Roots

Remember where you came from. No matter how successful you become, no matter where you go, no matter what happens, remember where you came from. 

I expect this is the last time I will be enjoying an extended stay in my home town, so I'd like to leave it with a gracious nod. I was born and raised in Newmarket, Ontario - a town of 85,000 people in the Greater Toronto Area and, according to Maclean's, one of the top ten places to live in Canada. If I didn't have work in the morning, I would probably write on and on about how much I love it here, going into the details of its history and so on, but I'll restrain myself. But if you really want to learn more, Stories of Newmarket by Terry Carter would be a good place to start (I don't get a commission, nor have I even met the author). Moving on...

What I will say is that the people I have met here are genuinely amazing and the place itself is a real looker. I like being from a town where I can actually boast about how the government spends taxpayer money. Every time I go out now, I get excited about the new developments and how stylish the city will look in a few years. I can't even complain about construction on the roads (which I actually hope is a clever plan to piss off enough drivers so that we're only left with cyclists and bus users). And, I think there's much to be said about getting a cordial reply after gasping out a "Hi" while on a run. 

A huge part of who I am is linked to Newmarket's community. Whatever I accomplish will be a testament to how great a city this is and I feel safe saying the truth holds for many others. Although I have much to do and places to see, I'll remember where I came from and maybe even drop by every once in a while. 


For those who are interested, the Maclean's Great Canadian Countdown airs tonight (Sun Aug 11, 10pm EST) and tomorrow (Mon Aug 12, 2013 - 7pm EST) on CityTv. Click the link for details.