With the Winter Olympics being held in my home country at the moment, I thought it fitting to comment on pride. At the moment, the country that I happily call home, is awash with intense displays of national pride. We’re proud to be Canadians, apparently, even though we’re supposed to be known for our humility. My country has the geo-political equivalent of “little brother syndrome”, which as a younger brother I can relate to, and we’re screaming “Look at me!”. Right now it’s our turn to shine and to show off – and I can’t stand it.
You see – it is difficult for me to be proud of being Canadian. I didn’t actually do anything to deserve it – I was simply born here. How can I boast to others that I am lucky enough to live in one of the greatest places on earth – when I had nothing to do with my citizenship? Am I happy that I am Canadian? Absolutely. Every day I take a moment to realize how fortunate I am. But I did nothing to deserve it, so it makes it difficult to boast about it – which is the essence of pride.
Pride is a funny and perplexing emotion and often mistaken for happiness. I am proud of our athletes competing in these games – but equally proud of the ones who finish last as I am the ones who may win a medal. I am proud when I hear stories about Canadians sending a Norwegian Ski Coach 5 tonnes of Maple Syrup as a thank you for helping – very proud actually. But I am not proud to be Canadian – I am happy to be Canadian … very happy. I would never boast to someone in a less fortunate situation of my luck of being born here – that would be very un-Canadian. Just a thought.
Other Thoughts