Funerals and high heels

Today I went to yet another funeral. Bob Hyndman died. He was 94 and was one of the most charming, talented people I have ever known. (Google him so I don't have to describe him.) But weren't we all there: old boyfriends, old girlfriends, old neighbours, the greats and the near greats. Putting on makeup before the event -- something I hate doing since I have retired -- I wondered which high heels I would wear. Settled on a red pair to match my red jacket. This red jacket was my mother's and wearing it is usually to funerals. I grabbed a seat at the back, but as the service wore on, I heard Mother Lily telling me to give my seat to an elderly lady who had to stand. Lily would not relent, so I stood up and gave my seat to the elderly woman. Wearing her jacket made her all the more vocal about politesse.

I have to tell you that my mother gave me the greatest gift. When I was a toddler, she used to take me to old-age homes and other hideous places with drooling inhabitants and force me to "speak to a person", while she squeezed my hand extremely hard to emphasize that this was not an option. Being "shy" was simply being rude and not permitted. These four words gave me my career. I became a journalist.

So back to the funeral. I checked out shoes and was disappointed, although not surprised. Ottawa women were in the usual "brown drab". This was the funeral of the uncle of the Canadian guy who brought "Ralph Lauren Polo" to Canada. Mike Belcourt. At Lisgar, years earlier, Mike was the most dapper guy around, but when he appeared with his navy blue Mustang convertible, well that sealed him as the coolest guy. But, when Mike announced that he was going to be the Canadian rep for Polo in Canada, we all laughed. The rest is history. At the funeral today he was still as dapper as ever.

To sum up, the who's who of Ottawa was at this funeral and I noted a cross section of The Sisterhood, Old Farts and Male Chauvinist Pigs. Needless to say, everyone remained within his/her boundaries. Later..............