Don Gayton

Name: Don Gayton

Birthplace: Pennsylvania, USA

What kind of work have you done?

Growing up in the Western US, I attended a multi-ethnic high school and upon graduation, I became Sixties hippie, hitchhiking a lot and studying a bit. Then I joined the US Peace Corps and spent two years in rural Colombia, working with peasant farmers. Upon return I completed a degree in Agronomy and went to work on cattle ranches in eastern Washington. Opposing the criminal war in Vietnam, I filed for Conscientious Objector status. Since I had no religious connection, my application was firmly rejected, and shortly thereafter we (wife and two young children) moved to Canada, landing in Saskatoon. There I completed a Master’s degree in Plant Ecology, and went to work as an agricultural extension agent on Indian Reserves in southern Saskatchewan. In 1990 we (now a family of six) moved to Nelson BC, where I worked as a range manager, and I have continued my connection to grasslands since moving to the Okanagan, some twenty years ago. Now semi-retired, I consult on ecological issues, and I write, mostly creative non-fiction. My website: www.dongayton.ca

My books:

• The Sky and the Patio New Star Books, 2022..
• Man Facing West Thistledown Press, 2010.
• Okanagan Odyssey Rocky Mountain Books, 2010.
• Interwoven Wild Thistledown Press, 2007.
• Kokanee New Star Books. 2002.
• Landscapes of the Interior New Society Press, 1996.
• The Wheatgrass Mechanism Fifth House, 1990.

How would you identify yourself in terms of religion/spirituality?

I consider myself fortunate to have been raised by parents who had a strict ethical code, but were not religious. So I was skeptical about religion as a kid, and a was a confirmed atheist by the time I entered high school. However, I have always recognized the human need for spirituality, and my current writing wrestles with the notion of finding the sacred in nature.

What are some of your reasons for joining?

Atheism has been a lonely road to hoe. It is a pleasure to interact with folks of a similar mindset.

What are some of the defining moments?

As a junior highschool kid in 1950s California, we had one hour per week of religious instruction, “not on school grounds.” So vehicles from the various denominations would arrive and gather students up. I had to choose one, so I picked a young woman who drove a convertible. She happened to be a Christian Scientist, and I was her only acolyte. So we proceeded to the local ice cream shop (31 Flavors), ordered double-scoop cones, and then drove around the neighborhood while we chatted. There was some incidental mention of saints and apostles as I recall, but most of our conversation revolved around the best ice cream flavor.

As an undergraduate student, I lived in a closet-sized room in the basement of a Unitarian Church, which I got for free in exchange for custodial work. My wife and I got married in that same Church. We wrote our own vows, which made no mention of Jesus, religion or the afterlife. The Unitarian pastor very reluctantly ordained the marriage.