PGAQ #48 by Vic Steblin, Nov 22, 2008

2570 Laurier Crescent, Prince George, BC, 250-564-1123

Many people consider it a weakness to change an opinion. We are indoctrinated by parents or respected authorities and after years of experience believe in certain activities, like burning wood. Then along comes new information, some of which can be quite unsettling, such as the health effects of burning.

What do we do with new information? Some say, to heck with what might be uncertain facts, and act as they always have. Some have regrets only when poor health visits themselves, children or grandchildren.

Our family used to help grandpa collect wood, which was an awesome activity. Driving into forests, falling, bucking, loading, hauling, splitting, stacking, stoking, burning, cleaning, maintaining equipment is enjoyable for hardworking people.

Then grandpa died of lung cancer. Maybe it was his pulp mill job, or the early years of smoking, or the later years of second hand smoke, or the diesel fumes, or the air quality, or the wood burning. All we know for certain is that we miss grandpa and his collecting wood. But now we do not burn wood anymore.