It was said that, after Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked upon his lonely island, he quickly found the joy and freedom that comes from keeping a proper perspective. 

Sure, on the one hand, he was the sole survivor of a maritime disaster but the ship had run aground close to shore and he had the opportunity to salvage many usable items from the boat.  On the one hand, he did not have much in the way of clothing but he was in a hot climate and didn't need many clothes. 

He didn't have the choice food he was used to at home but the island provided many nutritional possibilities and there were no large animals to look at him as their next meal!  He concluded, as he made his mental checklist, that there is no situation so desperate that one cannot find something for which to be thankful.  That attitude kept him alive.

His story would be a good one for the citizens of our fine community to take to heart.  Even through political turmoil and instability, economic upheaval and an uncertain future, Meaford is a pretty wonderful place in which to live. 

We each have the choice as to which perspective will dominate the way we look at our community. 

Even though citizens within and outside our municipality have said some pretty bad things about our community, I believe this is one of the nicest areas anyone could ever want to live.  It's time for us to regain the perspective that we so desperately need. 

Do you have clean water to drink, even if you have to boil it once in a while?  Do your lights actually turn on when you flip the switch?  Did you freeze this winter?  Was your road plowed?  Did you eat anything today?  Did someone smile at you today or say hello as you passed by?  How long did you have to wait in traffic jams today?  Have you looked at that majestic blue of Georgian Bay lately?  Do you have a place you can live that shelters you from the winter snow or the spring rain and wind?  

Most of the rest of the world cannot even conceive in their wildest dreams a place this beautiful or a life as blessed as the one we experience here in Meaford.  In addition, there are people in this world who are not even able to publicly attend Christian worship services because the freedom of worship does not exist in their land. 

You have the kinds of freedoms many in this world would willingly give their lives for.  In fact, many have given their lives for the freedoms we enjoy and for the blessings we experience each day.

Friends, let's keep putting it into perspective, realizing that we have been blessed by God with this community, even though it is not perfect. 

Like Robinson Crusoe, I choose to be thankful for the advantages we enjoy rather than dwelling on the perceived drawbacks of life in the municipality of Meaford.