About 14 years ago, friends of Rafe Mair gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday. He was the man The Tyee founding editor David Beers called the “conscience of our province.” Rafe encouraged me in many ways when I was a neophyte blogger, so I was happy to pay homage to this interesting man.
At the birthday event, I knew that Rafe’s physical health was in decline, but I also knew his intellectual powers were unimpaired. That remained his strength until he passed a few years later. I hope the same will be said about me.
There won’t be a public event when I turn 80, but that will be my next birthday. Like many of this age, my capacity for work and concentration has lessened considerably. I used to sit in the wee hours of the morning, reading and writing about subjects covered in my blog.
I can’t do that anymore!
In recent times, my energy and attention have been focused on changes to our home. Even before completion of the work, I am suffering renovation fatigue. I gather this is common when people disrupt their living spaces. Of course, this is also fertile ground for family conflict.
Ridding the house of accumulated junk seems like it should be easy. But when you uncover materials that held your attention decades ago, it is tempting to open the books and remember your studies. My wife Gwen had a long career as a critical care nurse. I studied political science, accounting and small business management. Both of us accumulated volumes of texts, journals and notes. Uncovering those stimulates a desire to reexamine the materials. Both of us have to face the fact that many of our once valuable books are outdated and only interesting to paper recyclers.
Dealing with painters, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and landscapers has kept me busy. The planning part is over, and work is mostly underway. That allows me to pay attention again to the world beyond my neighbourhood.
I will resume publishing a few pieces each week. Thank you to the people who have continued to support IN-SIGHTS. Please check here regularly.
PS: If you have an interest in old magazines, some really old, let me know. Titles include National Geographic, Scientific American, Biblical Archaeology, and others about science, history and cooking. I hate to send them to the recyclers, but I prefer they weren’t taking up useful space.
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in-sights.ca 
None can fill the boots of Rafe Mair.
Rafe Mair could not fill the boots of Jack Webster.
And so it goes!
TB
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I respected and followed Jack Webster. He was a newsman of the sort we will not see again. Jack’s career lasted more than 60 years because he left school at 14 to join the news business.
Rafe took a different course. His was a diverse career. He practiced law for several years and worked in a number of industries. He became involved in local and provincial politics, then moved to broadcasting, book writing and curmudgeonly activities.
In his final years, Rafe campaigned for environmental protection. He was concerned about the world he would soon leave behind.
Jack Webster and Rafe Mair were quite different, but both were important people to the citizens of this province.
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Mr. Norm Farrell ,
Happy Birthday!
I have always enjoyed your blog, and have quoted it many times.
Thanks for continuing to publish it, as it is more important now, then anytime in the past, to get proper and truthful information out there.
We seem to have lost our institutions and organizations that previously have corrected our government, society and systems when they went astray.
Thanks for your efforts in filling that needed role.
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Thank you Norm, for all your good work. You provide references for people like me. They’re important, even at the humble political level I work; small town local govt.
May your energy endure for the good of us all!
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