The Cape Breton Giant

Angus MacAskill was born in the Hebrides and was taken to Nova Scotia as an infant, where he grew up in a fishing village in Cape Breton. Unlike his twelve siblings, Angus did not stop growing until he was in his early twenties, by which time he had achieved a height of 7’9” or 2.36 m and weight of 510 lb. or 230 kg, all well-proportioned. His Gaelic speaking neighbors called him Gille Mòr, or “Big Boy”, but he would gain worldwide fame as “the Cape Breton Giant”.

While the other fishermen were bailing bilgewater out of their boats, Angus would simply pick up his fishing boat and pour the water out of it as if it were a large container. On one occasion it is said he lifted a horse over a fence, and was often seen carrying not one, but two, 350 lb. barrels, one under each arm.

As you might imagine, Angus came to the attention of showbiz and was signed up by Barnum and Bailey, literally “joining the circus to see the world”, as he did. Touring Europe and North America, he performed before Queen Victoria and was presented with two gold rings. I can imagine their size!

Ultimately the Giant retired from show business and purchased a grist mill and general store, hoping to retire to a quieter life in his home town. Sadly, at age thirty seven or thirty eight (records were sketchy in those days), he suddenly took ill and passed gently in his sleep.

The Cape Breton Giant had no difficulty discovering his Giftings, nor did he need any special training. Fortunately for him and everyone around him, he had a sweet and amiable disposition and quietly used his great strength for the good of others, and without fanfare or boasting.

A very few of us are blessed with such unique Giftings that even the casual observer knows what they are. But very few. And even fewer of us are clear about our own personal Giftings.

When you can carry ships’ anchors on your shoulders, your Giftings are obvious, but when you can sing, or play guitar licks, or paint, or teach, or design, or solve mysteries, you’re tempted to think that there’s nothing special about all that. Heck, everybody can do that, you think.

Well, actually, not everybody can.

Let’s say that your Gifting falls in the area of solving complex, thorny problems. The truth is that most people give up, or don’t even know where to start, but you actually enjoy the challenge. That probably puts you amongst about 10% of the population. But then it may also be the case that the problem’s solution requires mathematical insight and training, which you happen to have, leaving you in about 1% of the population. And if you add to that the need to understand the properties of soundwaves, you will find yourself in 1% of 1%, more or less.

So, sometimes your Giftings are obvious to you and to everyone around you, but mostly they’re not. But “not obvious” is much different than “not discoverable”. You owe it to yourself and to the world to be clear about your own Giftings and to exercise them for the good of all.

Happy to talk.