Monday, July 4th, 2011

Uptown Yonge

Toronto, Ontario

I walked uptown Yonge St. It’s clean, respectable; less raunchy than the downtown.

One security guard physically picked-up a beggar to move him on outside a bank. The beggar was reluctant. I didn’t wait for an assumed “scene”. I kept moving. Other than that element I liked the place. Why?

Well, here, small businesses seem to thrive. There isn’t that franchised/chain store feel to the place. There are still a lot of little fishes (businessmen) here and I hope a big fish doesn’t come to swallow them all. Residential side streets seem to like it that way. Here, a small family business has a chance. That is, if rents don’t kill you.

Further south I saw another homeless person, a woman that makes only two). She sat under a shaded mulberry tree. The berries had spattered all over the place and I could see that she was indifferent. Sitting there coyly she asked for change. It was a contrast to the proud middle class feel of her surroundings.

“Good morning!” Said two young guys outside a fancy paintball shop. “I mean, Good afternoon!” Corrected the one after looking at his watch.

I half-turned and returned with a smile saying, “Whatever!” implying whether this or that, let there be “good”.

And you know, it was lunch hour so when I started the trek on Yonge just after being picked up at the airport, the east side had shade. That’s where I blazed a fun trail. After one o’clock with the sun’s travel, the shade moved to the west side. I then crossed the road to move under building shadows.

Whether this side or that side, as long as you move, right? Whether rich or poor as long as we are human, we take to spiritual obligations, right? Yes, as long as we are human, we don’t neglect our dharma, our spiritual side. Right?

10 Km