Sunday, February 22, 2009

Hockey Day in Canada : A time for stories




Campbellton New Brunswick hosted Hockey Day in Canada. Families came together to join in the celebrations by meeting old friends, making new friends and handing over the gauntlet to the next generation. How many of us do not have a glimpse into what hockey has meant to our culture. Leisure or recreational the meaning was woven into the very fiber of the national tapestry. It represented a joy in being the best, the anticipation of the next contest, the next game. Author Roch Carrier shared great insight into this national icon in his book The Hockey Sweater. And whether you wore the Toronto Maple Leafs blue or the Canadians
red you were in the GAME! And most of it mattered.

As my partner and I walked around the SnowFest activities and heard hundreds of stories being shared. People were abound with exchanges about hockey, the fun of competition and the benefit of team sports. As you walked through the crowd you could hear stories about who was playing, how they had done and what they were going to do to get involved next year. Young families watched as their little ones took to the ice wielding a hockey stick smaller than some boots.

Since the Russia Canada games of the early 70s I have had a very loose connection to hockey. If its Saturday then it must be Hockey Night in Canada was the extent of my relatedness. But I also knew is was more than a sport. It was obviously much more.

We live in cynical times. Positive forces are needed for us to grow strong, feel well and be in the moment.
Living in a community means you are listening to whats important from that perspective.

You participate and engage in the world around you, you take your place along side your neighbor. Your friends and family know of what I speak. They too have their stories, invite them to share them with you. Be inspired by listening to Roch his take on our love of the sport.


Be the teller,

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