A response to this activity has proven to be rather difficult for me, as I feel that there really isn't a singular place that has added meaning or significance to me. I think, if anything, places of meaning for me have shifted over time as I have grown and aged and had different life experiences.
There is a distinct sense of history and memory that comes solely through visiting a place. Being there, in the physical space, offers a sense of meaning that has no substitute. It is why teachers of history find field trips to important sites have much more impact on the lessons learned.
I can think of places close to where I grew up in Orangeville that have particular meaning (Mono cliffs, 5th Line Bridge, Hockley Valley, The Bumpy Part of Town Outside of Town, Browns Farm playground, etc.) but I have no desire or strong calling to revisit those places. They hold memories of a time and place that I've since moved on from.
Then there are places that I continually visit (Ivor Wynne Stadium--until its demolition this year, Dokis First Nation, Niagara Falls, Montreal, etc.) that have their own stories and events dear to my heart, and given the passage of time, give cause for personal reflection on the person I was to the person I am now.
However, when thinking of a place that is special to me, the image that comes to mind is always my home. Where I live now. Where I wake up each morning to a new sunrise, snow on the trees or fresh buds on branches, with my family and dogs. The path in the bush, the creek running through, the stage of my life I'm currently living. The place where I got married, where my daughter was born, where I work and play. The most meaningful place happens to be my home, not so much for its physical nature (though I do love and appreciate those aspects), but more for the people and gifts that imbue my life each and every day.
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