THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
KEITH MALCOLM HUNT
I soon found out the specific purposes of my Dad wanting to take 3 months in England and Wales.
He wanted to visit all the old places, towns, and countryside where he spent time, when being trained on a speciality of engines for Britain’s planes during WW2.
He was transferred a few times while he was in training. It was very interesting to see places I had never seen before.
We also just spent time visiting scenic areas—— the Yorkshire Dales; the city of York with its fine Cathedral, and the beautiful countryside of the Lake District, a very popular area for tourists from around the world.
The most important part of the visit was to decide on a head-stone for my Dad and Mom, when my Dad died. We talked to one of the village’s Council men, about it all. My Dad bought the small grave plot, in the village’s grave field, which was the field I remember so well, it was just a literal stone throw from my grandma’s house I was born in. It was a beautiful large head stone my Dad bought. Him and I sat down and decided on the wording; Dad had already decided on much of it, which was very fine; I was allowed to add something, which I did, as the bottom, thanking my parents for all their love and help during my life.
The headstone was engraved by a local man [never knew his name] and it was placed on the spot my Dad had bought. All that was needed to be added was the date and year that my Dad died. And that would be 19 years later, and would you believe, it was the same man that added that, who did the original engraving— never would have thought it would be the same man— that story much later.
During that 3 month visit I did work away at a study I called “Salvation in the Psalms.” It shows that the book of Psalms has everything to guide you through the truth of salvation. Yes it is all there; calling, recognizing sin, repenting of sin, justification, penalty of sin payed through the mercy of God by the sacrifice of Jesus, it includes faith, sanctification, the Holy Spirit in us, and the walk of righteousness, with power to remain faithful to the end.
That study is on my website, under the “Salvation” section; and it is somewhere on my Blog [themeltdowncontinues.blogspot.ca].
The only Sabbath observing people I knew about were some SDA people in Halifax, the town I grew up in. Dad was willing to drive me there each Sabbath. They were a very small group, but warm and friendly; now and again they had a visitor or two just for one Sabbath. One time a few ladies from Jamaica came, it was fun to talk about Jamaica with them, I knew a lot already from the time I got to know many things from Jamaicans I met in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I told them I found Jamaicans loved to sing. The one lady answered me, “Well it was the Welshman sea-faring James Cook, who came to Jamaica and taught us how to sing.” [the Welsh are always singing, famous for their songs and choirs].
It was a nice story but lacks true facts. However it was, the Jamaicans love to sing.
I had many nice quiet walks around the neighborhood where my Dad’s niece lived. I was out walking one day, and I guess my jacket I was wearing was somehow different; two young boys took note, and asked me about my jacket. I said something to them, and they immediately said, “Your from America, right?” I smiled and said yes.
Some in North America think I have a little bit of English accent left, or some have not been sure where I’m from. But believe me if I do still have a slight English accent, it is absolutely nothing in comparison to the real English accent; these two lads new I was not from Britain, but from America. I still get a smile about that incident.
I well remember the day—— I was still in bed, it was about 9 am. My Dad knocked on the door and came in to say, “Keith, Princess Diana has been killed in a car accident!”
For a few seconds I did not want to believe it; but I knew it must be so as my Dad was very sober faced. Of course the whole Western world [maybe the East also] was in utter shock. How on earth could such a kind, loving lady be dead. But it was true, and her young boys were now without their mother.
For many weeks the world endured this tragedy.
The 3 months had it seemed, flown by very quickly. It was time to say goodbye to Dad’s niece and her husband; back we were at Manchester Airport. Dad would catch a plane to Kelowna, B.C. and I would take a flight to Toronto, and from there to Saint John, New Brunswick.
The realization came to it’s head; there was no “church work” with ones of my theology faith, and there was no secular work for me. All of that would have to be in another part of Canada. Many in the Saint John area, trades people, were leaving like a large wagon trail, heading out West— to Alberta; things were going great in oil rich Alberta.
It was time to move on once more. I heard there was many people in Calgary of my faith, who had come out of the Radio Church of God. I also found out there was an Orthopaedic Shoemaker in Calgary, who was looking for help.
Time to move on to Calgary. The travel out was basically smooth; did have to have a new fuel-tank installed on the car, but otherwise smooth sailing as they say.
After finding a lower section of a house to rent, it was time to visit the only Orthopaedic Shoemaker in town; O must say this first, I noticed the road system in Calgary was 25 years behind, and they were busy doing a catch up, so with oil booming and road construction booming, it was a very busy city.
I walked in on the Shoemaker, Gordon was his name, and introduced myself, then knowing he needed help, I asked him for the job. I should have written to him before leaving New Brunswick; as he replied, “O Keith, if you’d been a few days earlier you would have the job, but my daughter said she would like to learn the pattern/upper making side to the trade.”
We chatted for a while, and I found out he had worked for the place I learned the trade, in Saskatoon, this was after I had left. Then after some years with them, moved on to Calgary and was under the Province Hospital umbrella for years. That came to an end because some in the brace and limb section, were not putting in their full 8 hours work a day— just fluffing off; reminded me of the situation back in Saint John, with union people fluffing off work in the ship-building docks the Irvine family owned. Well the Provincial government in Alberta said, “You guys in the Brace, Limb, and Shoe departments are out on your own. You can have the clients, take them with you, but you are on your own as to where you will work from.” Hence Gordon had rented the space he was in on the ground floor of a large multi-story office building.
