Seeing Through New Eyes

Isn't it weird just how jaded you become of the place you live? I've lived in the Toronto area for, well, all of my life. I have seen all the sights many, many times. Osgood hall, Queens Park, Eaton Centre, Old City Hall, I've passed them so many times I don't even notice them any more. I guess that is with every thing though. After enough time, you start to take things for granted. Those little things that once awed you, that once inspired you, loses that feeling. Whats even sadder is the fact that you never notice it happening.

My cousin Greg is visiting from France. This weekend we decided to show him the major sites in Toronto. Now Greg is from a small town in France, but still he has been many times to Paris, which is in my opinion one of the greatest city in the world. However as we walked the streets of Toronto, he was in awe at all the sites. He was impressed by the sheer number of styles of buildings, from the old Gothic stone work of the original government buildings to the modern skyscrapers, all placed side by side. He was in awe at the concept of the PATH. Hell he was even interested in the highways.

The nice thing was really seeing the city through fresh eyes. Getting to see someone else so enthralled over what has become mundane, really refreshed me. I got to re-experience the city, and develop a new appreciation for it. All it takes is someone else to show you what we have taken for granted. If only we had that jolt more often.