Ode To Youth

So many facts escape me already! Is it what getting old is all about? Everything that is not now becomes a distant past? I remember as if it was yesterday how my high school friend and I were walking through a park in my small town, Tomaszow Lubelski and made fun of things, joke, plan. I remember how after one of our stormy Polish classes with our very dramatic and eccentric Polish language teacher, my friend and I decided to apply to a theatre school when we graduated from high school. We walked excited crushing autumn leaves under our boots. I remember having that thought for the longest time afterwards and that was all I could think about. I planned, memorised the lost, famous monologues and poems in Polish language, got ready to take the acting world by the horns!

Six months after that day my father died. Another six months after that my group of friends, my class of humanists, the only class that dared to escape school on the national "skipping day", was celebrating my going away, leaving Poland for Canada. My plans got altered. My future unknown. I am still trying to find myself.

I got a little taste of what it would be like to be recognised for acting. My 5 minutes of fame. In high school, I entered a polish contest for the best interpretation of poems. One of my favourites and the ones that I knew by heart was Ode to Youth by the Polish poetic prophet, Adam Mickiewicz. That contest was attended by only one of my friends. Non of my family came. Just one, yet how faithful friend. She watched me from her seat how I ripped my heart open for all the audience. I gave my all that day. When I finished there was a silence and I looked at my friend for certainty, approval, security. She had tears in her eyes. She made my day. She made me feel accomplished and strong. She gave me an award on a scale of Oscars!

I earned the third place that day. But collecting that prize and three hundred dollars was nothing compared to the recognition. After the award ceremony, the Polish consul's or ambassador's wife, one of the judges, walked up to me, shook my hand and said, "Thank you for that! I have never heard Ode to Youth like that! It was such an eye opener, and what an original interpretation. It was like to hear it for the first time!" Now, that was my real award!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93gIZ0jsBJk

In case you don't know what Ode to Youth is about, it is about longing to your homeland. It is a cry to remembrance and fight for her! I felt it. I knew it. I said what was in my heart. I believed it. In my heart I won the grand prize.

Black Creek Pioneer Village. April 16th, 2005

My friend, my dear friend! I found you again! I keep looking for you and keep finding you! I found you after 12 years today by complete accident! If it wasn't for my son to chose Broadview Station instead of Pape I would have passed by without even knowing that you were right by my door!! I am not letting you go this time, my friend! No way! No way!