Sam Mullins

This is Chris Idle, one of Elaine's best friends.

High five to Elaine.

High five to Elaine.

They built a life together. But even from the very beginning, it was clear that there was something missing for Ron. He loved Elaine very much, but his heart was always somewhere else. Canada. With Ron, it was always about Canada. And who better to describe Ron's lifelong connection to Canada than his one surviving family member, Jeff Platt. He was my big brother.

They built a life together. But even from the very beginning, it was clear that there was something missing for Ron. He loved Elaine very much, but his heart was always somewhere else. Canada. With Ron, it was always about Canada. And who better to describe Ron's lifelong connection to Canada than his one surviving family member, Jeff Platt. He was my big brother.

Ron and Jeff's folks had been struggling to make ends meet in post-war England for years, and were desperate for change.

Ron and Jeff's folks had been struggling to make ends meet in post-war England for years, and were desperate for change.

So when the opportunity to teach in Canada came up, they leapt at it. But the Platts were cursed from the beginning. A few days before their first Canadian Christmas, their house burnt down, nearly with Ron in it, and they lost everything.

So when the opportunity to teach in Canada came up, they leapt at it. But the Platts were cursed from the beginning. A few days before their first Canadian Christmas, their house burnt down, nearly with Ron in it, and they lost everything.

But instead of taking it as a sign that they'd made a horrible mistake by coming here, this incident would be recorded in the pliable young brain of Ron Platt as a foundational positive memory because of what happened next. The neighboring farmers rallied to help this new family of strangers.

But instead of taking it as a sign that they'd made a horrible mistake by coming here, this incident would be recorded in the pliable young brain of Ron Platt as a foundational positive memory because of what happened next. The neighboring farmers rallied to help this new family of strangers.

They took the Platts in, gave them their coats, and helped them salvage their first Christmas and survive their first real winter.

They took the Platts in, gave them their coats, and helped them salvage their first Christmas and survive their first real winter.

This was the Canada that Ron Platt was never able to shake, the Canada in his heart and tattooed on his hand, the one that he would describe to Elaine. But the Platts remained a family constantly on the brink of financial ruin and existed in a permanent state of limbo.

This was the Canada that Ron Platt was never able to shake, the Canada in his heart and tattooed on his hand, the one that he would describe to Elaine. But the Platts remained a family constantly on the brink of financial ruin and existed in a permanent state of limbo.

Ron grew up bouncing between England and Canada with his folks. And then when he became an adult, he kept doing the same thing on his own. He tried joining the Canadian army, but they wouldn't take him. So he went all the way back to England to join the British army. He worked in the Signal Corps for many years as a radio technician, where he learned he had a gift for understanding electronics.

Ron grew up bouncing between England and Canada with his folks. And then when he became an adult, he kept doing the same thing on his own. He tried joining the Canadian army, but they wouldn't take him. So he went all the way back to England to join the British army. He worked in the Signal Corps for many years as a radio technician, where he learned he had a gift for understanding electronics.

While electronics made perfect sense to him, there were many things in his life that didn't. He struggled socially. He couldn't seem to hold down a job or ever find a baseline of happiness. In the moments that he'd examine his life like it was an electronic on his workbench, he always seemed to arrive at the same diagnosis. This isn't running properly.

While electronics made perfect sense to him, there were many things in his life that didn't. He struggled socially. He couldn't seem to hold down a job or ever find a baseline of happiness. In the moments that he'd examine his life like it was an electronic on his workbench, he always seemed to arrive at the same diagnosis. This isn't running properly.

There could be a missing part, or more likely, it must be in the wrong place.