I think the fact that I see things from two sides has to do with being born in a duo town. In 1958 it was called Fort William and it had a twin town, Port Arthur. Later, these two towns were amalgamated to become Thunder Bay, Ontario. It's way up north where the snow blows free but I don't remember that, we moved only a couple of years after I was born.
Well, I do remember a snow fort my dad built for us three kids. I was the last. Snow forts are fun, by the way, but I think I had more fun where I grew up, after we moved to White Rock, BC. We lived half-way up a big hill. At the bottom was a beach and the Pacific Ocean was always there, reminding me that if only one could get to the other side of where the eye couldn't see, there would be a whole new world there with people.
I wrote poems and stories back then and drew picture of my stuffed animals. After I grew up I felt a need to leave the west coast, it felt so cut off, because of the Rockies, I suppose.
I came to Ottawa in a round-a-bout way and have been here ever since. I worked at other jobs, none very satisfying, and also developed my painting and sculpture. I felt awful a few years later when I developed eye troubles but soon felt better again when I began to write again. I guess I need to create to feel good.
I'm hoping in the future to live overseas for a while, maybe Finland. It's a beautiful dream anyway.
