December, 2021
Man of Many Traits Jim Thompson
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hen I think of my neighbor, I remember the day he introduced ants and mealworm Rice Krispies to my sons and the neighborhood boys. Jim Thompson was born on May 2, 1946 in Cardston, Alberta. He is an active outdoorsman, hunter and man-of-all-trades. If Jim isn’t foraging in the forest for chaga, building a fence and putting up a new roof on his house or building a sun-room for his hunting trophies, he is teaching Hunter Education. For years, he and his wife, Donna, ran a bus shuttle from small towns south of Calgary to the city. Jim is a middle child of seven children. His first memory was catching his hand in a ring washer. When he was just a teenager, his father passed away. Back in those days, boys weren’t to cry and he suppressed his emotions. Later in his adult life, he visited a psychologist who told him that he was a “lone wolf”, which Jim thought was pretty impressive, until the doctor told him that it wasn’t. Apparently,
Jim hadn’t experienced that emotional bond with others. After an enlightening experience, Jim found the love of his life, Donna and they raised four sons. They both share a strong bond with their children and delight in having them as part of their lives. Jim recalls one time when one of the boys was in high school. Jim had to go into the school. He was greeting everyone in the cafeteria area and gave his son a big hug. When Jim asked his son if he wasn’t embarrassed, his son replied, “No way! You’re my dad!” Showing and saying “I love you” is interwoven into the family. Jim was an average student who loved sports. He played football, baseball, basketball and was on the track team. He remembers his firstgrade teacher. Because Jim couldn’t spell very well, she told him that if he didn’t perform and get the words correct, she was going to paddle him for each misspelled word. Needless to say, Jim’s grades improved and fifty years later, he met her at a school reunion. She mentioned to him that he was her favorite student! The spelling Seniors — Winter 2021
also helped Jim when he became involved in Adult Education with the City of Calgary for years. Jim did a self-diagnosis a number of years ago and believed that he had ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder); thus the difficulty sitting in one spot for too long and being distracted during class made sense now. The “plandemic”, as Jim calls it, was difficult for the first few months because he is socially involved with his church and he missed having his sons visit and share laughs and hugs. Jim believes that each of us is living our perfect life because God’s will is done in each of our lives. He has a warning for the next generation. He encourages support for organizations and political parties that promote freedom and liberty to all. One must avoid anything that is totalitarian in nature, such as Communism or Marxism. Having the freedom to move about, watching his sons interact in love and share his love of nature is paramount to Jim’s healthy well-being.
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