bank of Saugeen River to release their baby salmon.

Well, here's another one for the "Dick Salutes" series with emphasis on kids.

G. C. Huston Public School students in Southampton learned a valuable wildlife lesson on Friday (May 17/19) when they released their ‘baby’ salmon into the Saugeen River

Here you go Fishy!!!

Each winter, the school is one of 50 throughout Bruce and Huron Counties that has the opportunity to raise salmon as part of the Lake Huron Fishing Club’s (LHFC) school outreach program sponsored by Bruce Power. LHFC volunteers maintain aquariums in each school where students can watch ‘their’ fish grow until the release in the Spring.

G. C. Huston students release their young fish each May into the Saugeen River which empties into Lake Huron. The students led by teachers and volunteer parents trek from the school in Southampton across the Zgaa-biig-ni-gan (We are Connected) bridge that spans the river and down to a boat launch area. There, each of the more than 100 Kindergarten and Grade 1 students have the experience of releasing a small salmon.

It's a big deal for the kids...and it's a big deal for Mother Nature too!

STUDENTS RAMP UP A COMMENDABLE PROGRAM

Carpentry class students building a ramp for public access program. (Saugeen Times photo)

Another in an occasional "Dick Salutes" series:

StopGap Foundation was registered as a Canadian charity in October 2013 but its roots date back to the Fall of 2011. What began as a small one-off project in Toronto has turned into a global movement.

The Town of Saugeen Shores’ Accessibility Committee has teamed up with the Saugeen District Secondary School Construction Class once again on an accessibility project called StopGap. The program is a national initiative aimed at removing barriers by providing temporary ramps to local businesses, allowing persons with mobility devices to enter the buildings.

“This is a great program that the Town is excited to be a part of,” says Mayor Luke Charbonneau, member of the Accessibility Committee. “Working with the construction class means these teens are able to practice their skills while also learning about accessibility and the barriers people in our community face every day.” Students in carpentry class building the Stopgap ramps

The StopGap ramps are built by the students under the supervision of teacher Bud Halpin. The entrance to each participating business is measured and the ramp is designed to fit the space. In the last three years, 20 businesses have stepped up to take part in the program and improve accessibility in Saugeen Shores.

The students and the Accessibility Advisory Committee have distributed the ramps to this year’s participating businesses just in time for Accessibility Awareness Day, taking place on today, May 16.

“The purpose of Accessibility Awareness Day is to get people talking, thinking and learning about accessibility and inclusion for people with different disabilities,” says Committee Chair, Maureen Crawford. “We hope that in addition to doing their intended job, these ramps help remind everyone that accessibility is essential throughout our community.”

Note: In 1998, the provincial government amalgamated the Towns of Southampton and Port Elgin, together with Saugeen Township, to form the Town of Port Elgin-Saugeen-Southampton. The entity was subsequently renamed as the Town of Saugeen Shores.

A PARKING TICKET PUB PATRONS DON'T MIND

Jeff Carver, owner of the Wismer House in Port Elgin and his management team, have come up with a unique customer awareness initiative.

Patrons who may have imbibed a little too much may find a ticket on their windshield. It’s not a parking ticket however, but a redeemable coupon for $10. What’s behind the idea?

“We want to encourage our patrons to act responsibly and not drive after they have had a couple of drinks,” explains Carver. “If they leave their vehicle overnight in our parking area, they will have a $10 gift coupon for their next visit.”

The idea is so great that it has been picked up by major news networks, including Fox News in the U.S.

Comments on the Wismer’s Facebook  page range from “Awesome” to “Great” to “wish other places did this”!

The yellow slip of paper, looking for all the world like a parking violation ticket, reads: “You made a smart and safe judgment call” and “we like the cut of your jib.” In a further act of Canadianness, the $10 gift certificate then apologizes, stating: “Sorry if you thought this was a legit parking fine.”

Creative promotional ideas are nothing new for Carver who is an active member of the Saugeen Shores Board of Trade. He's an interesting guy...needless to say!

I like the cut of his jib!

CROSS NOBODY WANTED WELCOMED IN MY HOME

Little things, like small blessings, mean a lot.

At least in my world they do!

Sometimes such things come quite by accident. Other times, perhaps by Divine intervention or pre-destination -- if you really want to get carried away with the prospect.

Pardon me, however, if I happen to think that it can be a little of all three possibilities.

