Making It Up As I Go Along #280

MONDAY...
— A holiday. I stay put for the most part though. I woke to the knee soreness yesterday and it’s still not gone today. Although it improves through the day and, by the evening, I’m tempted to go for a walk in the neighbourhood. But I decide to be cautious. There’s still a dull ache in there. So I’ll wait another day.
— E-mail a bit with Jim regarding real estate. The condo on Bank St., that I’ve been looking at, is available... but not cheap. Taking everything into account, I’m leaning towards not moving at all now. I’m no fan of the Ottawa suburbs. Actually, suburbs in general are things I see negatively. But I have too many doubts of what the next five years will offer me... and I need to be certain before I move. Plus, despite the irritation of the suburbs, I do like my place... the lake near me... and the quiet at night. So it’s not like I’d be chained up in prison if I decide to stay put.

TUESDAY...
— Melissa and I stay an hour late at work to build a little time. Living away from your home town really leaves you scrambling when it comes to leave from work.
— I’m pretty well decided, after lots of thinking, that I won’t move right now. Too many uncertainties around me to be selling and buying homes.
— Hour and twenty minute walk tonight. The knee seems okay.
— Barry Bonds is the new all time home run king in baseball... I don’t care. And only part of it is steroid related. And I really don’t care if the guy is a jerk or not. But home runs have, for years, been an overblown key to fame in baseball. Ball Parks have been made smaller, balls have been made tighter, strike zones have shrunk and pitching mounds lowered. All this gives the advantage for a batter to simply tee off. 756 home runs today is probably about the same as 600 home runs back in Hank Aaron’s day... and 400 home runs in Babe Ruth’s.

WEDNESDAY...
— Another hour extra work with Melissa. Saving it up to take off early someday... it’s always good to build up some time off.
— Shorter walk tonight. I do two 15 minute ones with Melissa at work during the breaks, and break down my one at home to about forty minutes tonight.

THURSDAY...
— Up early thanks to the lawn mowing and wipper snippers out in full force. Why they feel they need to do this at 8:00 AM... when Ottawa is well known for it’s shift work... is beyond me. Jerks!
— The result is a long night at work as I’m pretty tired. Greek food comes in. I go for two walks at breaks (one alone and one with Melissa) and then it’s an hour + walk at home.

FRIDAY...
— The day at work starts with a surprise. I run in to Laura in the parking lot and we catch up some for five or ten minutes. The first time we’ve seen each other in almost two months since she’s on days and I’m evenings... and we’re in different areas of the office.
— Work is okay but slow going. For one reason or another, it’s been a tiring week.
— Chip Wagon with Mark and Jaymie for supper.
— I actually have a bit of a stomach ache when I get home tonight.. So no walk.

SATURDAY...
— Don’t feel great today. Run down and my stomach is still weird. So I take it easy.


Modern Day Braveheart?

I recently read a quote from a Quebecer. They were talking about how people from Quebec see themselves in relation to Canada. And the comparison was made to a Newfoundlander. How, like someone from Newfoundland, a Quebecer sees themselves as from Quebec first... and Canada second. Not that they aren’t happy to be Canadian but that they see the uniqueness of where they’re from and have more pride in showing off their Quebec roots than their Canadian ones.

From a Newfoundland standpoint, I’m forced to agree with this view. But what strikes me as funny in it all is that I wasn’t always this way.

In fact, I remember talking to people during my highschool years. When those people were speaking patriotically about Newfoundland and I said that I considered myself Canadian first and a Newfoundlander second.

Over the years, it seems this point of view has changed. And I can’t help but think that this change has come about in the least healthy of ways possible. I was most happy as a Canadian when I paid the least attention to Canadian politics. The more oblivious I was, the happier with Canada I was.

The more I’ve learned about Canada, the more I’ve felt like Newfoundland deserves my loyalty. The fact of the matter is, Canada, as a whole, has little respect or understanding for my home province.

