In a candid conversation in our home, Meghan Garbett didn’t hide the fact that as a youth she had slipped deeply into a nether world of alcohol and drugs. “I was quite outrageous when I was a teen,” she admitted. “In the high school year book, I was voted the most likely to go to jail.” For her parents and teachers, she was a handful.
Born in the Princeton Hospital, she attended school to grade 3 in Hedley. It was in high school that the trajectory of her life descended into a dark place. “Along with the alcohol, I was using Ecstasy, LSD and Mushrooms,” she said. “A few times at parties I tried cocaine.” Her lifestyle interfered with getting an education and in grade 9 she was expelled from school. That’s when she received a lesson about consequences. Her mother, a no-nonsense lady said “if you’re not going to school, you can’t just sit around the house. You’re going to work.”
Her work assignment proved to be fortuitous. “I loved horses,” Meghan said. “My grandparents had bought a Shetland pony for us kids to ride when we were young. When I was about 10, Dave Williams, a local rancher gave me an older horse. I was given responsibility for looking after Gerry Smith’s horses. I fed them grain and hay, watered them, brushed them and rode them. Gerry was a positive influence. He got after me for the way I dressed, which probably wasn’t very conservative. Also for lipstick. We became good friends. Taking care of his horses wasn’t a big punishment, but I did learn that not going to school wasn’t so great.”
Having worked with troubled adolescents, I’m aware of the importance of constructive influences in a young person’s maturing. “I was placed in an alternate school,” Meghan said. “My teacher, Robin Richter was always available to talk. She was understanding. I was also very close to my grandfather.”
She received a harsh lesson when she lost two friends to drugs. “One died of an overdose,” she recalled. “Another was in a car accident. Alcohol was a factor. When something like this happens to friends you’re close to, it really opens your eyes.”
In time an awareness buried deep in her psyche began bubbling to the surface. “I’d always known I wanted to have a family,” she said. “I’d also always known I wanted to do something with my life. The path I was on was taking me away from the life I really wanted. I made the effort to complete high school. That was a real victory for me. My boyfriend, now my husband, and I moved in together right out of high school.”
Meghan’s radical u-turn away from drugs, alcohol and riotous living must have astonished former classmates. “I attended Sprott Shaw College and got a Community Support Worker diploma and an Early Childhood Education certificate.” she said. “I worked at Portage (on Hwy # 3 west of Keremeos). When we moved to Calgary, I worked for the Boys & Girls Club, then at a treatment centre for Indigenous youth.”
Meghan might have been lost to Hedley. “I always swore up and down I’d never move back,” she said, “but when my grandfather Ray was diagnosed with cancer, we returned. Losing him hurt me deeply.”
After returning to Hedley, Meghan and Dan were married and now have 2 young children, Dominic and Danika. Her experience with alcohol and drugs helps her understand the dangers they bring. “Drugs are everywhere,” she noted. “Meth and cocaine are in schools. It scares me for the future of my kids. We do a lot with them. Our lives are centered around them. We’re pretty outdoorsy.”
As Hedley librarian, Meghan has a Story Time for children at 10:30 am on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. “We begin with a circle song, then I read a book. We do a physical activity to get the jiggles and wiggles out. We end with a craft project.”
Knowing that drugs, alcohol and riotous living can lead to a murky end, Meghan views the library as an opportunity to help children make a connection with their community. “As a teen, I always had a safe place to go to when my life was in turmoil. I want the library to be a safe place for everyone, especially children.” Her smile and congenial presence are making this happen.