Am I Shane Koyczan yet?

I love Canada, I love Canada a lot. I'm not sure how or why. No one in my family of social circle is particularly Canadian.  But I am.  I'm in love with this country coast to coast, our history, our food, our quirks, our hockey our stupidity, how I refer to this country as we and our.   It began I guess in 2002, with the Olympics I was finally old enough to remember Olympics ( I was 8) and double gold happened.  And I know something special was happening.  I had a mental breakdown when we lost in 2006.  Then the joyous redemption of 2010 and our overtime win on our soil after 17 days of national pride.  Iggy to Sid to defeat our greatest enemy, the Americans.  My nationalism can be tied to hockey I suppose.  But then finding out about Canadian history and how insane it is only solidified it , how we became  country and our quirks and peace and greatness.  Our connection to the Underground railroad.  And the war of 1812.  And how our stupid country is founded because of a Railway!  A TRAIN BROUGHT US TOGETHER! and our stupid mounties and their stupid red coats and horses! And the Wars and how Canadians have this never ending duty to help other, our never ending quest for that.  And Romeo Dellaire in Rwanda and going to Bosnia and into Afghanistan and staying our of the stupid wars.  And all our bad decisions and racism along the way but always pretending we never did that. Our constitution and our crazy prime ministers. How we still idiotically hold on to the idea of a constitutional monarchy, and how no one will even question the idea of separating,  I love that we're not in your face nationalism all the time scream and yelling about our country but how strong and proud our love comes forth sometimes.  I love the Canadian attitude.  I love Sorry and how we always say it, how we apologize, we're peacekeepers. How our greatest defining feature as a Canadian is that we are NOT American.  I love our accents and our quirky chit chat. I love Canada and I can't describe why or how and anything.  But I know I love the Rockies and the prairies and this craggy coast I call home, and Vancouver and Quebec City and even stupid Toronto even though I hate that city more than anything. And Timmies our dedication to this coffee, to this brand and product.  How it became our national symbol and something we protect.  And Atwood, and Montgomery and Cohen and Downie and Copeland, Classified and Drake, Buble, and Hedley and all the poets and writers and artists we've given to this earth.  Our words bind this world. Our scientist, our inventions,  the Canada arm and the zipper, and insulin.  Our athletes, our curlers, our runners, our lugers, our figure skaters, our speed skaters, and our hockey players.  All those boys who played on frozen ponds and cold streets and drafty barns across this country.  How we've changed this great game.  The superstars who were drafted and played with skill and finesse and grit.  And the boys who slugged it through crap leagues never giving up until they made the show.  How I love those boys.  Howe, Richard, Gretzky, Orr, Roy, Bourque, Sakic, Brodeur, Lafleur, Yzerman, Beliveau, Linden, Messier, Taylor, Lemieux, MacDonald, Crosby. It does come down to hockey, my undying passion for this country.  But it's bigger now so much bigger. I don't get it, how someone can't have national pride, because my pride has become me.  Because when you look, when you really look you know Canada is the best country in the world, you know you wouldn't want to live anywhere else.  Because this country takes your breath away.