Have you ever felt the strange sensation of trying your best to relax, and wanting to fight at the same time?

As I write this, I'm onboard a cruise ship in the western Caribbean. We set sail from Port Canaveral in Florida, and now we are somewhere in between Mexico and the Bahamas. This has been a refreshing experience for us as a family.   Service and hospitality are rare gems, and this ship is a treasure trove of both.  Each morning, our Room Attendant greets us; he’s kind to the kids and asks them about the day ahead of them. Our servers know who we are and prepare our table with our preferences in mind. Like most parents, I'll be happy with the basics covered, but if you're great to my kids, I'll be your biggest fan and cheerleader. 

I had expectations around the food, and if I’m honest, I had low but realistic expectations about what we would have. I was pleasantly surprised! The food was excellent, tasty, and abundant- And enough chicken fingers and buttered pasta to satisfy the cravings of any child. My family has been feasting like royalty on this ship. Our kids were also adventurous and tried some of the French dishes. I think this happened because the servers acknowledged them and helped them to feel important. We enjoyed nightly entertainment, ice skating, and laser tag, and we are looking forward to shore excursions. I love that we were able to give this gift of an experience to our children. 

My most treasured feature on this ship has been our ocean-view balcony. I love taking in the deep blue ocean accented by the white caps of waves. I have time to look out into the ocean and think. 

There is only one thing that bothers me. I’m enjoying my experience on this ship, and I’m fond of my occasional travels to the United States. But I don’t think we can book another trip like this again in good conscience. What is my reason? It's the same reason many of us are upset in Canada.

It’s called 25% tariffs on critical Canadian goods entering the United States. Canada is responding in kind with tariffs of our own. If the tariffs take effect, Canadians will spend much more on fruit, clothes, appliances, and more. I like to eat Oranges, and unfortunately, growing oranges is not something we are very good at in Canada.

I’m not feeling inspired to send money to America.

I don’t feel guilty about going on vacation to the US on the eve of unfair Canadian Tariffs on our products. But I’m not motivated to book another trip to the States or invest any unnecessary money into the economy of our neighbors to the south.

This example pales in comparison to how these tariffs will impact our country when the people of the United States, are strongly encouraged not to buy our products. It’s not a joke. Real jobs and real people. 

In terms of a trade war, this is David and Goliath; only the alternate version of the story where the rock from David’s sling misses the giant’s forehead and bounces off the post of his helmet. We don’t make it out of this fight without sustaining some critical damage to the life of our economy. 

One thing that I’ve come to understand about myself is that I never have a good idea when I’m angry. I can’t think straight, and my vision for the future is obscured. Right now, my anger is telling me the President of the United States will laugh while slicing away at the relationship between two of the world’s best trading partners. I want to fight. I want the states that gave him the keys to the Whitehouse punished. Many of us are sensing a renewed sense of patriotism, which on its own can be a positive force for good and unity.  But this feeling, mixed with anger, can create an emotional chemical reaction and produce Nationalism. With Nationalism comes aggressive flag-waving, protests, and convoys meant to intimidate. Nationalistic pride is sustained by anger and fear. Neither of those emotions can produce good fruit in our lives if sustained over time. There is recent history for us to point to. I’ll leave you to find an appropriate example.  

Nationalism reflected in the story of David in Goliath is the version of the story where David adopts the weapons of his King, Saul, and attempts to fight Goliath using the same strategy.

We won’t survive fighting like Goliath*

Are we hopeless? I don’t think so. 

This may be a problem for us as Canadians. We are limited by our imaginations. We tend to head down a well-worn path where we reach for a shot of distilled Nationalism that influences us to fight fire with fire. It makes sense, doesn't it?

Flag flying and saber-rattling pride pair well with this bitter spirit. That dish is easy but served cold.

Instead of going to war, can we rethink this to see a different path? The opportunity to create more relationships with one another at home. I know what you're saying now, "Jordan, yes, yes, we've heard the politicians encouraging us to buy Canadian. You missed this part of the story while on your cruise…." 

Forgive an additional Gladwell reference, but I’m enjoying his new book  "Revenge of the Tipping Point"*

This quote stopped me, and I went back to read it a few times. 

"What if [the brighter future] has been here for a long time already, and only our own blindness and weakness has prevented us from seeing it around and within us  and kept us from developing it?" - Vaclav Havel from his essay, "The Power of the Powerless" written in 1978

This essay was written in the years of the USSR. Who in 1978 imagined a world where the USSR would crumble? No one credible. But it did, and in the grand scheme of things…quickly. 

