I have a great story to tell you.

The other day I was walking on the street for hours and hours. I had left home, ready for a fresh start. I had one bag with a bottle of water, one granola bar, and my favourite stuffed toy. I wasn’t prepared for the rainy weather, but that didn’t matter to me. I just wanted to get away and find somewhere good. 

I came upon a beautiful skyline situated by tall beautiful mountains, vast evergreen forest, and deep blue water. I had never seen any place so that was so perfect. 

As I approached the city, I met lovely people, pet cute dogs, and found plenty of delicious food. 

While on the beach, I met a friend who invited me to their home. It was huge and had everything I could ever dream of. A kitchen overflowing with food, heat, and many blankets. 

I believed as though I was in paradise. It seemed like living in a home like that in a city as beautiful as this one would never have to worry. However, once I left my friend’s house I realized that most homes did not look like my friend’s home. Some people didn’t even have a home. 

How could certain places have so much wealth and beauty not share with those who have nothing? 

I then realized, for beauty to exist, others must live without it. 

The next time I visited my friend’s home, I told them of my discovery. That while this city may seem perfect, there is much evil that exists beneath the beauty. 

Then I began to wonder: Is beauty simply evil in disguise? 

I could never look at beauty the same.

Now remember, once you have told a story, you can never take it back. So, be careful of the stories you tell, AND, the stories you listen to.

Reflection:

My process of telling this story was unique, for I thought of it/ wrote it while I was babysitting a two-year-old and six-year-old kid. I wanted to tell a story that was relevant to me, but also a story that would be interesting for children. I realized that this story has very different meanings depending on one’s own experiences. When I told it to the children I was watching, for example, they enjoyed the descriptions of Vancouver that accentuate the natural beauty. They were born in Vancouver thus they feel a close connection to the city. I, on the other hand, coming to Vancouver as a student, view the city from a different perspective. After telling the story to the children from memory, I tried to simplify the language and plot to make it easier for them to understand. Though the children did grasp the meaning of my story, it was fun to practice storytelling and retelling.

Similar to King’s story, once my narrator discovers evil she cannot look at the world the same. My story is inspired by my move to Vancouver where I was astonished by how beautiful Vancouver was. Everyone was friendly, the scenery was beautiful, and UBC was extremely welcoming. What I did not realize was that UBC is on stolen land. A place that represents diversity, education, discovery, exists because Indigenous were forced to give up their home. Beauty, therefore, is not what it seems. This also brings up the question of whether beauty is possible in a place built upon so much evil.

This story also represents the greater Vancouver area where some are living in beautiful homes with an abundance of resources whereas others have been kicked out of their homes are live on the streets. Housing prices have skyrocketed and neighborhoods are continuously being gentrified. This is not an individual issue but a systematic one.

Works Cited:

Lindeman, Tracey. “What Will It Take to Cool Vancouver’s Red-Hot Rental Market?” CityLab, 25 June 2019, www.citylab.com/design/2019/05/vancouver-affordable-rent-housing-home-prices-zoning-density/588916/.

Shantz, Jeff. “There Is No Justice on Stolen Indigenous Land in Canada.” The Georgia Straight, 12 Mar. 2018, www.straight.com/news/1042826/jeff-shantz-there-no-justice-stolen-indigenous-land-canada.