From the Editor's Computer
In case you were not aware, there is a United States Presidential election on November
6, 2012. While I admit I have not been following the
coverage (for the past four years!), I am interested in what the outcome will
be.
I happened to catch a quick glimpse of an
online article the other day. The author
is an American columnist currently residing in Canada.
The columnist started out by saying she’s a proud American, has always
voted Republican, and believed strongly that the American’s were always in the
right no matter what the issue - be it local or international.
However, her perception has changed slightly
in the short time she’s been in Canada, and as the Presidential election
looms closer and closer, her views on the American way are changing.
First off, by being out of country, and no
longer totally immersed in the culture, she can now see that the Republican
Party is not as great as she always believed.
In fact, she admitted that it is quite laughable (not in a good way)
right now.
She also has realized that what they have
always been told about the American way of life is not necessarily true, and
she cited some examples that pertained to her life in particular.
She even thanked Canadians for opening her
eyes and showing her there is a different way to live and be. By being in Canada, she now realizes it is possible
to be an individual and still be nice to others. She has also noticed that it is possible to
be an individual, support private business, and still do the right thing for
everyone - i.e. our universal health care system.
You don’t necessarily need to leave the
country to get a different perspective of your life. Maybe all you need to do is go somewhere
closer - that you’ve never visited before, such as the park in your own
community - for an hour. Notice what is
around you. Talk to someone you’ve never
talked to before to find out their point of view.
It doesn’t take much to gain a different
view of the world around you. All it
takes is the willingness to see things with different eyes.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d_muaRd7koP_QBqNE2G7ViQ-yJSlu7aL/view?usp=sharing
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