Lakehead University Inquiry to Life after Lakehead..

I received an interesting email from Lakehead's English department the other day!

"The department of English at Lakehead University is reviewing its programs, and we want your input! Our English alumni are important to us, and we’d love to hear about what you’re up to now. We’d be so grateful if you would be willing to share your thoughts on your time at Lakehead. What did you enjoy most about your English degree?  How did it prepare you for your career? How did you present the skill set you obtained in your degree in looking for work?"

I want to take a moment and respond to this question with the thanks and gratitude that I feel towards Lakehaed University. I spent five years at Lakehead. Unfortunately there were a small number of courses I was apart of that were not exactly, my areas of interest. But for each, there were many more that made it well worth the time to take the courses I did not fully comprehend, I started in a double Major of philosophy and English Language Arts. The beginning of university, end of high school I thought that my strengths were in both literature studies and Philosophy.After quickly realizing the greater interest level in English Studies and Literature, I pursued that as an individual major. 

I think about the experiences in class and lessons learned directly and indirectly through course materials and assignments. I found that the most integral part of the positive experience in this major was the faculty. I had professors who were interesting, accommodating and very reasonable. The experience to succeed was always an open invitation, the professors were not out to ruin anyone's academic career and were all in all, just good people. To really make it special, they were good people with amazing ideas. There are a number of professors in the English department that I'd name personally, however at this point from what I know and understand, most have moved on or moved elsewhere. I don't any or many of them are still at Lakehead or in the English department. Teaching has been my chosen career path and the English Department has done more than prepare me for my career. 

Lakehead yet continues to be an important part of my life as I strive for additional qualifications as a teacher, not only in English, but other subjects as well now. The English department is something of beauty and to be honest, I can remember one of the proudest moments in my life because of the English Student Association (basically department student representatives). I applied to have a poem (one dedicated to a friend of mine who was in an abusive relationship), published in The Artery, to my surprise-it was accepted. I was overwhelmed with joy. 

Congratulations to a Lovely Couple of Friends!

To a couple, OF AWESOME PEOPLE!

Congratulations to Dave and Kimmy. You two are building a life together and I really, really want to be there. However, I do not believe I will not be able to make the time to get there. My family and I were honored that you two thoughts of us and wanted to have us there on that very special day that you become one in holy matrimony. 

Please watch the mail, sent a little something-something for ya. It have been, awhile to say the least since we have seen each other but that doesn't change the awesome feelings that we have for you or the ridiculously hilarious experiences we shared. Here are a few from that first trip together, Beijing (December 5th). A good time together is always the summer and I hope we do get the opportunity to meet each other soon. Remember all those jokes about fatherhood and starting a family, we are here now and "Daddy's Home."

All the best to the two of you. The teaching world is much more interesting as a teacher with you to share the overseas teaching experience with. If you are coming to work back in China and want to make some cash, "I referred you" hahahaha!

Just kidding, but seriously I'd consider hanging out here longer if the two of you made it out this way. if you got time. Video Call! 

Love, Carmelo, Lily and Sam Bono

Thanks there ol' Pal Snyder!

To a really good person that I am proud to say I have known for a long time.

Jesse Snyder, you are an awesome person. I have much love for you brother and no matter where you are in life, you seem to be always thinking of my family. That means a lot. Your Christmas cards always put a smile on our faces and we really do look forward to the time when we can go around Canada and visit friends and family.

To say the least, I am lucky to know you and honored that you acknowledge my family the way you do. In a world of growing problems and changing faces, you are the kind of person that provides solution to dissolution. Thank you for the timeless memories and continued thoughts my friend. I don't know if you are ever going to read this-but it is out there. Thoughts, wishes and our love.

Keep on brightening the lives of those around you and I hope you are inspiring young minds with the same knowledge and experience that drew the attention of our peers to you initially.

All the best,

Carmelo Bono

Thanks Jaz, 2015

Hey Jaz,

Its been awhile since we spoke. I miss you very much, needless to say. I’m hoping this finds you well, its about four days till Christmas. It would have passed long before you received this. Its hard to comprehend the things I have experienced and seen since I moved here. Its hard to believe that all this is happening, especially when blogging and posting on FB or Instagram to folks back home. I hope to venture to the far reaches and borders of China.

To explain these things and for you to read them, in this way will never suffice. I hope one day you get the opportunity to make the jump to China and experience the adventure and awe that I have.

