Kevin, where've you been?

I just realized how long it's been since I last wrote a blog post. Two months!

There are a few reasons why. First, photography has become my new outlet. Since buying my camera we've become inseparable. I use it to enhance some of my other interests like real estate development. I use it for work. I've even been asked to shoot engagement pictures, weddings, and events. Who would of thought? I have no desire to be a full-time photographer, but I enjoy finding new ways to communicate and tell a story.

The second reason for my hibernation is my load at work. There are specific aspects of the city's growth that I want to capture, and that not many people are writing about, but I really don't have the time since it would mean starting a whole new website. Since my job allows me to focus full-time on writing and design among many other things, in the long run it will help my craft.

The final reason I've been away is because I haven't had anything to say. I try to only write when I have something worth sharing and I just haven't had any convictions strong enough to warrant sitting down and writing.

So what else have I been up to?

Oddly enough I've found some old friends from Toronto, Mississauga to be exact, who now live in Ottawa. Some have been here for one year and another has been here for 12 years. I'm talking about people I've known since middle school. It's been amazing to catch up with people I haven't seen in over a decade.

In general, all of us GTA natives came to the same conclusions about Ottawa:

• Ottawans are sceptical about people from Toronto
• Ottawa is slower to embrace change
• Ottawa is a better place to raise a family
• Ottawans are a lot more engaged in public affairs
• We now enjoy a better quality of life

I already felt at home in Ottawa, like I've been here for 5 or 10 years, but having some familiar faces has been the icing on the cake.

Of all my discussions with my old friends, the most interesting was with one friend who has been here for 12 years. He talked about a culture of complacency in this city because people are doing pretty well here; change isn't life or death like in other cities. One of his final comments was that in five years I wouldn't give a s*%# anymore, implying that eventually I would become complacent like everyone else.

I examined my heart to see if I've already been lulled into complacency. Perhaps that was why I haven't written a blog post in a while.

My conclusion was that I'm not there yet, nor do I ever want to be.

I never want to be somebody that lets complacency or frustation with this city get the best of me (and I've had my share of frustration). I always want to be somebody that challenges the status quo and that believes anything is possible.

I continue to believe that Ottawa can and will be a world-class city that is known all over the world. There's no other alternative but to believe.

Kevin Bourne
reinventingottawa.blogpot.com