In a world where hundreds of television stations bring us the best in professional sports, world-renowned stage performances and music concerts, it can be easy to fall into our easy chairs after work and just stay there.
But, we shouldn't.
Just beyond our front doors is our community, and within that community exists more talented people than most of us realize.
We can get hung up on the thought that if we can watch the National Hockey League, why do we need to spend money attending Junior hockey.
The answer is simple enough really, the Yorkton Terriers are our team.
The young players are giving their all each night in-part for the collective pride of our community, not for a paycheque to buy a mansion in Los Angeles, or Nashville.
And while Yorkton's All That Jazz Band might not be the Boston Pops, the members who were on stage with a Salute To Our Veterans Concert, in tandem with Yorkton's Community Choir, put hours of practice in to honour Yorkton's veterans, and that is important.
The same jazz band was back at it last Thursday with an excellent Christmas Show in the city.
Was every note perfectly hit?
Probably not if your ear is well-tuned but that isn't why we should climb out of our homes to attend such events.
It is because the members of the jazz band, the city adult band, the community choir are our neighbours, or friends, our community.
They put in long hours to create events to entertain the rest of us because they love what they do, and they are willing to share that love with the larger community.
So when they team with the Yorkton Regional High School Band and choir for Christmas Concert Dec. 15, it would be great if a 'sold-out' sign went on the doors at the Anne Portnuff Theatre.
Paper Bag Players will be doing their part Nov. 28 and 29 and Dec. 5 and 6, when they put on the play "The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswoman's Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery".
These are local thespians who find joy on the stage, and we should celebrate that our city has such talent.
It is groups, such as those noted above, our sports teams, our local visual artists, and local book authors, which help give Yorkton its character, and culture, and as a community we should relish and support those efforts, by turning off the TV on occasion, and sharing live events in Yorkton.
