Have you ever seen one of those movies where a whole bunch of people are barely and loosely connected, and somehow all of their lives are brought together to form one storyline?

Every day, when I go to university, I see a man who works in the bank. He’s older than me, he has brown hair, and I have a perfect view of his cubicle from the bus where I sit, waiting for the light to turn. Sometimes he’s not there, and I worry that he’s sick or wonder if he’s on lunch or in the bathroom. Usually he is there, though, and as I whiz by, I try to determine the state of his day, if he’s sitting erect, or if he’s weighed down with stress; if he’s making contracts with a customer, or if he’s dealing with a disoriented homeless person who has wandered in off the streets.

Who is he? How did he find himself working in a bank? What does his laugh sound like? Would he smile, or be frightened by the thoughts which I am having?

These people, whose lives have absolutely no bearing on my own, except when I consider for a moment that they really do matter...remind me that I matter, too.

It’s not really a question of whether we change the world or not, the question is how we have an effect on the world in which we live.

Which reminds me. I like Canada, because of the bus drivers. They are nice, and it’s okay to ask them questions. Even if you’re English is not perfect, they will try their best to help you. I know this, because my friend told me, and many international students think this, too. The other day, I had a bus driver who sang to himself, and every time we pulled up to a bus stop, he would say "Anyone need a lift?" It was so great. And now that I’m having a ‘Canada is Good’ day, here are some other things for which I am thankful:

-family and laughter from children

-seeing people on the street that I know, and I can tell that they like me

-libraries and being able to read

-gingerale

-sandwiches