PLEASE, IF YOU ARE ON THIS PAGE, PUT ON YOUR SUNGLASSES. IF YOU CAN FIND THEM, ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU'VE NEEDED THEM. BUT PLEASE PUT THEM ON FOR SAFETY'S SAKE, AS THE ABOVE IMAGE IS, IN FACT, THE SUN.IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SUN, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. ONCE UPON A TIME THIS SOURCE OF HEAT AND LIGHT WOULD SHINE ON AN OTTAWA SUMMER, WHICH IN TURN ENCOURAGED US TO GO ON OUR BIKES, SIT ON BENCHES, AND LIE ON A TOWEL ON THE SAND.
YOUNG CHILDREN MAY BE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SUN AND IT'S RUMOURED VISITS TO THE OTTAWA AREA. THE DINNER TABLE IS THE PERFECT SETTING FOR PARENTS TO EXPLAIN THE PHENOMENON OF THE SUN TO THEIR CHILDREN. YOUNGSTERS WILL DELIGHT IN THE STORIES ABOUT HOW THE SUN WOULD REGULARLY SHINE OVERHEAD. IT WAS MOSTLY FRIENDLY, KEEPING US WARM AND DRY. SOMETIMES, IT WOULD MELT OUR ICE CREAM CONES, BUT WE JUST LEARNED TO EAT THEM FASTER.
THE ABOVE IMAGE OF THE SUN MAY BE ENLARGED. CUT IT OUT AND PLACE IT ON A SKYLIGHT, ON THE INSIDE CEILING OF YOUR CAR, AND ON THE WINDOWS OF YOUR WORKPLACE. LET US NEVER FORGET THOSE WONDERFUL YEARS WE HAD TOGETHER.
I THINK ITS AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO QUOTE THAT FAMOUS EARLY 70'S POSTER WITH THE DOVE FLYING IN THE AIR:
"IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING, SET IT FREE. IF IT COMES BACK, ITS YOURS. IF IT DOESN'T, IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE'
WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE IF THE SUN WAS EVER OURS. IN THE MEANTIME, WE'LL LEAVE THE PATIO TABLE, THE PLASTIC CHAIRS, AND THE BADMINTON NET RIGHT WHERE IT IS. BECAUSE WE ARE OTTAWANS. AND WE BELIEVE IN A FUTURE THAT SEES THE RETURN OF THE SUN. WE JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE.
