Sunshine makes me high - No, not that way!

by SHERALYN ROMAN

Regular readers may have done the math by now and figured out that I am a “woman of a certain age.” It means when a song pops into my head, there's a pretty good chance only some of you will know it. It also means there's a pretty good chance you could play it on any radio station, at any time of day AND with the kids listening. In other words, not every second word is a swear word. But I digress. I'm starting on a musical note today because this past sunny weekend put even this old cynic in a better frame of mind. The song by John Denver “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” has a line that says, “sunshine almost always makes me high…” (In a non-cannabis way) and I have to say that's pretty much how seeing the sun for the first time in spring nearly always makes me feel – high! 

Why all the talk about sunshine? Because ever so briefly the world seemed like a kinder, nicer place. People were walking in the sunshine, people were smiling, kids were playing in the parks and it seemed for a moment the world forgot about its problems. I needed that reminder. Vaccine shortfalls took a backseat to going for a walk, driveway visits with friends took my mind off the third wave and supporting a local organization with their charity paint night allowed my Mom and I to unleash our inner Picasso. Cumulatively, the weekend was an important break from the constant barrage of bad news. It made me pause and remember some of the good. Remember when we were sharing stories of a local Caledon Village teen that was making face shields using his 3D printer? Remember all the wonderful people making masks and distributing them to friends, neighbours, and even health care workers who, if you will recall, did not have adequate access to PPE in those first few weeks of the pandemic? These were good news stories. 

I was reminded of the folks who stood on the side of Hwy#50 in Bolton attempting to garner some much-needed support for the Black Lives Matter movement and of a sign campaign in a neighbourhood in south Caledon that did the same, with most of the signs still standing! I'm thinking about Town Councillors like Tony Rosa who is still out there frequently, making videos in front of local small businesses, promoting the heck out of the importance of shopping local. His enthusiasm hasn't waned and nor should ours. These small business owners, if they've made it this far, continue to need our support – perhaps now more than ever. The sunshine reminded me, in a world where it's so easy to become more and more disillusioned, to try once again to focus on the good, focus on the positive and the people who are doing good, where they can, when they can.

On that note, I'd like to hear from you. I know there are local heroes out there still. These are the people from your small neighbourhood, village or hamlet that put the skating rinks together this past winter. It was the firefighters and volunteers who flooded those rinks night after night in the freezing temperatures and the Town staff who supported them as well as established a digital sign up system for use.  This is a shout out to the people who used the rinks and who (for the most part) used the allotted time fairly so that everyone got their turn. It makes me think, there has to be more good news stories out there. What is still happening around you that brings a smile to your face? Where I live, the same group of folks who organized a Christmas parade are now doing a bunny hunt around the neighbourhood. It's a safe way for kids to get out with their parents on a walk, “spot the bunny” and have some fun while enjoying the great outdoors. If you have a good news story to share, I'd love to hear from you via the Citizen at brock@lpcmedia.ca.

I know the sunshine won't last and unfortunately, neither will this temporary high I'm enjoying. Even as a typed this, I'm watching my Twitter feed show pictures of a near empty soccer stadium in Peel Region that should have been full of folks waiting to get vaccinated. We're one of the hardest hit regions of all when it comes to COVID, we finally have some vaccine to distribute and no one is there? The booking system wouldn't allow people I know to get vaccinated until at least Thursday (the day you read this) but meanwhile, on a Monday morning, this location was so empty that if it wasn't for the chairs you could have still played a game of soccer. Why? The issue of students in schools spreading COVID and teachers not being considered front line workers eligible to get vaccinated sooner than later plays constantly on my mind. Talks of third waves and rising case counts continue and our border is still closed even as I watch planes fly overhead. The virus continues to “land” here daily and most of those folks, despite government assurances, are walking straight out of the airport.

Focus Sheralyn, focus – it's still sunny in my neck of the woods. I'll never share if I inhaled or not but sunshine? Sunshine always makes me high.