What I thought would be an hour of conversation quickly...
Meet Stephen – How Life’s Tribulations Sparked Unbelievable Inner Strengthen
What I thought would be an hour of conversation quickly turned into a 3-hour conversation that took me on a roller coaster of emotions filled with highs and lows. Everyone has a story, but for Stephen, I am pretty sure a movie would suit the tale of his life thus far best.
“I was born and raised in Pictou before moving to the western provinces in my early 20s. I am an artist, a stone mason, a recovered addict, and I am currently enrolled at Community College completing my grade 12 with marks in the high 90s to 100. I will be taking the Electro Mechanical Technician Diploma starting in September 2023,” he laughed, “It’s been quite the journey so far. My life has been filled with many ups and downs, but I survive.” Before I could comment, he continued, “I’ve been the victim of three car accidents two of which were caused by intoxicated drivers, almost eaten by a bear twice and a cougar once, and I spent 7 months in a cabin in the BC wilderness alone trying to find myself where I spent a lot of time practicing yoga, mediation, and drawing where I learned the most about art.” My eyes widening in awe of his tale, all I could mutter was, “That is unbelievable!”
He circled back and started at the beginning, “I was born an artist, being able to draw from memory by the age of two years old. My grandfather was a positive influence in introducing me to technical arts. He made a living as a Master builder of wooden commercial lobster fishing boats & house carpentry In Pictou. By the age of 14, I mastered drawing in many forms, and I started tattooing upon the contours of the human body with my custom designs.” This is where things quickly took a wrong turn. “I dropped out of school and got into drinking and drugs which lasted for about seven years.” He started to laugh, “What sparked me to change my ways was a visit to my grandmother’s house. It wasn’t long before she told me that I was an embarrassment because I was not working, and I was an able-bodied person on welfare. That she and my grandfather with three kids had moved many times to find work. I can still hear her saying, ‘you move to where the work is’ which I agreed and listened to her advice, so off to B.C. I went.” I laughed too.
He reminisced, “I enjoyed living an adventurous nomadic lifestyle, to experience different landscapes, people, towns, cities, country sides & raw mountainous B.C. wilderness. I sought temporary and migrational employment in agriculture, stone quarries, and stone masonry, all while continuing my art,” his eyes lit up, “I was a stone mason in B.C. and was all set to get a huge promotion with the company after years of dedication and countless hours of hard work. I was on track for a $90,000 a year job!” I listened with anticipation to his every word. “Then, I was involved in a severe car accident caused by an intoxicated driver, and everything came to a halt. I am lucky to be alive. That is when I moved back to Pictou the last time in 2017. I sold off all my art to buy a plane ticket home.” My heart quickly sank, and I could feel a lump in my throat. He calmly stated, “In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise.” I sat there trying to process his comment. He was not bitter, he was not angry, he just sat there with such inner peace and strength that I have never seen before.
Despite the muscles in his back being almost ripped from his spine, dislocated shoulders, four dislocated discs in his back, and the constant headaches and concussion for three and a half years from the accident, Stephen woke up every morning and pressed on. “I slept on the floor for two and a half years as I needed a hard surface to try and lessen the constant pain. In addition to practicing chalk art and painting, I went to physio, and practiced meditation daily to still my mind, breathe deep, and try to control the pain from within,” he smiled softly. Stephen credits his daily yoga and mediation practice as being important in reducing his initial injury and in helping in his recovery. “From this experience, I learned that if I succeeded once and was offered that huge job opportunity in B.C., I have the power within to do it again…even better this time. Once I finish the Pictou Lobster Carnival sculpture on the waterfront, I can finally apply to be considered for commission Art installations. What a dream come true that will be! I had intentions of coming back on vacation from B.C. to finish the sculpture quickly with the best automated tools money could buy, but life didn’t work out that way. I am grateful though for the fact I’ve had the stone to work on the last few years as a positive motivator to help encourage me to heal. I am looking forward to finishing it as an accomplishment through my tribulations. Life always has a way of working out the way it is meant to be.”
I left our conversation feeling inspired realizing that the power of the human spirit is limitless. That no matter how difficult life gets, there is always something to be thankful for if we look deep within. Stephen left me with one of his favourite Chinese Proverbs, “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”
Pictured: Stephen in front of his current work in progress on the Pictou waterfront. The stone sculpture is of a giant lobster on top of an overly sized lobster trap. This un-commissioned art is to commemorate the Pictou Lobster Carnival. The stone statue will be the first to ever be done for the town of Pictou by a resident of Pictou.