And so it’s the New Year.
Time for some resolutions. I resolve to do...more!
More of everything. More love for my family. More care for the environment. More concern for the less fortunate. More hiking. More camping. More nature. More playing my guitar. More learning a new instrument. More writing. More art. More craft. And, yes, more work on my house. More ideas for making this newspaper better. More hard work.
Just more!
Maybe our community can do more too. More willingness to accept change because it’s going to happen whether you like it or not. More graceful acceptance of alternative ideas.
We could have less. Less complaining. More constructive criticism, definitely, but less negativity. We live in one of the wealthiest nations in the world and, we live in one of the most beautiful parts of this planet. So, we could be a little more appreciative of what we’ve got.
We live in a city and a region where things are going pretty well. We took a kick in the butt a few years ago but we’ve obviously survived. We’ve had to adapt but really, our roads aren’t falling apart, they’re not laced with potholes. The swimming pool is still open. Garbage is being picked up. I mean, think about that. How great is that? We put our garbage in a can and set it out on the curb and a truck hauls it away. There’s lots of places in the world where they don’t have that luxury. So appreciate it. We paid for it, of course, but be happy we can afford this still.
The year ahead should see things continue to grow steadily. Be happy for that. The John Hart Dam project and the new hospital will come online in a big way this year. It’s a shot in the arm we’re lucky to be getting.
That will mean more business for the community. More jobs.
More positive news. It’ll help me fulfill my New Year’s resolution.
Dig those shades
Meanwhile, I often get asked to “put a little something in the paper” about one thing or another. It’s not usually large enough to do a whole story on. It would barely fit a couple-inch space above an ad. But people feel it’s important to get it out to the public.
For instance, Don McIvor is a longtime resident who’s done a lot for this community over the many years he’s been here.
Don’s concern lately is about drivers who may not know about the value of polaroid sunglasses. In these days of bright sun shining in drivers’ eyes at the same time as it reflects off wet roads, Don’s seen too many drivers squinting into the sun and shielding their eyes from it with one hand on the wheel and one in front of their eyes. Use polaroid sunglass, Don says., it cuts the glare and you can keep both hands on the wheel.
So, there you go, there’s your winter driving tip for the week.