So I was a few days late with Gordon, but I knew a Shoe-repair outfit [Mr. Minute it was called] that had a number of stores in town were looking for help. I got an interview and got a job. It was in their down-town shop, in what was called then “Eaton’s Center.”
It was a commute each day via Calgary Transit Train. It gave me time to read books going and coming home. I was working with a few other younger fellows then me, but pleasant and I enjoyed it there. I also picked up some part time teaching guitar for a Music School.
It was during that winter of 1997/98 that I met a man who was working on taking the trade of “coding” - the know-how to build websites. He told me he could build a website for me, and so he did. And he would upload the studies as I sent them to him. SO MY WEBSITE WAS BORN! I got a local server to host it, and I was away like a horse in the Kentucky Derby.
It was a time for learning many things for me; how to copy passages, how to put them on a floppy disc, how to really get into all that needs doing for a “text” only website. I had all kinds of studies I wanted to do, but would for space, keep them to text only studies. All this went smoothly for a year or so. Then the man doing the uploading for me, said he just did not have the time any more. So the website came to a stop, what was there was there but adding more came to an end….. at least for a time.
After a year working with Mr. Minute shoe repair, I decided to drop in and see Gordon the shoe-maker.
“Hi Gordon, how you doing” and just for fun said, “Do you have a job for me?”
“O Keith, YES I DO— my daughter quit on me.”
I was stunned for a few seconds, he was really meaning it!
“How soon can you start Keith.”
“Well I’d have to give Mr. Minute a two week notice of leaving.”
Gordon went on to say, “I also have to tell you I can only give you work for 1 and 1/2 years, then I retire down south in Crows Nest Pass. But its good money I can give you.”
I was pleased to have an opportunity to do my trade again. I told him I would take the job.
Two weeks later I was back doing my favourite secular work—— Orthopaedic Shoe-making.
Gordon and I got along super well, he was a great guy to work for.
It was the time when all the Western world was concerned about moving from 1999 to 2000. A guy 10 years earlier had warned the world unless they re-serviced all their computer machines, it would all crash. I heard him speak on the radio a few years earlier. Then many people were thinking the world was going to end in some crazy computer way, and people would be fighting each other to survive. Well I also heard him speaking 6 months before 2000 year; he said the world had heard his message and it was all being done, and there was now no concern about some massive meltdown and fee fall. So confident was he that he said he would be up in a plane as the world rolled over from 1999 to 2000. I tried to assure some Christians that all would be just fine and not to worry, but some worried anyway. It all went as smooth as a baby's bottom.
There was a number of Sabbath observing groups in Calgary, besides the SDA churches [about five of them]. I did some fellowshipping at some of them. I even started to go to the Messianic Group [Jews accepting Jesus as Savior]. It was an interesting experience, and some others, one time Radio Church of God people were attending also; got to know them very well.
One Sabbath with the Messianic Jews, while sitting at a table eating snacks with the one time members of the Radio Church of God, I happened to mention I had a website that was now on hold because the man uploading for me could no longer spare the time. I asked if anyone knew of someone who could do it. It was a woman called Carrie, in her really 40s who said, “That is my skill, I can teach you how to do it yourself.”
“O really. Wow…. That would be great” I replied, “And of course I will pay you.”
So it was set Carrie would teach me how to look after my website myself.
Over the next 6 months Carrie gave me lessons and it was super to learn how to upload, and take full charge of my website. Carrie re-vamped my site somewhat, but teaching me to look after it all was fantastic.
It was now a year and a half since I was working for Gordon, and I knew time was about up, for he was going to move down south of the Province to retire. I did find work again as a part time shoe-repair man. The couple who owned the shop were very nice. I was working for them the day of 9/11 - 2001. The radio was not on, and so I knew nothing as to what happened in New York city till I got home, and of course it was all over the TV stations. Terrible - it was beyond words.
I had built up my music students, and most were living in one section of Calgary. There was a Music School there, and they were happy to employ me as a full time guitar/banjo/mandolin teacher. So I was back into being a full time music teacher. I worked for that music school for 5 years. Had some wonderful students, all ages from 7 to 70.
My website was moving along very nicely; it was super when people would text or email me about Bible questions. I was enjoying music teaching. I was still attending once a month at the Messianic church. Carrie was still attending also. One Sabbath she informed me the cancer, that she had beaten 8 years previously, was back. O my what a sad note that was, a young lady only 44 was facing a return of cancer. Carrie had become such a good friend, and a servant of the Lord. She was a good writer, with a good sharp mind. She had taught me so much about my website, and how to handle it all. Cancer at age 44…. Sad, sad indeed.
The months went by and it did not look good for Carrie.
She finally came to me to talk about the possible end of her life.
She was most concerned about her website that she had recently started. I told her to upload it to my website and it would always be there as long as my website existed. This she did, and it is still there to this day, March 2021 as I enter this chapter.
Now today 2021, my server is down, and may not ever be back up. But you can access my website this way——
Go to Wayback Machine
Type in keithhunt.com
Choose 2017
Choose April
All links will work
Carrie wanted me to conduct the funeral service. She told me what she wanted me to include in my sermon type message about her.
And so it was; a few months later Carrie died. I did what she asked of me. I inherited her cat Daisy, a very sweet natured cat, much like Carrie was.
Carrie went by another name on her website—— Jesse Ancona.
It was one of the blessings from the Lord that I was given in my lifetime, to meet and work with Carrie. I look forward to seeing her again in the resurrection.
………………..
To be continued
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