Sunday, October 16, 2011

Occupy Toronto!


I am the 99% personified. A quarter of a decade ago, corporate greed and the unequal distribution of wealth, were my calls to war. Twenty five years ago the numbers were slightly different....I was the 95% who had nothing while 5% of the population owned the world. The cause seemed to go dormant, until now. My heart glows with the power of US. We are one indeed and so shall we speak.

The years have mellowed me but not my feisty spirit. I had to go to Toronto's small demonstrations despite the frigid winds and slight rain. I was there as a body to be counted, as someone who wanted to put her two cents in. I got a lot more for my effort.

While Frank drove the car around the park where the demonstration took place, I jumped out to snap a few pictures. I wasn't there more than five minutes when someone tapped my shoulder. As I turned to face a tall man in a red turban he said to me, "sorry to intrude, but did you ever teach as a Peace Corps volunteer?" I peered into the unknown face. "I never forget the face of my good art teacher." Last time I saw this man he was a boy of eleven. I'm still not sure who he is, I taught over 3,000 children during my 15 years in St. Kitts, but what a sense of satisfaction that brought to my soul. We only had a few minutes to exchange words before he had to catch up with the demonstrators. I now look into this man's face on my screen and try to imagine him 17 years ago, to no avail. No matter. I know I made an impact and that my roots spread wide......

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