Reactionary gal

I get asked a lot of questions about this column. Sometimes the answers are easy to cough up. Other times, not so much. A man recently asked where I got the “ideas” for my column. I told him I often write about things in my everyday life. “Like the Christmas tree that kept falling down?” I guess he thought I made up that story when, in fact, the truth is much stranger than fiction. Or, so I’ve read, someplace.

Another person asked, “So, what did Mr. Conroy ask you to write about this week?” Really? For the record, Mr. Conroy doesn’t ask me to write about anything. I’m sure he’d like me to leave certain topics alone, but he never did tell me “what.” Not once. Not ever. And, likely, never will. The Times isn’t “that kind of newspaper,” just in case you hadn’t noticed. As a matter of fact, Rick and I rarely see each other, or for that matter, have time to speak with each other. He has a newspaper to print and I don’t. Not that we wouldn’t have something to say if we did have a face-to-face every once in a while, but maybe it’s better this way. I don’t play well with others and have an internal dialogue problem. I like that readers think I’ll do what I’m told or, for that matter, think I could be told. For those of you who know me, and many of you do, I’ve got a problem with authority over my creative endeavours and, for the record, everything I do is my creative endeavour. My approach to life limits the scope of my employability and like most of my siblings, I am self-employed. We are an ornery bunch of creative, outspoken people.

But back to the column and the questions. Believe it or not, lots of folks don’t hesitate to give me suggestions for the “next column.” Please note my comment on “being told what.” Yet, occasionally, I’ve taken up a challenge and written about a great cause or a creative event as it relates to the County. Of course, it helps if I’m interested in the event or cause. So, if I haven’t taken your particular suggestion to write about the plight of outdated software, it’s only because I don’t give a rat’s nipple. But I do write about events I’ve attended or where I’ve been a volunteer— because I can and wouldn’t be involved if it didn’t tickle my fancy. For the record, I’m a reactionary kinda gal.

I am appalled by the exploitation of children in a variety of situations including advertising and have raved on about it several times. Children rarely have a say in their exploitation and often have parents or caregivers who are only concerned with the here-and-now, what’s in it for them, and how much. I write about people who use and abuse. My list of users and abusers is long. Stephen Harper and his proroguing, patronage pals is at the top of my naughty list. How the Prime Minister of Canada can pretend he’s better than the crazed Putin is beyond me. And, for the record, I get palpitations when I’m invited to an “alternative energy session” hosted by the province, a manufacturer, a stakeholder or a retailer. I mostly choose to avoid those events because I don’t believe the province of Ontario or any mega-buck corporation should be telling communities, such as Prince Edward County, what’s what as regards wind energy or similar. I don’t like shouting matches. The sooner our municipality gets with it and tells the vendors where to go, the better it will be for all of us. Those decisions have to be dealt with at the municipal level on behalf of the people who have a vested interest in the outcomes. When it comes to this community, I will write and have written about people who miss the mark on our economy. If you’re nodding, you know exactly who I mean: the idiots (contracted or elected or hired) who don’t understand the bottom-line-importance of our burgeoning wine industry, the positive impact of our creative community, the charm of our natural resources and the dynamics of our heritage. I have written about individuals and organizations who get it and pay it forward.

I’ve got a dictionary, a thesaurus, a head full of adjectives and I’m not afraid to use them. Oh, and while Mr. C doesn’t tell me what the topic is this week, he does question my adjectives, sometimes. It’s a family paper, after all.

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca