The following is an excerpt from the memoir “The Power Within”, available at Glad Day Bookshop
Chapter 1 - Haiti Fundraiser
I take a deep breath, inhaling the cool air as I walk home on a late evening in early autumn. Rolling my wheeled knapsack over the season’s first fallen leaves, I pass slowly through the quiet streets of Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighbourhood. I want to unwind from the intensity of tonight’s event and the stressful preparations of the last few days. After all, I’ve done most of the planning, organizing and running of an elaborate fundraiser. It’s taken a lot out of me, especially since I’ve been suffering from a cold for the past few days. Fortunately, as the evening began an enormous burst of energy arrived to carry me through.
Now back home, relaxing by the fireplace, I wonder what my guests are thinking about it all as they sit in their own homes. I replay the event in my mind from beginning to end...
“Good evening, folks, and welcome to tonight’s event, a fundraiser for Haiti that I’ve organized for my friend Kay, who travels to Haiti each year to work in that country’s most devastated areas...”
I am at the Silk Bistro on Parliament Street, addressing some fifty friends who have gathered to support this worthwhile cause. The whimsical Thai decor of the multi-levelled restaurant has been supplemented by heart-shaped magazine cutouts on the walls and tables. The air is filled with the scents of fresh wildflowers and burning candles. The ambiance, thoughtfully planned by my talented and creative friend Amila, also reflects the fact that it is my seventy-fifth birthday.
“I’ve organized fundraisers before, but this one is especially close to my heart because it’s mainly in support of children. After my return from a volunteer gig at two orphanages in India, the plight of children has taken on a new meaning for me. The money I raised to participate in that trip bought fuel and rice for a month for the 275 children at the larger orphanage. It might sound like I’m blowing my own horn, but I just want to point out that there is so much need out there, and there are so many possible ways to help.
“I used to believe that getting big birthday gifts meant that you were well-liked. My father neglected my birthday—no presents—so I doubted his love. As an adult I have long realized that material things do not a happy person make. So giving instead of receiving has become a major switch for me, and I’ve found that in its way it’s much more rewarding. I have received abundantly over these past seventy-five years of my life—love from family and friends, wisdom from mentors and unconditional love from you, my community, the folks who are gathered here tonight. And I thank you, every one of you, for being in my life.
“Now I want to introduce you to a person who wears many hats because of her involvement in many areas. Well, literally, she often does don a great variety of stylish hats when she’s out and about. But for right now you can experience the hat she wears as a singer. Please welcome Kay Smith.”
I am a little surprised when Kay, a stunningly beautiful Audrey Hepburn lookalike, starts right in on her presentation instead of singing first. But then, that’s Kay; she does what feels is right to her at the moment. And that includes going to a devastated land year after year to do inspiringly courageous humanitarian work.
Images flash on the screen behind her as she shares her experiences in Haiti, recites poetry and chooses her own time to sing. The message of the devastation in Haiti and her work there is at the core of her presentation. Kay sings like a pro, performing a smooth rendition of Billie Holiday’s "God Bless the Child" that seems to touch everyone. There is a hush throughout the place; everyone is focused on what Kay is presenting. Even the bartender, wait staff and owner give their full attention to this remarkable story. You need to realize that Kay’s voice is like silk. (How appropriate that we’re in the Silk Bistro.)
I’m pleased that my good friend Barry, a slender guy in his sixties who is a singer and guitar player in his own right, arrives for the last part of the event. When he enters I tell him, "You just missed Kay serenading me with ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President’ in the style of Marilyn Monroe. She sounded just like the original. At the end of the song she kissed me on the cheek, and everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ while the cake was carried in.” I offer him a piece of the double chocolate birthday cake and usher him to a seat.
Stephen Chen, a broad-shouldered young Asian man, is the last performer of the night. He is a Canadian multi-disciplinary artist who has been an avant-garde concert pianist, fine art photographer, filmmaker, performance artist, poet, composer and opera singer. Tonight he performs the rarely heard “Five Songs for Dark Voice” by the Canadian composer Harry Somers. He sings in a male mezzo voice, complemented by videos and images. If you close your eyes, you would swear you’re listening to a female voice—rich, dramatic, melodic and eerie. The images on-screen behind him are of people and places in Canada and Haiti, exploring the sharp contrasts between the two worlds. Pictures of starving children in devastated living conditions are juxtaposed with photographs of well-dressed, well-fed kids living in abundance. Again, not a sound is heard from the audience as all are transfixed by the story being presented in image and song. In fact, many choke up with emotion and some become teary-eyed.
The evening ends with a raffle, and soon the guests start to take their leave. A couple of people say that they did not enjoy some of the music, and someone else complains that they couldn’t see the stage area, but overall the comments are positive. It’s been a powerful, enriching evening that has brought awareness to Haiti’s desperate needs and raised funds that will help Kay fulfill her humanitarian work. At the same time, I’ve enjoyed celebrating my seventy-fifth birthday with my friends. It’s been a win-win all around. I am delighted.
Sitting at home with my thoughts, I recall that upon leaving the event, Barry whispered to me, “Why another fundraiser? You should do something for yourself for a change.” I replied that there was a good reason for these birthday-fundraiser combinations. “We’ll talk about it sometime soon,” I said. Then my thoughts take me back to a birthday in a different time and place.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.”
ENDORSEMENTS
“In this memoir, Schmidt takes us on a fascinating journey through the years and the countries, the crises and the triumphs, the loving and the disappointing relationships within and beyond his family - all of which left their mark on his life and built his character as a human being fully engaged in the world around him. Schmidt writes with a quiet disarming style making the book feel like an intimate conversation among close friends. For us, The Power Within is a pleasure to read and a treasure that enriches."
DAVID G. HALLMAN, author of Caring for Creation, August Farewell, Searching for Gilead.
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