Editor,
Each morning, my wife and I drive our children to GBCS from west of Meaford. We then get our coffees from the friendly folks at Tim Hortons and drive home. Almost every morning as we leave town, we pass by a road warrior.
This road warrior marches on Hwy 12 as you exit Meaford. Rain, sleet, snow or sunshine, this person steadfastly marches along the gravel shoulder with a stern and determined look on their face. And most times, this person has something in their hands.
I applaud the discipline to go for a daily walk, no matter the weather. We all know the resigned feeling of looking outside from a warm domicile to see a cold, drizzly morning, and putting off that outside activity until sunshine returns another day. But with regard to road warrior status, I am inspired by the activity that this person apparently engages in during their walk — they clean up the road.
Yes, this road warrior not only unwaveringly heads out into all sorts of weather each day, they apparently stop to pick up the trash that other less-disciplined folks perhaps toss out their windows as they pass. For in the hands of the road warrior is often a jumble of garbage bits that were picked up during their morning journey.
To the road warrior west of Meaford, I salute your resolve to keep our roads tidy and bow to your dedication, in all weather, to a healthy daily routine. You have inspired my wife and I, along with our children, to also help keep our own little stretch of road tidy during our less frequent, but much-loved walks in rural Meaford.
Cheers,
Ben Veldman, Meaford