Change the world one opinion at a time

After six weeks holiday in my home town, Perth, in Western Australia, it was an unpleasant surprise to return to the chilly and refreshing -30 something’s in Jasper. That’s a cool 60C lower than what I’d previously experienced all ‘winter’. But, however sad I am to be hiding my somewhat decent tan (for a red head) and putting my thongs (a.k.a flip flops) in the cupboard until, well lets face it, maybe July if I’m lucky, I can safely say: it’s great to be back.

Why? When I think about all the places in the world I could be sitting down, typing this article, there are many to which I have already been and plenty more I will go. But, for now, this quaint little town in the amazing and spectacular Canadian Rockies is my home. Why do I choose here?

When I ask myself that question, I have many reasons: the snow, the trails, the mountains, the people... But I think it’s more than that. It’s the impact that, for one reason or another, the place (and all that comes with it) has had on my life. A positive, hopeful and kick-start to the motor impact on my life. For example: three weeks ago  I was sitting in my chilly air-conditioned car with my mother (a.k.a chauffeur for the day) waiting for a friend to retrieve something from the house when I realized she had left her car running.

Being 30C (above zero, it’s hard to imagine huh?) the air conditioning was blowing and the windows were closed. After a few moments I said to my mom, “You should really turn your car off. It’s so bad for the environment and very unnecessary. You know, it’s illegal to idle in Jasper.” The surprised look on my mom’s face said it all. But, she turned the car off and opened the door for fresh air. Although she giggled about the thought of such a law and how exactly it was implemented, I was proud to be ‘spreading the word’.

Now, if I had never succumbed to the beauty of Jasper and been a sucker for the long list of outdoor activities that goes with it, I doubt I would have asked her to shut down her engine. But, the culture, people and community of the town has changed my thoughts on the matter and now, I’ve changed my mom’s. Hopefully, she can change somebody else’s thoughts on the matter as well. Rinse, repeat and we might just see improvements. I know, it’s such a small part of what is a massive and overwhelming battle. But, you have to start somewhere and I’ll take what I can get! Besides, think of the number of young (and old) people who come to Jasper that may also be impacted.

While this was by no means the highlight of my journey to the Southern Hemisphere, it really stood out in my mind and made me realize that Jasper, the culture it provokes, the environment it respects and the people that reside within it, have had an impact on my lifestyle, opinion, daily habits, awareness and overall character. It gives the little grassroots activist inside of me, that I left behind after multiple anti-war protests and brutal occurrences with police when Australia blindly followed the U.S. into war, a spark of hope and drive. I can’t recall the last time something so inadvertently changed my opinion and habits on an issue, however small it may seem.