Wow. Last week was a huge week for this little blog, namely due to this passionate little piece. My previous day’s best ever record was smashed right out of the park. And a certain news.com.au journo agreed (presumably jokingly – but I am 100 per cent all for it to happen) that he’d let me show him the Canberra he can’t yet see.
But what those otherwise meaningless achievements reflect is a real engagement with the article. Why did people engage with it, and want to engage with it? Well, it’s probably the subject of future blog posts. (And it was certainly interesting to note how many people interpreted my call to arms very differently, including on Reddit.) But the fact is, it seems what I wrote meant something. And not just to known staunch defenders of this city. That’s revealing in itself.
Before I talk more about another very important subject (dumplings!), I need to stress that pride in a city doesn’t mean you just love and defend everything about it. If that was the case, not much would ever get done. Often people want to see change or improvements because they care about and love their city. So you can damn well love Canberra and be proud of it while also having some ideas on what to change. On what you want to be different. Don’t underestimate the power of people power. Don’t underestimate the power of your suggestion or idea, or your challenge to an suggestion or idea. And we’re connected in so many ways we’ve never been before, physically and through technology, that there’s no reason not to participate – whether it’s to promote your city or find a way to improve it. The only thing you really need to do is do it.
And hey – while I’ve got you – thank you. The support, the Facebook shares, the retweets, the comments and conversations: it all meant a great deal to me. What I can say? I love Canberra!
Okay: dumplings time.
In The Taratory 