By the time you are reading this, my time at the Mirror will be done, at least for the time being. It has been an extremely rewarding experience working with the team here in Campbell River, meeting so many excellent members of the community and helping them share their stories. But unfortunately, it is already time to be moving on.
Newspaper publishing is a crazy business like that.
Thankfully, however, I have been offered an exciting opportunity with another Black Press publication just down the road in Langford with the Goldstream News Gazette, so I won’t be far. Trust me when I say I’ll be keeping up with what’s happening here, as I really and truly care about this community and the people and places within it.
In this, my final “Mike’s Musings,” I would like to just do a quick recap for you of some of the messages I’ve shared in this space over the short time I’ve been here, if you’ll indulge me one more time.
Celebrate the rain. You live in one of the few places in Canada that mostly avoids the internationally-renowned “Canadian Winter,” and the rain you get in its place serves to breathe the life into the region that makes it the place we love, even when you might feel like it is doing the opposite.
When you don’t feel like celebrating the rain, make a blanket fort in your living room. Lay siege to it in an epic battle of good versus evil, save the princess, slay the dragon, and reclaim your homeland – or whatever. Maybe just snuggle up in there with a book, or make some popcorn and watch a movie. You’ll thank me later.
Support your local businesspeople. Instead of buying the least expensive version of that thing you need (or want) on the Internet and having it shipped to your door, see if it’s available from a local retailer or supplier. You thought the mill closure was bad? You don’t want to see what happens if you don’t have any small local businesses.
Lastly, and, most importantly, just be good to each other. The majority of what I’ve said here over the past five months has been, in one form or another, encouraging people to just be decent humans.
Support the local organizations that do good things in your community, whether it’s the food bank, the Arts Council, the Head Injury Support Society, environmental stewards like the Greenways Land Trust or anyone else who dedicates their efforts to a worthwhile cause. Get involved and give someone an hour of your time.
Stand up to injustice and cruelty. Say something when you see something you don’t like instead of just turning (or shaking) your head.
Be vigilant. Look out for your neighbours and they will look out for you.
Be good to each other, my friends.
Whenever I get back, I’d like to see that you’ve taken care of the joint while I was away.