Changes

by Sharron Arksey

The Icelandic Roots Writers' Group submit short stories about Icelandic life and lore after given a writing prompt. We will be presenting a short series from "Changes". Sharron Arksey writes about many things in her life that have changed, some of which might be relatable to you. 

There was a time when a cake named vínarterta was popular in Iceland. Immigrants to the New World brought the recipe with them and it is now hardwired into the Western

Icelandic psyche. The only time I have been offered vínarterta in Iceland it came with a raspberry filling. It was not the same.

There was a time when the Yule Lads were feared. Now they bring gifts, and their arrival is happily anticipated.

There was a time when Icelandic church services were held in my hometown. For the

past 60 years, services have been in English only.

Changes: The Grace Lutheran Church in Langruth, MB. The image on the left is during its construction in 1929. The congregation had been in existence for some time by then but met at Big Point, believed to be mostly in people's houses. The image on the right was taken by the author in recent years. Photo shared with permission.

There was a time when students in area schools were physically disciplined for

speaking Icelandic during school hours. The strap is no longer used, and no one speaks

Icelandic in class.

There was a time when my mother and her siblings ensured that their children always

had new outfits for the annual Christmas Eve gatherings. My grown-up children insist on

comfort clothing instead.

There was a time when I heard Icelandic spoken every day. All the people who spoke it

are no longer with us. When I studied the language at university, people asked me if my

early exposure to Icelandic helped me now. I said, “unfortunately not” and every time I

tried to practice rolling my ‘r’s, our dog howled.

There was a time when my father-in-law, never known for being politically correct, said

that all there was to see in our community was "an Icelander and a seagull fighting over

a dead fish”. My father-in-law passed away in 2011 and the number of Icelanders in my

home community has decreased greatly. There are still lots of sea gulls and fish.

There was a time when one of my sisters reminded me to take along bathroom tissue

when my daughter and I planned a trip to Iceland in 2014. She and our mom had

travelled there a decade earlier and found that there was sometimes a long way

between toilet facilities. We didn’t take any with us, and we did not need it. Progress

means more public washrooms.

There was a time – not too long ago – when I was gifted a subscription to a digital service designed to record your life story. Every week I receive a question that I answer. At the end of the year, the answers can be put into book form if I so choose. One question that I received earlier this year was “Talk about one

small decision you made that made a big difference in your life.” My answer was several paragraphs long, but it can be distilled down to four words. I joined Icelandic Roots.