Canyons of Steel - A modern day western

Chapter Four Part One

Columbus, Ohio – 8:55 am. - August 23, 2002

Maxwell inspected his papers carefully before looking over to the man who stood behind the podium with him. Professor Oswald Phipps was a dear old friend. Schooled at Oxford in England, Phipps first met Maxwell on a lecture tour at the University of British Columbia where Max was just a second year student. The pair had engaged in a heated discussion about Canada's First Nations. Some might have called the young student hot headed and ignorant, but Phipps saw a great potential in Maxwell. Instead of ignoring the young man, he kept in touch and now, Maxwell was asked to speak. In a way, Phipps was just as proud of Maxwell's accomplishments as the Dakota man was.

Maxwell finally looked up from the table, hands casually in the pockets of his khaki slacks, and studied the crowd. He took a deep breath as he reached up to adjust his glasses. “Professor Phipps,” he said in a very calm voice. His old friend looked up from his papers with a small look of concern. “Should I be worried if I feel I'm about to have a panic attack?”

Phipps laughed heartily as he placed a consoling hand on Maxwell's shoulder. “Why would you say a thing like that? You speak to students every day in lectures.” He took off his glasses as Maxwell looked over to him. Phipps was an intelligent man, and quite the orator himself. He knew the words to keep Maxwell on an even keel. “Don't think of these people as anyone different than your students. You are an educator, and this is no different than your classroom.”

“I seem to remember that at these events there usually is one person who tries to argue, not just discuss,” Maxwell said with a small smile. Phipps laughed again as the memory of that lecture at UBC was brought back.

“I also seem to recall, the person I was having a discussion with turned into quite the educator himself,” Phipps replied with a smile. In a way, Maxwell had become Phipps protégé. The elder professor saw something in Maxwell that was pure genius. “You'll be fine, Professor Running Cloud. I have complete confidence in you. Besides,” Phipps said with a knowing smile. “If there happen to be any hecklers in the audience, I can head them off at the pass, so to speak.”

Maxwell chuckled slightly at the comment, then turned as the organizer of the lecture motioned the pair to move to their seats. It was going to be a long two hours. Especially when he was one of the focal points of the morning. “Good morning everyone. I would like to welcome you all to this convention and our first pair of speakers,” the organizer stated with a smile as she watched the audience members quickly find their seats and end any whispered conversations. “I am extremely pleased that we have two very well known and very well versed professors in their field. The first, Professor Oswald Phipps. Coming to us from Oxford University in London, Professor Phipps has lectured on the changes in culture and society for forty years. Phipps himself says that as the world moves forward, he is not only an educator, but a student, as he sees the changes in society each decade. Also joining us this morning is Professor Maxwell Running Cloud from the University of Saskatchewan.”

Maxwell took a sip of water as the organizer spoke, and he wondered how many times she had to practice saying the word Saskatchewan before she got it close. As it was, she had placed a slightly incorrect emphasis on the wrong syllable. Little matter, however. Because he was being called upon. As the organizer motioned toward him, he rose to his feet and moved to the podium. “Good morning everyone. I am very happy to be here. I always find that the aspects of our society, our traditions and culture, seem to interweave themselves with our ever growing technology. I am reminded how I was invited to this convention, because I received a phone call while out riding my horse Ironside along the South Saskatchewan. At the time, I found it odd and at the same time, extremely incredible, how something as simple as horseback riding, much like how these two countries were pioneered over a hundred years ago, can become interrupted by a cell phone call.” The audience laughed lightly at the analogy, and Maxwell seemed to ease his worries. He looked to Phipps with a smile and continued. “Today, that is just one of the things I want to discuss. How the culture and traditions of different peoples can stay alive with our ever changing technological advances...”