Wednesday 12 September 2012

memoir writer homework/the grass is greener

Just a note before I begin.The memoir writers group that I belonged to while living in Toronto is back in business after takeing off some of the summer.They meet each Monday at the Lillian Smith Library and are an interesting and talanted group of writers.So,once again I will be posting entries based on the topics selected for writing assignments by this group,starting with one of Monday's topics,"the grass is greener."


The grass is greener.It seems I'e heard that since I was very small.When I was a small boy,what the saying brought to my mind was cows.My father would sometimes stop along the roadway when we were out driving to look at the cows.I don't know what his fascination with cows was.I suppose it was just an appreciation of the pastoral scene,something he associated with peace and well being.But I always remember the cows that would graze by the fence and how one or two of them would stick their heads through the fence wire to munch on the grass on the other side.For some reason,they were very determined to get the grass at the farthest edge of their reach,even though they were standing in an ocean of grass.Some of the fences were electric and some of the cows would even brave the current for the grass on the other side.I have no idea if it was just such a scene that brought this saying into being,or if I just took things very literally as a child.

The disturbing thought is that we humans may just be as dumb as cows.At least we seem to behave so much like them.I've come to the conclusion that living in Canada is all about the grass being greener someplace else.When I came of age there was very little work for young people in my hometown.So I got in my car and drove over 3000 miles to Alberta where I could make a living.It wasn't easy and those first few years had their trials.I wondered many times if I was really better off there and gave a lot of thought to going back.There were after all some people who seemed to be munching contentedly on New Brunswick grass.But I never returned for any length of time until 2009,when I thought maybe I could make it there.Times were a bit busier and my life in Alberta had stopped being especially satisfying.Really the grass never was greener here.But I still seem to be as dumb as a cow about some things.I've lived in Toronto,Edmonton and now I'm back in Calgary where I wake up many mornings thinking"damn,I hate this city"as I look around at it's familiar sights.Maybe someplace else would be better.


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