The Energy of Niagara Falls, Canada
- Lori Chown
- Apr 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 9
Like many people, visiting Niagara Falls was on my bucket list. The sheer magnitude of the falls did not disappoint! It was spectacular and awe-inspiring, and I could feel the immense power that it was displaying. Its energy was palpable. My sensitivity to energy had been heightened for some time, though I can’t pin-point when it truly began. It has always just been there. I can remember moments where the senses of smell, taste, sight, and hearing are drowned out by the overwhelming feeling of just knowing. It is as if the energy around me is speaking, urging me to acknowledge it, to validate it as real, even more real than the reality we live in. Niagara Falls was one of those moments, where the energies around me were so loud, it felt as if they were trying to communicate something important. Looking back, I now know that when the energies were so loud, they were trying to protect me.
The neighborhood surrounding our bed & breakfast felt a world apart from the majesty of the falls. Though it was only a ten-minute walk to downtown, the neighborhood painted a different picture—one of struggle. Overgrown lawns and front porches filled with teenagers who seemed to resent the presence of tourists. As we walked through, it was clear we were outsiders, and the sense of alienation was unmistakable. As we passed a group of teenagers gathered on a front porch, the pungent aroma of marijuana filled the air. One young girl caught my eye, her gaze distant and unfocused. We made eye contact, and I was taken aback, not just by the act of smoking in public—something unfamiliar to me—but by the intensity of her expression. There was a hint of discomfort in her eyes, as if she resented the fact that I had noticed her. For a moment I felt connected to her, and at the same time worlds apart. I remember a time when I was that young girl on the front porch, hiding in the shadows.
We went into the city and captured some photos of the falls in the dark. It was just as mystical as during the daytime, glowing in colors of green, purples, and reds. Each night the city sets off fireworks for the tourists, creating an even more mesmerizing experience.
We laughed and joked on our walk home, enjoying the evening air and the experiences of some place new, but the further we walked from the bustling crowds, the more uneasy I felt. The safety of the tourists, the lights, and the sounds of the city were behind us. Now, it was just the two of us on a quiet, overgrown street, the once-childish noises from the porches taking on a more ominous tone. We crossed the street to avoid another group of teenagers, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. When we arrived back at the bed and breakfast, I felt a rush of relief, but it was short-lived. The next morning, we discovered our rental car had been broken into.
There was a lot of different emotions that day. Anger, violation, embarrassment, but mostly relief. Relief that it was just our belongings. It doesn't damper my view of the falls. It still has a palpable energy, but like all places, it has its shadows.
To the young person who broke into our car,
I don't know your story, but I imagine that life hasn't been easy. You live in a place where the world longs to visit, yet it seems you would do anything to escape.
I hope that one day, you find the peace and comfort you need to heal. You may not realize it now, but you are worthy of more than the life you're trapped in. I don’t know what made you take what didn’t belong to you, but I hope it brings you the answers you’re seeking.
May you walk a mile in my sandals, if only for a day. Forget the pain you feel and take the steps to start out in the right direction. They were one of my favorite pairs.
I hope my raincoat shelters you from the storm. I could have used it today.
The hammock was a birthday gift last year. May you find a quiet spot next to a meandering brook that takes you to complete serenity as I have.
Reading is one of my favorite things, yet I do not do it often enough. I brought four books on this trip; you have two of them. I hope you read them and become enlightened. The journal has been with me since I was probably your age, which was a long time ago. May you find some dreams that inspire you.
My camera was obviously the most expensive item, and easily one of the most priceless. The photos are irreplaceable, but the memories are not. I hope it helps you focus, and maybe you can experience some of the amazing places I’ve been.
I imagine it is hard living in a place that the world longs to visit and you would do anything to escape. A place with such natural wonders, but dark secrets. While you call it home, it has never felt quite that way to you.
May you find a safe place, far away from the front porch, and the cluttered patio that you try to escape from each day.
This doesn’t mean I’m not angry. I am very angry. Violated. Insulted. Embarrassed. But mostly sad. Sad that you needed these items more than me. I can replace most of them.
I hope you find all the things you are looking for. I hope you find happiness, faith, and the strength to walk in the light instead of the shadows that you hide behind. But mostly, I hope you find you- someone worth loving.
