excerpt
I stare at the Saskatchewan landscape, mesmerized by a sense of
space and feeling its impact on my whole being, this land
where I was born, nurtured and raised. The view is endless, green
fields of grain rolling into a flat horizon punctuated by clumps of
farmstead trees and changing into a sky blending from the lightest
blue at the horizon to a beautiful deep blue overhead. The
rows of brilliant white cumulus clouds accentuate the blueness of
the sky.
A strange, melancholy feeling washes over me. I feel this way
every time I face the prairie expanse of motionless earth and sky,
and the feeling always leaves me cleaner and more peaceful.
I have no identity crisis; I was born a farmer’s son and shall happily
go through life with that tag and the learned values. These
have served me well through my life’s journey—as an air force career
officer, as a pilot to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip and the
Queen Mother and as the Canadian Forces Attaché in Czechoslovakia
during the depths of the cold war. Then, on retirement, as a
nursery grower; an airport manager in Langley; a fascinated student
and backroom participant in national politics, watching the
politicians posture—many confusing their parties’ agenda with the
needs of the nation, and as an observer of the strengths and weaknesses
ofmy fellowman.And seeing in them a mirror image of my
own strengths and shortcomings.
My upbringing has armed me with resourcefulness and an
ability to separate the seed from the chaff. I have used these qualities
to find solutions to life’s challenges. Hopefully these will continue
to serve me in this world. As for the next, being an optimist
helps.
Manolis Aligizakis 