I’ve never understood the big draw surrounding the Calgary Stampede. I’ve lived in Calgary my entire life and every year it’s the exact same thing. Drunken real and fake rednecks walking around in their cowboy hats constantly using words like ‘yahoo’ and ‘yeehaw’ (the difference between the two words I also do not understand). Every year I hear stories about people blowing an entire paycheque in a night at the grounds or one of the many Stampedified clubs around town. Every year there’s the battle between animal rights activists and the Stampede commission. Every year the news channels drink the Stampede juice and start dedicating the first 10 minutes of their broadcast to talk about how the corndogs taste this year or where the mini donut stand is located. Every freaking year…
I get it, there are farms and ranches in Alberta. I don’t need it shoved down my throat along with pancakes, hamburgers and syrup every year. I probably sound really cynical right now and I’m sure there are people who would try to claim I’m not a ‘true Calgarian’. Quite frankly I don’t care because in my view Calgary is about much more than the Stampede. It’s just sad most Calgarians are happy to sit back and use the Stampede as our only claim to fame. Oh that and the fact we hosted the Olympics like 22 years ago… the world doesn’t care anymore.
Thought of the day: What do people in China call their good plates?
All the family on my dad’s side of the family are from the southern United States, more specifically Tennessee and Georgia. They are also all totally insane, at least when I compare their lives to that of an average Canadian or even other Americans outside of the south. Growing up I used to spend my summers down there with my family and always had the most amazing times. There’s nothing fireworks and BBQs on the 4th of July (sorry people, Canada Day just doesn’t come close). Independence Day celebrations aside, it worries me that so much of my family down there appear to be so ignorant when it comes to birth control and financial management.
All of my cousin’s have kids, which isn’t a bad thing except for the fact they keep having more and then rely on their families to help raise them. Those kids grow up and start having kids of their own and the whole process seems to repeat itself endlessly. The worst part of it is that they think this process is pretty normal. They are locked in to these lifelong commitments before they’re even old enough to drink and never really get to live life for themselves. They don’t get to travel the world, go to post secondary (unless they get scholarships or are already fairly wealthy), they don’t get to do anything except try to survive.
I know these things happen in Canada too but it’s not the norm here like it is down there. I couldn’t imagine having a child to take care of before I even turned 20. I wouldn’t have been able to travel the world like I have and educate myself without the stress of also trying to raise a child. I definitely feel extremely lucky to have been born in Canada and I’m thankful my grandpa brought my dad to Canada all those years ago. I love my family in the states, they are some of the most amazing people I know. I just wish they had been given the same kinds of opportunities I was given.
