CURRENTS is the official newsletter of the Credit River PROBUS Club. It is published monthly and emailed to members to keep them abreast of club activities and to promote the club’s central objectives. Submissions are welcome as are new ideas and should be emailed to Lydia Koop, lydia04@rogers.com.
President’s Message
Hello Darkness, My Old Friend
By Bob Warren, President
In early 1963, 21-year-old singer songwriter Paul Simon composed the lyrics for The Sound of Silence. According to Simon, he composed them in his bathroom over a period of months, with the lights off and the water running, both of which made him feel peaceful – hence the opening, “Hello darkness, my old friend.” Art Garfunkel, introducing the song at a live performance (with Simon) in June 1966, summed up the song’s meaning as “the inability of people to communicate with each other, and not particularly intentionally but especially emotionally, so that what you see around you is people who are unable to love each other.” The lyrics tell us that we talk without speaking and we listen without hearing. The song has a special resonance for us in the 21st century, since it speaks to the phenomenon of the increasing isolation and loneliness in the world. As if he were able to see his future world, Simon later wrote, “We have people unable to touch other people, unable to love other people. “The Sound of Silence” is about the inability to communicate.”
In a recent article in The Atlantic, titled “The Anti-Social Century”, author Derek Thompson reported on the US Surgeon General’s warning about America’s “epidemic of loneliness . . . self-imposed solitude might just be the most important social fact of the 21st century . . .” For so many of us, the way we have dealt with the silence of isolation and loneliness is by reaching out and joining PROBUS, where we discovered the answer: that we are in fact interested in each other, talking with each other, and being actively involved in mutually enjoyable activities. At our coffee times, on the Ramble, tasting scotches, bowling, or sailing around the world, we talk to each other, and we listen to each other. There is very little silence. We have all rejected solitude and loneliness. We have turned Simon’s “ten thousand people maybe more”, who are “talking without speaking, and hearing without listening” into people who are very much talking and speaking and hearing and listening. There are different versions of this iconic song. One is the original, and another is by the a cappella group Pentatonix. You can view both versions here: *a cappella version by Pentatonix: Pentatonix – The Sound of Silence (Official Video) *original Simon / Garfunkel version: Simon and Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence (1966) Finally: Thanks to FW for this idea.
Talking to Strangers
In the previous edition of Currents, the President’s Message talked about the potential benefits and joys of talking with strangers. Do you have a story about a time when you spoke with a stranger and came to realize the good feeling that came with that encounter? Perhaps you interacted in a store, a parking lot, a lobby, on a plane, or in a meeting. Somewhere, somehow, did you talk with a stranger and now have a story that you would like to share with your fellow Credit River Probians? Something that shows that we are all in this thing together? Each month, if you would like to share, we will feature your story in this space.
Maximum length: around 300 words, but shorter is fine too. And you can sign it or be anonymous.
Send your story to Bob Warren
Below is our next story by Ruby Benoy.
A True Story from Ruby about the “goodness of our fellow man and the kindness of strangers.” Last fall, I was driving to Ottawa to visit my son and family. It was a special trip, as my 23-year-old granddaughter was involved in a ballet production at the N.A.C. The performance was that evening. My drive to Ottawa is a familiar one and I tend to do a repeat of previous ones. Around 11:30 a.m., I stopped at an Enroute for a bite of lunch. It was a beautiful day, and I decided to enjoy my snack in my car with the windows down.
At this point, my trip changed. I engaged the key in the ignition and then silence! Oh my goodness, the sound of ‘click’ and then nothing. I called the CAA and made arrangements for assistance, all the while thinking about what time I would arrive in Ottawa for the event. I decided to stand outside my car and wait. The temperature was pleasant. There was a vehicle parked beside me and when the occupants returned to their car, they commented on the beautiful day. I replied, yes, but not when your car won’t start. The young man asked, if I would like him to check it out. Of course, I accepted; moments later he had attached a battery charger, and I was good to go!
We had been chatting while discussing my car dilemma and he was aware of how anxious I was concerning my impending trip. After breathing a sigh of relief, I asked how I could re-pay him for his kindness. He acknowledged that he and his wife would like to share a prayer with me. It was an emotional moment. He asked if he could take a ‘selfie’ of the three of us and email it to me. Now, I have a special photo of three happy people on a very sunny day.
You can find this month’s complete issue and past editions of CURRENTS here.
Read your copy of CURRENTS or see the web to find out more about Activities, Events, and Travel in our club.
Direct comments about CURRENTS to Lydia Koop, lydia04@rogers.com. If you need to be sent another copy of CURRENTS please email crprobus@gmail.com.