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PAGE 6 - WATERLOO WE. WEDNESDAY, Last weekend was one the townspeople of Hanover would like to forget after two separate accidents Friday night claimed the lives of five of their own, and left another two in hospital in Kitchener. second Clans Mull Registration Number 5500 While the death of four teenagers from one of the accidents north of Elmira has officially been blamed on "excessive speed," it has been reported that several of the car's occupants had been drinking and beer bottle remains were found strewn around the accident site after the spectacular crash. In the other single vehicle accident near Walkerton, the facts were more obvious - both the victim and a young survivor had been drinking prior to the crash. Without full facts being known, we decline to pass judgement on these particular cases, but a point made by Rev. Edward Hackbusch of Hanover, and by students at John Diefenbaker secondary school when interviewed, by CBC television Monday, brought out an interesting fact. WAhiiSRrOMe again, the peril of drinking and driving rears its ugly head, this time with the tyu.? on youth. According to Hackbusch, drinking and driving is a severe problem in smaller communities and has been for a long time as partyers go from town to town, in their cars naturally, 1pokingfor good timeg. That belief was reinforced by a young student on CBC news Monday, who, when asked why these tragedies happen and why drinking is so prevalent, answered straightforwardly with words to the effect that in small towns, there is nothing for youngsters to do. They get hot-ed, GPI get into local h'otelsvand so they go to the beer store, buy a case, and go on "tour," a euphemism for drinking while driving around isolated country roads. Every bit of what the student and Rev. Hackbusch said is true. It is a problem in small towns, has been for many years, and will continue to be unless we do something to help our youths of today from drifting aimlessly down an ill-defined path. Not all youths. But some. Too many. And are we in the so-called "big cities" any better off? Don't our young teens go to the same type of parties, often involving driving a considerable dis- tance, and no doubt also involving alcohol, at the least? The potential for tragedy, despite the fact our youngsters have more opportunity, more choices to make, is just as great, if they aren't schooled from word one that drinking and driving -2 as well as driving with drinking drivers - is asking for trouble. Too many times John Diefenbaker secondary school in Hanover was in the midst of planning its SADD (Students Against Drinking Drivers) campaign last week when tragedy struck all too close to home. Something to think about, especially for those of us for whom it is not too late. We must ask ourselves what role we can play in redirecting and educating our up-and-coming genera- tion. And then we must go about effecting change so that one day soon drinking and driving and all the artificial glamor that goes with it, will be a thing of the past, and-no attractioh at all. . The MI. W deluge: pubhshed evecy Wednesday try Fairway Press, a dmsnon of Kttcttener-Wattyrioo Record Ltd, owner n 225 Fairway Rd. S ' Kitchener, Ont. a Eros: E , Waterloo, ood MU nu. telephone us an. Walortoo Cum on“ .. located m the Haney mm Lav Once We (you amulet awe: Noon Patna at me you ot me band-no ooooMomtartoFosuy900arrt toti00pm Publisher: Paul Winkler Manager: Bill Karges A - Editor: Rick Campbell mam. correspondemv to Way-r100 omce mom-mums!» adttitatatt9eetrimkpratii_d1ttt established 1854 No, 1 did not give up journalism for Lent. Yes, I know this column is in a different place than when it last appeared 11 weeks NP:. -. -iai- iavViidt Gen suntanning with the Blue Jays in Dunedin: - ... . "%sTriliGirthis paper did very well without me, thank you. - A -- _ No, I didn't take time off to masquerade as Herb of Burger King fame. Yes, it feels territie to be back. And no, I can't resist the temptation to begin this column with a comment suggested by a staunch supporter. For some of you this comes as no surprise, for others it might. Yes, as it said here each week, I was away, first for five weeks at K-W Hospital for an operation and the last six at home recuperat- ing. For the past half year I've been what you'd call a hurtin' cowboy, suffering from ileitis, an inflammation of the small intestine also known as Crohn's disease. While not a fatal disease, it is a chronic condition and had affected me to the point where major surgery was required. But thanks to the expert treatment of Drs. Booth, Leask and Pope, the fabulous support of family and friends. and the ever-present love and inspiration of my ever-present wife Beth, I've bounced back with, flying colors. But before I get back to regular routine here, I would like to dedicate this column to a very special group of people. All have their own name of course. but for the purpose of this column, I will refer to them as my guardian angels, for indeed that is what the nurses of station GAB at x-w Hospital were during my five-week stay there. Many times in late January and early February I stared out KW's sixth floor window and thought land boy, did I have plenty of time to think) of the number of times i had passed that very institution without once appreciating the truly professional nature and consummate caring attitude of the nursing staff. It took first-hand experience for me to realize their importance. and while they claim that they are only doing their job, I beg to differ and offer that they comprise one of the most admirable, if unsung, professions in our society. You get the impression by now, correctly. that I received wonderful care from my guardian angels on GAB. l sure did, and any words here can't begin to express the gratitude l have for the treatment I received. -- va onn‘t be in a hospital for five weeks and not get to know individuals beyond what the uniform 'Uii I wa's'saying before I was rudely interrupt- "It's a racetrack and it this plan goes through you would have to have lights at Roslin or you'd have a four-lane racetrack." Ertt St. W. resident Don CUyfUH on the widening of his street. - SEE PAGE 1 " is written My angels Chronicle Editor Rick Campbell represents. I marvelled at my 6AB nurses, not only tor their ability to handle long hours, weird shifts and an incredible level of stress each time they put on their uniform, but because they brought with them an infectious smile, a friendly word, a reassuring hand. From first thing in the morning toJast rounds at night, the welfare of the patient was top priority. Nurses. Cheery smiles at 6:30 aan., asking how your night went, making you forget how blasted early it was. Comments on the lovely new flowers. Encouraging words when times were tough. Verbal kicks in the butt when deserved to stop you from feeling sorry for yourself. A mere buzzer away, to attend to urgent or special needs. Lending an ear at bedside, often during their break, and chatting about everything from surgery procedure to current affairs to real estate to the latest movies in town. Comforting souls, when you were plugged with tubes from here to Hanover, assuring you that the tubes were helping your condition, and would soon be gone. Messengers of mercy in the middle of the night, bringing your pain relief, offering gentle words of encouragement, urging you to close those eyes and wait for the hope a new day brings. A peanut gallery cheering section, when you took those all-important first steps out of your room past the nursing station, to let all the world know you were on the way back. Taking relatives aside, offering them optimistic but honest appraisals of your condition. reducing confusion and complex condi- tions to easy-to-understand terminology. And last, but certainly not least, letting you know that they were right there, whenever you needed them, not only as nurses, but as friends. On one of those occasions. when I needed them most, I asked a nurse through tear-filled eyes why and how she put up with a daily confrontation with sickness and death, and how she and those of her profession could do so with such genuine caring and compassion. "Because one day long ago," she said, "I decided l wanted to make my Iffe's work helping other people, to do my best to ease their pain and suffering any way 1 could. Just like I hope someday. when I have pain and suffering, someone else will come along and help me." I hope so too. Skilled hands and brilliant minds tended to my condition, and a family's love gave me hope for the future. But it was my guardian angels on 6AB who gave so much of themselves. as do their sisters and brothers in the nursing profession, to comfort in perfect stranger in his time of need. It hardly seems enough, but thanks 6AB. And God bless you all.