It's like finding a needle in a stack of needles ~ Captain John Miller

"Earn This!" says Captain John Miller from the movie "Saving Private Ryan" or if you're The Dude "Saving Ryans' Privates". I love that movie and the message it carries.

This last week we voted and had a national celebration honouring the birth of our country. With rampant nationalism all around us yesterday I felt very proud to be Canadian. I had a fun-filled day filled with deafening explosions. Yes, literally.

The pancake breakfast was great! Seriously one of the best I have been to. We confused Bill Smith, The Mayor not the GM, by waving at him like we knew him and the look on his face made me giggle. The Chai was delicious and so was the passion juice. The Citizenship Ceremony (what Roman jokingly referred to as the 'Parade of Immigrants') filled me with a sense of pride. People from Rwanda, Eritria, someone from the United States and what sounded like Utopia but probably wasn't, gave their oath and became Canadians. Then we got to give our oath. Lois Hole also gave the best, most inspirational speech I have ever heard her give. We left as Anne McLellan took the stage and went to check out some lawn bowling and then we got to see a 21 gun salute.

I have never seen a 21 gun salute upclose and personal and I was fascinated by it. Scared the shite out of us everytime they went off...
I also learned, from a very cute officer, why we have a 21 gun salute and the meaning behind it. I thought of our Paul Welke. I thought of how those guns may have been used in war at one time and how fucking scary it would be to fight in a war. Serioulsy, to see those things fire round after round southward at Strathcona (just blanks but you get the picture) it made me realize that I am so lucky. Lucky that I get to spend a day in the beautiful sunshine with some hacks. Lucky that I can just go to the store and buy whatever I want and can have a barbeque and drink some ice cold beers with good friends. Lucky that, if I want to, I can take my freedoms for granted, because for the most part I do.

I had the best day yesterday and I topped it off by sitting down and watching a movie about earning what I take for granted. Once a year it is good to remind myself that I have to work hard every day to make the most of what I have. Whilst watching the movie and during the horrific depiction of the landing on Omaha Beach, Mr. Speaker commented "and to think that some people can't even get off their lazy asses one day in 4 years to go and vote." Indeed. Then Andy suggested that if we ever have to go to war again we should draft those people who don't vote and put them on the front lines. You think more people would vote if they knew that was the consequence?

So yeah Canada Day was amazing, the fireworks were outstanding and the good times were second to none, but I just wanted to take a moment to say that I will never forget what is at stake. I am wide awake, I know that the world is a terrible place and that I live in the "utopia" that is Canada. To the 6,500 mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who died in Africa of AIDS yesterday I want to say I won't forget. To those who starved to death or were the victims of tyranny and oppression I want to say I will not forget.

I will try to earn the life I have been given. That's what Canada Day did for me, it reinforced my resolve to be a good citizen and be the best person I can be.