The Icelandic Canadian - 01.05.2008, Qupperneq 7

Vol. 61 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
97
still not available in Iceland, but it was in
Canada. Great amounts were consumed
during these hot summer visits. Dad even
had to deal with getting a few out of jail!
Being the Provincial Sheriff at the time did
help. These interchanges of visiting back
and forth have been ongoing ever since. It
is just one of the things my father was so
proud of and now I am too.
The very sorry spot of all this was that
when I helped Dad to type up his speech I
never did keep a copy. I know he delivered
it in Icelandic but I typed it up in English
first.
This is but one incident that I now
wish I had kept a record of. I think there is
a moral in all of this. Try to keep an open
mind with your elders; they have so much
to offer. With all the technical advances
that we have today, we can store so much
information, but we frequently just let it
slip by thinking it is really not important.
So here is my heavy hand, if you have
the opportunity to interview someone with
an interesting tale of our settlement or any
form of history, please do so. Involve the
young in your family by telling them the
stories and getting the stories either on tape
or print. What might seem mundane or
past history may end up being fascinating
to someone later. In all likelihood it will
give someone an opportunity to know
more of your life or character. I can sight
the interviews that Katrina Koven did with
her Amma as such an excellent example.
The family appreciated it so much that it is
now published as a beautiful book, Blessed.
Then, if you wish to share your stories
with our readers, we would be only too
happy to receive them. Send them electron-
ically to icelandiccanadian@yahoo.ca or to
karen@karenemilson.com or by snail mail
to Box 1156, Gimli, MB ROC 1B0. They
will be appreciated
Stefan J. Stefanson delivering a tribute to Iceland in the Sakllagrimur Park in Borgarnes,
Iceland on June 17, 2002.