How different are we, really?

I’ve been tossing around a couple of ideas for a column… in my spare time (ha!). One thing I have considered is a final wrap-up of my comparison between the Sault and Thunder Bay.

What struck me this morning, on the bus ride to the University, was that despite a few minor differences, both cities are really quite similar.

One thing I have noticed is that there are people (myself included) who will write Letters to the Editor, or post on local websites, and offer a litany of minor gripes and concerns. There are also those (again, myself included) who similarly offer praise and state their satisfaction with how things are.

Overall, however, despite the vocal minority who do make public statements, I believe most people are generally satisfied with how their cities, and by extension the province and the country, are being run.

Yes, as I mentioned, there are a few complaints. Let’s be honest, there’s no way to satisfy everyone. But in general, I believe people are satisfied.

There are differences amongst the various cities, big or small, and we can always look elsewhere and see how something is being done better than it is at home. Likewise, we can find some things that are being done better in our own cities than elsewhere… although people sometimes don’t recognize this.

Earlier this year I posted a column listing a few of my “Pet Peeves.” In response, poster Roxx made the comment “If these are the only things you have to worry about in your life then it sounds like things really aren't that bad.”

Well, yeah! That’s the whole point of pet peeves: they’re not earth-shattering concerns, they’re just little irksome things that get under my skin. And, frankly, my life is pretty good.

In fact, I think most of our lives are pretty good. For all our minor grievances, I don’t see that many of us are leading a teeming throng of villagers with pitchforks and flaming torches to the steps of City Hall.

We have much to be thankful for, although we sometimes need to be reminded of this.

This is not to say that there are not people who are struggling. There are people who are unemployed, or under-employed. There are people who can barely make ends meet, if at all.

Those of us who do have things pretty good sometimes need to be reminded of this, especially when we are griping about minor annoyances like traffic tie-ups or mall hours. That, I believe, was Roxx’s point.

We all want the same thing, don’t we: a roof over our heads, food on the table, and the company of family and friends.

Everything else is just detail… and we can choose how much detail we need in our lives.

But… that’s just my opinion.