Zoya Stevenson:
CLASS OF 1970
Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute Class of 1970
Scarborough, ON
Golf Road Public SchoolClass of 1965
Scarborough, ON
Zoya's Story
My family immigrated to Scarborough from Northern Ontario in the fall of 1957. That Christmas, my brother Gord got the best gift ever - a lively black puppy from the local animal shelter. My sister Sharon received a kitten from the same place that later gave birth to a litter that gave our family more feline members.
Many different animal species were welcomed into our home for the responsibility they taught us and the learning opportunities they provided. Today, I have two cats - one named Patch (after Patch Adams), the other, Razzmatazz. I take every chance I can get to dog-sit and walk my friends' and family's dogs. Animal friends have given me much joy throughout the course of my life and it would not be the same without them.
I'm divorced and now partnered with a childhood friend who dated my sister when I was ten! (We'd been out of touch almost 40 years!)
After high school, I worked a year before deciding to attend the University of Toronto. Since I was unclear about what I wanted to pursue in academia, I then began many years of part-time study, choosing courses solely on the basis of personal interest.
I obtained all my degrees while working to support myself... These included a B.A., an Hon.B.A. in History and Women's Studies, an M.A. in History and a B.Ed that qualified me to teach Intermediate/Senior - History/ English/ Family Studies.
I never seriously considered studying anything else but history at university. The 'lovely and amazing' Hewlitt team, as well as Mrs. Paul made history come to life in a way that was relevant and personally validating for me.
I almost always loved being a student, but I especially loved 'teacher's college.' It was like going back to high school and having the kind of interest and support that I had from all my wonderful high school teachers.
In my working life, I was privileged to develop projects and work on a multitude of projects that were uplifting and inspiring. I was never bored. Not only did I feel I had a contribution to make, I continually met new people from different cultures and learned new things.
Threads... Friends have provided for me a sense of continuity that is tremendously important. These have been friends like Nora (Mular-Richards), who I met at CCI when I had just turned 13... and who has been an example of someone who continues to aspire to her goals and maintain her commitments.
This dear friend has seen me through so much, and provided me with many opportunities to create joyful memories. And Nora has also helped me to keep in touch with other friends.
In 1998, for Nora and Mike's 25th wedding anniversary, I hosted a party to which Mr. Drewniak, his wife Carol and his daughter Sandy came. It was wonderful to see them. Olive and Charlie Jones, our old classmate Donna "Baker's" mom and step-dad came to celebrate as well since Nora and Mike are good friends to them as well.
For the past few years, I've been seeing Donna when she arrives from France for her yearly visit, and enjoy hearing about her horse-riding and family adventures. For a time, Donna had two beautiful dogs, part-wolf, quite wild. I am saddened that Charlie died in September 2008 as the result of a stroke... but he had reached the age of 97 and had lived a good life, imparting much love and good humour to his family and friends. Nora spoke brilliantly at his funeral service, describing him to a tee and eliciting many fond memories from those who gathered to remember him.
In the fall of 2007, I "teared up" during a trip to the hospitable Drewniak home, while listening to Nora play the bassoon accompanied by Mr. Drewniak on cello and Carol (Mrs. Drewniak) on the piano. They played a very lyrical and difficult piece of Debussy's I think, but I...Expand for more
may be wrong.
Nora has maintained and improved her musical practice immensely; is a member of a trio, a quintet, an octet, a concert orchestra and has been a fine, fine music teacher for over 30 years (I have volunteered and witnessed in minor ways, but I attended her retirement and heard moving testimonials from highly achieving grad students although this year (2009) she has returned to teaching music full-time at the high school level!!). But in 2007, Mr. Drewniak was very impressed with the quality of Nora's bassoon playing, not having heard it since high school!
The whole experience for me, was wonderful and marvellous! I was honoured to meditate on the music, especially since
1. I had never heard Mr. D perform and
2. I have a deep appreciation of classical music over the years in no small part due to Mr. Drewniak's music program.
Mr. Drewniak deserves to be celebrated for the incredible role he played in so many people's lives...
In grade 11, Mr. D encouraged me to participate in a trio for the upcoming Kiwanis competition. Just before our performance was about to begin, I accidentally barged into the clarinet Krista Kehl held in her hands and watched hysterically as a part of it clattered to the floor. Of course, my clumsiness set off a sequence of events leading to a terrible performance (even with Nora at the helm).
I never quite got over my performance anxiety, but on a rare occasion, even I have played my flute before an appreciative audience since high school. (a wedding flute duet, a memorial service bassoon/flute duet, some old age homes with strings.... not too much else)
I have however, played my flute to the loons, beaver, otter, weasels, chipmunks, squirrels, turtles, deer and fish, etc. beside a northern Ontario Lake on numerous occasions. They are less likely to adjudicate or comment... Chipmunks and squirrels have even come closer to listen and chatter, instead of fleeing... playing an instrument has been an important part of my life, even without humans to listen.
'Sorry "Drewn"!' as my sister, Shari would call him when speaking with her bandmates, well before we ever met! For years before my introduction to Mr. D., I wondered what "The Drewn" was like. When we finally met, I couldn't help but be surprised. I expected Mr. D. to be 6'4" at least, for I knew him to be an institution,... from both my brother and sister's mouths. (When I got to CCI, however, I couldn't bring myself to call Mr. D. "The Drewn;" I think he scared me too much.) So he has always been just "Mr. Drewniak" to me.
I am so lucky to have friends and family like Nora multiplied. I'll always remember a line from the poem Miss Perrin taught us in French, "Sous Le Pont Mirabeau" - The line runs something like "Nos amours faut-ils qu'ils m'en souviens, la joie venait toujours apres la peine." (Please forgive my mistakes.)
I believe it helped me to cope with the pre-mature death of my sister at the age of 31, when I was 25. Shari's death made the members of my family realize how precious our family and friendships are/were. We rarely say goodbye without "I love you" and I certainly told people I loved them much more freely than I would have before she died.
And now for me, "To everything there is a season." This verse from Ecclesiastes is a favourite of mine from the Bible, popularized in song by the Byrd's, but actually rewritten by Pete Seeger, a man who continues to inspire through his life and music.
Lastly, in case you like poetry take a look at Derek Walcott's "Selected Poems." There's one (among others) I absolutely love that's short, sweet and simple, not at all complicated. I think it's called something like "Feast on Your Life." Au Revoir. A la prochaine Zzzzzzz
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