Helen Booth
—Altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi (Ed. note: Still waters run deep.)
At the MRHS reunion of 1989, I was married, the Library Manager for the RCMP in Ottawa, and our daughter, Wendy, was two and a half years old. Two years later, Wendy and I relocated to Calgary. Sadly, the marriage was ending. I had arranged a job swap from the RCMP to Chief Librarian for the National Energy Board, regulator of Canada’s pipelines. The ‘old boy’ network is as strong as ever in the oil and gas industry.
Experiences I Would Not Change For the World
- Visiting in the early 1990’s, the California home of Janet Hanbery, who left Dunrae Gardens School when we were in Grade 2. Unbeknownst to me, in the early 1950’s Janet’s father was an intern under Dr. Wilder Penfield at the Montreal Neurological Institute. The family returned home to Atherton, near Menlo Park, CA after Dr. Hanbery’s internship. Janet and I have been corresponding ever since she left TMR. What a thrill to visit her and husband and family forty years later! The years just melted away.
- Providing Library Orientation ‘en francais’ while I was at the Law Enforcement Reference Centre in Ottawa’s Canadian Police College, to thirty-five fully-uniformed members of France’s Gendarmerie Francaise.
- Flying from Ottawa in the RCMP Commissioner’s Citation jet to Vancouver to attend a meeting, and going to sleep that night with the Citation’s call numbers, Mike-Poppa-Poppa, resounding in my head.
- Being directed to kick in a door at Quantico, Virginia’s FBI Training Academy during my visit there. Interestingly, when staying at the Academy as I did, the only time one locks a door in the residence is when sleeping in one’s room. I wonder if, post 9/11, this directive is still in effect.
- Sharing Sangria one July day in 1991, on our dock at Kingsmere Lake QC with my (late) husband and (the late) Peter Jennings. Peter was visiting his family’s nearby property. “Each day is a gift…”
Experiences I’d Rather Forget
Watching undercover police officers in their Drug Identification course across from my library at the RCMP and becoming so blasé about their work, that I was heard to say, “Oh, you mean ’free-basing’”, when I interrupted a conversation of my daughter and her friends.
People Who Have Had the Honour Of Shaking My Hand
The late Rt. Hon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau, then MP for TMR;
The late Hon. Eugene Forsey, Constitutional expert of Canada, who was guest speaker at an Ottawa librarians' function. My colleague on the association's executive decided that I was best suited to sit next to Mr. Forsey at the head table that evening. An intense Canadian history lesson, rather than what was on the banquet menu, is what I remember!
The Hon. Peter Milliken, MP for Kingston and the Islands, at the 100th anniversary of the Bands of Queen’s University at Kingston ON;
Former ON Lt. Gov. Lincoln Alexander who sought me out at an RCMP Regimental dinner in Ottawa when he, the guest speaker, noted that he—from Jamaica—and I—the lone female in attendance—were definitely the minority at that event;
Former BC Lt. Gov. David Lam at the Vancouver conference of the Canadian Association of Law Librarians when, after I had enquired if I could take his picture, directed his Aide-de-Camp to take a photo of the two of us!
Former NB Premier Frank McKenna when he visited his grandson, a student where I was working. Now a man of great wealth, Mr. McKenna told the student body of being a young boy living on a farm, as one of twelve children who all had daily chores. Money was tight, he said, his humble beginnings and work ethic a valuable framework for his ensuing prosperity. If only we could predict which influences would impact our lives in a positive manner.
Living in 'the Land of the Morning Calm'
In keeping with my “always have a challenge in the workplace” philosophy, I surprised myself by uprooting us from our complacent Canadian life in1999 for a chance to teach English for a year in South Korea. Nothing humbled me as much as when I learned to eat three meals each day not only with metal chopsticks through which noodles slip with ease, but with the inclusion of Kim Chi at every meal! As befits the fact that the young learn languages more easily than their parents, Wendy negotiated Korean train and bus schedules, directions for taxi drivers, and was our greatest asset during weekend trips throughout South Korea.
A vivid Korean memory remaining is watching television there in August 2000 and seeing families buy gifts to give to their siblings not seen—or heard from in some cases—in over fifty years. This is due to the Korean War which resulted in loved ones being shut off from families by the arbitrary border that still divides Korea into North and South. A select few South Koreans were granted a twenty-four hour visit with their North Korean family members that month. Could you buy shoes, clothing for a brother, sister whom you have not seen or heard from in over half a century? Pray that these families may re-unite while their members are still alive. It sounds trite, but the freedom we take for granted is not universal, nor are the rights of women in other countries.
I only wish that I had been as good a student in History as was MRHS’ Don Murray: Who knew that Japan had occupied Korea for half a century? I cannot remember Mr. McKeague et al. “drilling that into my head”. A year of living in Korea opened my eyes to that and many other insights—including the tenacity, kindness, generosity and gentle culture of its people whose children are “cherished” and whose elders are revered.
I would return in a heartbeat to South Korea, then known as ‘the Land of the Morning Calm’. Now the country is ‘Korea Sparkling’.
Helen Booth with her 21-year old daughter, Wendy Pringle
Disney World, Orlando, Florida, December 2008
Thrills Of a Lifetime
Ongoing friendships of classmates from Dunrae Gardens and MRHS. Sadly, the loss of Valerie (Tarr) Wood in 2003 was devastating. Her death, at age fifty-five, was from breast cancer. Val was a quiet but wonderfully positive Christian force to all. I still miss her.
Winning a trip to Toronto to receive—from J.K.Rowling herself—an autographed copy of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”.
Flying First Class to Rome, Italy. Life will never be the same! This was courtesy of a Montessori teaching colleague who is also an Air Canada flight attendant. Celine invited me, then Teacher-Librarian at a Montessori school, to join her for the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Maria Montessori. Not a day went by when I was in Italy that I did not think of Mrs. Huntley—especially when Celine and I visited il Foro Romano, walked the Via Appia, and watched “puellae et pueri” playing and talking excitedly!
More Experiences I Would Not Change For the World
Meeting Lois Hole, (then) Chancellor of the University of Alberta, later the gracious Lt.Gov. of Alberta. Lois was also the aunt of Jean (Hole) Luttmer, and was a fervent supporter of libraries as well as excellent role model of courageous and accomplished twentieth century women.
Having my drink bought by the pastor of a former leader of the Reform Party of AB. Now there’s a story for my memoirs…
Recent Valuable Lessons Learned
Being “rear-ended” while driving to my current job at Calgary’s Springbank Community High School. Were it not for the physiotherapist treating my ‘whiplash’ coupled with BPPV, I might never have learned about the “Empley procedure” which alleviates BPPV.
Losing my passport last Easter, while I was in transit at Dallas-Ft. Worth airport. I was directed into the office of Homeland Security where the door clanged shut behind me. So unnerved was I, once my passport was (fortuitously) found and returned to me in the H.S. office, I vacated their premises ‘post haste’, relieved to be free to return to Canada. My current practice when travelling is to secure my passport in a pouch hung around my neck!
The rhythm of life continues to offer surprises, happiness, good health and laughter: I like it best that way, as Leonard Cohen says. Wendy graduates from U of Calgary with a B.A. (Hon.) in Communication Studies next spring. Her exchange year at England’s U of Leicester has given her the travel bug. She hopes to go to Berlin, a city which amazed and delighted her on her exchange year’s visits to several European countries.