By Stephen Vance, Editor
I’ve been so conflicted over the last week not knowing whether I should be preparing for the first long weekend of the warm season or for the end of the world. Not that my packing list would have been much different for either.
Even though my fate according to those that believe such things would have been less than delightful should the rapture have occurred, I wasn’t worried for a single moment. I mean, if you can endure a Meaford council meeting, you can certainly make it through the end-times relatively unscathed.
Fortunately when my alarm went off at six o’clock this morning the sun was shining, the birds were singing and everything seemed pretty much normal.
I do confess that part of me is a little sad. I mean the end of the world – that is a heck of a news story! Just imagine the front page complete with colour photos. Sure, there might not have been anyone around to read it, but still it is one of those once in a lifetime stories that us scribes live for.
So now that we have managed to yet again survive a much publicized impending Judgement Day, we can all take a deep breath, collect ourselves and figure out what to do next. It’s not often you are presented with with a second chance like this!
So where do we begin with this new lease on life? What will I do differently? What will you do? What will those of us around us do after having all of this time in recent weeks to reflect on the possibility that it could all have ended this morning?
Maybe I will finally build that yurt in the middle of the wilderness that I keep dreaming about. I could create a massive vegetable garden and weave clothing out of the stems of dandelions.
Then again, maybe I could move to New York City. I’ve seen some nifty advertising recently about that other Big Apple. It looks like a pretty exciting place. Tall buildings, museums, restaurants featuring cuisine from every corner of the planet, the Statue of Liberty. It would be such a contrast to the peaceful rural Ontario life I enjoy so much.
There are just so many possibilities that can run through your mind after becoming a Judgement Day survivor. So many ways to make changes in life that would have such an enormous impact.
Perhaps we will suddenly find a way to put all of our differences behind us and work together toward a common goal. Naw, that would seem unlikely unless we somehow lost our individuality during this terrifying brush with near death.
It would be pretty boring actually if we all were to agree on everything.
Oh wait, our Meaford councillors have found a way to do that!
Those seven individuals have so far in their term unanimously voted in favour of practically everything. I can’t even manage to coordinate that much agreement between myself and my two sons, so I know what a remarkable feat it must be to get seven free-thinking adults to gather up so much agreement.
Perhaps after these days of reflection, our council will have come to the conclusion that it is acceptable to disagree and to express displeasure with a proposed policy here and there.
Rubber stamps be gone!
