Never let the facts get in the way of the truth
My tendency to disambiguate (I LOVE that word) may have started with this phrase:
“My son!” one of the observers of the scene told me afterwards. “It were a wonnerful sight to see!”
And here I had better explain that in Newfoundland the word “wonderful” still means what it used to mean in older times: full of wonder, full of awe.
CBC has announced the passing of Farley Mowat, at 92. I haven’t read his full canon, yet. The books that I did bring home from the library, over the years, were wonderful… in every sense of the word. Forget the snarky naysayers that sought to fact check every detail; that’s not why he wrote, and they weren’t his intended audience. He wrote, for the rest of us.
He went to a lot of places that I’ve visited, and a lot more besides. He took note of the people around him, and he wrote. That was enough. In our current fog of petty politicking, pointing out that the environment matters is not something that gets much appreciation by the rich and famous. Oil sands and the associated mess are something that Farley would have mentioned. In a loud voice. With finger pointing. A pity that he is gone.
And what about the rest of us? Maybe I should reread the Farley tales; over forty years, I’ve had some momentary lapses of memory. Therein the magic of books. His words remain, for me and for mine. I wonder if the kids have had a chance to learn about him.
