Sitting on the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada, I've always felt very attuned to events in the U.S. Growing up in Vancouver, it was an easy trip to Seattle. Shopping trips were just the norm. When our dollar sank so low, however, against the U.S. dollar, in late 90s, those trips weren't so frequent. It was nothing, to cross the border, in those days...the crossing at Blane, Washington, past the Peace Arch, was very open.
Now, of course, one needs a passport, and it's not just a casual crossing anymore. Such are the changes wrought by events on 9/11.
Canada isn't Australia or New Zealand, though, with distance keeping us in our own circle, and we have always been influenced by the culture of the U.S. Radio, t.v., magazines, books...for awhile there, our government was insisting on Canadian content on our networks/in magazines, to keep Canadian culture alive.
Culture can't be controlled by edict, however, and I sometimes describe Canadians as somewhere between a Brit and an American...we borrow a little from both.
Although there are many things in Canada that aren't a part of the current turmoil, in the U.S. economy, nowhere in the world is immune from outcomes of this downturn. Everyone watches the reports out of the U.S.
I find, by watching BBC World News, CNN, and CBC World, that I get a "balanced" picture of what might be transpiring.
I'm evenly weighted between t.v. and internet broadcasts.
A hybrid person? A perfect description of a Canadian?
It seems that everyone, all over the world, is holding their breath right now.
One thing I have always admired, though, about the American spirit. From where I sit, it appears that most people look into the rear view mirror, tracking the past, worrying away at it like a dog with a bone. My impression of an American attitude is a looking down the highway, paying attention to what's coming up. That strikes me as a creative response to events.
If we focus on what's coming our way, we may more easily catch the creativity needed to turn down the path of success.
Rear view mirror thinking never led anyone anywhere!
Your thoughts?
How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me!
