Everything Changes

I am a citizen of the United States that lives in Canada. My immediate family lives in the States and whenever I visit my homeland I am intrigued by the subtle differences between the two countries. For example, freedom of speech is alive and well in the USA. Not so much in Canada. You hear "God", "Jesus", "church" and "Christian" mentioned everywhere in the States - and you can purchase Christian products almost anywhere. Not to mention that there is an actual church building on just about every corner. There are 6 "Christian" churches within walking distance from my sister's house - all within about a 1/2 mile.

And the media in the States can talk about Jesus. Not so much in Canada.

But there have been a couple of differences that I've noticed on this particular trip south of the border that have really perplexed me. They involve recycling and the handicap.

It amazes me that the United States doesn't recycle very good! I mean, my parent's new apartment complex has 64 units and they DON'T offer recycling! They have one large garbage dumpster for the people who live here but no blue boxes or recycling pick-up! Plus, if you are at the mall or a fast food restaurant... NO RECYCLING CONTAINERS! Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

That is so weird to me.

Secondly, I am learning a lot about being handicapped and the obstacles people with disabilities face on a daily basis. Both of my parents suffer from Parkinson's disease and mobility is a significant issue for them. They use walkers and have a handicapped sticker for their vehicle which gives them the right to park in a handicap parking space. In Canada it seems that every building now has automatic doors - malls, restaurants, etc. Not so much in the States! And the doors they DO have on their handicap bathrooms are so heavy, I (as a non-handicapped person) can barely open them! Plus, the so-called ramps that restaurants in the U.S. build to "aid" handicapped people were obviously NOT constructed or researched by a handicapped person. Some of those ramps are down right dangerous for handicapped people!

I'm sure that I will be more aware of the handicap accessibility that Canada offers when I go home, because I'm thinking it is far superior to the systems in place below the border.

Plus I'll be sure to thank my landlord for providing 6 separate recycling bins at the back of my apartment building, right next to the garbage dumpster.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 5:16 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.