"Oh, oh!"
January 23, 2006
By Cam Tait
When I was a young boy, my father had a common saying whenever the doorbell or telephone rang. "Oh, oh," Dad would say in great anticipation of whatever news was waiting for us. It always had an intriguing sound to it. Years later, I thought about what my father had said. "Oh, oh," I kept hearing in my head. What could O.O. stand for? Then one day it hit me: obstacle or opportunity. I'm especially thinking of those two words this week, as all Canadians are faced with two things. We could see them as obstacles. But we could also view them as opportunities.
It's Monday morning, the start of a new week, and perhaps a new government. The polls are open - all day. So how do we see that? Is it an obstacle, because it is the second last week of January in Canada? Despite all the news of global warming, it does still get cold and there's even snow. We could see this as an obstacle because of the time and effort it takes to visit the voting station to exercise our democratic right. But we could also look on this as an opportunity to put our very own individual exclamation mark on a new country and a new vision.
We're also going to find out this week who will carry the flag for Canada at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. This has caused a little bit of a ruckus and the media is having fun with it. Speed skater Cindy Klassen said thanks, but no thanks...and that she wouldn't even be attending the opening ceremonies. Perhaps she saw it as an obstacle that would take away from her opportunity to be the best she can be on the ice. Bobsledder Pierre Lueders said the same thing. But maybe we should remind both Ms. Klassen and Mr. Lueders that they represent this great country of ours. Dare we ask from whom they receive the bulk of their funding? It wouldn't be the federal government, would it? Why is 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' echoing through my mind right now?
If, for whatever reason, you feel that we need to come together as a country; that perhaps change is needed and we have that opportunity to make a change; that maybe we aren't as patriotic as we could be, but that we have a chance to show how much we love Canada on such a global stage as the Winter Olympics, then this is the week. The time is upon us right now.
It's a time when we can put our personal stamp on Canadian history. I can hear my father's voice as we poise ourselves to flip a mundane Monday morning in a new and exciting direction. We have to seriously ponder that great "Oh, oh." They are two simple words that can pave the way to so much - like the morning of a federal election and the week when we find out who will carry the flag for Canada at the Olympics. We can use it as a challenge and ask ourselves: when the doorbell rings or the telephone sounds, are we really ready to answer it? And more importantly, are we ready to accept the privilege and responsibility that comes with it?
Cam Tait is a sports reporter and columnist for the Edmonton Journal. He covered community investments and volunteers for 19 years. E-mail Cam at cam@charityvillage.com with thoughts, suggestions or ideas.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
