Today’s blog marks the first in a week-long “Proud to Be Canadian” series. Today’s post is about my Canadian pin …
I love to travel, love seeing what our world has to offer. It has given me great respect for the world around us and has offered me a greater love for my home country. I got this ‘travel bug’ from my Dad, who was a proud Canadian.
My Dad was a big believer in seeing the world, experiencing and learning from other cultures. He never finished high school, so traveling became his education. When I was a kid, we would take family trips every summer to see parts of North America. My folks would pack the camper, pack some food, pack the rum (my Dad’s stash) and off we went to see The Grand Canyon or the California coast or Graceland or Las Vegas. I was also lucky enough to travel to Europe with my Dad as a teenager. We saw Switzerland, Austria and Denmark. These experiences left a mark on me, and fueled my thirst for more. To this day, I make seeing the world an important part of my life.
I am very lucky to have had these experiences, and don’t take them for granted. For that I am grateful to be Canadian, as we live in the coolest country on the planet. Not only does our country offer geographical beauty (The Canadian Rockies, Niagara Falls, Cape Breton, interior B.C., just to name a few ...), but we as people are kind, generous, funny, friendly and warm. I can say this from visiting many different places and cultures, we kick ass.
Throughout his life, my Dad worked with many Americans. He always trumpeted the coolness of Canada and wherever he went he carried a pocketful of Canadian pins. Whomever he ran into – a business associate, the waitress at a restaurant, the gas attendant – he loved tooting the Canadian horn and offered them all a Canadian pin.
I remember once being in England with my folks. My Dad gave a pin to a five-year old boy who was fascinated with it. Returning home, the family sent us a picture of the boy wearing his Canadian pin proudly. My Dad was beaming.
So with Canada Day nearing, I remember the proudest Canadian I knew – Bruce Robertson. I still have a pocketful of his pins, wear them proudly and thank him for giving me the genetic curiosity to see our world. It makes me a prouder Canadian.
Thanks for reading, see you next time.
CRAIG ROBERTSON 