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A smile that teaches
By Cam Tait
June 19, 2006
Surprised? Yeah, I guess so. Disappointed? A little. A good lesson? Absolutely.
Every now and then we try to be a little interactive with our readers by asking a question. Then, the following week we try to share as many comments as we can. Usually, we get a nice handful of responses. So I was all fired up when I opened my e-mail to look for responses to last week's question about The Smile. Only three people shared their time to guess who The Smile was. And they were all absolutely right: Rick Hansen.
Perhaps I was in a time warp last week when I recounted some of my favourite memories from the Man in Motion World Tour. Rick is a personal friend and we share a common trait: we both have a physical disability; he has a spinal cord injury and I have cerebral palsy. The tour was a very special time in my life - at the age of 26 I was covering a national story that was garnering all kinds of attention. Professionally, it was great. But on a personal level, it was wonderful because people with disabilities became sexy...and, I certainly don't mean the picture of me in my Speedo 20 years ago.
Maybe, that's the whole point here. The Man In Motion World Tour was two decades ago. For people like me, who have a very close relationship with Rick, it seems like yesterday. We rekindle fond memories every chance we get because they bring us back to a happy time. So when I wrote last week's column I assumed everyone would be as excited as I was and jump on their keyboards to share their own Rick Hansen stories.
As Glennyis wrote: "'The Smile' would be Rick Hansen. Our organization coordinated a walk for the Rick Hansen Foundation on Sunday June 11th and raised over $4,000. We are working with our town government to make the largest area park accessible for all children and then moving out to the smaller parks."
Or, what Sig shared: "I often see Rick Hansen at a sushi place in Richmond, BC. He and our family also share the same doctor, so we see that smile on the photos around the doctor's office. In a world that worships strange idols and survivors, I'm glad we have a true hero living among us."
I was surprised that more people didn't send notes. But it taught me that we all have pet causes and personal connections. And not everyone has the same affection that we share.
On a personal level, I was disappointed, I guess, that more people didn't respond with their memories about an event that happened over 20 years ago, or that more people didn't see Wheels In Motion as a chance to relive cherished memories. It's also a chance to create even more awareness and raise funds to enhance the lives of people with disabilities.
But time and people move on. We have to build on the foundation that was laid and look to the horizon for new ideas. Sure, it's great to ride down memory lane and take in all the sights and sounds. But we shouldn't get stuck there and get too comfortable. And did I learn that last week? Absolutely.
Cam Tait is a sports reporter for the Edmonton Journal. He covered charitable issues for almost 20 years. Thoughts, comments, ideas or a simple hello are welcomed at cam@charityvillage.com.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
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