Marion Coady and the “Old People”

by Marion Coady

My name is Marion (Coady) Soroka. I am Edith and Bernie Coady’s youngest daughter. I am married to my husband Jeff, and we have two boys: Barton is 15 and Jonathon is 13.

I do have a quick story to tell about Uncle Hughie and Aunt Greet when they came to Canmore, Alberta, in the 1970′s to visit. I was 18 years old and the last place I wanted to be was at home with a bunch of “old people.”

So I was getting ready to go out the local bar. I was dressed in jeans, men’s grey work socks, hiking boots and a plaid shirt. I came into the kitchen where the “old people” were sitting around the kitchen table.

They were laughing and telling stories (which of course I was not the least bit interested in) and I could not figure out what these “old people” had done in their lives to be laughing so hard about.

Uncle Hughie looked at me and said “Jesus, Jesus, Bernie, look at the dungarees of that one, and she’s going out like that…I can’t imagine taking out anyone dressed like that.” Every one laughed, and I was not sure how to take Uncle Hughie…

Dad said “Ya, Hughie, this one is like Jesse James.”

I had five friends coming over to pick me up to go to the bar, and when they came they also were wondering what all the laughter was about.

Uncle Hughie and Dad got telling a story and the next thing I knew all of my friends were sitting on the counter tops, any available chairs, and on the floor of the kitchen mesmerized by the stories and the Cape Breton music.

(We listened to the Stones, Deep Purple…not fiddle music.)

Everyone at the table was of course drinking tea and eating homemade biscuits, not a drop of alcohol. Dad offered the guys that were there a beer out of the fridge if they wanted one, and the girls could share one he thought. They declined and asked if they could have tea.

We thought we would be there for an hour or so or head to the bar.

All of my friends decided to leave at 2:00 am, and I decided to go to bed. The “old people” stayed up telling stories and belly laughing until 4:00am.

It is now about 30 years later and when I see the same group of people, they all still say it was the best time ever. I even had friends wanting to just come to our place for tea and listen to the “cool old people” tell stories instead of going to the bar.

I must admit this is one of my best memories of my Mom and Dad having such a good time. I am still thankful for Uncle Hughie and Aunt Greet making that trip.

1 Comment

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  By Frank, February 22, 2006 @ 1:29 pm

  Marion,
  It was great to read your story and if I can spin off course for a moment, that storytelling syndrome, affliction, whatever, still seems prevasive in Cape Breton.
  I sit on the regional health authority and this winter we commissioned an in-depth health survey. The contracted company had some apprehensions since we wanted them to interview roughly 3000 people across Cape Breton, reflecting the age and gender demographics of the island. The questionnaire they were to use would require approximately 30 minutes with each person being interviewed.
  This month we received a report that the survey is virtually complete and the information is being compiled. They also reported that in the thousands of phone call made they had experienced no hangups, and no eff offs. Sixty percent of the people fitting whatever category they were concentrating on that day agreed to the survey despite the time involved, and the frustration for the surveyers was that when asking a health question where the answer was A, B or C, the person interviewed had clarification questions of his or her own, and an explanation of why they were asking the question “because one time, I was in Sydney….” and out came a story.
  The average interview, the marketing company reported, lasted 55 to 60 minutes because they couldn’t get those storytelling Capers off the line.
  Frank

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