"Gotcha!"

Ms P is a great example of everyone’s grandmother.  She offers advice and unconditional respect and support.  She appreciates life and at her advanced age is often heard saying “aging ain’t for sissies’”. 

Originally from Sydney CB, Ms P grew up in a large family and had to endure the hardships of poverty as the family grew. 

While on the way to an appointment we were commenting on the Public Gardens and how nice they were.  We talked about how there must have been thousands of weddings and prom pictures taken there.  She told me how, when she was a little girl, her mother brought her to the gardens and they always loved playing near the little bridge.  We both knew there were wedding pictures by the hundreds on that very bridge.

I asked her if she had her wedding pictures taken there – she said “nah.. that was a long time ago on the Island.”  I asked her if she had her prom picture taken there.  She again said no but added that she "never got to go to the prom."  Of course this made me ask her why.

She related to me that she never made the prom because the teacher had failed her English exam so she didn’t pass grade twelve until after summer school so prom was out.  She also said that her teacher had been on a trip to Europe and he was more interested in telling his stories about his trip then helping with English.  That infuriates her to this day.

She did, however, graduate and achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Allison University.  She then said with a grunt “and you’ll never guess who I saw there on the faculty?”.. of course I asked “who?” She was quick to reply “it was that crazy teacher that had failed me back in grade twelve.”  She laughed and said: “I wanted to look him in the face and say ‘gotcha!’ but couldn’t”.

Ms P is always so grateful for a ride and although she is losing her sight she takes a City Tour every now and again “just to get out.”

[It is people like this that make my job so interesting.  One can be feeling down or feel unaccomplished and when you hear a story that was hurtful or discouraging from such wonderful people as Ms P you realize just how human everyone really is and how lucky you really are – especially to have met them]