 Hello David! Please share an interesting thing about yourself that not many people would know about you.
I am a drummer in a rock ‘n’ roll band. The band’s rather descriptive name is Men Will Be Boys. We have been together for over 30 years. We usually volunteer our time in support of community projects or charge only a nominal fee. Since the band’s inception, we have assisted in raising over $750,000 for worthy causes. As an aside, the lead singer and I played and toured locally in a band as adolescents, which, in my case, helped support the initial costs of going to university. Open up your refrigerator and tell us about your top 5 favorite items in there. Thank goodness you didn’t ask about food items not in the refrigerator Of the ones in the fridge, I would name cheeses of various sorts (I haven’t met one I didn’t like), eggs, cold cuts, yogurt, and vegetables (especially mushrooms – yes, I know, technically fungi - for pizza!). If you had a superpower, what would it be and why? I love to fly, so flying would likely be it. If you won the BIG lottery, what would you do with your winnings? Beyond paying off all debts and those of our children, Cindy and I would focus on travel and possibly purchasing a new home. What is your favorite way to spend your day off? I love to read philosophy and spend much time so immersed. I also enjoy bike riding, walking, and renewing and deepening my understanding of calculus (solely as mental exercise). If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? To give a broad answer, Europe. In 1970, I lived for four months in what was then West Germany, with brief visits to Switzerland, France, and Belgium. I would love to return to Germany. But there are many continental European countries I have not visited and would love to explore in some depth. I have been to Scotland and England on several occasions, and to Wales very briefly. Obviously, given my clan affiliation, I would love to spend more time in Scotland, but in England, Wales, and Ireland as well. Why did you decide to become a Commissioner for the Clan MacKinnon Society? It was an impulsive decision to become the Commissioner for the Province of Nova Scotia. I attended the Clan MacKinnon Society meeting in Halifax in 2018. I loved the sessions and met the most amazing people. When asked if anyone would volunteer as Commissioner, I surprised myself by jumping up (I am not normally given to impulsive decisions) and I am delighted I did. What is your favorite Cocktail (or non-alcoholic beverage)? Pina colada, though my preferred non-cocktail alcoholic drinks are red wine and single malt scotch whisky. Who is your favorite author? Daniel Silva. What person had the most influence in your life? My mother. We live busy lives, schedules jammed from sunrise to sunset, in which we take thousands of photographs. We fill the desire to remember fun events and the people we meet along the way. If our photographs get labeled, either digitally or in print form, they become relevant to our descendants. If we fail to put them in context for future generations, many of our stories get lost.
Similar to the photographs, each one of us holds stories, thousands of them, some trivial, and some extremely significant. We may know family members and friends for years, never knowing some of the most pivotal events in their lives that contributed to who they are today. Interviewing family members during all stages of their lives is a huge resource for genealogists. The interviews help stitch together the lives of those revealed through documents, becoming much richer with the accompanying story. I have found that the interview, a single one, or a series of questions spread over time, can not only illuminate our understanding of how a family member became the type of person they are, but may sometimes clarify assumptions that we have wrongly made about a timeline or a person’s character. I encourage you to pick a relative or two, interview them, type up your session, and send it to those in your family circle. It will be a present without bows and wrapping paper, cherished for generations to come. by Abby Reddig Moser |
ContactJohn McKinnon, Board Chairman
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