HodgePodge: A mish mash of thoughts

A mish mash of thoughts

HodgePodge by Charlie Hodge

In another true hodgepodge of a HodgePodge, a short mish mash of thoughts from moi.

Two weeks ago, I started a list of 68 people to thank – one for each year I survived a birthday. That soon seemed the wrong number, wrong space, or too short of time. Same song this week but I shall continue.

I’ve been so blessed with kind, caring, loving folks who’ve helped make my world a better place. Some of the earlier influential people who helped me see the world in a positive way and convince me to move forward were schoolteachers such as Eileen Cassidy, Maurice Reveryand, Douglas Moore, Mrs. Hare, or Ian Middler.

Mrs. Hare kept me in school period. I ‘agreed’ to ‘redo’ grade 5 ‘if’ Mrs. Hare would be my teacher again. She was so sweet and made failing grade 5 tolerable.

Cassidy was a gracious, grinning woman who inspired creative writing students and a love of poetry. She insisted I continue writing my songs and poems when others around me were mocking my gentler side. I would never have continued in high school creative writing without her.

Douglas Moore was just a cool English teacher who saw through the hippy in me and into the potential. Moore was calm and kept me interested in school, convincing me that there was a place for my soft side in the angry world.

Maurice Reveryand did the opposite. He taught me to channel my anger, to not quit or lash out at the world but hang in, finish school and move ahead. He said my rough tumble side had its place but I needed to learn how to wave it, when, and where.

Ian Middler was my drama teacher and taught me how to wrap the package together. He taught me to chuckle at life while seeing the seriousness of it all. His love for words and presentation of them can help others.

More names and appreciation next week.

***

So how about those upstart hockey teams?

Apparently, we are going to see a unique Stanley Cup final with the Vegas Knights taking on the Florida Panthers. Neither team have ever won the Stanley Cup. Las Vegas have only been in the NHL a half dozen years, while Florida are the bad guys that eliminated my Leafs.

I’m calling the Knights to win in six games.

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Charlie Hodge is a best-selling author, writer, a current Kelowna City Councillor, and a Director on the Regional District of the Central Okanagan Board. He spent more than 25 years as a full-time newspaper journalist and has a diverse background in public relations, promotions, personal coaching, and strategic planning. A former managing editor, assistant editor, sports editor, entertainment editor, journalist, and photographer, Hodge also co-hosted a variety of radio talk shows and still writes a regular weekly newspaper column titled Hodge Podge, which he has crafted now for 41 years. His biography on Howie Meeker, titled Golly Gee It’s Me is a Canadian bestseller and his second book, Stop It There, Back It Up – 50 Years of the NHL garnered lots of attention from media and hockey fans alike. Charlie is currently working on a third hockey book, as well as a contracted historical/fiction novel. His creative promotional skills and strategic planning have been utilized for many years in the Canadian music industry, provincial, national, and international environmental fields, and municipal, provincial, and federal politics. Charlie is a skilled facilitator, a dynamic motivational speaker, and effective personal coach. His hobbies include gardening, canoeing, playing pool, and writing music. Charlie shares his Okanagan home with wife Teresa and five spoiled cats.

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