Well, never in a million years would we have dreamed of doing what we ended up doing yesterday.
We had decided to decide in the moment what we were going to do - the country fair at the United Church, the big garage sale - fund raising for the cat shelter - the film downtown...Good thing we are flexible. We would have missed the opportunity the universe presented.
You see, while Ralph was with the other HAM radio club members at their Sat. morning coffee meeting at the food fair in Lansdowne Mall, a man needing help came to them for directions.
His story went like this.
His name is Salty O'Connell. He is a fisherman from Newfoundland. After discussing it with his wife, they had decided that he should come to B.C. and get a job on a fishing boat here. He arrived in Coquitlam on the Greyhound bus. He was told by a cab driver that the fish boats were in North Vancouver. So he took the cab there. Found a bed and breakfast place that gave him a deal on a weeks stay. He talked to all the fisherman and was told to try out at Horseshoe Bay. No luck there either. One of the fisherman brought him around to Steveston. Same story. No jobs there either.
Back at the Bed and Breakfast he had a chance meeting with a 80 year old man that was staying there one night. This guy said he could get him a job in northern Alberta by making a phone call. The guy made the call, Salty has been hired on to work with a company in Northern Alberta making roads for the oil drilling sites. The boss told him to meet a truck driver out at the scales in Surrey by the Petulla Bridge for a ride to Alberta. The boss told him all the stuff he needed to buy for the job. Warm clothes, chain saw etc.
You guessed it. Salty is out of money now and has not eaten in 3 days. So the boss guy gives him a young guy's address in Richmond and tells him that guy will give him enough money for food and expenses for his trip to Alberta.
But, it turns out the young guy has moved to South Cloverdale. So now Salty needs directions on how to get to the Cloverdale address. He plans to walk there.
Turns out he has to be at Annicis Island to meet his truck driver ride to Alberta by 3 p.m. ( It is now noon )
Ralph phoned me, and you guessed it, we drove Salty to Cloverdale. We never did find the young guy. So we did the next best thing. The only thing to do. We told Salty that we would drive him to Annicis Island to catch his ride and give him the money ourselves.
Which is exactly what we did. We also got to take him to Tim Hortons for something to eat with time to spare.
What a wonderful being he is. His story of this journey is about doing what he needs to do for his family. The way his eyes and face lights up when he talks of Carol, his wife and their 4 kids ( 2 boys and 2 girls ) His tenacity and persistance. I have never experienced anything like it. I hope I can be half the ' (wo)man ' he is. So, many lesson manifested in one human being. A man full of pride and not one to beg for what he needs.
His described Ralph and I this way.He had come to trouble waters, rapids and currents blocking his way. WE ARE THE BRIDGE BUILDERS. We built a bridge, a way for him to get over the troubled waters.
He left us with the following Newfie blessing. "When you die, may your coffin be built of Oak. And may the Oak be a 100 years old and the tree be planted tomorrow."
I hope my words gives the man, Salty, the justice he deserves. It may be just one of those times when you just had to be there to experience the moment personally. Many other things happened in that ride. He has seen, read and knows more about Vancouver than we have for years. The trucker that is driving him to Alberta has already told him that he doesn't like Newfies. He is angry that Newfies are coming to his home province of Alberta and taking all the jobs away from Albertains. He is only giving Salty a ride cause he has to, the boss guy is making him. That there is no way he is going to do anything more for him - like buy him meals.
Salty, has done more than most good men would. The memory of him will fuel my life in the future. God Bless him and all the rest of us.
And I haven't even touch on what his wife must be going thru back in NFLD. What an inspiration.Well gotta run for now.
Ask questions. Spark my creativity. Get clarity. Remind me to write about my ah ha about needing to correct, before we connect. Much more to come.
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