The joy of Kokanee

I don't know who was the first to observe this, but Kokanee on the prairies and in BC is not the same as Kokanee in Ontario and East. Here, I like Kokanee. In Ontario... no thanks. I'll stick with Sleeman's.

But I must pass on this anecdote. Last night we had a Christmas party-ish dinner out as church council at one of the congregations I serve. The waitress was taking orders. The chairman orders a beer. One of the elders order a beer. So I ordered one, and everyone on the council looks at me in mock horror. "A pastor?! Drinking a beer?!"

The joys of living in a predominantly Mennonite town... I think of the 20-some odd pastors in this town, only 2 or 3 will own up to having a beer every now and again. There is no place to buy alcohol for home consumption--one needs drive 7 miles to do that. Only three restaurants serve alcohol with meals--the two Chinese and the golf course, and only the Curling Club has a bar per se, and that is extremely limited and for the use of club members (of which I am one) only.

Legalism, I say. If it were weakness of faith, I would give in, but when people take the upper hand and demand temperance (in the 1920s sense) then it is the fitting and proper thing to have a beer, in public, with the church council watching.

And you know, the Kokanee tasted awfully good.