December 07, 2008 Michael AugustineLisez en Francais
Welcome to part II,
Anyone who knows me knows that food in an integral part of my life. There are very few limitations on the types and varieties of foods I will eat and, as a rule, I will thoroughly enjoy darned near everything put in front of me, and at any time it is offered. Except for black licorice (sometimes), pickles (most times) and things that are still moving (EVERY time), it’s all good (and even then, I might still be game). Further to this love affair with sustenance, I have become a rather prodigious cook, being able to whip up almost anything from whatever ingredients you put in front of me, without once ever having to refer to a recipe. However, as good as my cooking skills are, my true gift (at least with regards to food preparation) is baking.
I have been a more than competent cook since I was 18, having been taught by my father who did things the old fashioned way (i.e. a “pinch” of this...a “dash” of that...). Those skills served me well during my college years, allowing me to feast on the likes of stir-frys and roasted chicken, while my compatriots made do with that universal staple of all college and university students everywhere...instant macaroni and cheese - a meal many ate with such alarming frequency that most came to refer to it as simply “yellow death”.
Baking, though, was something I was terrified of for years. My very first attempt at creating baked goods was making chocolate chip cookies. What resulted from the attempt didn’t so much resemble cookies, as it did charcoal briquettes. Seeing as how, at the time, I lived in an apartment without a balcony or a barbecue, I had very little interest in continuing to create pieces chocolate chip coal, and gave up on baking for a while.
Fast forward several years... .My current apartment is part of an assisted living program, where personal support workers come into my home to aid with basic chores like housekeeping, cooking and laundry. It took over two years of patiently waiting until an opening became available, but, eventually, I finally received word that an apartment was ready... IF I still wanted it. I asked to take a look before I made any decision, and took a tour of the building. I was, well - hardly impressed. The building was a bit run down, and the kitchen was...not optimal. I indicated I would have to seriously consider my options and discuss the decision with my wife. My liaison picked up on my obvious dislike, and suggested we try another opening at a second building, which had coincidentally occurred at precisely the same time. I agreed. I admit the apartment, at first glance was very nice. However, my final decision to move here, though motivated by my need for that living assistance, was overwhelmingly swayed by the apartment’s majestic kitchen.
Have you ever watched an episode of a sit-com when some random character walks into a room to behold what, to them, is the be-all-and-end-all of their dreams? You know the skit - the character stands, mouth agape, an almost stupidly blissful look on their face, while a moving rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” plays in the background. When I saw what would be my new kitchen, I experienced exactly that kind of moment. It wasn’t just big, it wasn’t just that it was wheelchair accessible, and it wasn’t just new and pristine, it was ALL those things and more. Needless to say, I knew I would again be encouraged to try my hand at baking.
There is a saying that when you are truly ready to learn or try something, you’ve already practically guaranteed success in your attempt. This was exactly one of those moments. Once I had settled in to my new home, I went right to work. My first few batches of baked goods, though not glamorous, were definitely more than edible. Through eager trial, and surprisingly little error, I eventually hit that watershed, where one now intrinsically understands the mechanics of making baked goods, and thus rarely needs to refer to a recipe for most of what they make. Perhaps it was an eagerness to show off, or maybe I just didn’t want to become obese gorging myself on everything I was making. Regardless, I eventually made the decision to share some of my “art” with staff at the national office of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.
My involvement with the Ontario division and National offices of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada had been limited to that point. At the time, I sat as a director of my local chapter, and was only involved with an ad-hoc communication committee at the divisional level. Beyond that, I knew little else about the organization or its staff. I began becoming more involved to a greater degree through a documentary for television that aired on the Global Television network during the fall of 2004. As a thank you to the staff member who arranged for me to participate, I visited the head offices in Toronto and delivered to her a small batch of cookies. I clearly remember that one or two nearby staff members recognized me from the documentary, and jokingly asked me if I made regular visits with food. I jokingly replied back that I’d come by the following week and bring more cookies.
But visit I did. And I DID bring food!
Several things began happening all at once to create a sort of ...serendipitous...experience. As word slowly spread of my occasional “foodie” visits to the office, so to did the accessibility of local transit systems begin improving with remarkable swiftness, making it that much easier for me to make more frequent trips. Simultaneously, I became so proficient at making desserts that it now required little by way of time, effort or even money, to now easily accommodate the appetites of dozens of staff members in a single visit. As Staff and I became more familiar with each other, I found myself being granted the privilege of becoming involved in the daily working of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada in ways I could have only dreamed of when I first started learning to live with MS.
And the rest, as they say, is history!
I now make as many as a dozen “foodie” visits to the office in a calendar year, spreading joy and carbohydrates to any and all who work there. Further to that, my reputation as a provider of tasty goods has spread to the periphery of the Society, enabling me to become friends not only with many of the Society’s wonderful and dedicated staff, but several of its board members, and even with world-renowned members of the medical community specializing in MS research, whose teams of professional I have had the privilege to personally thank, by rewarding them on occasion with copious quantities of sweet treats.
I may have also developed a essential life-skill or two in the process..as well as valuable friends!
In recent weeks, the Toronto chapter held its annual United Way fundraiser. I had coincidentally happened by that week to drop off a personally baked thank-you gift to a friend and employee. One of the chapter staff made an off the cuff comment about whether I’d like to donate a loaf of banana bread to the cause. What followed was two solid days of frantic baking, the result of which was the making of roughly 30 loaves of various varieties and flavors, which I’m proud to say raised over $200 in revenue through auction.
So, what relevance does any of this have to being able to end MS? It is this:
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada is overwhelmingly a volunteer-run and supported organization. Every chapter in Canada and every unit is managed by a board of Directors who freely give of their time while asking nothing in return. There are also countless
MS WALKs, Mother's Day
carnation sales booths, and
Global Dinner Parties, in almost every city in our country, not to mention the many golf tournaments, private fundraisers and other initiatives. All of those events are run and supported by volunteers who do so gladly, with no recompense other than they know that they are making a difference for themselves and in the lives of those they care about.
Do not, for a single moment, assume that you are helpless, simply because you live with multiple sclerosis. One of the most successful MS initiatives in the country was started by a woman named Kathy Harvey, who’s MS had paralyzed her from the neck down while she was still a young woman. Having determined to make a difference for herself, and for those living with this disease, she painstakingly taught herself to paint with her mouth, and began making Christmas paintings, one a year, for almost thirty years. Those paintings were then turned into holiday greetings cards by the Mississauga, Ontario chapter of the MS Society, the sale of which has been able to generate tens of thousands of dollars towards helping people with multiple sclerosis.
Every one of us has gifts, and every one of us equally has the ability to use those talents to improve the world we live in. If you are feeling helpless, if you are believing yourself to be a victim of this illness, look to those gifts you've been blessed with. Better still, look to the abilities that learning to live with MS will have imparted upon you. Believe me - you all have to power to make a difference. You all have the power to change the world.
You all have the power... to end MS!
Irreverently Yours,
Augy, who's really cooking now!