Saturday, September 16, 2006

Verdun's Walter Young

Hi Verdunites!

I found this story on a Verdun High School site, just searching and it tells the story of Walter Young, during the 1930's/Depression Daze. A poor Verdun boy who eventually RAN his way to a first place in the Boston Marathon, then worked as a Policeman and Fireman in Verdun. I went through High School with his son Stanley, we played Basketball together at VHS in the early 50's.Turned out that my Mother knew his Mother , back in the 30's and at an exhibition game in Cowansville, one weekend in 1952, they were reunited. (Parents drove Stanley down for the game.) Ahh, memories from the past. Thought I'd share.  Victah

Boston: The Canadian Story - By David Blaikie

They were alone at home in the Montreal suburb of Verdun, living on welfare. ... At the end of grade eight, the first year of high school in the Quebec of the 1 ...

  • 64.26.138.83/david_blaikie/boston/ baa_1937.htm
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2 comments:

maggiemck MSN said...

Interesting read Victah!

les__f MSN said...

Wow I must have missed this story yesterday,.........Did this kid have stamina or what......even after his running days,....he worked 37 years ,without missing a day: Incredible,..............but How things have changed ,..He once worked for $26.50/week,...........(and super happy to do it),......... but a life lesson occurs to me when thinking of this story,. That You (all of us) Can achieve something ,if we are determined enough ,& dedicated enough to Commit to it: So Go after your dreams,regardless of what they may be,.or at what stage of Life we ae in....there's always more to be accomplished,.....and everything really ,is important, might be just taking your grandkids to school,....or helping where you can with your own kids,but instill in them ,that They Can ,do something,& even the effort alone is worth it:...............Reminds me of the old Edward A Guest poem,..         "It Couldn't be Done" It Couldn't Be Done

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.”   ..................................................................Thanks for the story Vic: