Author: ChannelE2E blogger and resident musician Ty Trumbull
As much as Mexico City has become my home, being far away from friends and family can be tough. It can be difficult to watch things from afar whether its good news or bad.
I remember when Canada’s favourite (you’ll excuse the extra ‘u’, I am talking about Canada after all) band, the Tragically Hip, performed their last concert. I was at a house party here in Mexico’s capital while the rest of my home country was watching the performance live, on screens, or over the radio across the country. 11.7 million people tuned in that evening in Canada while I snuck off to a corner of the room to watch on my cellphone.
The moment drove a nastolgic and wistful feeling in me for Canada. There are other times, when I see pictures of family shivering in coats while I sit in a rented paddle boat in Chapultapec Park that I can laugh a little.
Sometimes it’s funny to be so detached, but it can be difficult in the good moments to be away from what you’ve known your whole life. What may be the most difficult is watching from afar when tragedy hits.
Earlier this week, a young man drove a van onto a sidewalk in Toronto and killed 10 people. The details about his motivation are still coming to light, but he’s now been charged and thankfully it doesn’t look to be terror-related (depending on how strict your definition of terrorism is).
It’s a cliche at this point to talk about how much closer the world has become. Not that long ago, I would have been holding my breath waiting for news to come in. Now it comes in so fast the truth changes every 15 minutes.
I can take solace in the fact that Toronto is a strong and vibrant city and won’t be broken by an act of cowardice. The citizens of Toronto take deep pride in the fact that their city is one of the most multicultural cities in the world and people from many different backgrounds and beliefs regularly come together to celebrate the city’s diversity. Indeed, there’s already flashes of positivity coming in the wake of the story. I’m sure this time will be no different.
I just wish I could be there to take part.
Ty Trumbull, from his base in Mexico City, covers the entrepreneur’s journey and business continuity for ChannelE2E. Each Tuesday or so, he offers views about his adopted hometown — his personal Dispatches from Mexico City. Oh, but sometimes he pops up in his home nation of Canada.
