Monday Memories

So I decided because Mondays start with M and Memories start with M I would start a new tradition/habit on here on writing a memory of my past on Mondays. Today I am going to do one on Montreal.. also starting with M although that is a pure coincidence hehehe. I knew that Montreal was playing in the Grey Cup yesterday and it brought up memories of my dad and me growing up. Although it had nothing to do with football it did have to do with Montreal.

We didn't have a TV early in our childhood like most other families and when we finally got one it was obviously in black and white and was this small size. Probably 12 or so inches. It sat on top of a cabinet before we got the big floor one that had its own cabinet. (Came from Dad having been on a binge and needed to apologize to my mom). Anyway I digress. At first we only had 2 channels, one French and one English. But the one thing I remember watching was Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights. It was in French and we always watched the Montreal Canadiens play. I can't even remember if my other brothers watched with Dad and I. I just remember watching it with him. I used to think at the time I wished he was always like that.. like a real family.

I developed a love for Montreal anything. I watched all their games regardless of what sport. My dad had a cousin whose name was also Solange who was from there and at times they would come down for Christmas and we would all be at my grandparents and she would walk in with these big fur coats always asking where her namesake was. I used to think of her as this glamorous movie star.

When I was working at the hotels we had annual conferences at our head office in Montreal and the last year I was there, they had gotten us tickets to go watch the Canadiens play hockey. Now you have to know Montreal fans. They are true fans.. no matter how good or bad their teams are they are there for them. Kind of like Saskatchewan Roughrider fans. So to get tickets to their hockey games are pretty scarce and as this was their last game to play in that stadium, I have no idea how they managed to get them but they did. I sat there just thinking of my past and how I had sat in my living room so many decades ago watching from the outside in and now I was literally sitting in those same seats.

As I sat there I remember thinking how much my dad would have loved being there, how much he would have cheered the team and how much he would have just sat there taking it all in. For him that would have been a dream come true. Now anyone that has ever been to any sports game with me knows I am the least quiet fan in the bleachers but as I thought of my dad I was quiet and just thought of him. I realized at that moment he had been a human being and that no matter if I liked or hated what he did at times he was still and would always be my dad. And for that I truly am grateful.

Although the team no longer plays in that particular stadium, I took a piece of history home with me that night, a memory that will never be forgotten.