For a nation that prides itself on being diverse and open for many different, international cultures to co-exist under one flag, Canada shows little in its understanding of at least one (and perhaps many) of it’s own, national, cultures. I say ‘perhaps many’ because I’m open to the idea that I may be quite ignorant to other cultures within Canada. If I feel that Canada doesn’t get Newfoundland, I’m sure there are others in this land that also feel unappreciated.

Fact is, it’s such a diverse nation, that it’s impossible for every corner of it to feel that it’s concerns and desires are being heard. I recently spent two weeks in the interior of British Columbia. And I’m sure that the people of the Slocan Valley feel ignored. In fact, you often hear people in any part of BC, even Vancouver, feel as though they’re ignored by the rest of the nation.

Although I agree that Quebecers and Newfoundlanders can often see themselves in similar ways... that they see themselves as Canadians second, where the differences lay is in the level of national power each province holds. Quebec is a province of influence. Politicians will bow down to Quebec in hopes of gaining support in the province. Federally, if you have strong support in Quebec and Ontario, you’re in pretty good shape. And in a country that takes pride in it’s diversity, this is a major flaw.

Quebec has been recognized as a Nation within a Nation. Not only is this a fairly pathetic example of appeasement, it’s dangerous. The nation of Canada has thousands of ‘nations’ within it. Give one the distinction and many others will be clamoring for equality. Don’t give it, and there’s the trouble. A feeling that Canada isn’t about equal rights but fitting everyone in their role and place.

Since Confederation, Newfoundland’s place within Canada has been that of welfare bum. I don’t know if it’s the majority or not, but a large number of those from mainland Canada see Newfoundland as a province with it’s hand out. A province with nothing to offer but a willingness to take. Many Canadians feel as though the rest of the country is doing Newfoundland a favour and that this should be enough to justify the people from my home province not having any say on matters. There’s a general attitude of “take what we give you and stop complaining”.

It’s this general attitude that gives Newfoundland about as much say in the running of Canada as Scarborough. Yes, the majority of people are found in Southern Ontario. And yes, Scarborough has more people than the entire province of Newfoundland. But if you seriously want to protect diversity within our nation, Newfoundland (as well as other small provinces) must have more influence than what’s basically a Toronto suburb.

So the result of how things are in Canadian politics has made me want to fight for Newfoundland. I see my culture get disrespected and I want to set things straight. And, for the most part, people are sleeping through all of this. I recently read an interview with Newfoundland’s premier, Danny Williams. In it, the interviewer spoke of the broken promise of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Saying how even though Harper has not lived up to his promise of the Atlantic Accord, that politicians break promises all the time. The tone was that Williams was being naive to think a political promise, made during an election, would be kept. And that Williams is now just causing trouble and pushing for more than Newfoundland should get.

What kind of message does this send out? We’re now accepting the fact that politicians are going to lie to us? We shouldn’t take these lies personally? And, through it all, the person who was lied to is given more trouble than the liar himself.

The fact is, if Harper lied to Quebec, Ontario or Alberta, he’d commit political suicide. If Ontario was as angry with the Prime Minister as Newfoundland was, he’d be quaking in his boots knowing that his time running the nation would soon be over. Again, Newfoundland is being told to accept what it’s given and stop complaining.

Justice and equality really aren’t high priorities in Canada... not on a provincial level anyway. Provincially, Canada is all about the motto, “know your place and tow the line”.

Canadian politics is a sad place. You’d like to see leadership. You’d like to see people standing up for what’s right. You’d like to see a modern day version of Braveheart... where someone is willing to stand up for the little man, make sure that they’re heard, and lead the people to be everything they can be. As far as I can see, in Canada, there’s only one William Wallace... And from a romanticized point of view, it makes me want to pack up, return to the homeland, and fight with Danny Williams. Without the support, and unlike Mel Gibson’s inspirational speech in the movie, Canada can take our lives... and they CAN take away Newfoundland’s Freedom.