All We Ask

Sometimes in the comment sections of my videos inviting American healthcare workers to start a new life in Canada, I get Americans saying, "But if we move, what do you want from us?" There are 3 things that we want from you. First, do right by your family. Raise children who grow up to be curious and unafraid to ask questions. Make sure the elders don't get forgotten in your home. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be perfect. Just present. Second, do right by your community. When the kids from down the street offer to mow your lawn for $10, let them. Learn the name of the cashier at the grocery store. Donate if you can. Volunteer if you can't. Practice relentless decency. You're not gonna nail it every day, none of us do. Fuck, I lost a shouting match with a printer today. But try. And the only other thing we ask is that when you become a citizen, vote. Voting is not, by the way, a big performance here. We line up, we complain about the weather, we put a little X on a piece of paper with a pencil, and we go back to work. For Americans who watch my videos and are thinking of coming here, know that we are not perfect. We have had a long history of mistakes, but the work of fixing a country is done by people who show up, who choose to care, who choose to participate, and you are welcome to be part of that. And for my fellow Canadians, you don't have to feel threatened when new people come, especially healthcare workers. We need them badly, and they just want what we want: safety, dignity. They are not taking anything from us. They are offering to help share the load. Like I say, most of this is small. A home where people feel welcome. A neighborhood where people look at each other in the eye and say hello. A vote because you want things to be better. We have found that if enough of us do that, the rest tends to work out okay.