Thank You for All of the Wonderful Well Wishes

A Brief Message from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 1^st, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Full of defiance and determination, some of my favorite lyrics from Tom Petty remain an inspiration to me.

It was almost exactly a month ago while I was stuck in a hospital, wondering whether I was going to live or die following a sudden bout of heart failure that I posted a message on Niagara At Large to let visitors to this site know that it might be a while before I started posting news and commentary again.

I did not post that message as a way of saying ‘poor, poor pitiful me’ – only as a way of letting all of the many people who visit Niagara At Large know why the site was in a stall.

Yet much to my delight, many people took the time to send comments to the NAL site, to Facebook and through email, wishing me well and hoping this site will come back to life soon (I even received kind words from some public figures I would have thought would be pleased to see the end of this site.)

Many people contacted me wanting to know more about what happened to me and how I was doing which was not something I had the capacity to discuss with each and every asker while I was starting my recovery.

Along with my wife Mary and daughter Sarah, our cat – Alice – has helped me along in my recovery. Furry friends have played a comforting role for many of us during these pandemic times. Photo by Doug Draper

To be honest, I have never been one for discussing health problems for any length of time anyway – mine or anyone else’s Part of that comes from spending time around my aged parents and their friends, listening to them describe their ailments and compare how many of what kind of drugs they were taking.

In all due respect to my late parents, that is now how I want to spend whatever time I have left on this planet.

I’d rather do what I am doing now and getting myself back to firing up Niagara At Large and focusing on issues like climate change, preserving our wetlands and green spaces, arguing for more environmentally and economically sustainable urban development, as well as focusing on the coming provincial and municipal elections in hope that we get the wisest, most progressive people in public office.

I ask you to please be patient while I continue to build back slowly.

In the meantime, stay safe out there as we hopefully reach the other side of this horrible COVID mess. And if you have not yet done so for the sake of yourself and the health of others, please get vaccinated.

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

To read the message I sent from the hospital on January 2^nd of this year, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2022/01/02/niagara-at-large-publisher-reporter-suffers-health-setback/ .

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders