Dear Mr. Harper,
I am about to sit down to work (something, I understand, done by ordinary people), but before I do, I wanted to write you a quick note to say thanks. Before now, I did not realize that I was special.
I am a writer. It is my job. Just like some people are teachers, auto workers, cashiers, or doctors. I write for a living. Now don’t get me wrong, I feel blessed to be able to do what I love. But I never considered myself special until this morning, when I read that you believe ordinary people don’t care about arts cuts.
I guess that make me out of the ordinary.
I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that you think I am rich. Remind me to mention that to Revenue Canada when I do my taxes in April. They may be quite surprised given my income last year.
Mr. Harper, if ordinary people, by your standards, are those who go to work, pay taxes and care about how our government spends those taxes, then please count me in. But let me add this: I am one ordinary person who has had the privilege to live and work outside of this country. I have seen first hand how widely our artists and writers are received elsewhere in this world and what a wonderful job they do as ambassadors from our country. I am an ordinary person who had her first novel published a year and a half ago, and is now thrilled that it is being read and enjoyed by many other ordinary people. I am an ordinary person trying to make a living doing something I love.
So many thanks for the compliment. I’ll put that feather in my cap. And while I’m at it, when I hit the ballot box in a few weeks’ time, I’ll be sure to give my vote to a party that not only thinks I’m special, but treats me that way.
Sincerely yours,
Sidura Ludwig
Writer
Thornhill, ON
Way to go, Sidura! You’ve said it for all of us.I am proud of my J-school classmate. Mr. Harper makes it sound as if “ordinary” Canadians are philistines, when in fact, this is far from the case.