The world stage seems to be in a highly-agitated state right now as we start the year 2020, with major brush fires blazing away in Australia, and the rumours and threats of war rumbling in the Middle East, all the while the U.S. president is provoking the situation while facing impeachment proceedings at home.
Canada is admittedly a little player on the world stage, but still, we have a part to play in these scenarios.
We are sending fire fighters to Australia to help them out, quite aside from the donations and other forms of help that Canadians are already sending, and in the Middle East, the Canadian Armed Forces have troops on the ground who may have to leave if the United States pulls their troops out of the region.
Some of these happenings are completely out of our hands, such as the huge fires that are burning up in Australia, but as a generous and giving nation, we can still lend a hand where possible, such as with the fire fighters being sent from Saskatchewan.
These personnel have experience fighting forest fires in northern Saskatchewan, and joining in with forces from other countries alongside the Aussies on the ground, hopefully they can make a difference in that situation.
This is how Canadians, and in particular, people of Saskatchewan, approach things. We may not have a big powerful presence in the world, but we try to contribute where and when we can to help out.
The hope is that we will continue to do this as we move into 2020 and face the uncertainty that is swirling around, and make a difference where we are, when we can.
This was the attitude of the late Jim Brown, who just passed away on Jan. 2 — he promoted the city of Weyburn tirelessly, and volunteered for many groups, boards and organizations with the view to helping others. As a retiree, he often could be found at care homes providing entertainment or visiting, and in his last five months here, he lived at Mainprize Manor where he was well cared for and enjoyed the many activities there.
We may look around and think as an individual there isn’t much we can do that can make a difference, but if there is a way we can make a difference in our family or in one person’s life, that is where it can start.
Even if we can’t be one of the heroic volunteers who can fight fires in Australia, we can donate towards that effort, and we can volunteer here at home, where many groups, organizations and events all have needs for people to step up and lend a hand. Look around you, and find a need or a person, and start to help out.
