The South Marysburgh Mirror I | HC TAA Sy CA Pe ECP Au SA St PET Eg eR Rh "STAR OF STAGE, SCREEN and TELEVISION" During the recent rash of award pro- grams, the intonation of the words: "and now let me introduce you to ------------, star of stage, screen and television," has been heard many times, and I have sometimes wondered what it must be like to be "THAT PERSON" about whom the commentator is referring. What is it like to be "famous" and have people stop you in the street and examine you twice sideways with that knowing look on their faces? Most of us will never ever know as we are just ordinary people doing what we ordinary people do in our lives, and that is how I felt about myself... until re- cently! Well things have changed for me in the past few weeks. Our Support Group which is called THE ONTARIO EAST TRANSPLANT SUPPORT GROUP, has ramped up its activities this year in an attempt to reach more people with the heartfelt request to: become informed about or- gan donation. This hopefully helps them decide that giv- ing the gift of life is an honour that befits their life philoso- phy. Modern medicine even allows us to be organ donors without having to give up our own lives in the process and there are several wonderful people in The County who have given this gift to another. We in the OET$G have attacked THE MEDIA seeking support, and that has yielded television appear- ances at CKWS (channel 11) and more recently a session in a Christian radio broadcast through United Christian Broadcasters Canada (UCB for short). Today I was asked by the recording studio Tec person, tongue in cheek [ am sure, if I would do my Sean Connery impression during a radio broadcast. Hmmmmm! "At least I have more hair than he does," was my response! Last week I was a little bit miffed that I was not taken into make-up prior to the TV broadcast so that the scars on my nose could be deftly treated, allowing my aqui- line features to burst forth on an unsuspecting television audience. (You just never know when you might be talent spotted and given the opportunity of leading a talk show.) Aaha! ...all to no avail. Is there a Grammy, or an Emmy or an Oscar wait- ing on the wings of the future for 'yours truly????' One can only hope not as my wife Irene and myself have survived an almost 40 year relationship, and the stats for marriage longevity within the ranks of the stars of stage, screen and I NR BY SO A RAN fn A I LL 6 television are not too encouraging. At the very least, can I expect to have my palm prints embedded in concrete sidewalk on Picton Main Street, or have a ship or building named after myself or my group? I don't think so, and that's O.K. because I hope I am one of these ordinary people who tries to get on with life with- out causing too many ripples on the way. Seriously though, in saying that [ am re- minded of Jesus' warning to the leper he had just healed.... (Matthew 8:4) : 'see that you say nothing to anyone...' and also Matthew 9:30..(healing the blind): 'see that no one knows about this.' ....and many other biblical examples which showed that Jesus wanted to go about the business of healing without attracting undue attention. The truth is friends that Jesus didn't want the pub- licity for himself, but the message about the New Covenant he was bringing to the people needed to be explained and understood, with unconditional love of others being front and centre.. The cause which I represent through the OETSG also needs to be explained and understood to find expression in the actions of professing Christians, and in our 21* century, that will be not only be by word of mouth, but also using any/all instant visual imagery available. So I make no excuses for bringing organ donation and trans- plantation into your living rooms, but I do ask one favour in return.....Please think about signing a donor card and telling a loved one because.......... On Wednesday March 1%. (Ash Wednesday) the season of Lent begins in the Christian Church. It is a time of reflection and introspection as we journey through the six weeks (42 days) of Lent leading up to Easter Sunday and the climax of the Christian Faith. Lent is often thought of as a time in which we give up one or more of the pleas- ures of life and attend church every Sunday to hear the Word spoken. Not so!...or at least only partly so (I would- n't want any of The County clergy to be on my case for fal- ling attendance at church.) As Christians we SHOULD be attempting, during the coming weeks, to allot more of our time to thinking about ourselves as Spirit rather than body, and in that process we WILL (I promise you) come closer to our Creator and gain immeasurably in the process. There are some wonderful resources available for this purpose, and a simple e-mail to me will elicit titles like "Wilderness Voices." Can you spare 30 minutes of your day for the next 6 weeks to rest; reflect and read a little? If the answer to this is NO then, with respect, I suggest that you might like to take a look at your life planning to protect and 'feed' the Spirit that is YOU . Think about the Olympic athletes we Continued on page 14