January 13, 2003
Of the many that people my life, my friend Michael Vallins was most prominent on my mind over the recent holidays. Mike, who is Toronto Free Press/Canada Free Press.com literary editor, has been my friend since the long ago days when I was a Toronto Sun columnist.
A mental picture of Mike dominates my memories of this year’s office Christmas party: Mike perched on a stool, softly singing karaoke to Presley’s Are You Lonesome Tonight, at Manhattan’s Bar in Yorkville. It was so typical of Mike to take over the microphone after Ho Chow, who sings so well, he could be a professional, vacated it. With people talking and clinking glasses around him, Mike carried through with the words of the song in a plaintive voice. Mike was unusually sad that night, although he was trying hard not to show it.
After more than 30 years, Michael Vallins is about to be a single guy again.
"Lots of people break up, I know, but I just never thought it would happen to me," he had sadly confided over the telephone.
Being left behind was hard on him. When the imminent separation forced the sale of the house where he had spent so many years, he seemed desolate and lost. For some time he had stopped filing his charming and humourous columns. "I just don’t seem able to concentrate, but I’ll be back," he said.
The holidays must have been rough, with one daughter and her family visiting from England and his son destined to marry his true love at a January 4 wedding.
As things turned out, the wedding reception was outstanding, and the visit from the daughter not too emotionally upsetting, given that the mother and father of this close family were soon to separate.
It must be a trifle scary for a long-time husband and father to face being single again just as he approaches the age of 60.
Back at the office party, Michael was wondering how to start over again. A long, mane of silvery white hair and a refreshing sense of humour belie his age.
Heading towards the big 6-0 notwithstanding, Michael Vallins, the person, has a lot of appeal.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows him, that on Jan. 1, 2003, a still melancholy Mike was looking forward rather than back.
A sign on the wall of his office reads, "2003, the year my play will be produced with God’s Blessing.
Mike, who had written the words and the music for 13 songs for a musical, was recently contacted by someone who had found some of the songs on the Internet and forwarded them to a producer related to her by blood.
Remarkable things keep happening around him, and the person who discovered his songs overseas via the net, was a school chum with whom he’s now exchanging emails, but hasn’t seen for 40 years!
"I read a book not long ago concept of which is to envision your dream and keep it foremost daily in your mind. So I begin every new day with a mental picture of me jetting off to London to see my musical go into production," he said.
Writing has long been in his blood. In addition to his CFP columns, which appear on this site now that he’s returned to the fold, Mike writes enchanting poetry. He recently published a biography about his brother, the globetrotting rabbi.
The kind of person who throws his all into whatever it is he’s doing, Mike decided to take a writing course after several years of writing his columns.
"I’ll make a lot of friends there," he told anyone wondering why. Before finishing the course, he was the most popular guy in the class, and maintains friendships with some of the students he met to the present day.
When I checked in with him after New Years, I found him working at his office on a Sunday.
The wedding over, holidays fading, the daughter on her way back to England, it was a new day. Mike’s wife was in the process of moving out, and it was finally time for starting over.
"Although I never thought it would happen to me, I’m kind of resigned to it now, so please don’t worry," he said.
I don’t worry. Because if there is something I learned about Michael Vallins it came from the many brave times throughout his life, he successfully started over again.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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