It is Easter Sunday as I write this, and though the war in Ukraine continues, I am reluctant to write yet another op-ed on the conflict and its consequences. There is a certain war weariness developing among not only Ukrainians but also the rest of the world which has been watching incredulously as Russia continues its barbarism in Ukraine. Everyone but Putin wants the war to end, but until that egotistical malignant human cancer masquerading as a “world leader” is removed one way or another, we are destined to witness more death and destruction, with large daily doses of inhumanity courtesy of the Russians.
War or not, life continues, and as the famous English author Geoffrey Chaucer once said, “time and tide wait for no man”. It continues for me too, and I have been particularly privileged to have spent the last several weeks helping to babysit my two-year-old grandson Maksym in the far reaches of the American Midwest in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Doing so has been an incredibly enriching experience as I have been thrilled to observe and interact with the boundless energy and curiosity of that young developing mind. I have had three kids of my own and raising them was also a truly rewarding experience, but I must admit that with grandchildren, there is a qualitative difference.
I was much younger when my own kids were born, and there were many competing priorities at that time in terms of building my career, ensuring our family’s financial well-being and satisfying both my professional as well as personal creativity and ambitions. Although I think I did a fairly good job as a father, I am also cognizant of the fact that back then, I did not have the time, patience and priorities to fully appreciate the experiences and joys of fatherhood as much as I now experience the pleasures of being a grandparent. I am now retired, financially comfortable and my ambitions now center less on “succeeding” and “achieving”, and more on enhancing the quality of my life in the time I have remaining. The most important factor in satisfying that priority is focusing more on family, personal relationships and life experiences, hence I now have a hopefully more mature and satisfying perspective on life and the people in it that I love and value, and my grandkids are tops on that list.
I have also been reflecting of late on the fact that I have been writing this op-ed column for twenty-three years and am probably one of the longest continuous contributors to this weekly newspaper. I wonder from time to time how long I can keep this up. It is a labour of love, and my own way of contributing to my Ukrainian ancestry and heritage, something that has played an important part in my life. As I think most of you know, I get no compensation for these weekly journalistic contributions aside from the occasional annual bottle of fine whisky from the publishers. The newspaper has but a small number of permanent salaried employees, and most of the contributors, like me, do it pro bono publico as an important civic and cultural duty. My feeling is that so long as the neurons in my brain are firing at a normal pace and I remain lucid and am able to produce material that is interesting and worth reading, I will keep doing so. Your positive feedback and encouragement certainly help in keeping me going.
I have been involved in Ukrainian organizational affairs at the local, provincial, national and even international levels for most of my life and have been fortunate to have met and worked with many conscientious and dedicated individuals who have both inspired and taught me many things along the way. This goes back to my earliest childhood days when I received my first lessons in Ukrainian language, history, religion and culture from the likes of Mrs. Anna Krawec from the Ridna Shkola Ukrainian school, and Fr. Lev Chayka, the parish priest of the northern Quebec wilderness town of Rouyn-Noranda. I learned Ukrainian dancing from a demanding but capable instructor, Mrs. Slepokora. This was later refined when I was older and by another skilled dance instructor in Oshawa, Orest Salmers.
While studying at the University of Waterloo, my interest in all things Ukrainian was strongly encouraged and enhanced by the efforts of Professors Shelest and Sirskyj. When I joined the Ukrainian National Youth Federation (UNYF), I had the good fortune to work with some other talented young people such as Ted Marunchak, Yarko Makohon, Taras Rohatyn, Diana Fitcyk and Janice Zulinov amongst others. When I graduated to the ranks of the Ukrainian National Federation (UNF), I was further inspired and taught by the likes of Dr. Modest Mycyk, Jaroslav Haiwas, Jaroslav Bilak, Natalie Bundza, Walter Klymkiw, Les Salnik, Walter Maceluch and more recently, Jurij Klufas.
During my long stint on the Board of Directors of the Ukrainian Credit Union, I benefitted greatly from the examples set by Taras Pidzamecky, Irene Fedchun, Yarko Pryshlak and Eugene Roman. I could go on for many more paragraphs and include dozens more names but suffice it to say that in the course of my life I ran into many people that greatly enriched both my life and my life-long quest of acquiring wisdom. In the meantime, I thank you for your patience and understanding whilst I indulge in this little bout of nostalgia in the absence of more profound thoughts or analysis of current events.
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