The Icelandic Canadian - 01.10.2002, Page 17

Vol. 57 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
59
really would have loved to have been a pro-
fessional jazz musician. It is such a creative
field of improvisation. I see it as a dialogue.
However, I knew I would never make it as
I didn't have the talent. I still play my horn
occasionally. Jazz has been one of my abid-
ing loves. Fortunately, my son has picked it
up, although he doesn't play, he has one of
the best jazz collections in Davis,
California. I always sent him CDs for his
birthday, such as Bessie Smith. Jazz, the
music, does something for me in life that
nothing else does.
When I think of places where I felt
peace and tranquility, there are two partic-
ular places—Protection Island, just off
Nanimo, B.C. and my grandfather’s farm.
On Protection Island, I rented a cot-
tage with water on three sides of it and
spent a sabbatical year. It was lovely. At
low tide, I would go out on the beach to
pick oysters that I would then have for
lunch. There was an eagle on a pole in front
of the cottage that I would watch each day.
There was other wildlife on the island, but
not near me.
I rented the cottage from Frank May, a
very interesting man. He was the mayor of
Nanimo. We became very good friends. He
would take me out for boat rides on the
weekends. My son, Stephen came to visit
me once for several days. Frank kind of
adopted him, taking him skiing up in
northern BC. The people on the island
were mostly retired loggers and fishermen.
It was a very different system of life in
comparison to the University setting. I
developed some very close friendships
there. They accepted me, showing me how
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to be a part of that very simple, caring com-
munity.
I painted there and did some writing. I
adopted two wild cats, or they adopted me.
They would come each day to eat, but
never let me touch them. I found them a
great source of companionship.
The other place was my grandfather's
farm in North Dakota. I spent my sum-
mers there from age of seven to 13. It is a
very special place to me. It is in the
Pembina Hills in northern North Dakota,
with rolling hills just off the main plains
moving to very heavily wooded areas with
two small coulees and creeks running
through the property. There was a high hill
and behind it a wooded area where the cat-
tle were kept. I remember a big tree by the
creek and the log cabin.
I was always a fan of Tarzan. My father
had been too. In the bookcase were all his
books that I read. I would go down to the
woods and play Tarzan, frightening the
people on the next farm with my Johnny
Wisemuller yells. I was there a lot of the
time by myself.
I would go to get the cattle with my
grandfather. He taught me my first words
of Icelandic, swear words to use cursing the
cows. It was a very simple, quiet life there
on the farm as on the island. These places
are spots I can go back to today and feel a
great sense of peace and quietude.
Religion has always been a part of my
thinking, I never completely walked away
from it. I certainly had periods of agnosti-
cism. I always had some nagging questions
about religion and some answers given.
I believe Lutheranism is the kind of
denomination that allows freedom of
thought. I remember once having lunch
with the Bishop for the territories of
Manitoba. I said to him "One of the nice
things about the Lutheran church is you
can debate whether God exists." I don't
know if he appreciated hearing that, but I
feel it is true. The existentialist thinkers like
Kirkegard and others come from the
Lutheran church.
That is another influence on my life.
Existentialism has been a philosophy that
informed me since I was very young. I am
not quite sure why, perhaps the loss of my