So they gave me a medal.

Last night Mrs. Evil and I went to a ceremony where I and 36 other Albertans received the Alberta Centennial Medal from the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. Now until the ceremony I only had a vague idea as to why I was receiving this honour. I knew that my commanding officer had recommended that the Lieutenant Governor nominate me for the medal, as he had told me as such (my CO is also an aide-de-camp to the Lieutenant Governor). I also knew that I was to get the medal, having received a letter from the Lieutenant Governor's office telling me as such. It wasn't until last night, however that I learned why.

Turns out that all the volunteering I've done over the years has caught up with me. So now I know and I'm honoured. I also know why the other 36 people have received this honour. Some, like me, were honoured for their volunteer time in the community. Others were honoured for their philanthropy. Still others were honoured for their contributions to the community either through their business or profession. The recipients were a mixture of ages, both younger people (20-35ish), those of us approaching or in middle age (35-55ish) and older people. It was nice to see people being recognized for their work.

Of course some of the same thoughts that ran through my head during my various graduation ceremonies were also running through my head at the ceremony. The medals were awarded in alphabetical order, so there were several people ahead of me. It was humbling to hear their citations, as most have done, in my opinion, far more than I for the community. So gentle reader I will leave you with this, volunteer, your community will thank you (not necessarily with a medal mind you) and you will have a good feeling from knowing you've helped others. You'll also help make your community a better place to live.

From left to right:Her Honour Mary Kwong; His Honour, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, the Honourable Norman L. Kwong, CM, AOE; me and Mrs. Evil.