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Community, Hedley Times

Hedley Street Dance Brings Joy

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The Big Buck Band

It was party time in Hedley this past Saturday night. People arrived in the afternoon from all over the Similkameen Valley and beyond. They came in cars, pickups, motorcycles and even a truck pulling a horse trailer. Fifteen to twenty exuberant partiers emerged from the trailer, anticipating a good time. There was also a bus from Princeton, with members of the Princeton Posse hockey team aboard. Side streets were lined with vehicles, the majority from out of town. After more than a year of covid warnings from Doc Henry, it was time to release a lot of pent up frustration and energy. A time to celebrate life, friendships and the end of the virus (which of course is still creating havoc in some places).

The annual street dance has long been a much anticipated event in our community. Organized by the Hedley Community Club, it was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. “The Big Buck Band had been scheduled to perform in 2020,” Cindy Regier, one of the organizers told me. “When group events were prohibited by the authorities, the band committed to being here this year.” Cindy estimated that approximately 300 people participated. My own guess was 500. “We sold about 150 tickets to the dinner,” Cindy said. “Doug Bratt prepared the chicken and a number of people helped with salads. We also delivered a number of meals to individuals living alone, some in poor health.”

The five Big Buck Band musicians come from diverse points in B.C., including Kamloops and 1OO Mile House. They set up their stage on Scott Avenue, Hedley’s main street, in front of the Country Market. Although I’m more than a tad older than many of the attendees, I enjoyed their tunes, which Cindy described as a mix of country and rock. They began their performance at dusk and the younger crowd quickly flowed to the areas nearest the stage. Several pretty teenage girls in brightly colored, flowing dresses led the way. Their fluid movements reminded me of monarch butterflies I had observed with fascination when I was a kid living in the country. The ecstasy of these young women was palpable.

The more mature crowd needed time, and in some cases a little “fortification,” to join the dancers. I drifted among those who were content to observe, watching for photo opportunities. Seeing three attractive young women sitting on the stone fence in front of Woodlie Park and chatting animatedly, I said, “I’m looking for photos for my blogsite. Can I snap a picture of you?” “Sure,” the nearest one responded without hesitation. They ceased chatting and posed as though this was for the Vancouver Sun.

Seeing two young couples standing away from the crowd indulging in a cigarette, I asked if they were enjoying the music. “Yes,” one said enthusiastically. “It’s good music.” Noting that they were making no attempt to social distance, I asked if they had accepted the covid vaccination. “I had an appointment,” one of the women said, “but I didn’t go.” They expressed concerns about possible side effects.

There likely were a few masks somewhere in this crowd, but I didn’t see even one. Also, there appeared to be no thought of social distancing. These were friendly, easy to like people and I do hope none will suffer for this evening of fun and freedom.

At midnight, after chatting briefly with Cindy, the band leader said, “I’m going to show my softer side.” The band began singing “Amazing Grace” in enchanting 4 part harmony. A hush fell on the crowd and it became a magical moment. People began joining the band in singing. For Cindy it was one of the highlights of the evening.

Although beer sales appeared to be brisk at The Country Market, I neither saw nor heard reports of untoward incidents. Someone suggested the trouble makers have departed from our community. Some cannabis use was evident but not extensive or a problem.

An event like this requires many hours of planning and often tedious work. In this case, the organizers went home at about 2pm, long after everyone else had departed. I’m personally pleased that the Community Club has revived the Street Dance. It’s a lot of fun and it brings a positive identity to our community. We owe the organizers a huge thanks for again making it happen. I’m sure they’d welcome the participation of others to lighten the load next year.

 

 

My Story

I Bargained With Life…

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My curiosity has at times prodded me to lean on a door standing ajar. (Dreamstime photo)

On a Saturday afternoon many years ago, I attended the memorial service for a friend’s spouse. After the formal service there was a coffee time and I was sitting beside a man I didn’t know. I guessed he was about 65. His tanned visage and rugged physique suggested he had spent many years in the outdoors. Turning to me he asked, “What line of work are you in?” I sensed he wanted to know what sort of person I was. Possibly my long black hair and beard intrigued him. Funerals often prod us to dig a little deeper.

“I started as a heavy equipment operator and truck driver,” I replied. “It really wasn’t something I wanted to do my entire working life. I spent 4 years at SFU and earned a degree in sociology and political science. I got a job in community corrections and my work now takes me into prisons like the B.C. Penitentiary, Oakalla, Matsqui Institution and others. We deal with inmates and parolees who have committed serious crimes, including bank robberies, drug trafficking and murder. Our purpose is to provide the supports they need to move beyond a life of crime.”

We talked for about half an hour and when he pushed back his chair to leave he said, “you’ve had an interesting life already. I don’t regret having been a carpenter all my working years, or that my wife and I never moved from this community. I suppose though we could have ventured more.” There was a hint of chagrin in his voice.

