Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

1. Mrs Hillen (Kindergarten), Mrs Sears (Grades 3 and 4), Mrs Rogers (Grade 6), Mr Millan (Grade 8), Mr MacLachlan (high school history & sociology), Mr Chisamore (high school math, Grades 10 & 12 - disappointing for both of us but I learned about patience and perserverance and I suspect he did too!), Mr Gilbertson (high school English, Grades 11 & 13), Mr Love (high school Theatre Arts)....Prof. Johnston (academic advisor and Modern Poetry prof, Trent University), Prof. Tromley (first-year English & Jacobean Lit. in third year, Trent U), Prof. Dowling (fourth-year Australian & NZ Lit. - on "loan" - sabbatical! - to Trent U. from sjm's city U), Prof. Bews (second-year Classical Lit., Trent), Prof. Gallop (first-year philosophy)....

2. Sharan, my Mum (who is also one of my best friends), Alf (no, not the cat-eating alien!)

3. My Mum, Sharan, Alf, Dave, Ali.

4. My Mum (! there's a theme here...!), Ali, Sharan, my godmother Jean, Kevin, Dave, Alf....lots more, all around the world, but these spring instantly to mind.

5. My Mum, Ali, Sharan, Rebecca, Kevin, Dave, oops that's six and there are more....Rubrick, Rhubarb Commando, of troy, bingley, vika, etaoin, Wordwind, Whitman O'Neill and so many more right here on AWADtalk....

6. This one's harder. Define "hero." Let's see....People whose stories have inspired me would be easier: Gerald Durrell (founder of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust), James Herriot (pseudonym I know, but obviously a wonderful vitnery in the Yorkshire Dales), Tom Patterson (founder of the Stratford Festival in Canada), Helen Keller (I'm so in awe of how she lived her life - I don't know if I could do it with such challenges), Queen Elizabeth II (how does she do what she does? such a strong human being and such a fine role model - except for the family stuff, where she do indeed fall down a little - hey, if she's a hero, perhaps that's her fatal flaw?), John Milton (more for the beautiful, beautiful words than the home/behind-the-scenes life)...is that half-a-dozen? And for a real, honest-to-God HERO - or rather, a few of them: the people aboard that hijacked flight bound, they think, for the White House, on Sept. 11. I still get choked up thinking of how they decided they wouldn't let that flight reach the hijackers' intended destination. They knew they would die, but they were damned if the hijackers were going to choose how and take them along on a death flight to hurt and kill other people and cause further mayhem. They were heroes. The word gets used lightly these days but to me, they were heroes.