NEW YEARS IN BRACEBRIDGE

THE CLOCK TOWER IS THE BEACON, THE REMINDER OF THE GOOD TOWN THAT GREW HERE

HOME TOWN VALUES. WHAT DO THEY MATTER ANYWAY? ARE THEY AS STRONG AS THEY ONCE WERE? OR IS THIS THE TREND, THAT WE WILL DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM THE HISTORY THAT CREATED US?

IN MANY WAYS, IT SEEMS INEVITABLE, THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL FEEL LESS ENTHUSED ABOUT THE REGISTRATION, AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY AT ALL. THERE ARE NOT MANY UP AND COMING HISTORIANS. HOW MANY DO YOU KNOW? NEWSPAPERS AND THEIR EDITORS DO NOT MAKE THE BEST HISTORIANS WORKING ON THEIR OWN. THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A COMPLIMENT OF INDEPENDENT HISTORIANS, WITHOUT NEWSPAPER INFLUENCES AND POLITICS, WHO ARE ENTHUSED ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS TO RECORD OUR LIFE AND TIMES; THE EVENTS AND MILESTONES THAT SHAPE US. IN MANY, MANY COMMUNITIES TODAY, THE APPETITE FOR HISTORY IS GENERALLY FIT TO A SPECIFIC NEED, LIKE A TAILORED SUIT, AND NOT SOMETHING ONE WORKS ON, ROUTINELY OUT OF PASSION AND COMMITMENT. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE BOOKS OF LOCAL HISTORY. THE MAINTENANCE OF HISTORY, AS A RELEVANT FORCE IN THESE HECTIC MODERN DAYS, IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DRIVING FORCE OF THOSE WHO INSIST, ON HAVING THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF ONCE, PRESERVED, AND USED AND RE-USED TO DEFINE THE WAY IT WAS…….TO ENSURE THAT TOMORROW'S COMMUNITY BUILDERS HAVE RESPECT FOR THOSE WHO LAID DOWN THOSE FOUNDATION SLABS IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE CAN'T COUNT ON THE SCHOOLS TO GUARANTEE OUR LOCAL HISTORY REMAINS TOPICAL AND RELEVANT. THE CURRICULUM DOESN'T ALLOW FOR MUCH OF THIS. MUCH HISTORY IS BEING SACRIFICED THESE DAYS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND TO THIS HISTORIAN, IT IS ALARMING WHAT IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED A BIG DEAL.

I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM ONE OF OUR MOTOR TRIPS TO DOWNTOWN BRACEBRIDGE, WHERE I STOOD AT THE BASE OF THE CLOCK TOWER, OF THE OLD FEDERAL BUILDING, AND SLAPPED THE BRICK AS I USED TO, AS A KID, WHO SPENT MOST OF A CHILDHOOD WANDERING THESE PICTURESQUE STREETS. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SORT OF BEACON AGAINST TIME, AND ITS ETCHING UPON THE CITIZENRY, AND I'M SO PLEASED IT HAS BEEN UNDER SUCH CAPABLE STEWARDSHIP, THAT IT HAS SURVIVED WELL INTO THIS NEW CENTURY…..THOSE ILLUMINATED CLOCK DIALS STILL KEEPING ME ON TIME, AND INSPIRED.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MEASURE OF HOME TOWN PRIDE IS NEEDED, TODAY, TO GUARANTEE OUR HERITAGE ISN'T DIMINISHED ENTIRELY IN THE NEXT QUARTER CENTURY. I'D LIKE TO THINK IT HAS THE SAME DURABILITY AS THESE BRICKS ON THE GUARDIAN TOWER. BUT FOR US OLDTIMERS, WHO LOOK UPON THIS PLACE AS AN HEIRLOOM TO BE PASSED-ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS, THERE IS A GENUINE CONCERN, ITS CHARACTER IS BECOMING LESS DEFINED, AS THOSE WHO HAVE LONG DEFENDED IT, ARE BECOMING FEWER AND FEWER.

MY PURPOSE FOR THIS SHORT SERIES OF CHRISTMAS SEASON BLOGS, IS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO A HOMETOWN THAT LOOKED AFTER ME VERY WELL, AS A YOUNGSTER, AND AS A YOUNG ADULT, AND MADE ME PROUD TO REPRESENT IT, AS A WRITER, AND AS AN HISTORIAN……OF WHICH I WILL CONTINUE DESPITE MY CRITICS. I WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER MY ASSISTANCE TO PROJECTS LIKE THE WOODCHESTER VILLA REVITALIZATION, AND I WILL NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY BEING LEFT OUT OF THE DISCUSSION, AS HAS BEEN THE WAY FOR YEARS AND YEARS. I WILL ALWAYS PUSH ONWARD, DESPITE, AND REPRESENT THE TRULY WONDERFUL QUALITIES AND QUANTITIES OF SAYING HONESTLY, BRACEBRIDGE WAS MY HOMETOWN.

HAPPY NEW YEARS.