I learned a valuable lesson – and I was a wee bit drunk when I learned it..I sat on my ex-wife’s couch and told her the story. She was horrified, absolutely horrified..Here’s the story: I was at one of my favourite bars on 17th Avenue S.E. in Calgary, Border Crossing, which offers up the best escargot with melted cheese on toast on the planet..I got chatting. If you want to meet the real Calgarians, go to the Crossing – not the fancy bars in town. I love this place just because it’s real..I had a bit too much. I walked out to my faithful black Altima and paused. No way. I can’t do this, I can’t..I walked a bit and found a 7-Eleven, bought a hotdog and a big coffee. I then found a bus bench and sat down pondering what I should do next..I don’t want a drunk driving charge nor do I want to endanger anyone’s life..Should I call a designated driver service? I was just about to do that, when by chance there was a young indigenous couple standing there waiting for a bus. We started talking..They seemed like wonderful kids — I mean, you just know these things, right..I told them my dilemma and they told me theirs. I needed to get home safely and they needed to get somewhere in Calgary — across the city..Suddenly the young fellow said: “I can drive you home, and that will get us closer to where we are going.”.I said sure, let’s do it! I know … crazy, but I liked these kids and I knew they were OK..Off we went. Me in the backseat, the young fellow driving, and his girlfriend navigating upfront..Long story short, he was a brilliant driver and his girlfriend was an excellent navigator — with both of them taking extreme care with my 2005 Altima..We talked and I was to learn this young man was a former drug dealer with a native gang and served several terms in prison..He told me how corrupt the guards and the system were and how easy it was to get drugs..But at some point, he decided to change his life and he had been off drugs and booze for years..I asked why? How? How did you do this in a white man’s world of “steel-eyed death,” to borrow a phrase from Dylan..He said, and I will always remember this, “Dave, I just got tired of people controlling me and telling me what to do.”.I told him just go to where you need to go and I will take it from there. That seemed to concern them. I assured them I will be OK..Only then did they leave me in yet another 7-Eleven parking lot to join their friends. Like an idiot, I didn’t take his name and phone number because the prison stuff would have made a great story..Silly me..I had another hotdog, more coffee(s), chatted with the friendly 7-Eleven staff and sat in my Altima for a long time until I felt OK for the short jaunt home..After relating all this to my ex-wife, she responded with: “Are you crazy!?”.She berated me for letting complete strangers drive my car, while I was mostly drunk. I guess I had that coming..She cared about me and I was still recovering from the beating I got from CSIS/K-INSET agents in Bangkok..I weathered that, but the lesson I learned was this: Lives can be saved, lives can be resurrected, people can change. We can’t just lock them up and throw away the key..There are baddies who will never change, but prisons should not be schools for crime, they should be places where the inmates can seek drug and alcohol addiction counselling as well as treatment for mental health issues..So why am I telling you all this?.On Feb. 28, 2007, our neighbor and my daughter’s good friend, 18-year-old Stephanie Novak, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. .To say that Steph was like our second daughter was an understatement. We took her on holiday road trips, hiking in the mountains and numerous family outings..We were devastated..Two years later, Vuong Minh Vu pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years..Still filled with anger, I made the mistake of telling a friend and colleague, who just happened to have legs in both worlds..As a 35-year veteran newspaper man, I have come across people from all walks of life, and I am proud of that, to be honest..And so it was offered. My friend said, “I can take care of that for you.”.This wasn’t Crimes & Misdemeanors, the Woody Allen movie, this was real life. This was really happening..Of course, I said no. No no no! Rule of law, etc. I mean, my parents raised me to be better than that. But deep in my heart, I wanted revenge..Time has not dulled my sadness, or my outrage. I will never get over it, never. It’s only now I can even talk about it without falling apart at the seams..But at the same time, this young indigenous couple taught me a lesson I will never forget. I don’t suggest we should coddle criminals in Canada, and I wish a life sentence meant life, but maybe, just maybe, some of them deserve a second chance..And thank God for 7-Eleven..Dave Makichuk is a veteran journalist who has worked with both the Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald.
