When current events feel like an unlikely brew of unprecedented times and history repeating itself, I like to go for a walk to untangle my thoughts. I live near Nanaimo on a farm, so my walks include continuously scanning for anything that looks out of place: a damaged fence, a calf separated from her mother, a nail on the driveway patiently waiting to be picked up by a tractor tire.
Walking and paying close attention to my surroundings clears my head for random thoughts. Today, I thought back to the First World War internment exhibit we hosted at the Nanaimo Museum a few months ago. I had powerful conversations with families who were affected by this historical injustice, connected with historians across the country, and talked with community members who learned about the Nanaimo Internment Camp for the first time.
Getting to know people, virtually or