No Need for Comparison
User Story
By Kevin McLeod
People would often ask me, "Whoa, California!? Why did you come back?"
I was born in Edmonton and I grew up here. I've spent most of my years in this city, but it wasn't until I lived in another country that I came to truly appreciate my hometown. I lived in San Jose, California, for 4 years. People would often ask me, "Whoa, California!? Why did you come back?" Some winter nights, I would wonder the same thing myself! But in all honesty, when I was gone those years, I missed the winters. I missed the utterly silent walks at night in the river valley, perhaps the crowning jewel of our city's manifold riches. And even when I'm tempted to complain about the cold, I realize that it's part of the charm of this city of the North. I take a certain pride in the fact that when it’s -30 out, I suit up in my winter gear and go tromping in the ravine trails. This place is beautiful in its own way. We don’t need to compare it to anywhere else.
But to me what really makes Edmonton a city of champions is its people, and I mean the true-blooded Edmontonians, the ones who, like me, genuinely love their city. After all, it surely takes a special kind of human being to really appreciate what we have here without grumbling about it. It takes a special kind of person to go through these prairie winters and short summers, year after year, and not only to stay, but to love it. To not mind shoveling the sidewalks. To not mind the short winter days, and the magnificent, long summer evenings where the light doesn't really go all the way down till perhaps 11 o'clock at night, or later.
I grew up in a neighborhood called West Meadowlark. We lived in a small crescent, and at the centre of the crescent was a little island park that we called “the middle.” That’s where all of us kids would be found most times, concocting all sorts of games, climbing the trees. I have distinct memories of wandering the alleys alone from a very young age, and I always felt completely safe.
When I lived in the States, one of the things I missed the most was the little parks you can find dotting the neighborhoods throughout this city. I hadn’t realized how precious they were until I lived in a city where such gems were quite sparse. And of course, I missed the tree-shaded back alleys! What a difference it makes to the feeling of openness in a city! They’re like little park trails in the midst of the concrete jungle. I love them.
Edmonton is also a great place for an artist of any kind to ply their trade. Myself, besides writing, one of my passions is music, and I’ve been afforded ample opportunities to perform and collaborate with other artists in the city. The current hip hop project I’m working on was born here and is deeply influenced by the energy this city has fed me. The arts scene here is thriving, and in spite of challenges, or perhaps even because of those challenges, many talented and passionate people are continuing to build a strong community spirit here. It truly is a city of champions, no doubt about it, and I like to think that I was born here for a reason. Perhaps so that my life could be imbued with that spirit. I’m thankful that Edmonton is my home. Wherever I go, I’ll always cherish it.