I learned a valuable lesson – and I was a wee bit drunk when I learned it..I sat on my ex-wife’s couch and told her the story. She was horrified, absolutely horrified..Here’s the story: I was at one of my favourite bars on 17th Avenue S.E. in Calgary, Border Crossing, which offers up the best escargot with melted cheese on toast on the planet..I got chatting. If you want to meet the real Calgarians, go to the Crossing – not the fancy bars in town. I love this place just because it’s real..I had a bit too much. I walked out to my faithful black Altima and paused. No way. I can’t do this, I can’t..I walked a bit and found a 7-Eleven, bought a hotdog and a big coffee. I then found a bus bench and sat down pondering what I should do next..I don’t want a drunk driving charge nor do I want to endanger anyone’s life..Should I call a designated driver service? I was just about to do that, when by chance there was a young indigenous couple standing there waiting for a bus. We started talking..They seemed like wonderful kids — I mean, you just know these things, right..I told them my dilemma and they told me theirs. I needed to get home safely and they needed to get somewhere in Calgary — across the city..Suddenly the young fellow said: “I can drive you home, and that will get us closer to where we are going.”.I said sure, let’s do it! I know … crazy, but I liked these kids and I knew they were OK..Off we went. Me in the backseat, the young fellow driving, and his girlfriend navigating upfront..Long story short, he was a brilliant driver and his girlfriend was an excellent navigator — with both of them taking extreme care with my 2005 Altima..We talked and I was to learn this young man was a former drug dealer with a native gang and served several terms in prison..He told me how corrupt the guards and the system were and how easy it was to get drugs..But at some point, he decided to change his life and he had been off drugs and booze for years..I asked why? How? How did you do this in a white man’s world of “steel-eyed death,” to borrow a phrase from Dylan..He said, and I will always remember this, “Dave, I just got tired of people controlling me and telling me what to do.”.I told him just go to where you need to go and I will take it from there. That seemed to concern them. I assured them I will be OK..Only then did they leave me in yet another 7-Eleven parking lot to join their friends. Like an idiot, I didn’t take his name and phone number because the prison stuff would have made a great story..Silly me..I had another hotdog, more coffee(s), chatted with the friendly 7-Eleven staff and sat in my Altima for a long time until I felt OK for the short jaunt home..After relating all this to my ex-wife, she responded with: “Are you crazy!?”.She berated me for letting complete strangers drive my car, while I was mostly drunk. I guess I had that coming..She cared about me and I was still recovering from the beating I got from CSIS/K-INSET agents in Bangkok..I weathered that, but the lesson I learned was this: Lives can be saved, lives can be resurrected, people can change. We can’t just lock them up and throw away the key..There are baddies who will never change, but prisons should not be schools for crime, they should be places where the inmates can seek drug and alcohol addiction counselling as well as treatment for mental health issues..So why am I telling you all this?.On Feb. 28, 2007, our neighbor and my daughter’s good friend, 18-year-old Stephanie Novak, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. .To say that Steph was like our second daughter was an understatement. We took her on holiday road trips, hiking in the mountains and numerous family outings..We were devastated..Two years later, Vuong Minh Vu pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years..Still filled with anger, I made the mistake of telling a friend and colleague, who just happened to have legs in both worlds..As a 35-year veteran newspaper man, I have come across people from all walks of life, and I am proud of that, to be honest..And so it was offered. My friend said, “I can take care of that for you.”.This wasn’t Crimes & Misdemeanors, the Woody Allen movie, this was real life. This was really happening..Of course, I said no. No no no! Rule of law, etc. I mean, my parents raised me to be better than that. But deep in my heart, I wanted revenge..Time has not dulled my sadness, or my outrage. I will never get over it, never. It’s only now I can even talk about it without falling apart at the seams..But at the same time, this young indigenous couple taught me a lesson I will never forget. I don’t suggest we should coddle criminals in Canada, and I wish a life sentence meant life, but maybe, just maybe, some of them deserve a second chance..And thank God for 7-Eleven..Dave Makichuk is a veteran journalist who has worked with both the Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald.
