Senator Rod A. A. Zimmer (or should I say the ever so fashionable Rod Zimmer) is one of the most charismatic men I have ever met in my life. He brings joy to every situation. Right away when I met him in front of the media, he made the feeling of camera's being present go away and brought a huge smile to my face. I went to give him a handshake and he did not accept yet rather gave me a hug. This is when I first saw the quality of this man. His initial question was, "When are you supposed to arrive in St John's, Newfoundland?" I told him it would be August 15th. He smirked and said, "Well, I am going to write a cheque for August 15th for $1,000. If you get there on the 15th you can have it for your cause. If you don't, then the cheque is gonzo." The reason he said this was he felt that he knew no matter what I would make myself get there for the 15th, and I can say that I know I will. Directly after that, he grabbed my bike, and a senator was off riding on Parliament Hill. It was great to see him cruising past the Peace Tower and the staircase leading to Parliament. The other thing that he really stuck with me is the fact that he said he is going to try and make it to St. John's Newfoundland for the end of the ride.
The neat thing about coming to Ottawa to meet Senator Zimmer, was the history he had with my father. Both Rod and my father were diagnosed with throat cancer two days apart. Without accepting the idea of giving up, they had entered a sort of "brotherhood" with each other, and got in contact. Throughout their treatments they talked regularly, and encouraged each other, and held each other's spirits up. Rod was a huge inspiration in my father's fight, and I believe was a crucial part to my father's success in his fight. It was a rather emotional experience for me to spend this time with this remarkable man and I am ever so grateful for everything he did for our family. Today Rod is also healthier than ever and has an unbelievable appreciation for life.
Last night, we traveled to Parliament to see a light show that takes place during the summer. Here we met a guard just outside the Senators' building. He talked passionately about Canadian history, and former prime ministers. One thing that was really neat was he told us how these buildings were haunted and he attested to seeing one of the ghosts in the building he was in. Below are some pictures from the light show (they also talked about the history of Canada with images they placed on the centre Parliament Building) as well as the Centennial Flame.
1 comment:
very fashionable indeed!!! I guess he takes after you
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