I am excited to be venturing out into the world and trying REAL Chinese food. But still not the same without you around. We have all made adjustments in life, getting used to work life, deciding our paths. I want to thank you for being a large part in making this last year as awesome as it was Jaz.

How is Thunder Bay? Sucks not posting adventures of hilarious weekend escapes with you. I’ll be travelling through Southeast Asia for 1 month with some friends. I’m travelling with two guys and a girl. The group met each other on the way over, they are awesome, but not quite as awesome as a Croc’s on Saturday Night awesome. Good times, miss you a ton.

Oh yah, I am now working with Dave Nussbaumber! That is pretty cool! Small world! I have sent a scarf along with the letter, its is…real fur. But its SO NICE! Don’t hate me. I have added some Sea Cucumbers as well. They are dried. Hydrate and clean, this is for the other side of the human baby-making system. Its not bad, but its good for, well-baby-making activities.

NOTE: The letter is coming from DEC/2014, bottom of my heart. I’ll either bring the scarf to you at some point in life-or I can mail it to you when I return to Canada and the Chinese government isn’t going to delay my package for, well who knows how long. As for the cucumber, I can hook you up if you really are interested.

Thanks Spence, 2015

Hey Spence,

Its been awhile since we spoke. I miss you very much, needless to say. I’m hoping this finds you well, its about four days till Christmas. It would have passed long before you received this. Its hard to comprehend the things I have experienced and seen since I moved here. Its hard to believe that all this is happening, especially when blogging and posting on FB or Instagram to folks back home. I hope to venture to the far reaches and borders of China.

To explain these things and for you to read them, in this way will never suffice. I hope one day you get the opportunity to make the jump to China and experience the adventure and awe that I have.

I hope everything is going well with your Masters Spence, at times I wish I stayed back so I could be there with you and to move forward to work on the Masters. The possibilities are endless with the right qualifications.

How is Thunder Bay? Sucks not posting adventures of hilarious weekend escapes with you. I’ll be travelling through Southeast Asia for 1 month with some friends. I’m travelling with two guys and a girl. The group met each other on the way over, they are awesome, but not quite as awesome as a Croc’s on Saturday Night awesome. Good times, miss you a ton.

Asia man, I thought I was missing out, not going to England. Turns out I was wrong and man, just. WOW! Worth it. I have sent you a dried sea cucumber to try out. Its in need of hydrating and grows. When you look at it you will understand why the Chinese eat it. I’m sure you can find some recipes online.

All the best,

NOTE: The letter is coming from DEC/2014, bottom of my heart. As for the cucumber, I can hook you up if you really are interested.

Letter to Editor, in Loving Memory of Our Angel.

Animals, Automobiles and Alternative Routes

By: Carmelo Bono

DUNNVILLE-Animals are beaten and killed everyday. How fitting it is that dogs seem to enjoy chasing cars often times being a large factor in why they end up underneath them. How inappropriate it feels though to know that a dog who is too elderly to shoot out into a road, and too tired to chase a car, should be killed by one. Now that I have your attention, our family is one of the unfortunate ones who lost a canine companion due to the poor driving of a motorist on a lowly rural road. If it truly were an accident, you wouldn't be reading this letter written by me now. Country roads are not "empty" or "unused". I don't want or expect that there should be police on every street corner at every hour. I do expect that the person behind the wheel is a considerate human being with a conscious though. What is meant, is that when an honest accident occurs due to whatever circumstance, whether it be careless driving, pedestrian mishap, or even a small dog limping (literally, as she had a bad hip) crossing at the wrong time, that we own up to our actions. You apologize at the very least. A person killed what we perceive as a member of our family. She was left in the street to die alone when she was later found (in the street). Found by the very person who rescued her many years ago. A naive person it must have been, to think that an honest accident would get you anything other than tears or that they may have needed to be late for an appointment, possibly even make a detour to the front door to say, "I'm sorry." That is all it would have taken to have brought peace to a family knowing it truly was an accident-that is was not just mischief. This is the second time one of our animals has been slaughtered like this. The first was when I was child (right in front of me while waiting for the school bus), and the motorist just kept speeding. I am not expecting much really, but I hope when people are on the rural roads driving or walking (heck, urban ones as well), that they understand their actions have implications. Although they may not have to see what happens there after-its important to empathize.