Sunday, August 09, 2009

Globe article featuring Rushoon

A past blog post on Rushoon has been getting lots of hits in the past couple of years, and quite a few in the last several weeks, including a visit from the Globe and Mail. Many readers are aware that just a few days ago, the Globe did a story on Newfoundland & Labrador's workforce, economy, in/and out-migration. It featured Rushoon and people from the community, who migrate out west for work. For anyone interested here is the link to the Globe article.

The author of the article was correct when writing that the money is/was good in Alberta, and the example of Anne Marie's salary was an excellent example. It's amazing how much one can make, or could make, as the Alberta 12 cylinder, four-barreled economic engine is not firing on all cylinders these days. Still, there are many people continually working out there, and going back and forth. This is going to continue for a long time to come. NL's coffers will have large deposits in years ahead, but there is no miracle going to happen for most outports, which have been steadily dwindling in population certainly since the early 1990's.

For towns and communities on the outskirts of St. John's, there are tangible signs of prosperity. Many new and generously spacious homes are going up on the tip of the eastern Avalon. Maddox Cove, just 10-15 minutes from town, has a new subdivision underway. This is a small community that used to depend on the fishery for much of it's existence. It is somewhat unusual to see a batch of new homes being built in such a small, (and pretty) place.

Oil, nickel, and other ores are mega resource industries, but one should not wait for it to happen around them. You are indeed your own best resource. We probably know ourselves best and cannot rely on others to determine how best to use our own specific talents, skills and creativity. Seek ways to make the best use of your personal abilities.

Singer Bette Midler said to "cherish forever what makes you unique". That's so true and it needs to be emphasized more than ever in a place where there has been great reliance on resource based industries.

Some words of advice on becoming successful, and independent are always a useful and handy motivator for anyone wondering what the future holds. Here are a few words of wisdom for people anywhere, any age, to consider:

Studies indicate that the one quality all successful people have is persistence. They’re willing to spend more time accomplishing a task and to persevere in the face of many difficult odds. There’s a very positive relationship between people’s ability to accomplish any task and the time they’re willing to spend on it.
Dr. Joyce

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can somehow become great
Mark Twain

Time is the coin of life. Only you can determine how it will be spent.
Carl Sandburg"

For better or worse, you must play your own instrument in the orchestra of life.
Dale Carnegie

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

we all have the ability to keep going even when we face challenges in our lives - basically it comes down to our attitude.

I who am a victim of having to leave home far to soon to find work, wishes I was still home, Nfld has always been the province that gets left out, that struggles, yet, has the biggest heart, many intelligent, hard working people.
I hope our province can move forward and keep our fellow rockers on the rock. I do hate when I read from people tagging us rockers as stupid, lazy, just because the unemployment is high, they judge, I'd say to them, EAT YOUR WORDS, do NOT judge when you cannot see past the cover..

Charlie said...

Yes indeed we certainly have the abilities to do many things, many different things, many new, unique, creative, innovative things, new types of work, new products, art, music, games, diversions, scholarly areas of study, new skills, new practical things, stuff we "can't be without".. The point is that we are a world of individually configured thinkers, with unlimited number of neural variations, and hence, potential innovators and inventors. That uniqueness has to really be nurtured so that individuals can grow to their potential, and positively affect the whole as well.

Charlie said...

You're right to say "not to judge what they do not see". It's ignorance as usual.

Anonymous said...

you are such a wonderful writer. I think you should take all those lovely photos and write a book on them lol. I'd buy it. LOL

Charlie said...

Appreciating your kind comment very much! That idea is part of a possible future publication. Very nice of you to say Inky.