New Brunswick’s Normand MacDonald completed his long list of dream careers by the age of 60.
He joined monastic life first, then worked as a licensed practical nurse, became a florist after that, then worked in the funeral business, and most recently celebrated 15 years as a pastor.
“I have friends, who, when they grew up, they wanted to be a policeman, fireman or whatever, and that’s what they became,” said MacDonald, who grew up in Moncton but moved to Fredericton later in life.
“I, on the other hand, there were four different things that interested me.”
While it would appear that he has done it all, there was still another path that piqued his interest — the art of making artisanal cheese, something he learned about at a Trappist monastery in Quebec, known for its production of Oka cheese.
And one day, while having lunch at work, someone mentioned a group in Halifax that fulfils the dreams of seniors.
“I had been sick, quite sick, previous to that, and I spent a month in the hospital, and my survival was not guaranteed at the time,” said MacDonald. “So when you come out of that, you see life differently. So I thought, ‘Here is a group that perhaps could help me.'”
MacDonald applied to We Are Young, the organization that ultimately helped him, at the age of 71, realize his dream of learning how cheese is made.
“My desire was to just to experience the entire process, whatever that was, from beginning to end, and they made sure that I did,” MacDonald said of his experience at Les Blancs d’Arcadie, cheesemakers in Caraquet, where he got to make squeaky cheese, also known as cheese curds or poutine cheese.
Cheese curds squeak because of their tightly-woven protein network, which results in a squeaking noise when they make contact with your teeth. But the squeak only lasts for a short time after the cheese is made, so MacDonald got to experience the squeak of a fresh curd during his time at the factory.
Katie Mahoney, the co-founder of We Are Young, said the idea behind the nine-year-old organization is to acknowledge seniors and their efforts in society.
“If this generation spent so much time selflessly sacrificing and always giving … how many of them actually prioritize their own dreams and aspirations?” Mahoney said.
“The hard truth is not very many. And many have lived a long life, but have still held on to dreams and wishes that they would still love to see fulfilled with a little help and support.”
The organization grants wishes in Atlantic Canada and Ontario. They have to be experience-based, said Mahoney, and they need to be something that wouldn’t be able to happen without support.
Mahoney said ageism is a prevalent issue, and she hopes sharing these stories can help people look at seniors in a different light.
“People often forget that, you know, if we’re lucky enough to get older, we will become 70, 80, 90, and I don’t know about you, but I want to live in a world where seniors are valued and supported, not just for this generation, but for the generations who are growing up and will inevitably get there.”
MacDonald’s experience was something he’ll never forget. For just a short time, he felt like part of the staff at the cheese factory — checking off another milestone on his list of dream experiences.
“It was a bit overwhelming for me to have accomplished, yet again, something that I had wanted to do,” he said.
“To know that, no, you’re not too old … and there are people out there who can make your dream come true.”