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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ju ly 18 ,2 01 9 | 12 Metroland Media's Halton division photojournalist Nikki Wesley is thinking outside of the box with a profile series that aims to shine a different light on those who call Halton home. Interview subjects are asked to pose for photos with an item that is impor- tant to them. Cyd Craig DiLorenzo, 62, is a retired vocalist and enter- tainer who now describes her occupation as being a human, mom, sister, daugh- ter, cousin and friend. She was featured in the Oakville Beaver in the 1980s with her then pianist, now husband Domenic DiLorenzo, to pro- mote a variety show the two hosted. Cyd reflects on how she's changed over the years. Describe your- self in one word. Passionate Q: How would a signifi- cant other describe you? A: Vivacious Q: What are your favou- rite qualities in a per- son? A: Honesty and good sense of humour Q: What is your idea of happiness? A: No drama - drama in the negative sense. Q: What are you most passionate about? A: That's a tough one. Peo- ple moving forward in their own lives and being positive, I'm very passion- ate about helping people do that. People tend to look back too much and talk about how perfect every- thing was. Well what was, is WAS; it has everything to do with you're here and now, the possibility of the future. But people always tend to be turning around and walking backwards. You need to look where you're going, not where you've been. Q: What's your favourite smell? A: The woods after a rain- fall. Q: What's your least fa- vourite word? A: 'Can't' - because it's a full stop, it's a negative, it's a cop-out. You can achieve whatever you really want to do, it's just not always easy. Q: Who are your heroes? A: Teachers, because with- out them we'd have no doc- tors, no scientists, no re- searchers, nobody to help us move forward. Q: What does family mean to you? A: Everything. It's tells me my past, it tells me present, and it shows me my future. Q: Who's your favourite fictional character? Why? A: Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. I love her childhood innocence and the fact that she was very strong and not afraid to stand up for what she be- lieved in. Q: What first got you in- terested in music? A: My mother. She came from a musical family and her mother was a child prodigy. She was playing the organ at a professional level at the age of four. My mom was determined that one of her four was going into music - I decided at age five that I was going into music. They asked in school what we wanted to be, and I drew this horren- dous stick person with a microphone. Q: How has your life changed since the last time you were in the Oak- ville Beaver? A: I've expanded my life huge. I've become a wife and a mother, which is the most phenomenal chal- lenging thing I've ever done but also the most reward- ing. It's opened my mind and my heart to a lot of dif- ferent situations and dif- ferent people. I'm forever learning from them. Q: What is something you wish everyone knew about you? A: I'm an open book; I'm ac- tually kinda shy. Q: Your mother recently turned 100 years old. What's the most impor- tant lesson she taught you in your youth? A: Don't write your price ticket too low. Don't stand in front of yourself, don't belittle yourself. Q: What's the most im- portant lesson she's taught you recently? A: If you don't use, it you lose it. That's why at 100 she's still mobile. The de- mentia has taken her mem- ory. She's living in the mo- ment and that's important too. You live every moment, right now. That's the most important moment of your life, what's happening right now. Q: If you could give the world one piece of ad- vice, what would it be? A: Stop dwelling on things that are bringing you down. Every day is an ad- venture, move forward. Q: Why is this drawing your husband did impor- tant to you? A: I have always loved birds, they seem so free and capa- ble. My dad also loved birds - he had binoculars and bird books by the big kitchen window. On the day my fa- ther passed away, I looked out his window and saw a hawk circling around. I watched this single hawk soaring outside, and then it was joined by another hawk. It was as if the spirit of my dad was the hawk and the second hawk was guid- ing him home. They flew to- gether, circling still, then they flew away together. From that day forward, when I see a hawk, I wave and say 'Hi Dad.' The beauty and freedom of these majes- tic birds, floating in the sky makes me feel very safe, contented and free ... like the hawk ... like my dad. The fact that my husband un-fact that my husband un-f derstands this and used his talents to bring the hawk to life for me is amazing! If you know someone who should be considered for this profile series, email Nikki Wesley at nwes- ley@metroland.com. COMMUNITY THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: CYD CRAIG DILORENZO NIKKI WESLEY nwesley@metroland.com Cyd Craig DiLorenzo Nikki Wesley/Torstar