Colouring Between the Lines

I delight in my friend's formal labelling, Reverend, Doctor, Captain MacGillvary. Reverend in the United Church,  Doctorate from Boston College, Captain in the Armed Forces. It doesn't end there. He is a strong supporter of the Monarchy, works hard for the New Democratic Party, is happily married with grandchildren and now a great grandchild and is a respected standard bearer for the Gay Rights Movement.

The world is not black and white, not even with many shades of intervening grey. The earth vibrates with rainbows of colours and so do the people.

Dark lines often define boundaries and barriers, but it is not always possible or desirable to colour within  them.

My extended family were the arty sort.  Except for school and Sunday School, my life was almost colouring book free. At home we were given endless sheets of blank newsprint, from the Markham Economist and Sun office. We were encouraged to paint, colour, print, squish our little souls out onto the paper. Heck, it didn't much matter if we went beyond the paper onto the floor or easel.

School was another matter. Pages for colouring were a reward for work well done and complete. Surprising as it may seem, I was the recipient  of many pages. The Disney characters of today did not cavort across the pages. As I remember it, the sheets were titled, Ducklings Swim in the Pond, Big Brother Catches the Ball, Daddy Waves Good Bye, Mummy Sweeps the Floor, Frog Jumps.

At Sunday School, Jesus Held the Little Children, Baby Moses Floated Down the River, Easter Lilies beside the Cross.  I knew enough to use the "right" colour - duck yellow, frog green, Daddy's hand flesh, which in those days only came in a somewhat odd pink. Jesus, too, was in this odd pink.

I wasn't so good at keeping neatly inside the lines. I was amazed and envious of the lauded precision of Gerry Cosburn. I was amazed and impressed when I learned my two year old granddaughter's report from pre-school noted she pasted neatly. I don't worry. I have every confidence this little red headed character will paint the world with every colour and sprinkle it with every kind of sparkle.

I delight in the complexity of it all. We are bombarded by such a collection of images of lives and living in black and white with little room for an odd bit of grey. Bring on the swirling colours that are an essential part of each individual. Enjoy colourers and colours of every kind.

Go out and buy a great big box of crayons. Find a large piece of paper. Draw a picture of the Reverend, Doctor, Captain and use as many of them as you can. Break open the sparkles.