Cedar Springs Road is a beautiful lightly residential and rural scenic drive in Burlington that wends
north from Highway 5 (now Reg. Rd. 5) to the small Hamlet of Kilbride. Outside
the village are winding streets and lanes where the suburbanites return from their daily
businesses to their privately- quiet homes nestled among pines, cedars, maples
and oaks. Deer, birds, raccoons,
chipmunks and squirrels are frequent visitors
to this peaceful Nature environment...where the humans are so kind! Cedar Springs, truly is a
clear-water stream that gently creates rivulets as it bubbles along over stones
beside the woods and the escarpment road.
I left my Real
Estate Office about 6:30 in the evening to meet clients who had a stately two-storey
home in Kilbride along a country lane shared by only three other
neighbours. Schelley and his wife had
built this home twenty years previously...now it was “time to move on”. Mr. Schellenburg was my son's Mathematics
teacher. As he “connected” with
his first year students and they gained his respect, he was honoured to be
called, “Schelley”. A day or two a week,
he would spend after-hours with his Computer Club, designed to encourage and
foster future programmers and analysts.
Cedar Springs Road gently rolls up and downhill with meandering turns, curving a
bit for a few miles before approaching
Highview Estates, a cluster of several homes within a wooded area on the
escarpment, just above Highway 5. As I
reached the last crest of the road, a panorama of Burlington's city lights unfolded before my eyes...like a night time fairyland. I knew
that beyond the City is the shoreline of Lake Ontario. Descending the hill, I slowed due to the stoplight at the intersection of Highway
5. There on my left was a police cruiser. The officer set his lights flashing,
signalling for me to stop. At the
intersection I turned right to park along the shoulder of the highway.
“What
is the problem?”, I wonder.
Coming to my
vehicle, the navy- uniformed officer asked, “Did you realize you were exceeding
the speed limit at the top of the hill?”
“No,” I replied and explained that I had been on a realtor appointment,
that I was going home to prepare a light dinner and was not aware of my
speed. He advised me that, because of
the residential area, the speed limit changes.
“May I please have your licence, your insurance and ownership?” These he took to his cruiser and spent much
time before returning to me. “This is a tough situation for me,” he said.
Smiling, I responded, “I'll make
it easy for you...don't give me a ticket...it's a quiet night...no one
around...it's late...I just didn't see the change of speed in the darkness.”
Thoughtfully,
“It is difficult to write a ticket for a teacher I once had.” I observed his badge...S.Smith. “Stuart
Smith?....is this You?” I asked. He was
a good student in Grade 5 and was also in my Grade 8 class, three years
later. We chatted about other students
in those years...until the midnight hour.
Ted was now a photographer with the Hamilton Spectator, Gerry continued
to University after High School and became a church minister, Phyllis a nurse and Terry an engineer. Stuart was married with a little boy. As we parted company, I was so tempted to
U-turn on Highway 5’s four lanes so I
could easily enter Brant Street
to proceed home...but because of this police intervention, decided it was not a
good idea! Instead, I continued west on
Highway 5 to the first road on the left to make a safe turn-around. Then turning right on Brant Street a few minutes later, headed
south into downtown Burlington. At a stoplight, side-by-side…we waved to each other. On
the “green”, he went to the Police Station for his shift's end and I home to
enjoy a glass of red wine with dinner.
When Andrew was
in High School and Marcia in Elementary School, we bought a black and white Siberian Husky puppy. Kiska had an
unusual black facial mask...raccoon-like markings...and startling blue
eyes. As a puppy, she needed much
exercise and training due to her
rambunctiousness. My son voluntarily took her to Obedience
School and succeeded well
with her. When he attended University,
it was Marcia or I who daily exercised
her. One winter day, I was jogging along
the sidewalk with Kiska trotting by
leash on my left...suddenly I hit “black ice” and fell, landing on my
right hand and arm...instantly my wrist and thumb were throbbing with pain.
Returning quickly home, I enclosed her
within the gated yard and drove to the hospital emergency. A
Doctor X-rayed my arm and hand...I waited a length of time in an open room for the results..with continual
throbbing pain.
While there, an
inebriated elderly man was brought in by a policeman. I paid little attention, with my eyes half closed,trying to succumb to the
pain from my tumble. Soon the attending
doctor advised me that I had a sprained thumb...to wrap my wrist tightly with a
bandage, take Tylenol and try to rest.
It was extremely difficult to put my arm through the coat sleeve and
when struggling with this, a kindly male voice said, “Here, let me help an old
teacher of mine.” I looked
appreciatively at this policeman....again, it was Stuart
Smith!
We
smiled....remembering the school days of many years past
and our two-year ago
encounter on Highway 5 at Cedar Springs Road.
Wisdom from Mother Teresa:
We shall never know
the good that a simple smile can do!
Merle Baird-Kerr … written July 29,
2010
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