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
Every Moment is Two Moments
Stories have the potential to change the way we see the world. Their power is that, while entertaining us, they also allow us to observe and learn other ways of living. They invite us to see and think about how others interact with the world, to learn about the human experience, and to enhance our understanding of the world around us and ourselves as well.
Anne Michael’s 1996 novel, Fugitive Pieces, opens in 1940 with Jakob Beer, a terrified, orphaned 7-year old Jewish boy fleeing the Nazis. Mud-caked and terrified, he stumbles into Biskupin, an ancient dig site in Poland, and is rescued by Athos Roussos, a Greek archaeologist. Athos immediately abandons his work and begins the perilous journey to take Jakob safely to Athos’ home in Greece. Promising to protect and care for Jacob, he says, “I will be your koumbaros, your godfather, the marriage sponsor for you and your sons. We must carry each other. If we don’t have this, what are we?” They arrive safely in Greece and eventually migrate to Toronto.
Jakob becomes a poet and translator. But he is tortured by his past, the loss of his family, especially by the loss of his sister, Bella. The novel thus invites us to consider how we are able to live, grow and prosper in a world that is often confusing, challenging and even deadly.
Jakob comes to realize that every moment we live is actually two moments: the “now” of the present and the “then” of our memories. Although Jakob is always a prisoner of his traumatic past, Athos and others help him to grow and to understand the effects of the past and the potential of the future.
As seniors, we see the truth of this. We are aware that although we live and relish the present, every moment is made up of memories of our past and thoughts of the future. We select the ones that resonate with us; they represent the potential we all have for living in the moment.
And so, my fellow PROBIANS: Let’s all seize the moment!!
The title Fugitive Pieces is taken from a collection of poems by the English Romantic poet Lord Byron,
published in 1806. –
Bob Warren – President
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.