I was reminded of this encounter recently while reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. She believes we are all walking repositories of buried treasure. “The hunt to uncover this treasure,” she says, “that’s creative living. The courage to go on that hunt in the first place, that’s what separates a mundane existence from a more enchanted one.”

Looking back now, I have to admit I never really had the courage to embark on that hunt. I was shy and lacked confidence in social situations. Fortunately, I did get help from several sources. Linda and I had been married about two years when I woke one morning, startled by a thought that seemed to have been placed on a shelf directly in front of my face, waiting for me. The thought was “stop living tentatively.” It unsettled me and I wondered where it had come from. Although I had little interest in religion then, I seriously wondered if an angel might have swooped down from on high and deposited it there. I pondered the meaning of this “message,” but didn’t immediately tell Linda.

A second source of help came from the oft quoted poem by Jessie B. Rittenhouse. She wrote “I bargained with life for a penny, and Life would pay no more. However I begged at eventime when I counted my scanty store. For Life is just an employer, he gives you what you ask. But once you have set the wages,why, you must bear the task. I worked for a menial’s hire, only to learn, dismayed, that any wage I had asked of Life, Life would have willingly paid.”

After much discussion, Linda and I agreed we didn’t want to arrive at the end of our days and conclude we had lived tentatively, that we had “bargained with life for a penny.” I left my job operating heavy equipment and Linda resigned from a very secure position at the Royal Bank. We loaded our van and drove to 100 Mile House, without a plan or significant means. We bought a lot on Sheridan Lake, lived there in a tent for about 3 months, then decided I should apply to attend SFU.

Looking back over the years now, I don’t feel I ever became really adept at opening doors of opportunity. However, my curiosity has at times prodded me to lean against a door standing ajar. There have been a few I should not have entered, but I’ve come to somewhat understand Elizabeth Gilbert’s contention that “a creative life is an amplified life, a more interesting life,” even if sometimes we stumble.

Leadership

“Great By Choice”: Strategies Of Successful Leaders

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“Great by Choice:  Uncertainty, Chaos & Luck”
Why some thrive despite them all.

 

The authors, Jim Collins and Morton T Hanson began their research for this book with the understanding that “the dominant pattern of history is not stability but instability and disruption.”  It is their firm opinion that there will always be disruption and chaos and we should expect them.  They consider their research findings important and useful in that they suggest strategies, thinking and actions for preparing and dealing with difficult times.

  Although Collins and Hanson applied their research primarily to companies, what they learned can benefit each of us at various levels.  Whether we are searching for strategies to enhance our personal lives, family relationships, or leadership roles, this book provides specific approaches that will lead to increased effectiveness and greater success.

 The authors examined a number of successful companies, such as South West Airlines, Microsoft and Intel and compared each one with a less successful company in the same type of business.  The question they wanted to answer was “what did the great ones share in common that distinguished them from their direct comparisons?  What does it take to build a great company?”  The question I asked myself while studying their findings was “How can I apply these principles and strategies to build a satisfying, fulfilling life?”

The authors and their research team considered only companies that:(1) had achieved truly spectacular results (at least 10 times that of the industry),

(2) had achieved these results in particularly turbulent and difficult times, and

(3) had begun from a position of vulnerability.  They wanted to know, for example, why South West Airlines became so successful in the same unpredictable and difficult environment in which Pacific South West Airlines failed.

  They call the highly successful companies 10xers and outline the particular practises, strategies and thinking separating them from the comparison companies.

 The authors cite a number of examples of leaders who successfully applied the 10x principles and strategies.  They compare these companies with less successful companies that performed poorly in difficult circumstances, because they didn’t apply the 10x thinking and practises.

 At various points the authors refer to the  South Pole explorers, Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott.  Amundsen prepared diligently and ensured that he had adequate and appropriate supplies.  Scott was less rigorous in virtually all aspects of the expedition and died on the return leg of the journey.

 Amundsen’s meticulous preparation and his rigorous attention to details while en route to the South Pole are exemplified in contemporary leaders like Bill Gates  (Microsoft),  John Brown (Stryker). Herb  Kelleher (Southwest Airlines), Peter Lewis (Progressive Insurance) and others.

 In following segments I will write more specifically and in greater detail about Fanatical Discipline, (one of the Three Core Behaviours of the successful companies), the 20 Mile March, the practise of “fire bullets, then cannons,’ and the SMAC recipe.

  I am finding that as I apply the thinking, strategies and principles in Great by Choice, I’m increasingly aware of a positive change in my approach to life and leadership. My purpose in giving considerable attention to the ideas presented in “Great by Choice”  is to encourage leaders, especially those at the community level, to grow in leadership, wisdom and understanding. The next segment will deal with Fanatical Discipline and will be posted soon.