Throughout my travels over the
years, I have often reflected about how much of our life is impacted by
something over which we have no control – that is, where we are born.
You need only read or listen
to the news to be overwhelmed by the unrest affecting so many countries and
people around the world. Poverty, violence, disease, natural disasters a
reality many face just trying to get by. These circumstances are a daily reminder
of the great fortune we can be endowed with or denied by virtue of our
birthplace.
As a Canadian, I would argue
that Canada is among the top countries worldwide as it relates to freedom,
opportunity, peace, education, and scenic beauty. It should be no surprise then that a
recent article in the Globe & Mail considers Canadians among the happiest people
in the world.
Having said that though I absolutely
love travelling – exploring new places, learning about different cultures and
customs – I also love coming home. I have had the opportunity to visit
countries richer, poorer, bigger and smaller than my own. I have felt inspired,
awed, excited, embraced, challenged, threatened and sometimes even afraid along
the way.
But what is consistent is my appreciation for my home and all that it has afforded me; in many ways the very opportunity to travel in and of itself.
How do you feel about where
you were born?
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