ABSTRACT
When my parents immigrated to western Canada at the beginning of the last century, it was unlikely that they would ever see their families of origin again. When I was a child my world consisted of the family farm, the local town (population 500), the grain elevators, and the railway station. I could see the railway tracks vanishing on the horizon, and I knew that these tracks must lead to some unknown world beyond. When I became a teacher and a psychologist my world broadened, but still was contained within close geographical boundaries. Today the revolution in transportation and communication provides worldwide access to information in ways that are almost beyond belief. It has affected every aspect of our lives, hopefully for the better, but still with many challenges.
