oh...canada. you know...
when it is all said and done
we live in an incredible country.
we have the right to vote how we want, even if it does not go the way you think it will.
we are free to express our views without being shot down in the street.
we are free to enjoy safe communities, clean water, family and friends without fear.
we are free to work without checkpoints and with wages that can support our families.
and if we can not work, we have support for that.
a perfect country?
no.
but then again, what is perfect?
i am walking away from this election shaking my head that more people did not vote.
i sit here with the hope, that with how the election results have played out, that the next four years can create a consistent government and opposition that can make positive progress in the areas that matter.
i hope that the people who wanted to make change and did not win, continue to make change in their communities. and i hope that the people who have criticized the loudest, continue to speak out in what they believe.
we live in an incredible place. we are wealthy in resources and freeedom and possibility.
our kids have a world of opportunity living here, in canada, and need to be taught to respect their history and their rights and to recognize the potential in their lives to make changes here and in the world.
that is my job, as i see it.
the election changes some of the players ( or not ) in the country but not the responsibility of it's people.
yesterday, sitting, surrounded by the beauty of where i live, with a healthy child, a world of choice and a desire to make a difference, was probably the best way to go into an election.
i hope others are hopeful as well, not bitter and jaded, whinging and wringing their hands, bemoaning the results, without a thought to the future.
happy? run with it and make change.
unhappy? milk that anger and turn it into something powerful.
this is your country.
5 comments:
Fabulous post Ang - you've expressed my thoughts exactly. We can complain all we want about the outcome of this election but at the end of the day we are still incredibly fortunate. Oh, and LOVE that image of your handsome little dude! :)
So well said, and so inspiring, too. I was feeling disappointed about the results - well, I guess I am still disappointed, but now I also feel energized to stay involved and try to do something. Thanks!
Imagine a country where a man who dares to stand up and protest against the status quo is pepper sprayed directly into his eyes and thrown into the back of a truck. There are riots here in Uganda, people here can only dream of the freedom to vote democratically, to protest, to act on one's beliefs. Canada has so much to be proud of and although I am disappointed by the swing to the right, I love my adopted country and believe it to be the best country in the world. Thanks for a great post, so thought provoking from where I am sitting.
thanks guys:)
samantha - i am so glad you shared. your perspective is unique, being a canadian abroad and appreciated.
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