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The Galloping Geezer

The Galloping Geezer
~ Jack Downey Comments on Canadian Issues

Jack Downey ~ The Galloping Geezer
Photo by Julie Ann Biggs

Ask Any Old Geezer About Respect

Have you ever thought about the idiotic greeting of "HELLO THERE?" How can you be this person named THERE? The greeter is over THERE while you are HERE so why would the greeting not be "Hello, I’m HERE, your THERE so now that we have dispensed with the formalities would you like to sit HERE or over THERE? Which is neither HERE nor THERE with me."


Our Canadian culture has followed the Yankee ‘Hail Fellow well met’ example to such a degree that I shudder when some young kid at the Supermarket till returns my credit card, after reading my name, with "Have a good day, Jack."  I’m 66 years old and have travelled all over the World protecting this youngster's generation from the aggressions and intrusions of the communist horde. Surely this sort of service would entitle one to the odd "Have a good day Sir/Mme./Mr./Miss etc."  It's enough to make one want a VISA card with the name of THERE on it just to have the kid say, "Have a good day, THERE."  Then I could retort with "not HERE, but Mrs. THERE and I will not put up with being HERE any more, so THERE too ha ha! Mr. Kid!"

I have traveled throughout Asia on humanitarian missions and love the Asian protocol. A male child or man is addressed as Elder Brother, a female child or woman as Elder Sister. Someone of the same age as your own could also be addressed as Uncle or Aunty, respectively. For elders it is Grandfather or Grandmother. Every one knows these lines of respect and abides by them. Politeness is the oil of civilized interaction. Something we seem to have failed to impart to our young here.

There is no earthly reason why a Teacher or Professor should be called by their first name. If they are, it is a sign of total ignorance on the part of the teacher who allows it and on the part of the student who falls into the trap of using it. The line of respect by both parties becomes blurred.

My 28 years in the army have taught me that status lines exist for good reason. Everyone knows where they stand. There are times when the lines can be crossed, such as at social occasions. I as the Sgt. Major could be called "Jack" in a private conversation with the General. He was always General or Sir to me. If I did not want him to be chummy I would just say "It’s Sgt. Major to you sir." Then the conversation would go back to where I wanted it. I never minded working with Officers but I’m damned if I wanted to drink and be pals with very many of them.

I have complained to my Safeway manager and now Mr. Kid says, "Have a good day, Mr. Downey." I’m still working on the "Have a Good Day" bit. After all, who is he to tell me what kind of a day I am to have? I have had perfectly rotten days (note the word perfectly) and they have been perfect disasters, who could ask for more than that?

If you have read this far and have not hit the delete button, here is my point:

Canadian Culture.com is allowing me a page to talk about things in this great country of ours that may require a second or even a third look. I hope to be able to put forward some humorous aspects of our country and some serious things that are wrong and need changing by popular demand.

I hope you will take me to task and bark back ,as every one is entitled to their own opinion (even the Kid in the grocery store). I have been known to admit I’m wrong, and embrace someone else opinion as my own, on occasion.

If you haven’t figured out from my rant on Politeness who I am, when not in disguise, perhaps this Silver Bullet will help. I’m male, 66 a widower, with Military background and 28 years of my own service. I've been CEO of a NGO, dealing in a host of countries with medical and educational donated items. I am very political and have worked with the Alberta Jail system. I have had two Princesses and a Prince as my houseguest, One; Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia was married to Sir Richard Burton between Elizabeth Taylor’s flounce though to daisies of an English country garden. I have two fine adult sons and a Grandson, who I refer to as my "GREAT" Grandson. My family cleared the streets of Toronto with a broad axe. One of my ancestors with buddies jumped the border at Niagara Falls in the early1800s and stole a keg of beer from the Yanks. It may have been the cause of the Fenian raids. I speak French (poorly) and had a French speaking Sqn. in Quebec, so spare me the western alienation bit pls. We can deal with that little problem, as time goes on, from the brain but not shooting from the hip. Oh yes, and I have served in AB, BC, ON. And NB as well as overseas with NATO in Europe.

So THERE, I will be HERE on Canadian Culture from time to time and maybe we’ll change Canada through dialog , fire log or even epilogue……

c ya THERE (as we say HERE in Calgary)

Signed; the Galloping Geezer

Jack C. Downey CD
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