The topics around the dinner table range from the capacity of an electric motor to the natural gas deposits of the world and I gaze into the distance as I try to find some common thread with which to identify. I absorb all this material and wonder how this could be useful to me as I no longer have an attentive group of science students who would possibly utilise this information. Instead it is all to be filed in file 13 in my memory bank and I imagine myself recalling some of this data and regurgitating these facts at my next horticultural gathering or better still at the next Oakville Ladies’ Club meeting. The thought of it brings a smile to my face and I see my family of men raise their eyebrows and give me a sideward glance.
What can I say? The men in my life fascinate me, the way their brains work, what makes them tick, their interests and the things that make them ponder. This is not to say that I enjoy all their activities that they partake in but I enjoy being on the sidelines and being the eternal observer. Sometimes I join in on these activities or discussions and have found that it has increased my capabilities and general knowledge. I can expound on the virtues of greenhouse gas deposits in Africa, the world gold price, the merits of a BMX bicycle over a mountain bike and the wiring of a home theatre system.
So today I went along on an outing to the Canadian Royal Air Force Museum in Hamilton. It was to be a strictly ‘boy activity’ and I wondered as I walked in whether I was to be an observer or a participant this time. The hangar was filled with World War 2 aircraft that had been lovingly restored by a team of devoted enthusiasts. One of these relics was a Lancaster bomber, the same model as my dad had flown as a bomber pilot during the war. This plane was particularly useful as it had flown long distances over enemy territory and carried heavy loads of artillery. As I gazed upon this gigantic machine it brought back a few of the war stories that my dad had told. He did not speak much about the war as it used to upset him but occasionally could be persuaded by us to recount some of his experiences. One of these was when he was shot down over the sea and had to get his crew out of the plane. He made sure that all his men had jumped out with their parachutes and turned the plane out to sea and set the controls on autopilot. What I never realized that there was a special door in the aircraft just under his seat which was only used by the pilot during such an ejection from the cockpit. I gazed up and imagined my dad crawling down through this hatch and pulling the ripcord. What a terrifying experience it must have been for him and his crew and I felt a great sense of pride in knowing what my dad had achieved. He flew with the same crew right through that war and brought them all back safely. As a child I often asked him to take me up into the blue yonder but his remark was always the same: If you play around with aeroplanes long enough, they will get you in the end!
So today made me aware of parts of the legacy that my dad has left us Creech offspring. He has certainly taught us to be determined, proud, committed and loyal.I realise that there are many ways in which ‘boy activities’ can be fulfilling and enriching. That is not to say that I don’t enjoy a cappuccino with the girls.