Thanks to a friend of a friend, last evening I came into possession of a rather impressive handmade wooden cross -- all six feet of it. The sizable cedar crucifix has a rather unique history to it. It was the creation of Six Nations members and for the past 20 years had a place of prominence in the chapel of an Elders Building in Saugeen First Nation, just north of Southampton.

As time wore on the chapel was not being utilized for its intended purpose and last fall it was converted into office space for Home & Community Care programming. Pastors in Saugeen First Nation were initially offered the cross but when no interest was shown it was placed in storage over the winter.

Long story made short, I became aware of the availability of the cross (free of charge) and did not hesitate to express my interest in giving it a new home...in my home.

But what do you do with a large cross like that outside of a religious setting? Well, that's the upside of living alone -- you can do anything you want.

I have, perhaps temporarily, given the cross a new place of prominence in my living room along with an open bible on a strategically-placed drumtop table where I can see them as I pass by dozens of times a day. While symbolic of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the world, it is almost like having a another person in the house; one that brings an otherwise unexplained sense of comfort and salvation.

So, as I say, just "a little thing..."

Me, a rescue dog and a cross nobody wanted. Good company!

THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION GAVE RISE TO MANY OF OUR LIBRARIES TODAY

THE DRESDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY: Built in 1913 with impetus provided by an $8,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation on November 27, 1906.

This post is intended primarily for my friends who are members of the Dresden Virtual History Group because the town's library is the oldest public service institution still active in the community today.

It is common knowledge that the Dresden Branch of the Chatham-Kent Library System on Brown Street in my hometown of Dresden, Ontario, was built more than 100 years ago with the help of a sizeable (in those days) start-up grant from the Carnegie Foundation. What is not common knowledge is the story behind the remarkable Carnegie Foundation itself. It is a deserving tale.

Here is a photo of my mother Grace (right)
with her best friend Edith Barett, standing
at the side door of the new Dresden Library
in about 1915.

In the early 1890s, Scottish-American industrialist and self-made millionaire Andrew Carnegie wrote that among institutions that could most benefit from philanthropy, the "best gift" to a community was a free, or "public," library. Carnegie credited his success in life partly from his childhood and teenage access to library books. But the 19th century was a time when most libraries were not free, and could only be accessed through annual paid subscriptions meaning that only wealthier people could afford to "borrow" books.

True to his beliefs, Carnegie announced in 1898 that he would start donating money to further the construction of public libraries in the United States and around the world. The "Carnegie Formula," by which Carnegie paid the capital costs of construction while municipalities were responsible for ongoing operational expenses, was part of his broader belief that educational opportunities should be accessible to all. 

By the time the Carnegie Corporation stopped providing grants 20 years later, 2,509 library buildings around the world had been constructed and over 56 million dollars had been donated. In Canada, 2.5 million dollars donated by Carnegie helped build 125 library buildings. The majority were built in Ontario (111), but libraries funded by Carnegie were also built in other provinces and territories: three each in Alberta and British Columbia, four in Manitoba, one in New Brunswick, two in Saskatchewan and one in the Yukon.

Andrew Carnegie

The funding of new libraries in Canadian towns and cities corresponded with a number of related societal issues. At the end of the 19th century, a dramatic expansion of Canadian society was occurring, and increasingly more people were demanding free public library services. City and town officials soon discovered, however, that while the rooms they rented to house lending libraries were now inadequate, there was still not enough money to build proper library buildings to accommodate public demand. Consequently, there was great enthusiasm when Carnegie announced his funding program.

Early Carnegie libraries in Canada, constructed between 1901 and 1905, were not built to standardized plans. The architects who designed them were more free to follow their imaginations, or to use architectural techniques that had been popular in the late 19th century. 

After 1905, and until it ended funding in 1917, the Carnegie Foundation demanded standardized designs for library buildings. This standardization is most evident in Carnegie-funded buildings built in Ontario. In general, they are in small towns and are designed in the Beaux-Arts architectural style. This style became extremely popular in the first decade of the 20th century with architects and town planners, who were following the principles of the City Beautiful movement. This movement generally ascribed to the idea that cities should have well-designed and aesthetically pleasing streetscapes, combining green spaces with iconic buildings built along Classical forms. As a result, many institutional buildings between 1900 and 1914 (including the Dresden library in 1913) were built in a neo-classical or Beaux-Arts form. Libraries in this style generally have grand exterior staircases leading up to large main entrance doors, classical columns, triangular centre gables, large symmetrically placed windows on each side of the entrance, and even domes.