The imagination we need to cultivate right now is one where we can see ourselves supporting our farmers, producers, artists, academics, builders, teachers, and other countries in the world. We do this out of hope and love, not out of anger or the intent to destroy something else. We need to also believe that it will work, and that we will succeed at caring for each other.

Am I just putting makeup on a pig of a situation?

The accusation could have also been assigned to Havel in 1978…

How do we achieve this hope of a future where our neighbors are supported? I'll let you read the book for the details, but the number we need is 25%. We will need one out of four Canadians to change how they spend their money. I'm not an economist, and I'm not an expert; I'm just a guy on the internet, but I believe that when we get to that critical mass, our culture will shift. Hope will find a way.

Here's what my family and I will do:

• Get good at Welcoming American visitors to Canada. 75 million people did not vote for Donald Trump. A number of them will visit us. Also, some of the 78 million Trump voters will also visit Canada. Give them a handshake, and let them know you're glad they're here. Make sure their visit to Canada positively sticks to them. This is more likely to stir them to action. By the way, this version of "Turn the other cheek" produces good fruit in future seasons. And seriously, do not boo the American National anthem before the puck drops…. I'm looking at you, Winnipeg. Trump likes that and knows how to use it. Don't fuel that rhetoric. Let's send Americans homes with tremendous stories. 

• Intentionally seek out Canadian products. I'm hopeful that grocery stores will continue to help us identify them while we shop.  All I need is a tiny maple leaf sticker beside a product and it will make my grocery trip that much easier. These choices are not insignificant; we create a market when we shift 25%. 

• Travel in Canada. If you are considering traveling to the States, remember that our country is beautiful and will not disappoint you if you give it a chance. Again, we need to put ourselves in the mindset of what we can create and build rather than how we can fight. Based on this news story, this trend is well underway and significantly impacting destination states.

• Support local restaurants. It doesn't need to be fancy, but It has to be a spot that's unique to your city or region. A space that doesn't rely on out-of-town brand support and benefits. Edmonton is a tough gig for local restaurants; give them a chance and back up your neighbors. This is a tough one for anyone with kids who love chicken McNuggets, I get it. Don’t be a dogmatic tyrant about it in your family, just introduce change. While visiting the Orlando Disney gift shop, we would let the boys spend some money that relatives had given them before our trip. One of them said, "No Dad, I'd like to support our local business in Edmonton." I was so proud. Kids get it! 

• Support a local musician. Our city has an artist to match every taste. Treat yourself to some life music. Our artists need you more than ever. I come from the home of a local musician; the life I wished for him was the one where he could have supported us as a family with his guitar. Just like restaurants, artists have a hard go in Edmonton. Let's change the key and play a new tune. 

• Consider visiting another country other than the United States. There are many countries that are friendly to Canadians and would love us to visit. I know this is something that may not be affordable for everyone, but it will be for some. We've already booked our next vacation, and we booked the flights before the threat of tariffs was real. But we're glad that we did. If you can, why not? Get to know planet Earth! There is fun, adventure, and learning opportunities ready for you around the world. Need help? Message Me! I love that kind of thing. Or, be old school and call a travel agent; it's their job to point out your options. 

There are five simple ideas you could try out, or if you already do them, do more! I'm also sure you can think of other ingredients we could add to a culture of change.

This post has taken a few days to write, and today was our last day in Florida before we flew back to Edmonton. It was bittersweet for those familiar with the Orlando Airport; you take a monorail after you pass security to your gate. On the monorail, there was a pre-recorded message from the mayor of Orlando, Buddy Dyer. It was kitschy but kind. I'll paraphrase it, but it was a kind of a Jed Clampett, "Y'all come back now ya hear" message. If I could speak directly to Buddy, I would say, "Thank you for making us feel welcome. I would love to bring my family back someday, but right now, I have work to do, and my neighbors need my help. Until we can find a workable solution, this is our last Flight to Florida. We’re invested in building new things back at home and around the world"

Canadians, this is our time to build and create. Good things are born of our peace. Let's go to work! Thank you for reading, friend! Please comment and let me know what you're willing to do to join the 25% of Canadians we need in this project of creation!  

Notes:

1)  Gladwell, Malcolm, “Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering. Little, Brown Company. 2024 pg. 235

3) I linked to a story in the post, but here is the article on shifts in Canada