Harry Stemp was born in Uxbridge in 1934. He started his career with the Uxbridge Times-Journal as an apprentice typesetter at age 14. He soon began writing sports for the Times-Journal and eventually owned 10 community newspapers in central Ontario including the Times-Journal. He started writing his award-winning Stemp’s Stew in 1965. The column came to an end shortly after he sold his newspaper chain in 1989, but was rejuvenated in 2006 when Harry became a regular contributor to The Cosmos.
Mom and Dad just can't let go
One of my favourite pastimes is reading cookbooks and now, through the wonders of the Internet, scanning the many food sites available. Not just the recipes themselves but always find the remarks by cooks from around the world who discuss the recipes and give their opinions as to how the recipe can be changed, or improved.
Often a bit of a personality – or maybe ego is a better word – clash can occur which adds to the ‘flavour’ of the discussion. Recently I followed the remarks back and forth by two of the female participants and sensed that the discussion was becoming a bit heated. Finally I laughed out loud when the discussion came to an abrupt end with this caustic remark: “If you are worried about calories - eat your damn salad... but make sure you leave off the dressing... don't have a cocktail, wear a girdle, and a dress you never did fit in - and plaster a fake smile on your kisser looking like you're having a good time.” Ouch!
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Not sure about you but I find it sad when parents find it impossible to let go of their children, allowing them to leave home and make a valiant attempt of establishing a good life for themselves. Don’t get me wrong. I believe that parents should help where they can with all the support possible, but should also allow them to make their own way, often making the same mistakes that you did at that time in your life – and learning from them.
Recall good friends who had an only child - a lovely daughter – who left home to attend school in Sudbury. Obviously a very difficult time for Mom and Dad who were so distraught they sold a thriving restaurant business and moved to Sudbury to be close by. It wasn’t long after the daughter was having trouble with her studies, so she left that school and moved to Toronto. Over time I have lost track and to this day wonder if the parents are still stalking this beautiful young lady. Same thing happened to wonderful friends in Ottawa whose daughter moved to start a new life on her own in Vancouver. It wasn’t long before Mom and Dad sold their Ottawa home and, bingo, bought a home in Vancouver. A year or so later the daughter packed up and moved to Toronto. Where do her parents now live? You won the prize if you said Toronto. Mom and Dad just can’t let go.
Thought of these couples when reading about a music student from Kansas who won a stalking order against her parents after they followed her to University and installed software in her phone and computer allowing them to track her internet use and calls. Aubrey Ireland, 21, a senior at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, went to the court to complain that her parents, David and Julie, drive 600 miles from their home in Leawood, Kansas and turn up unannounced. She also said that her parents had wrongly accused her of using illegal drugs, and promiscuity, and had told her head of department that she was suffering from mental issues.
A judge has ordered her parents to stay at least 500 feet away from her and to have no contact with her, until at least September 23, 2013, the Telegraph reported. Aubrey told the court that it had become embarrassing and upsetting to have her parents come to her university when she was a grown adult and just basically slander her name and follow her around. Her parents admitted that they had installed monitoring software on her laptop computer but argued that they were just trying to protect her. Her mother Julie said that Aubrey was an only child who was catered to all her life by loving parents. But her daughter said that she felt like she was a dog with a collar on. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the university has hired security guards to keep her parents away from her music performances.
Sad when this happens. All of nature operates on the premise that when the young reach a certain age they either leave or you throw them out of the nest. On the flip side I have several friends who wonder when, or if, some of their flock will ever leave. And that folks is a whole other sad story.
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Felt strange sitting in 90+ temperatures and looking at the photo of Jack Ballinger and others stepping out of what would be the frigid waters of Elgin Pond on New Year’s morning. But I soon warmed up when I realized that it was just another of Jack’s, sometimes whacky, ideas on how to raise money for a charity. This time it was all for the Durham Region United Way. A very worthy cause. To all those brave souls who rallied to Jack’s call I say ‘take a bow’. Job well done and I hope they had something other than a cold one waiting to warm you up.
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Start of a new year and always a time to send wishes of good luck to family and friends and each year one tries to do something a bit different. This year I was helped out when a friend sent me New Year’s greetings that were quite different but sure hit the mark on what each of us should be wishing for each other the whole year through. Hope you agree.
My wish for all of you during the year 2013……..
…May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts!
…May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills!
…May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
…May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy!
... May the problems you had, forget your home address.
In other words I hope that 2013 is your best year ever!
