Video via YouTube
From time to time, we all could use some inspiration. That’s what you’ll find here. We hope it inspires you to stay curious to look for what’s not already in front of you, yet. Enjoy…
As a schoolgirl I felt cheated. Most of the school kids got Birthday cards, cake and had their classmates sing Happy Birthday to them. While I got nothing. I still remember a classmate asking me – ‘don’t you have a Birthday?’ It really sucked because no child, especially an immigrant girl who was taller than the boys and had an unusual name, wants to be different.
One year I came home in tears. I blamed my parents for not giving me a Birthday during the school year and insisted they change it to a day when I was in school. My Dad, who always explained things in a way that made everything nice again for me, pointed out that every Birthday I got something that no other child who celebrated a Birthday in school got. Fireworks!
You see, I share my Birthday with the country we moved to...Canada.
As I grew up and embraced a career that would take me to all four corners of the world and every continent by my 44th Birthday, I realised just how fortunate and grateful I am for my parent’s decision to make Canada our home.
While Canada may not always get it right, like all of us, she too is a work in progress. As such her training wheels are still on and lubricated properly to ride the acute curves she encounters occasionally. As Jeff Douglas, the man in this here video points out, we are a unique country with a quirky Canadian sense of humour who doesn’t take herself too seriously. We named a beer 'Canadian'.
Interesting fact: Jeff Douglas hosted CBC Radio’s evening programme – As It Happens – for nine years. He now lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia and hosts the mainland afternoon programme – Mainstreet. Check him out.
It is only fitting then that in 2017, when Canada celebrated her 150th Birthday and my family celebrated 50 years living in Canada, that I founded KADIMA village, with the sole purpose to make Canada a leader in innovation. It is KADIMA village’s aspiration and my personal commitment to pay it forward. Together we inspire industries, communities, and private and public Canadian organisations, how to navigate an uncertain future in a constantly changing present to build forward different.
As we prepare to celebrate Canada’s 155th Birthday may I remind you – the fireworks from coast to coast to coast – are really for me! My Dad, who died June 1st, 2022, said so! 😊
Happy Canada Day!
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