Where is Home? Really!

This week we are having what they call a Heat Wave. Instead of heading out onto the streets for my morning walk at 6.30 am, because of the heat, I hit the road this morning at 5:30 am. Leaving by way of the front entrance onto the street I was warned by one of our early morning workers that I might get wet. He was right! Five minutes prior to reaching to our front door on my return home, down came the rain.

As I crossed one main intersection, and waiting for the light to change in my favour, I noticed an old mattress, a used door and some other junk piled up against the bus stop! Now why would anyone do that? A clean city encourages tourists, tourists bring money, money provides services and goods, and services and goods provide jobs. Are people just too darn lazy to dump their 'stuff' in the proper locations? And I had to admit, whether I liked it or not, the thought passed through my mind, 'Perhaps they were new Canadians accustomed to a different culture and tradition.' Of course, no matter who left their garbage on the main street, they should know that Canada lives by the rule of law. Strange to say, and it is the law that sets us free - and keeps our city neat and clean.

When some folks talk about 'home' they mean the land of their birth. Others, I am told, think of 'home' as where they live and support their family. Still others call  'home' the place where they are loved, respected and wanted. I prefer the last two reasons for calling Canada my home - it's where we want to be and where we are respected and wanted.

I don't see anything wrong with Canadians enjoying the wonderful gifts brought to us from far away places. Culture, and hence the Canadian culture is a living changing entity. When these new culturals benefit, enrich, enhance and improve the Canadian way of life they are one of the great blessings of living in a multi-cultural city like Toronto. But when other customs, traditions, and practices seem to reject our laws, customs and freedoms, they easily become the centre point for conflict. Of course there are always those who, for some reason, find fault with anyone who is 'not like them'. I suspect, they probably don't even like or respect themselves! But that is another story. Others, it seems, just don't want to be Canadians!

For those of us who have lived here all of our lives, we need to remember that our country invites people to come here.  We understand the difficulty of shedding some 'old country' ideas and customs, but we do expect them eventually to understand and appreciate what it means to be a Canadian. Sometimes, it take the next generation to reach that level. Like all of our ancestors, they came here to escape persecution, for greater opportunity, for freedom and a chance to build a normal life. Indeed, my ancestors came from Ireland after the Great Famine (The Irish Potato Famine) at the end of the 19th century, but I no longer consider myself Irish-Canadian....no matter what the Canadian Census form asks!

Sometimes, a 'new' cultural community is so large that some of the members never really have an opportunity to taste the joys of being a Canadian. I liken culture to a fish bowl. The fish living in the bowl have a much better chance of survival than those that find themselves somehow looking in from the outside. In these day of mass communication and multiple devices, it must be very difficult for them to remain locked out unless, of course, they have not been allowed to ever experience our way of life or been told the Canadian way is somehow evil!

As human beings we are social animals. Our true home is where we work and live, raise our families, enjoy our benefits and freedoms, and keep our laws. It is the place where we can look at the simple and beautiful Canadian flag and say that red and white emblem represents what is good...for ALL of us.

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week