BUSHIDO ANYONE?

As usual I was given the mandate to do a survey on what people’s thoughts were in regards to the theme of this edition of Le Tour, i.e. EMERGENCE. I can hardly wait to read what I am about to write.

Judy Coderre resides in Sutton Junction with her husband John. The Junction is where they raised their children Jonathan and Jenny. Judy is a petite , sprightly, warmhearted and passionate person. In the spring of 1979, she began working as a young, bright-eyed attendant at Le Foyer de Sutton, now Le Centre d’Accueuil. Today, 28 years later, we can behold the emergence of a mature yet still bright-eyed attendant.

In Judy’s case, passion is definitely the key word. As we chatted over coffee at Le Café International in Sutton, I was made acquainted with her enthusiasm for her work. She patiently and intricately portrayed the ins and outs of daily life in “The Final Home ” of the residents, as she caringly puts it. Then a flash occurred: “Yes, I have witnessed an instance of emergence,” she said. She recalled one particular gentleman. He had been a resident for some time and was perceived as a cranky, solitary person who hardly ever spoke. One day Judy felt an urge to put in a little extra something as she attended to his needs. She didn’t really expect anything to happen. But out of the blue she heard a voice utter: “Wow! Now this is service with a smile.” Judy stood back in awe. For a short moment, there emerged from this frail body a prankish, sensitive, and smiling human being. To this day,she still can’t understand what actually happened.

More than 30 years ago Nancy Travers chose Abercorn as her home away from home. She and her late husband celebrated this joyful tradition over a long period of time. During the past six years, Nancy has taken up permanent residency in the house her parents built on the Pinnacle. There, she keeps a watchful eye on her very lively mother. When they both come to Sutton, it’s hard to resist sharing some small talk with this colourful and dynamic duo.

Nancy is a retired elementary-school principal. So unsurprisingly, as we spoke, her analysis of the word emergence evolved into a tribute to that most memorable ritual of our lives, i.e: ‘ initiation to education ’. She could still vibrantly describe the special moments and the sparks in all those children’s eyes when they would suddenly experience an emergence . After having spent so many years in the education system, Nancy could foresee this event way before those same kids could spell their own names. As she fondly remembers her students, images emerge : “They were like light-bulbs being turned on, flowers beginning to blossom, or the dawning of a new day.” In her own words she convinces me that those first few years in school are the closest we ever get to a true Epiphany.

Talk about emergence. Into this story arrived Brian Robinson. The least I can say is that this guy has been all over the place. Born and raised on the Pinnacle . He even wrote a book on the subject. At some point he started a family in the Glen and the whole tribe came to Sutton to open the Xcaliber Gym . Somewhere in between he spent 15 years traveling around the globe and earning a living by experiencing and experimenting with what life has to offer.

When Brian and I share a conversation, we both tend to go all over the place. So I can gladly state that emergence is something that we experience every time we meet. And this is how I got the title for my article. There is no way that I can summarize all that he had to say when I interviewed him. But at a certain crossroad he stumbled upon the analogy of emergence being like the sudden appearance of a new path that awaited the samurais as they took on the pledge to follow the BUSHIDO code. You should check it out.

How can I describe Mary Harvey? She is like the emergence of a character in a play. Multi-dimensional, often flamboyant and colourful, other times solemn and very profound. One thing I can say for sure is that she is always very interesting. Mary comes from England. We can only count our blessings in knowing that she is now pursuing her theatrical aspirations in our region. I wish they could find a way of estimating the wealth of experience that people like Mary bring to this area. She has just finished work on the production of “ Dik and Mitzi ” in Knowlton. And as I write, she is vibrating on her next project “ 3 OLD BAGS ”.

 Every time I’ve spoken to Mary, I’ve learnt something new of great importance. It just seems to happen. Out of our last discussion, I found out that we North Americans tend to handle emergences as if they were emergencies. One good example is the emergence of the spring season. She says, “Around here, everyone rushes out to their gardens in hope of getting everything done on time.” Recalling her European background, Mary ponders on why a garden should have a deadline. Made sense to me.

Then came Jennifer Davidson from the Town of Brome . Born and raised on a farm on Elie Road in Sutton, she has emerged as an experienced businesswoman in the lodging industry. She runs Hebergement Sutton . Though she always looks very sharp and suave, she can instantly go back to her roots and give you a witty and farmer-like reply on just about any subject. When I asked her to spell her name she responded: “ Davidson like in Harley-Davidson”… Get the message kid?

At first, Jennifer was un-customarily hesitant about giving her thoughts for this survey. But then she reminisced on an emergence she personally experienced when her aunt Bid passed away. Bid Lachapelle was the founder of Tourism Sutton, which then became the lodging referral business that Jennifer has taken over. For a long time Ms Jennifer could always count on Aunt Bid for advice and support. Bid had accumulated more than 20 years of experience in the trade. Then one day Jennifer realized that she was on her own. It wasn’t easy at first. But she now proudly feels that this particular and regretful moment hastened the emergence of the self-relying human being she has now become.

Rolland Potvin