It's quiet here in this prairie town, the barking of dogs and the calling of children echo in the afternoons and the chorus of the trains' whistles and wheels can wake me from a midnight dream. But, all in all ,there is a deep peacefulness.
This week I watched a news report from a big city where a woman had wandered away from home, become disoriented a short distance away and perished from the cold. People had heard her screaming, someone even admitted to seeing something from their window, but no one came to her rescue.
The police in that city have issued a release asking people to call them if they hear someone calling for help. It seems so strange to need to tell adults about 911.
I've always lived in this province and have found myself being pushed out of ditches and snow within minutes of being stuck. I've been helped even when I haven't had time to ask and I've offered a hand when I could. It seems we live in a whole different world.
We don't hear sirens passing throughout the day and night and our neighbours don't wait until there is a tragedy to lend a hand. Our one million neighbours stretch throughout the whole province and even though there are many kilometres separating us, we share a closeness and a sense of identity and pride.
People here may not be recognized with big national awards and federal appointments, but it is through their passion and sense of community we have our recreation facilities, our arts programs and even our health care centres.
This year the children in our community are learning about volunteerism. They are being introduced to the people who give freely of their time and are learning by example how to share their own talents with the people around them. Some of the gifts are shared with those who really need them in times of dire circumstance, but beyond that are the many hours given to create a better quality of life, a more comfortable and beautiful place and opportunities for pure and simple fun.
The attitudes and example make up a place where people feel safe, where they know they belong and where they can count on each other if they find themselves needing something.
Neighbours know each other and value one another. They are delighted when they can help out and when building a fence together or helping to make a new facility possible. The simple task of reaching out builds more than the dot on the map, it builds real community.
