Today is national holiday. Happy Canada Day. Usually it's all hyped up about how you will celebrate the nations birthday...of Independence...of rebirth you might say...ok...What everyone forgets to mention is who you will celebrate the day of all days with. Canada Day is about being a Canadian with other Canadians...friends and parties or family Bbq...previous years have held lots of both kinds of events. Usually pretty laid back affairs, not too ostentatious or crazy...maybe wave a little flag or say a little prayer of thanks for the ole homeland...but always together.
Which is why today being alone...I am feeling somewhat un-Canadian...I mean if I were all the way in Indonesia I would feel very Canadian right now. If I were in Alberta right now...I would feel very Canadian. But I am not. I am in Winnipeg cleaning toilets and wiping walls and vacuuming floors and feeling very little national pride.
So to dredge up some sort of Canada spirit I put on the orange shirt Andi sent me last month, and i am drinking out of my Christmas mug from Tris and Leigh, slowly, I am starting to feel alittle connected...if we were all together right now. Leigh and Yase would be Bbq-ing and 7 crazy kids would be running around, with one mother chasing them and another one feeding a toddler. I would be sitting on the deck watching it all...worrying that it's all going to dissappear too fast. And become a memory. Knowing that sometimes life takes you far away from 'together'. So, while I am celebrating Canada today, I am missing two of my favorite Canadians...Andi, Tris...maybe next year ok? (I was going to say, next year in the promised land...but that is Jewish and talking about Isreal so doesn't really fit with the Canadian themed post...and seriously in our family where is the promised land...)
PS Ry it's bear mace...seriously, the other night 'John Smith' went on night patrol and was shining a massive spotlight into my room at midnite...apparently chess players are under threat of bombs as well...thats the latest we have heard from the security detail...seriously...
2 comments:
So i'm not sure if John Smith is aware of this or not, but bear mace is made and designed to be used on... you guessed it, BEARS. In the event, such spray is used on humans, the outcome will most likely be this: Judge: John Smith, I find you guilty of the charge, assault with a PROHIBITED weapon, to wit, bear spray, under section 267(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada. Your punishment, beheading.
You hit the nail on the head again Maria. What you're saying is exactly what I was thinking about on Canada Day too - I didn't watch any fireworks, or wave a flag, or eat cake with red and white icing; I spent 15 hours in a car. But I was with friends. And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. We did sing the national anthem, and we did feel very patriotic as we drove across the great Canadian province of Ontario, but we could have sat around in a mudhole all day and yelled at the sun, and I would have been just as happy and felt just as patriotic and at home.
I'm sorry that you were alone for Canada Day, but am glad you found a way to make it meaningful and feel connected to those you love. <3
Post a Comment