Editor, The News:
Re: Fixture of Maple Ridge dies in hospital.
With Pete Seigo’s passing last week, I was heartened to see so many Facebook posts and quotes in the The News from people who took the time to buy him a cigarette or two, or a drink, or give him a small monetary handout but most of all from people who stopped to chat with him.
Whenever I stopped to chat with him, it wasn’t about what we said or how long we talked. It was more about just having that connection.
He always seemed pleased I’d stopped to speak to him and he always asked me how I was doing. I hope it meant something to him it sure meant something to me.
His passing has made me wonder how many people skirted around him, didn’t make eye contact with him and only saw a dishevelled man in a wheelchair to be shunned or feared or both.
If you were one of those people you missed a chance to show some true humanity; an opportunity to make someone less fortunate than you, someone who was handed the unfortunate card of living with a mental illness, feel a part of our community. You missed out.
Terri Marlow
Maple Ridge
