BADDA BOOM! by Frances Kennedy franceskennedy782@gmail com
Last season, the Port Stanley Festival Theatre introduced Norm Foster’s play, They’re Found in Trees , which he wrote during the pandemic when birdwatching became something of a passionate
pastime. A hilarious comedy, it was also instructive, which is also the norm for Norm Foster. During the pandemic when our worlds became insular and still, we became absorbed by nature and, in a way, absolved of any responsibility for what was occurring in the world at large at that time. Now, as then, the world is fraught with chaos and uncertainty. What does spring bring now? Mother Nature, the grande dame of transition, reigns supreme with her uncanny ability to create uncertainty. One of the surest signs that winter is fading is the return of migratory birds. In our neck of the woods, the majestic tundra swans swoop overhead mid-March en route to the Arctic. Elgin County boasts 35 official birdwatching stations spanning shoreline, woodlands, and wetlands. All this to say, there are plenty of places to find serenity in the county. Find a perch with a view that fills you with wonder. My friend Joe Rapai shared a FB reel from his favourite perch overlooking the lake. He talked about the need to reflect on his life’s purpose and restore his sense of joy, love, and peace amidst the gloom of global strife and despondency; concluding with his determined optimism! Let’s briefly entertain this thought: uncertainty is also the modus operandi of the leader of our once closest ally, who is motivated by malevolence untouched by intelligence. Fear foments division; optimism inspires solidarity; in the face of looming fascism next door, solidarity is a fortress defending attacks on our sovereignty. What does this mean for us? We don’t live in a bubble, so let’s bear in mind that fierce solidarity is critical at this momentous moment. My great, late father often said, ‘Once you decide, what you do after can make it right’. Whatever our election rhetoric was, as of April 28, 2025, we have elected our leader. We must now unite to defend the democracy for which our forefathers fought and won. It’s time to come to terms with friends and loved ones whose differing views during the election period may have left us exhausted and bereft. It’s time to heal and move forward. All that needed to be said, and now let’s open the windows. Ever notice that alluring smell of spring? The Earth is awakening, and it smells more, well, earthy. With warmer weather and misty mornings, the scent of moist earth fills the air. Birds-of-Elgin-County birdwatching locations can be found at www.elginstewardshipcouncil.com and I recommend the pursuit. Birders are a strange breed of cat, obsessive list-making naturalists and sleuths; but just watching birds is not for the birds, it’s for us. As Albert Einstein once opined, ‘When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change’. Badda Bing!
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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • May 2025 Page 15
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