A few weeks back I commented on this beautiful knife that paulhilborn has and uses from time to time. He said that "this is his oldest knife and most cherished, bought with lawn mowing/allowance money in 1970. Remarkable that I still have it after all these years." I had been eyeing a patter like that since I usually carry a case medium stockman (which feels sometimes too big, or a rough rider mini canoe). The canoe honestly throws me into a guilt trip as I really don't like to buy or use things not made within either Mexico, USA or Canada (nothing against asian or other countries, I just prefer to keep my economy cycling back relatively locally).
Pretty quickly Paul emailed me to tell me he had one similar for me and that he would take care of making the arrangements to get it to me.
I'm not the kind of person who expects things from people.. The last 8 years have been "different" to say the least. Including some pretty strange turns within my family.
I was raised by a single mother in Mexico (the most amazing woman I know, and that is not only because she is my mother), it was always her and I.. We were by no means poor or anything but she had to work for every penny that in the end she would spend towards my education. At the age of 19 I moved on my own to Canada to study Sciences (mostly I wanted to travel). Violence became really rough in my hometown about 2 years after I left and because of that I haven't been able to visit since 2008. Hearing the economy is crashing, and that there are people that you once met constantly dissapearing, as well as major military confrontations at your grandparent's house is not easy to hear. Its even more difficult to realize that going home is not the solution and knowing that beeing away is more helpful than becoming someone else to worry about. In the past couple of years I have worked hard and put myself through university, a masters degree and traveled multiple times across Canada (also rescued 2 dogs and a adorable kitten that was left outside during the winter-months). In the last few months I got married with the woman of my dreams in the most beautiful part of Nova Scotia. However in the last 6 months I found out that my (absent) father had to go to rehab for some reasons that wouldn't be disclosed by my aunts, one of my aunts had a heart attach and my mother was having a rough time with my stepdad and he could be leaving anytime.
I won't rant anymore, needless to say I felt pretty apathetic about the good in people (besides a few close ones). Even though I have had stranger be incredibly good to me through my life it is when family falls apart that it hits you. Although I didn't crawl into a corner to escape from the world, I have been not myself and reluctant to meet new people while getting over this part of my head that is becoming hesitant about strangers.
I know a little knife that was stored somewhere at home may not meant much to you Paul, but to me its a reminder that complete strangers are also great people. That quickly a stranger can become a friend and that yea there are bad things but that strangers have been great to me before and that in general people have good intentions.
You all know how we give meaning to things like this.. well this gift for me is a reminder that people are good (with a few exceptions of course haha), that you have to strike a conversation with people and that you have to put yourself out there because you never know where and who will remind you of how great the communities you live in are.
This one in particular is full of people from all backgrounds with a very simple thing in common and I keep seeing some great distance friendships being developed right in this forum. Anyway.. without anything else to say I'll go back to stare at the map while the gift travels from ND, USA to Toronto, Canada.
Cheers everyone have a merry christmas!
Pretty quickly Paul emailed me to tell me he had one similar for me and that he would take care of making the arrangements to get it to me.
I'm not the kind of person who expects things from people.. The last 8 years have been "different" to say the least. Including some pretty strange turns within my family.
I was raised by a single mother in Mexico (the most amazing woman I know, and that is not only because she is my mother), it was always her and I.. We were by no means poor or anything but she had to work for every penny that in the end she would spend towards my education. At the age of 19 I moved on my own to Canada to study Sciences (mostly I wanted to travel). Violence became really rough in my hometown about 2 years after I left and because of that I haven't been able to visit since 2008. Hearing the economy is crashing, and that there are people that you once met constantly dissapearing, as well as major military confrontations at your grandparent's house is not easy to hear. Its even more difficult to realize that going home is not the solution and knowing that beeing away is more helpful than becoming someone else to worry about. In the past couple of years I have worked hard and put myself through university, a masters degree and traveled multiple times across Canada (also rescued 2 dogs and a adorable kitten that was left outside during the winter-months). In the last few months I got married with the woman of my dreams in the most beautiful part of Nova Scotia. However in the last 6 months I found out that my (absent) father had to go to rehab for some reasons that wouldn't be disclosed by my aunts, one of my aunts had a heart attach and my mother was having a rough time with my stepdad and he could be leaving anytime.
I won't rant anymore, needless to say I felt pretty apathetic about the good in people (besides a few close ones). Even though I have had stranger be incredibly good to me through my life it is when family falls apart that it hits you. Although I didn't crawl into a corner to escape from the world, I have been not myself and reluctant to meet new people while getting over this part of my head that is becoming hesitant about strangers.
I know a little knife that was stored somewhere at home may not meant much to you Paul, but to me its a reminder that complete strangers are also great people. That quickly a stranger can become a friend and that yea there are bad things but that strangers have been great to me before and that in general people have good intentions.
You all know how we give meaning to things like this.. well this gift for me is a reminder that people are good (with a few exceptions of course haha), that you have to strike a conversation with people and that you have to put yourself out there because you never know where and who will remind you of how great the communities you live in are.
This one in particular is full of people from all backgrounds with a very simple thing in common and I keep seeing some great distance friendships being developed right in this forum. Anyway.. without anything else to say I'll go back to stare at the map while the gift travels from ND, USA to Toronto, Canada.
Cheers everyone have a merry christmas!
