Hail Little Mary
Tuesday, June 06, 2017
Some 25 or more years ago I was teaching photography for the
Outreach Program of Emily Carr (then called Emily Carr Institute of Art &
Design). In this program artist/teachers (that’s what we were called) were sent
to remote British Columbia communities for weekend seminar/hands on/classes in
the arts. That particular weekend in question I went to a remote western
Vancouver Island community called Ucluelet. When I checked into my hotel on a
Friday evening the woman at the desk said, “A friend of yours has left a number
for you to call.”
This was most amazing as I had no friends in that community.
I called and the person who answered (she always had a fog-horn kind of voice)
said, “Hi, this is Little Mary, Mary Arnold. How would you like to go with me
to a Halloween party tonight?”
I went to pick her up. She was then about to be married to a
pharmacist whom I instantly liked. Little Mary (she was and is 5ft tall) looked
very strange. I had first met (and photographed) her in the late 70s when she was
19. I looked at her getup. "What are you dressed as?" I asked her. She replied, “I am dressed
as a Ukrainian whore.”
That was the last time I saw her until a couple of days ago
when she came over to our Kitsilano home for a visit.
Little Mary Arnold by all accounts should have died many
years ago as she did live a hard life. She could drink anybody
under the table with her fave Grand Marnier.
But I have to reinforce here my delight, admiration and appreciation of someone I can really call a good soul.
At age 19 she had a perfect body (by the standards of the
day and any other days). She had a preference for performing to Frank Sinatra
songs. But what endeared her to me is that she also liked The Police’s Message
in a Bottle.
Mary Arnold’s family has been plagued by tragedy through the
years. Her two brothers (as tall as she was were jockeys) died before their time. Mary Arnold
herself (her only vice now is 6 cigarettes a day) seems to be doing just fine.
One of Mary Arnold’s many talents besides cooking is her stupendous vision for designing clothing (and costumes) for ballerinas and modern dancers. She is currently hoping to get a grant to pursue this avocation.
One of Mary Arnold’s many talents besides cooking is her stupendous vision for designing clothing (and costumes) for ballerinas and modern dancers. She is currently hoping to get a grant to pursue this avocation.
As for me all I can say is “God bless Little Mary.” Of
that I am sure as Little Mary attends 8am Mass every Sunday.
Looking at all the pictures that I took back then when she was 19 I am struck by the look of sadness. Could it have been that at age 19 she might have seen too much? I can attest that now Little Mary smiles and (yes!) laughs loudly. What a privilege to be able to photograph someone 37 years later!
Looking at all the pictures that I took back then when she was 19 I am struck by the look of sadness. Could it have been that at age 19 she might have seen too much? I can attest that now Little Mary smiles and (yes!) laughs loudly. What a privilege to be able to photograph someone 37 years later!
