The Other Country

 The other country runs along our border and we are said to be "friends". For a very long time, we thought it was just like us but as simply another piece of ground to the south of us. This other country, is larger in many ways and older. We found it exciting in their history and learned with great interest about them. Theirs and our history is of course, a new one because both original peoples and their history has superior honour and worth. Those to the south knew little about us other than thinking we were always found under piles of snow and ice. It didn't matter that their states right next to our provinces, directly across the border, shared exactly the same weather. The theory remains generally along the border. We seemed to them to be, if noticed at all, amusingly backward and less fashionable or interesting. In lots of ways we were "backward" in that the nature of the citizens in our country is and was, more conservative and thoughtful. We admire their verve and showiness, their gum chewing and Hollywood colourful ways and fashions and yes, even their government's systems that were largely two party as most generally are: liberal thinking and conservative thinking but played out in different ways. We felt they were big brothers and sisters to us. When I was a teen, because we lived so close to the "American" border (this term to be discussed a bit later), I went shopping for certain kinds of fashions to wear to high school. Some of my better off friends, did all of their shopping in the States as we called it, and emulated the garb of the young stars as much as possible. Their music and art and design was  admired and emulated,  their behaviours and music and style. It remains so today. We looked up to the "Americans". The term "American" bothers me because anyone residing in the Americas: North, South and Central, is American. The folks to the south of us adopted the term "American" as theirs, and refer to themselves in that almost-misnomer as "American". They are those of the United States in North America, they are not the only Americans. But that's my take on the subject. Furthermore, it appears that everything the "Americans" do, we here in Canada, admire and often copy. Gradually, we are developing confidence in our own large, beautiful country from sea to sea to sea and are very proud of that uniqueness. We learn from those in The States just as we do from all those on every other continent. And while we may look like Americans and in many ways behave similarly, we see ourselves, not as clones of those to the south of us, but as a people of  special character just as all other countries do of their own good people.  We are friends, but as equals, not as those a step behind the "Americans". More and more we take pride in our country. Our identity is proudly Canadian and solely so. We appreciate the foreign people to the south in their special ways, too. We two countries with all of our differences live peaceably side by side, and cooperate in most ways. Neither side of the border brags to be better in our differences. We are much alike and much different, but it works. The latest election was of great interest to Canadians and we hoped that however it turns out, it will be something to please and benefit the "Americans" to the south. Of course, we care about the results, but we are not of that country. What we or they do in our interactions, is important and even though what happens may have some effect on us, we have our own systems and ways. We are not about to change merely because of what happens in other countries, but we are interested in their changes and will decide our actions for our Canadian systems. The world is one, as are we all.