YOU MAKE MORE FRIENDS WALKING

Sunday, December 8th, 2024

Mississauga, Ontario

I had been careful with my footsteps as Yonge Street was quite slippery last evening when a First Nations woman saw me.  She was lost and asked, “Where is the Eaton’s Centre?”

“The Eaton’s shopping mall?  If that’s the case, then you’re in the wrong direction.”  She was heading north towards her home, North Bay.  I told her she had to go south, the way I was going.

“Okay, thank you!” she said with gratitude.  She was intending to say farewell, but it just so happened that we were both now going south and walking, with care, at the same pace.  We walked and walked.  And talked and talked.  And just when we came to a major juncture and we were going to split and part with well wishes, we just kept at it.

I have always found it easy to talk with Indigenous people, and I’ve always appreciated that they’ve walked and canoed a lot in the past, and try to carry that tradition on today. 

“I trekked Canada four times, and if I take birth again, I would love to hop into a canoe, swing that paddle, and portage when necessary. I like the land and the water.”

Finally, we did get to an intersection near St. Clair when she veered off and I kept going, and before our parting I mentioned she had another 30 minutes to go.  It was good to make a friend with an Ojibwe person, something not new for me.

I can certainly give an account of the marvellous time I had with the Russian/Ukrainian crowd in the morning, and the Indian crowd in Mississauga in the evening.  My godbrother, Ksauri, sponsored the feast and also pledged sponsoring a thousand Gitas in Spanish for residents in Cuba.

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!

9,037 steps!