Newfoundland and Labradorians are tarred with a lot of brushes. We have the typical ‘stupid Newfie’ regime, the ‘ignorant and oblivious buffoon,’ the ‘lazy, EI-abusing nincompoop’ and of course, the ‘mainland-hating Baywop’ just to name a few.
I don’t really know where I stand on any or all of these, because by nature, I’m the type of person who doesn’t like admitting I may or may not fit into some kind of stereotype. Whenever I realize that I do, an immediate sense of remorse sweeps over me to the point where I almost want to change everything about me in an instant of time.
Feel free to psychoanalyze that if you wish.
But in any case, the stereotypes or ‘molds’ that we’ve been fixed with have been around for generations, and every new group that comes along always has a few that tries to change it. Albeit, they also have a few that make it worse – but I digress.
One of the most disturbing molds that I find, though, is the idea that us here in this province are just a bunch of rowdy good-for-nothings that like to drink, smoke, swear and party.
Basically, it’s to say that Newfoundland and Labradorians are just party animals, and nothing much more.
Now some reading this right now might be saying ‘that’s right me son, and we’s is proud of it.’
To you, I say, ‘speak for yourself.’
For decades, we as a people have been known as the party crowd. It’s something that some embrace, encourage, and love about this place. George Street is iconic among those in the scene, because of its abundance of the social enterprise that so many wish to partake of. But is all of the partying really something we should be waving around?
I may be crazy, but I would have hoped that we’ve progressed a bit past that. I want our province to be known as an amazing place to live – a safe haven for those who need to escape from the brevity of solitude in their regular, everyday lives, and enjoy the sheer abundance of peace and natural majestic that we’ve been blessed with.
Although it’s hard to do that when the subwoofers are pounding and people are getting more ignorant and rowdy the earlier morning hours the clock crawls towards.
Looking down through the schedule of events for the local Come Home Years happening in the region this year, and it’s no trouble to tell where the focus is going to be just about every night. To me, it doesn’t speak much for a sense of community and unity that the nature of these events was and is supposed to posses.
Basically, a lot of it has become one huge excuse to get plastered and have a ‘good time.’
Obviously, if there’s even a need to justify this, but just like how not everyone from this province is tarred with the same brush, not all celebrations are either. However, while some have their positives, a lot more have their flaws.
I’m not really even suggesting that something like that should be cut out of the festivities altogether, but my goodness, three? Four, parties in the span for a couple days? How thirsty are you?
Look, if that’s how you have a good time, that’s how you get off, or that’s how you ‘celebrate,’ then that’s fine by me – to each their own.
Just keep in mind some of those stereotypes in the first paragraph, and ask yourself a simple question:
By your actions, what are you doing to try and break the mold?
-Rudy Norman
editor@thenorwester.ca
