TERRY FOX (A TRULY CANADIAN HERO)
It was an early spring morning, the air was crisp and the wind was howling, when a figure was seen running towards the Atlantic Ocean in the city of St. John's. Of average height, fuzzy haired, with eyes set to the ocean and beyond. Obstinate, focused a young man that was handsome but running with a pronounced limp. Close observation showed that his right leg was artificial. He was in some pain as he ran, but he was an athlete, badminton player and a kinesthiologist. He was in some pain but bore the pain and pretended that it did not exist. The limp was obvious and so was his artificial right leg. He also had a heart condition called ventricular hypertrophy, which leads to heart enlargement and failure.
Born in Winnipeg in 1958, he grew up to be an athlete, playing soccer, badminton, running etc. He had some pains in he leg but he ignored it for some time, till it was bad. Seeking help, it was discovered that a had bone sarcoma, a disease that is incurable and advances rapidly. He was started on chemotherapy. It was then that he made a decision to collect funds to find a cure for cancer. It was termed a marathon, taking a message not unlike the message by Phidippides for the battle of Marathon.
He made a symbolic gesture and dipped his bad leg in the ocean, then turned westward., seeking blessings from Poseidon. From that day on, he ran the equivalent of a marathon daily, till the time when his life was snatched from him. As he ran, he fought howling winds, rain, sleet, snow, heat and freezing temperatures, as he ran over hills and valleys, over roads and paths and all kinds of terrain.
Very little attention was paid to this young man as he began his journey of hope. But over the years, the MARATHON OF HOPE that this young man created collected over half a billion dollars for cancer research. Accolades poured on to him, and schools, buildings, mountain in the Rockies, icebreakers, were named after him while statues made in his memory stay alive for generations.
(Continue after the following----------------------
THE NEWFY
There was a time when the Great Spirit decided to create something outstanding. He made a Planet that was blue, and was filled with all kinds of good things. Man called it the EARTH and loved it.
As the Great Spirit finished, he had some leftover miserable sticks and stones. He placed these on the Eastern Edge of Canada and formed the country we call Newfoundland. Without it, he thought Man would become too arrogant while he lived in the rest of the beautiful land.
Man came even to this land as he was hardy. Over time he was unhappy and told the Great Spirit of his unfavored dilemma. The Great Spirit told him to go to the mainland, where he had a special creature for him. The Spirit did not tell him that it was an ugly creature, with a massive body and an ugly face. It was the moose and an uglier creature you have not seen.
Man was again unhappy, though he admitted it was a hardy creature. The spirit was full of compassion, so he gave him the Caribou, and Man was happy.
Now, it so happened that over the years, Man elsewhere became arrogant, selfish, a polluter and destroyed the very land.
This led to his own demise, with that of the land also.
But all that was left was:
THE MAN AND HIS MOOSE AND THE COUNTRY THEY CALL
N E W F O U N D L A N D.
And Great Spirit was happy and had great big smile on his face. One still wonders why!
___________ *** __________
Continue---------------
.