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M.P. Freeman (on service and self-deprecation)

I’ve known MPF for a good while now, but in the way of introverts, the distance-loving perspective of nerdy writers, we’re getting to know each other more deeply via blog posts and nearly never-ending email threads. (G’mornin’, sir. How goes it?) One of his occasional comments here on JH.com recently blew up into this guest post on Aboriginal — and just plain human — identity and homing instincts.

We got ourselves into a brief exchange on feeling at home spiritually, or existentially, or even (Dawkins forbid!) religiously. Mr. Freeman, apart from his thoroughly Canadian love for hockey, curling and Tim Horton’s, is an unconventional guy, but quietly goes about serving others — as teacher, activist, fellow traveller and friend — in a way that most conventionally spiritual or religious types would do well to emulate. For my part, I come from a youthful ethical perspective that says work of any kind, performed in the spirit of service, is the truest kind of worship. I accused him of, therefore, being strongly implicated in this practical kind of faith, and I liked his brief, sardonic and wisely jocular reply:

“Me? ‘Profoundly religious‘? More like ‘holding on for dear life to any shred of decency and normalcy I can, in the hopes of fooling my creator’!”

I resemble that remark.

Comments (2)

  1. Bahereh Wise

    Very nicely expressed, the thoughts and background of M.P. Freeman. Thank you, James!

  2. michael freeman

    Now I know that you are scraping the bottom of the idea barrel, if the only subject you could think to write about is me. Thanks for the kind words, many of which are bang on: nerdy, sardonic, self-deprecating, quiet, traveller, lover of hockey and curling: all true. That other crap like practically religious, and wisely jocular, and writer? We may have to re-think those. Don’t let the distance cloud your vision! Till next we speak. MF

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