His name was Dixie, and he was our friend..A born-and-raised Newfie, as they say, the salt of the earth, and one helluva a good guy, and a good Canadian..He drove a passenger bus from Winnipeg to northern Manitoba, back and forth, week in and week out. No matter the weather. Always dependable, always on time, always safe. Dedicated to chasing that white line..He used to say if things get dicey, just put two wheels on the side of the road, in the marbles, that will slow you down..And never, ever just pay a speeding ticket from the Mounties, God no. Go to the town office and explain what happened, how you didn't think you were travelling that fast — and give the girl behind the counter a big, friendly smile. LOL!.It worked for Dixie, that's for sure. He always got his tickets reduced..A handsome man with a beautiful wife and kids back in the 'Peg. He had given up the drink, putting his family and career first..His job was to bring people to their destination safely, and he was damn good at it..Sometimes, he had a layover in Swan River, where my mom lived at the time, and, he would always stop by and say hello. He called her "Mother."."How are you doing, Mother?" he would say, parking his big honking bus right in front of the house to shock the hell out of the neighbours..And sometimes, he would give her a ride to the bingo — technically, not really allowed, but Dixie was such a kind fellow and he didn't want my mom to wander out in the dark..We used to laugh, me and my brother Jim, because in Swan River at the cafe that served as a bus station, there was a small sign that said "Staff Table.". Dixie and JimDixie and Jim .Of course, this was for Dixie, but we kidded him about it, just the same..And man, I gotta tell you, he just had that Newfie sense of humour that made you love the guy. I sometimes wonder, if the folks from the Rock are the best among us..No, let me correct that. They are the best among us — by a country mile. And I don't mind saying that, one bit..I will also always remember how he brought over a genuine Jiggs' dinner, as he called it ... a fabulous salt beef, root veggies and dumplings. My God, was it ever good..I tried hard to copy it years later, with no luck — Dixie cooked it to perfection, and proudly brought it over to my Mom's house where my then wife, my daughter and I, had the pleasure of sampling this dash of Maritime cuisine..Dixie was also an amateur writer, and, encouraged by Jim, who was a screenwriter in Los Angeles, he pounded out several short stories..Largely it had to do with the people whom he'd met on the road. I read some of them and they were pretty good..Alas, this story does not have a happy ending, folks. At a very young age, way too young, Dixie got very sick, with a brain tumour. He would suffer terribly for a year, and then, it would take his life..It was one of the greatest injustices me and my brother Jim would ever have to accept. And yeah, it doesn't get any easier..That closure crap doesn't happen. It just doesn't. It kills you then and it kills you now..I sometimes try hard, very hard, not to be a bitter man, not to blame God or whomever, for the way things happen on this damn, dusty planet..But one thing I will never forget is the fabulous legacy that this man left behind..So, on this Canada Day, a day when we celebrate everything Canadian, let us also remember the great Canadians in our life — the Dixie's in our life. The people who made or make, our lives and our nation a very special place..I can still see him now, smiling widely and wearing his cowboy boots, ready to unleash yet another hilarious road story..Oddly enough, he got to know the strippers who would ride up to Swan River on contract at the local hotel and back. They were nice folks, he used to tell us..Dixie didn't have a damn prejudiced bone in his body. He accepted everyone for what they were. Always a gentleman, and never a bad word about anybody..As my boss Dave Naylor says, somehow, despite the incompetence of our political leaders, Canada is still the best place in the world to live..Let's remember that, and, let's remember the people who make our lives special, and those who make our country great and a safe and prosperous place to live, for one and all..The people on the front lines in hospitals, the first responders, the police and firefighters, the military men and women around the world, who are guarding the walls of democracy..Just ... remember.
