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Letter: Toward good

I used to believe this about humankind in general. Now not so much
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Toward good

Lao Tzu wrote the words “Toward good” to describe The Way. The universal human instinct to want to live a happy, satisfying and meaningful life.

I used to believe this about humankind in general. Now not so much. I believed that humans are imprinted in our DNA to strive ‘toward good’. Even though it sometimes seemed we were moving ‘toward good’ in spite of ourselves.

Last week I took the Crofton/Vesuvius ferry. I’ve always loved going on a ferry ride since I was a prairie boy taking my first ferry ride from Vancouver to the Island when I was 10. That was 65 years ago.

On that first ferry ride there was a machine with a big handle on the side. I put a dime or a quarter in the machine and using a big dial and the handle I imprinted letters and numbers on a small aluminum disk, like the centre of a 45 RPM record. I imprinted my name and the date on the disk. It was a special treasure.

On the Crofton/Vesuvius ferry a boy about 10 was leaving the men’s washroom as I was about to enter it. That 10-year-old boy also had something to remind him of his ferry ride. A sign posted beside the urinal said: Please put used syringes in the receptacle provided.

Toward good indeed.

John Waldin

Duncan