I had a nice cheery blog post all lined up about my adventures with Glosette Girl and Margot at Hotel Mont Gabriel in Sainte-Adèle last weekend but something caught my attention. When I came home to Hintonburg I noticed three beggars in a short two-block span around the Giant Tiger near my house.
There are beggars in my neighbourhood, it's just a fact of life. But because I see them every other day or so, sometimes I find they simply blend into the background. It's kindof sad and I have to catch myself to remember that these people are real human beings who, for whatever reason, aren't doing as well as I am.
What's extra sad is that like many advanced economies, Canada (or at least downtown Ottawa) is quickly becoming a cashless society. So there is an ever diminishing pot of money for these people to beg for.
I grew up in such a different environment - in the surbubs of the GTA - where I didn't see a beggar unless I went to downtown Toronto. It was such a sheltered existence! Margot is having a much different experience. She gets scared sometimes because some of the beggars appear dirty or have mental health issues so don't look "normal". I'm trying hard to teach her to respect everyone, and not be scared, but at the same time be sensible. It's a tough balance. It's not easy but no matter what I hope she keeps a little charity in her heart.
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