Column: Thoughts on perspective

I recently gained perspective during my first trip to the Canadian Rockies. I’d love to say my first descriptive words were inspirational and deep. Nope, upon first impression, I uttered, “These are insane.” 

Then, I got to thinking.

Part of our trip took us through Jasper. We spoke with some locals who lost their homes in the wildfires last summer. Although they were staying somewhere else in town at the moment, they were effectively homeless.

Approximately 800 homes were destroyed in Jasper. That is a lot of unhoused people, through no fault of their own. It puts some of the little things we complain about daily into perspective.

Standing beside a large tree, only to see the same size tree as a dot thousands of feet up the mountain, adds perspective. Ultimately, our thoughts, feelings, issues, and illnesses are small things on a grand scale. We are but one of billions of people in this world, each having our own issues.

The last piece of perspective before our two-week hiatus comes in the form of retirement. For over 40 years, Geoff has brought coverage to stories big and small to readers across Canada.

Geoff has his own unique style, painstakingly carved out through decades of informing people. His level of caring for his stories, professionalism and creativity are things younger journalists can only aspire to be going forward.

I can speak for the rest of the editorial team here when I say we will miss his perspective on our community. We know we have some big shoes to fill.

Merry Christmas. I hope you have a great holiday season, and I look forward to bringing you more news in 2025. 

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