Friday, February 26, 2010

So We're Not Perfect!

Sent from a friend:

We never claimed to be perfect.
That means we’ve learned to be humble.
We say "Excuse Me" and "I'm sorry" ... as well as "Please" and "Thanks".
Even when its not our fault, we apologize.

Sure one arm of the torch didn't rise, but when the earthquake struck Haiti, Canadians raised their hands to say … "we'll help".

And yeah, there is a fence around the Torch.  But you can walk right up and shake hands with our prime minister and most famous Canadians.

We put Gretzky in the back of a pick up, in the rain, not surrounded by police ... and he was okay
And by the way ... the great one is Canadian ... and HE wasn’t complaining!

We do have security at the Games, of course, but most people don't even have a gun they have to leave at home.

The medals ARE under lock and key but our doors and our hearts are open to the world.

It has been pointed out that some buses broke down last week ... but let’s not overlook the fact that our banking system didn't.

We didn't get the "green ice maker" right this time ... but we will, eventually.

Just like we did when we invented the Zamboni.

Citius altius fortius

If you don't reach higher how do you get faster and stronger.

Was the first quad jump perfect? 

Should we not have given snowboarding to the world "in case" it didn’t take off?

So big deal…one out of four torch arms didn't rise.  Good thing we had 3 more!  It's called contingency planning!

But remember … the Canadarm works every time … in outerspace … and insulin turned out to be okay

We don't have the tax base of the US or the power of the Chinese but, per capita, we ponied up for some pretty kick-ass venues in the worst global recession ever.

Sure, some folks couldn't afford tickets but our health care is universal.

We have shown the world that we can raise our voices in celebration and song but moments later stand in silence to respect a tragic event ... together ... spontaneously ... and unrehearsed.

What's more,  we don't need permission from anyone to have a slam poet, fiddlers w piercings and a lesbian singer tell our story to the world while our multilingual female Haitian-born, black head of state shares a box with her First Nations equals.

We’ve shown the world that it doesn’t always rain in Vancouver, that you can strive for excellence but not get hung up on perfection.

And we’ve learned what it feels like to be picked on by some no name newspaper guy and we don’t have to take it lying down!

So the point is not the snow, or the hydraulics or a couple guys being 5 minutes late to a ceremony.

We know we’re lucky that these are the biggest problems we had to deal with in the last couple weeks.

So take your cheap shots … Guardian newspaper and cynics of the world.

We're bigger and better than that.

What's more we're finally starting to believe it!

Do you believe?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Pollard,

I consider my blog to be an extension of my home. I have opened my front door and made everything inside available for you and others to see and read.

I never gave you permission to come on inside and spew out your venom. Such comments are not welcome here, as are you if you persist in this way.

You clearly have anger management issues which you may wish to deal with professionally.

Frank Pollard said...

So much better than blowing our own horns. (more humble).

Leaving behind a thank-you note


Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor
After tonight's broadcast and after looting our hotel mini-bars, we're going to try to brave the blizzard and fly east to home and hearth, and to do laundry well into next week. Before we leave this thoroughly polite country, the polite thing to do is leave behind a thank-you note.

Thank you, Canada:

For being such good hosts.

For your unfailing courtesy.

For your (mostly) beautiful weather.

For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I was trying to say something on television.

For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents.
For your unique TV commercials -- for companies like Tim Hortons -- which made us laugh and cry.

For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon.

For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games -- you've made wearing your name a cool thing to do.

For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display.

For not honking your horns. I didn't hear one car horn in 15 days -- which also means none of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting.

For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years.

For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network, who turns out to be such a nice guy.

For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary.

For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your athletes won one.

For always saying nice things about the United States...when you know we're listening.

For sharing Joannie Rochette with us.

For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society.
Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for being such a good neighbor and visitor.