You cannot mistake a Carnegie library building: the words "PUBLIC LIBRARY" or "CARNEGIE LIBRARY" are prominently displayed above the front entrance. Interior furnishings were welcoming and cozy. Oak floors, high ceilings, finely-made wood bookshelves, stained glass windows, and fireplaces provided the ideal setting to enjoy the library's services. Most of these buildings are still standing which is a testament to the quality of their design and materials.

Carnegie libraries were expressions of the hopeful, thriving spirit of new communities, were designed to serve as prominent landmarks, and encouraged people to build greater community connections. Over a century later, Canada's remaining Carnegie libraries still function with the same intent. It is also worth noting that most libraries now serve as repositories for local community history resources, and help researchers piece together data that leads to important designations of historic places. As we celebrate the ways in which libraries provide Canadians with free access to stories, electronic information resources and social media, it is worth remembering how this tradition of free and accessible learning began.

Oddly enough, when I was going to school in Dresden in the 1940s little emphasis was placed by the education system on the local library as a lending and information source. Likewise, the library offered very few public programs to the community at large...A real shame in my mind. I almost feel that kids in my age bracket were somehow cheated in a way. It wasn't until later years that I came to appreciate libraries in general as a font of information for a fledgeling journalist and writer-researcher. 

I have been impressed to learn that the Dresden library today (with its readily available Photocopier, Microfilm Reader, Internet Access/Wireless Hotspot,  Elevator and Meeting Rooms) is a virtual beehive of activity. Here is a thumbnail look at some of the interesting and varied programs currently offered to the community.

Stay & Play: Every day the Dresden Branch has drop-in activities in the children's area.

Twilight Tales: Dates: Thursdays, until April 25
Time: 6:30 to 7:00 pm.
Wear your pajamas and be ready for fun because this is a great family storytime that gets everyone up and moving! No registration is necessary.

Morning Storytime: Dates: Wednesdays, until May 8
Time: 10:00 to 11:00 am.
Stories, songs and fun for the wee ones! An opportunity to let preschool kids start a lifelong love of the library.

How to Get the Most From Your Library: Date: Tuesday, May 14
Time: 1:00 to 2:00 pm.
When are the courier bins delivered? How do I put a hold on a specific DVD? How do I sign up for Hoopla movies? Bring your questions to this workshop and let the staff share some tricks that will make using CKPL so easy.

Teddy Bear Picnic: Date: Wednesday, June 5
Time: 10:00 to 11:30 am
Ages: 5 years and younger.
Teddy stories, Teddy games, Teddy songs, Teddy, crafts, Teddy snacks. Yes, It's Teddy everything! Everyone meets under the big tree in the park across from the library.

Dresden Used Book Sale: Date: Saturday, June 15 to Saturday, June 22
Saturday, June 15 to Saturday, June 22
Time: During library open hours
The book sale is set up in the basement of the Dresden Branch. You will be impressed at the state of these used books, so bring your friends and spend some time browsing the tables.

TD Summer Reading Club Registration Starts: Date: Saturday, June 22
Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Ages: 0 to 16
Summer will be here in no time. Make sure you put this date on your calendar so you can register early. There will be activities all summer long and lots of prizes.

Mystic Drumz: Date: Friday, June 28
Time: 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Ages: All ages
Kick off the summer with a unique interactive percussion experience. Rhythm and sound instruments from around the world will excite, enlighten and engage the whole family.

BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) Club: Date: Second Tuesday of the month. Time: 3:00 to 4:00 pm.
Each month there is a different theme for this book club for adults. There is no registration, so just read (or listen to) a book from the month's theme and then join a discussion group. Newcomers are always welcome.

Settlement Services: Date: the first Thursday of every month. Time: 1:30 to 4:30 pm
Are you a newcomer to Canada? Settlement Services can help with immigration issues, legal issues, education, housing and more.

Community Navigators: In partnership with Employment and Social Services, Chatham-Kent Public Library can help connect you with community services, fill in applications and more. Open to all, with the help of a Community Navigator, CKPL can:
1) provide one-on-one instruction in accessing government, social and health services online
2) assist with completing online forms and applications
3) help with referrals to community agencies
4) provide employment support and referrals to employment support agencies
help to identifying continuing learning opportunities based on your individual needs.

Friends of the Dresden Library: The Friends of the Dresden Library is a volunteer group focused on raising money to help enhance programs. Anyone is welcome to join this group and public assistance is greatly appreciated by the Dresden Branch staff.

Some institutions definitely get better with age. The legacy lives on...in towns like Dresden.