Good news travels fast and bad news travels even faster. Depending on how you read this or what you think this news is traveling very fast. My last day at the Ponoka News is Aug. 15 and I will be moving back to Ontario to start a new job in Renfrew, which is just north of Ottawa.
Over the last year and a half Ponoka has become my home and the residents here have opened their hearts and homes to me. I want the people who have read my adventures every week to know that I was not looking to move and was not looking for a new job. As some of you know or may not know my fiancée recently moved here and we were planning to stay here for a long time. However, this is an opportunity that came up very quickly and personally I had to take it for our future.
It has been harder saying goodbye over the last few weeks than it was when I left Ontario. I have made many lifelong friends during my time here and I will never forget the friendships and memories I have made here. I was able to plant myself in an excellent church at Ponoka Word of Life and they became my family away from home. Each week I was enriched with a powerful message that I tried to implement into my daily lifestyle. On weekends and after work I would hang out with this tightknit group of people and learned what true friends are. One of the hardest things for me to do is leave our pastor’s daughter and their yet unborn child. I have never been able to watch a young child, who I have seen on a regular basis, grow from crawling, to walking to running. Watching her learn new things and how to say my name has been incredibly precious. My heart melted the first time I heard her say my name even if it didn’t come out perfectly. I will miss this family tremendously as I move back to Ontario and I know I will see them again soon.
Ponoka residents have treated me as family everyday; when I see people on the street people smile at me and say hello. The helpful comments that people volunteer, the stories that I love to hear and the genuine compliments have made each day better for me. My visits with people like Arthur and Allan, Nellie Tatlow (I will always be your Tuffie Tiffy) and Edna Cerveny always made me smile. They have all become dear friends to me who I will never forget, you have all made my time here special. I have acquired many people who I like to call grandma, including Grandma Pugh, who has always been there to give me a hug when needed.
Ponoka is an amazing town that has helped me grow into the person I am today. People sometimes take for granted what a beautiful town they live in and I know the saying ‘you don’t know what you got til’ it’s gone’ will hold true for Ponoka when I am gone. In my time here I have learned so much that I would never have learned anywhere else. During the greatest rodeo in world there are so many good things that people don’t see and people need to open their eyes to. The Rodeo Challenge is a touching event that softens even the hardest cowboy’s heart and I will never forget the laughter and smiles that I have witnessed at this event.
Rodeo has become a true passion of mine and I dread the days when there will be no rodeo action just down the road. I have been reminded many times that there are no rodeos in Ontario and I just don’t know what to do with myself at that thought. I may not know all the lingo and I still have not been on a horse but I love when a horse leaves the box or a bucking bronc leaves the chutes I will always get excited.
Volunteerism is key to making not only the stampede survive but the town as well. My time volunteering at the Ponoka Youth Centre has been one of my greatest joys and it is a true asset to this community.
I know that the best beef in the world comes from Alberta and I will miss that so much because the beef in Ontario will never compare to the high quality here.
Since I made the decision to leave one of the hardest things to do will be to leave Judy. She has been like a second mother to me and even took me to see the mountains and put up with my road tripping ways! She has never given up on me and is a true inspiration.
A lot of people may be upset with me for leaving but I hope you will all be happy that I am turning a new page in my adventure called life.
Ponoka – I love this town. I know it will always prosper and I know I will be Alberta bound again someday so leave the lights on at the Stumble Inn, I’ll be back again soon this is not goodbye but see you later.