“Elvis has left the building” was often used by public address announcers following Elvis concerts in the hope that five words would disperse audience members who lingered, hoping for an encore by ‘the King’.
Now, just like the man in the blue suede shows, former Pen editor Aaron Beswick has left the building.
Unlike Elvis, he’s sailing the boat he made while living on the Northern Peninsula, the Spiteful Lady, to his home in Nova Scotia.
For the time being, Aaron has taken a one-year leave of absence, although at the time of writing this he and his two sailing buddies hadn’t >exactly left, instead they were still by the harbour in St. Anthony working on the Spiteful Lady.
In a month that has seen the Northern Peninsula come alive with Come Home Year celebrations, Aaron’s actions seem only too fitting.
Many of you, like the Flynns of Croque in this week’s Pen, have had your houses packed to the gills with family members and friends in recent weeks.
No doubt you have sat around fire pits and kitchen tables, on bridges and on boats, perhaps even in lawn chairs when the sun has made a brave appearance, reminiscing about times past.
Sharing in stories and memories, catching up since so-and-so moved to Fort McMurray and had a few kids.
Maybe it’s the grandkids’ first time in your house or their first time on a boat you’ve used for years to jig for cod.
It’s this melding and mixing of old memories with the creation of new ones that makes Come Home Years so special.
I’m from a large city in Australia. I grew up alongside more people than the entire population of Newfoundland, so the significance of a Come Home Year alluded me at first.
I remember talking to the ladies at the town building in Bird Cove who were proudly showing off the new gazebo they were going to use to entertain the masses.
“Come Home Year,” I asked, “what’s that?”
They looked at me strangely, probably wondering who this idiot was.
“You know,” replied one of them, “the big party when everyone comes home for a week?”
She started bouncing on her soles, excitement etched in her face, so I pretended to understand. But I didn’t.
I didn’t truly understand until I saw it for myself.
Photographs have been pouring into the Pen from across the Northern Peninsula and they’re all of people having the best time in years. Food, friends, parades, dances, fundraisers, sports days, guided walks, temporary museums ... it’s all there.
But the most prevalent feature is the smiles. Actually, the word ‘smiles’ doesn’t quite cut it. I should say ‘grins’.
Awesome, toothy, utterly happy grins.
And that’s what it’s all about, what people will remember the most.
The dancing, the games for the kids, the suppers - they’re all part of it, but memories are created with smiles.
And by the looks of it, in the past few weeks the Northern Peninsula has created enough memories to last a lifetime.
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