I was in the middle of my art lesson when the phone rang.
It was elder daughter, shaken, upset, and full of guilt. She was on her lunch break, hurrying back from tending to the Accent Snob, who caught his paw in her apartment elevator as a fun conclusion to last weekend. She's been soaking his paws in epsom salts. He finds it very relaxing. I'm not sure she does.
Heading back to her office, she walked smack into a situation. Several people were waiting for the light to change at the crosswalk. Out of the blue, a "scary and crazy" man started yelling about "Trudeau's immigrants", how they were living off taxpayers, and stealing jobs. You know, the usual original ideas that obviously come from deep thinking.
Elder daughter felt helpless, wanting to stand up to him, but not daring to.
"What did the people he was yelling at do?" I asked, absent-mindedly adding a few strokes to my painting.
"Nothing; they kinda ignored him."
"Sounds like they had the right idea; you say he was scary and crazy."
Sitting with my paints in Victoria, I "walked" her back to work, listening as her ragged breathing slowed.
My fellow students discussed the issue after the call ended. Best not to challenge a larger, nuttier fellow spouting epithets, they agreed.
Coincidentally, I'd sent elder daughter the following clip from John Mulaney, one of her favourite comedians. It's about racism and bullying too, except with humour, something non-inclusive people often lack.
Elder daughter had already heard it, of course.
I like to think she appreciated the gesture.
Researching the Canadians Who Served in WW2
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This is a last-minute reminder that Ken McKinlay, who now needs no
introduction, will present to an OGS Halton-Peel Branch online meeting
today, Sunday, ...
2 hours ago
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