Been A While...
It's been a long time since I sat down and typed something to float around in the blogger stratosphere. Our family has been whirling around, this planet known as Earth and has settled for the past two years in a small town (1 hr North West of Edmonton), called Westlock, Alberta.
The past 7 years we have been in Edmonton, Ottawa, St. Paul (Alberta) and now here in Westlock. It is a good feeling to finally feel "unpacked".
How are we liking it?
It's been a mix of emotions, especially the first few months but we are generally liking it.
I find there are strong opinions towards the argument of Small Town vs. City. It can be a heated debate, similar to gun control, abortions or Talus Dome Balls.
People that live in cities are all like, being in a city is the ONLY way to live. It has so much culture and shopping. That small towns are for simple people (dumb, even) and are boring because there is nothing to do. I know, I am generalizing here, but the sentiment rings true.
People that live in small towns would argue, "No, small towns are not boring." As my mother would say, "Boring people are bored." There is plenty to do.
Westlock is 25 minute drive to a clean, spring-fed lake, called Long Island Lake. 25 minutes from a world-class gymnastic facility and ski hill (Tawatinaw valley). 30 minutes from a cute little movie theatre in Barrhead. Has a bowling alley, swimming pool with kid section, Rotary Spirit Center with field houses, art gallery, indoor running track, curling and hockey rinks.
The shopping argument in 2018 is simply ridiculous. Amazon anyone? And supporting a local shop gives us more "warm fuzzies" than putting fuel in Sam Walton's family jets.
Pollution, traffic, crime are typical encounters in large cities.
The only times that I have encountered road rage is being stuck behind a senior who is driving 15km/hr on their motorized scooter.
I am not here to give a final verdict on this debate but I would like you to consider this experience.
Big Dragon and I spent this past Saturday night on a hot date, busing tables and taking drink orders at the Rotary Dinner Theater.
A local couple has been directing and producing theater for the past 23 years, bringing in millions of dollars to the community which directly goes into bettering the community. Recreation centers, walking trails, student exchanges, etc etc. You get the idea.
The smell of the coffee sizzling on the burner brought me back to my waitress-ing days of summers in high school. The busy, positive energy of 30-40 volunteers hustling to keep the guests hydrated and happy was glorious.
Clearing the tables carefully as to not get gravy stains on my black and white attire was an uphill battle.
Two souls volunteered to be in the "food pit" so to speak. Their job description could be summed up as when the plates come, some half filled with food, you scrap off the remains and pile them on trays to go to the dishwasher.
The dirty plates, bowls and cups were beginning to stack high on the one side of the community hall and servers were bottlenecked while the war on clearing plates off was in full swing, so I went to dirty plate trenches on the other side. The scrapper was an older gentleman who was fast at his job. I commented on his efficiency and got a slight smile.
I didn't know until afterwards that the speedy plate cleaner was a local multi-millionaire businessman who also started a charity to get clean water and vocational education to women in Ethiopia. You can't judge a book by it's cover. Oh, and he wrote a book about what he does too.
It doesn't matter whether you have multiple properties or two dollars to your name, when you live in a smaller community, everyone's effort is appreciated and needed.
Maybe just being a larger clog in an awesome community machine wins this debate for us, for now.
The past 7 years we have been in Edmonton, Ottawa, St. Paul (Alberta) and now here in Westlock. It is a good feeling to finally feel "unpacked".
How are we liking it?
It's been a mix of emotions, especially the first few months but we are generally liking it.
I find there are strong opinions towards the argument of Small Town vs. City. It can be a heated debate, similar to gun control, abortions or Talus Dome Balls.
People that live in cities are all like, being in a city is the ONLY way to live. It has so much culture and shopping. That small towns are for simple people (dumb, even) and are boring because there is nothing to do. I know, I am generalizing here, but the sentiment rings true.
People that live in small towns would argue, "No, small towns are not boring." As my mother would say, "Boring people are bored." There is plenty to do.
Westlock is 25 minute drive to a clean, spring-fed lake, called Long Island Lake. 25 minutes from a world-class gymnastic facility and ski hill (Tawatinaw valley). 30 minutes from a cute little movie theatre in Barrhead. Has a bowling alley, swimming pool with kid section, Rotary Spirit Center with field houses, art gallery, indoor running track, curling and hockey rinks.
The shopping argument in 2018 is simply ridiculous. Amazon anyone? And supporting a local shop gives us more "warm fuzzies" than putting fuel in Sam Walton's family jets.
Pollution, traffic, crime are typical encounters in large cities.
The only times that I have encountered road rage is being stuck behind a senior who is driving 15km/hr on their motorized scooter.
I am not here to give a final verdict on this debate but I would like you to consider this experience.
Big Dragon and I spent this past Saturday night on a hot date, busing tables and taking drink orders at the Rotary Dinner Theater.
A local couple has been directing and producing theater for the past 23 years, bringing in millions of dollars to the community which directly goes into bettering the community. Recreation centers, walking trails, student exchanges, etc etc. You get the idea.
The smell of the coffee sizzling on the burner brought me back to my waitress-ing days of summers in high school. The busy, positive energy of 30-40 volunteers hustling to keep the guests hydrated and happy was glorious.
Clearing the tables carefully as to not get gravy stains on my black and white attire was an uphill battle.
Two souls volunteered to be in the "food pit" so to speak. Their job description could be summed up as when the plates come, some half filled with food, you scrap off the remains and pile them on trays to go to the dishwasher.
The dirty plates, bowls and cups were beginning to stack high on the one side of the community hall and servers were bottlenecked while the war on clearing plates off was in full swing, so I went to dirty plate trenches on the other side. The scrapper was an older gentleman who was fast at his job. I commented on his efficiency and got a slight smile.
I didn't know until afterwards that the speedy plate cleaner was a local multi-millionaire businessman who also started a charity to get clean water and vocational education to women in Ethiopia. You can't judge a book by it's cover. Oh, and he wrote a book about what he does too.
It doesn't matter whether you have multiple properties or two dollars to your name, when you live in a smaller community, everyone's effort is appreciated and needed.
Maybe just being a larger clog in an awesome community machine wins this debate for us, for now.
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