On Growing Old, One of a Series

My wife and I have a ritual that we follow every Saturday morning: one of us goes to town and purchases coffee, McMuffins, and The Globe and Mail. The fetcher also picks up the Toronto Star at the end of our driveway. We then enjoy the morning immersed in the news, sports, crosswords, Kenken, and Sudoku. This past Saturday it was my turn to do the procuring. You can imagine my consternation when I arrived home with two copies of the Toronto Star and no Globe and Mail!

“Am I losing my mind?" ¨Is Alzheimer's rearing its head?¨

I comforted myself by thinking that I could have done this when I was in my thirties. Could have, but not very likely. I gave the extra copy to my neighbour and returned to town to purchase the Globe. This time, I completed the task successfully!

I saw a cartoon recently that said: “As I grow older my mind doesn´t just wander, sometimes it completely buggers off.” This describes me to a T. I doubt that I will make this mistake again, but I know I will continue to walk into a room and not know why I am there. Usually, a bit of concentration will help me recall my quest.

As my departed mother used to say: “Growing old is hell! However, the alternative is even less attractive!”

I am Embarrased!

I was a member of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) for 33 years. Recent reports have revealed that the Ontario government has been reimbursing OSSTF for costs incurred during recent negotiating sessions: OSSTF received $1,000,000, French teachers garnered $500,000, and English Catholic Teachers scooped $1,000,000, according to The Globe and Mail. The government felt that the new procedure for contract negotiations lasted longer than anticipated, and, as a result, the unions should be compensated for their extra costs. The optics are terrible, as OSSTF actively supports the government during elections. A cynic might say that the expense reimbursements are a payback for the assistance given by OSSTF.

I find this embarrassing, and I would go so far as to suggest that the OSSTF say: ¨Thanks very much, but we have decided to return the expense money. Please spend the money on items that will benefit students.¨ Let´s put the kids first and put this bad practice out to pasture.  
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