Let’s Try Again

by SHERALYN ROMAN

So, my mum and I were talking the other day and, as mothers sometimes do, she pointed out an “opportunity for improvement,” sharing with me that she's found my articles a bit depressing of late.

Even my most recent attempt was a failed effort – when I asked you all to judge my sense optimism.  She very kindly suggested that perhaps I had misconstrued the definition of optimist with pessimist. So, here I am again this week making another attempt, this time with her help, to be happy and positive as we collectively continue to stare down the face of yet more pandemic pathos. You can't blame me this time, Mum – some of this content came from you!

Things to be grateful for right here in Caledon:

Our health. Ok, so this one is easy, if you've managed to escape the dreaded plague, obviously you should be grateful, and we are. If your only issue is a mild case of seasonal affective disorder, consider yourself lucky and move on. If, on the other hand, your mental health has taken a nose dive into the dumpster because you haven't seen friends or family since last March – after Tuesday's news from Mr. Ford, it's not looking good – you might want to grab a blanket, some cozy pj's and get comfortable. For the record, I am NOT making light of mental health issues. I seriously think we better start pouring significant funds towards the care and support of those of us who really are starting to experience more than just a touch of S.A.D.

Caledon has so much to offer. We are blessed with an abundance of community centres, offering wellness opportunities, swimming and skating and more, making Caledon a great place for families. Except, we can't use them right now. I mean, maybe you could skate, which is to say TEN of you can skate. At one time. TEN. So, call ahead people or, I guess, be prepared to wait, and wait, and wait. Maybe if we get lucky, the weather will at least help those community ice pads to be flooded and operational faster meaning at least a few more of us could hit the ice. Except now with new lockdown rules we can't have more than 5 people gather, even when outside. Perhaps we should just hold a lottery to see who's the one lucky Caledon family that can skate this winter! 

That Caledon has so many lovely stores. I love our local small business owners. We want to support local and we love that the Town of Caledon is working hard to promote “LoveLocalCaledon.” You can buy books, clothes; visit the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker (I couldn't resist) except wait, that's right, you can't. Well, you can, for curbside pickup, but it's not like we can browse and enjoy a nice day out shopping. Unless, of course, we go to a big box store where even during a provincial emergency you can browse to your hearts content. Unless, of course, good old Doug is roaming the aisles like an 800-pound gorilla!

Restaurants around Town are amazing. We have an abundance of fantastic and unique dining opportunities in Caledon. Many types of food, representative of many different parts of the world, are available here to enjoy. Mum and I just hope you like your own living room because the only place you might enjoy “dining out” anytime soon is by dining in with take out. Oh, the juxtaposition!

Our abundant trails, hills and conservation areas. When all else fails at least you can get outdoors! Fresh air is good for us, exercise is good for us and being outside even opens up the potential for you to walk (at a social distance, of course) with friends or family members. Of course, you can't hear one another talk because masks muffle the sound meaning there's no point in talking – and besides, who's got anything interesting to say anyway? It's not like we're an MPP or Hospital CEO who just came back from a great holiday in the DR or St. Bart's and have lots of “hilarious” stories and pictures to share! 

It's a beautiful place to call home! At least, when all else fails, during a lockdown in winter, you have a good excuse to stay home and watch movies. That is, unless you rely on the Internet, which is problematic in Caledon, to put it mildly. Good job our libraries and rec centres offer free wifi because it's not just movies we'll need it for; we'll all be working from home again too. Do you think a group of parked cars might be considered an illegal gathering?

While writing this article, Mum wanted to me to note that she found one “Good News” story to share. On a positive note, apparently greenhouse gas emissions are down – as a direct result of the pandemic. Yay us! It only took an actual plague to achieve this significant milestone. Still, Mother Nature thanks you! Now, let's just hope all those Caledon residents congregating with engines running in the dead of winter trying to access a wifi signal don't push us back over the edge! Seriously folks, if you don't laugh you'll cry…and if we start crying, there's no telling when we'll stop. I'll try again next week Mum. xo