Day 25 – Garbage as a corporate advertisement. Can you name them all?
Today started out with a bang. I was first to arrive at the picket line and the place was an absolute mess. Ok, I understand that there is a major problems with homeless downtown Toronto, but we’ve been there all week and this is the only day that so much garbage was decorating our circle of strike area. It took me approximately 15 minutes to pick up all the Tim Horton’s coffee cups and lids, all the newspapers, all the napkins, all the empty bottles of water… AND the “Do Not Cross” yellow tape that was wrapped around one of the trees. There was enough cigarette butts to fill a couple of ashtrays, but I drew the line there… Problem is, I just can’t be sure that this garbage wasn’t left there by the group that took over us after we left yesterday…
Then again, what a difference a day makes… Yesterday I was majorly down after coming home and didn’t get much better by watching the press conference announcing 3 new temporary dump sites either… So today, I was prepared for the worse, especially after such a “trashy” welcome. No, today turned out to be much better and for many different reasons. We won at lotto 6/49. All of us put in $2 and played as a group and I had visions of us on the 6pm news cashing our cheque and laughing. Well, it’s not going to happen today, but we re-invested our $5 winnings into Super 7… Wish us luck.
Seriously though, today was made better by the people we talked to, the people that stopped to wish us well… the lady that actually took a $20 bill out of her purse to treat us all to a coffee at Tim Horton’s, or even better, by the man who showed up with a dozen coffees to share with all of us… What a change from the last few weeks when all we heard was negativity and insults.
I think it helps too that people have observed our group and seeing that we do not block people’s way, we offer the little information we have, we actually engage in conversation with some and ignore the idiots that scream at us from afar…
This is the guy that bought us all coffee, how fucking sweet is this?
Also, a little message to my union leaders regarding this “solidarity gathering” for all the strikers to meet our brothers and sisters and engage in live music, food, fun and excitement at the Opera House yesterday: Not one person is in the mood to party at this time, let’s wait until this is all behind us with what ever solution has been decided and then let’s do a solidarity gathering and you can thank your members for sticking with you all this time. I’d rather know that you are all sitting at the negotiation tables trying to end this strike. And if you’re going to spend money for events like this, please make sure that the strikers receive the money they are owed too… would be nice to buy groceries.
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I understand the Union is trying to boost morale by throwing this little fete, but I’d rather have the strike wage in at a reasonable speed and oh yeah, like you said HAVE THEM SIT THEIR ASSES AT THE NEGOTIATIONS TABLE. Party when you have a reason.
As for the city… I’d vote for the Diaper Minister right about now.
So glad there are some cool people up there showing their support. You must have been bouncing off the walls with all that coffee in you!
DR: Anyone but Miller… or John Tory… don’t like him either.
RR: yeah, sometimes you get surprised by people. luckily I stuck to my one Venti Mild from earlier on, I didn’t partake in all the other coffee, but it was totally refreshing just to see people’s kindness
A few months removed from our strike, I remember not only the horrible crap that happened — but also the solidarity with my co-strikers, then man who brought us wood everyday for our fires to keep our freezing bits thawed out, the man who gave us $20 a day to buy ourselves snacks and another guy who brought us coffee… it certainly made walking in circles for 4-8 hours a day somewhat livable. I hope this ends soon for you guys, it must be getting very tough. In the meantime, S and I should take you guys out for a beer.
Josh: Well then, it’s settled, we’re all going for beers… hehe. You’re right, I think I’ll remember the nice people more than the shitty ones, although, when I read this blog years from now, I’ll probably laugh at it all. I was taken aback when I saw the kindness today, it was the first time in 25 days. Glad you had a similar experience when you were striking, it does make a difference to realize there is still good around us.