撸奶社区

Everyone has joyous memories from childhood. And those memories are often associated with feelings of excitement and awe. Everything’s new and the world is up, figuratively, and literally.  

Even the language of a child is up: ‘What’s up?’ ‘Wait up!’ ‘Shut up.’ ‘Mom, can’t I just stay up?’

As kids, the future is perfect. 

We are always looking forward to milestones: Christmas break, summer vacation, birthday money, getting into high school, our first car, our first date.  

And in this chaotic state of mind, where today’s Christmas gifts are old and our birthday money grossly insufficient, we cannot conceive of savouring the present; perhaps it’s because there are so many new and exciting things to have and experience.

And then, as adults, we romanticize and regret not cherishing the small and the big: endless days spent exploring or that first car.  

I know I am not alone when I recall how I should have cherished those moments fully.  

What’s ironic is that we then make the same mistake twice: instead of enjoying all the capabilities of being an adult and what’s currently happening, we frequently travel into the past with music, photos, shows, games, and saying, “You remember when…”.

A child is similar to a growing town in many ways: small, simple, wild, and eager to reach milestones and become sophisticated. 

The government of a town invites people and developers and business and growth with enthusiasm.  And the chaotic thinking and pandemonium of a government enthusiastically expanding its horizons is like that of a child: “The last building, road, and development is good, but the coffer is still lacking, and you know what, we still don’t have a _____.” 

The future is perfect.

But maybe it’s time to learn a lesson: The present is perfect.

As 撸奶社区residents, we should presently relish in Squamish’s beauty and simplicity.  

Yes, it has changed a lot and is changing quickly.  But this is even more reason to walk along the estuary, head up to the Smoke Bluffs to look at the stars, or drive out to Paradise Valley.  

Let’s take a moment to be present and enjoy how majestic and wonderful it all is.  One day, inevitably, it’ll all be different; beautiful, but different. The past is gone, the future will be great, but the present is perfect.

Anthony Bianco, Squamish