CONST. PHIL KANE
My brother and I were born in England to a British father and a Portuguese mother; we moved to Canada when I was young. After spending the first year in northern Quebec, we eventually settled in the Ottawa area. Aside from a couple of years spent in British Columbia, Ottawa is home.
I’ve worked in the service industry, dealing with people, and today, as a police officer with the Ottawa Police Service, I continue to deal with people every day. The best part of my job is meeting and talking to people.
Today, while working downtown in front of Parliament Hill, there were tourists everywhere. They were taking pictures of everything that I, sadly, take for granted, as I see it every day. They were all smiling while looking at this beautiful city. Many came up to me asking to take a picture with them. All of them commented on how beautiful and clean this city is. I met people from Tennessee, California, Germany, Australia, France and other places. All I could think was how beautiful THOSE places are. They commented on how great the people of Ottawa are and how polite Canadians are.
That’s when it hit me. I immediately found myself looking at Parliament Hill and the architecture around downtown, not as a local, but rather as if I was a tourist. Then I looked, and listened to the people and suddenly I was in awe! I suddenly saw what they saw. A great city in a great country with amazing, diverse people. The laughter, the smiles, and that’s what makes it great. I found myself just standing there smiling, just like they were!
So now I will appreciate what we have in this city and country, even more so. The things that attract people to visit is what we should appreciate every day.
We should stop looking at everything through our smartphones and tablets and take in what we have right in front of us. Explore this city and the other great cities and regions of this country. You will be amazed at what is out there. Sit on a patio or bench and just peoplewatch. Despite all our differences, the one thing that all cultures have in common is smiling and laughter. Try to make someone else smile and laugh while you, or they, explore this fantastic country. It’s the people that make the country. Whether we are the hosts, or the guests, go out and explore and laugh.
And if all else fails, and you find that you are unable to put down that smartphone, you can always watch cat videos! I guarantee that you will smile and laugh. And isn’t that the goal? Phil Kane is a constable in the Traffic Services Unit of the Ottawa Police Service.