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Leaves fluttered in the wind ...

by Joanne Taylor
I remember being a child on my own in the woods. I remember it was very windy and kind of cold but not cold enough to make me want to go all the way back. Not yet anyway. I remember walking along wondering if there were any bears close by and what I’d do if one suddenly appeared. I remember liking being all alone.

The leaves fluttered in the wind. They fell from the trees all around me. I walked on them like a carpet, a multi-coloured carpet of yellows, reds, and oranges. The wind blew them down at me from all directions and impulsively I laid down, as if I were making a snow angel. How long would it take before they covered me? I started to count. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve …
The leaves smelled nice. Fresh. Clean. They drifted down and landed on my face. I breathed in deeply.

I forgot to count. The feeling of them falling onto my limbs was nice, much nicer than I had expected. I yawned a bit, laughed because a bit went in my mouth so I blew out and the leaf fluttered away. Another fell and another. I was pretty sure my body was covered now. I didn’t wiggle. I didn’t move. I felt strangely happy—a bear wouldn’t see me now.

by Matthew Medland
We love to hate our politicians. It can be so easy to blame them for our woes, forasmuch as we evaluate them as individuals, it seldom seems they personally share in the challenges we face. If you are like me, you take comfort in believing your decision about a politician has been made for ‘the right reasons.’

We read the news, listen to debates, mull over policies with the intent of arming our self with knowledge. We aim to scrutinize, reflect, and assess candidates with fair regard to our best interest, and that of our communities. We tell ourselves that our findings are soundly based on liking, or at least agreeing with their policies, or not. We explain away our dislike of a politician because they are corrupt, they abuse their power, or we are certain they will implement policies that we oppose. We reason that they will make our lives more difficult, in those and umpteen other ways. No question that policies, and past examples of personal character are important considerations; often though, it’s simpler than that.

(Editor’s comment: It, after all, is a paradoxical conundrum – I am expected to make a personal choice while maintaining the homodox: social one-mindedness.)

It’s about what our friends say, or the way a politician looks. Here, Steve Paikin (The Agenda) has a go at frankly addressing these ‘intangibles:’
“It's not far-fetched to think that some Torontonians found former mayor Rob Ford particularly offensive, for example, not simply because of the outlandish things he said, but because of the way he looked (overweight, red-faced, sweating) as he said them. That's not to say his lies would've been any better tolerated if he were trim and handsome, but it would be foolish to contend that looks don't sometimes
colour our impressions. It's not right, but it's human. For some people, Wynne's sexual orientation is an issue. It might not be "the" reason why she is currently so embarrassingly unpopular in the province, but for some people, it affects their overall impression of her, amplifying their anger. Not everyone, but some.”

Yes, sometimes we really do make decisions that are based on very superficial observations. We just don’t like to admit it. And, too often, we do not vote for someone – we vote against someone else, or to ‘punish’ their opponent. I expect the impending Provincial Election will tally more than a few ballots ticked off by such voters. The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election was a battle between two highly unpopular candidates. I contend that the voters lost, and democracy was devalued.
We, in Ontario, seem to be headed in the same direction. There are many who do not approve of our
current Provincial Government, in fact, 88 percent don’t. But, only 40 percent of Ontarians currently support new Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford, and fewer still who plan to vote NDP. That means many voters are likely pessimistic about either of these leadership choices, and it is reflected in opinion polls.

The Path to Homelessness: Who Walks it & How do they Get there?

by Teresa Wright

Most of us snuggle into our comfy beds, at the end of the day, grateful for having a roof over our head, a full stomach, and a warm dry place to sleep. We know how lucky we are to have the means to sustain it all, or, do we?
Did you know that on any given night an estimated 100,000 Canadians don't have that luxury? Were you aware that over the course of a year, approximately 2.5 million people in this country will have xperienced a period without a place to call home, or the means to secure one? Little verifiable data exists to put a true number to the population of homeless people in the province and, reported statistics for the City of Toronto vary broadly. Depending on the source (toronto.ca, The Homeless Hub, The John Howard Society, Haven Toronto, and others) the number of people who have no bed of their own to sleep in on any given night in Toronto, ranges between 4000 and 8000.
The line between being homeless or not is fluid. City officials and government organizations never cease attempting to carve out figures and facts, trying to etch in stone a clear picture of homelessness. But it is not a single marker along a continuum of economy. For every family or individual who faces precarious employment or housing, who wakes and sleeps a bit hungrier than most, who has basic expenses far outweighing their income, the risk of losing their housing ebbs and flows. They experience few gains, but frequent little losses as the tide rushes in to wash away their pay cheque, taking more each time, and leaving less.

by Marilyn McGrath
I check my pockets.
Back in the day, my pockets were always stocked with wadded up tissues, ready for a little one’s runny nose or grimy hands. Now I’m more often accompanied by a dog, so the pocket treasures are small plastic bags. 
I check my phone battery. Not because I’m attached to the phone as many are. Today I’m 
heading, with the dog, for a walk in the Rouge and looking forward to seeing hints of Spring. I’ll be 
depending on my phone’s camera to memorialize any signs.
I’ve walked in and around the Rouge pretty much my entire life. I am happy now to be walking in Rouge National Urban Park knowing the pussy willows and beavers, turkey vultures and white-tailed deer will always have a haven here. Having spent many hours opening up the wonders of Nature for my kids and grandkids, I’m glad it won’t be just a memory for them.
Today though, it is just the dog and I and, after a short discussion on various merits, we decide to walk the Beare Wetland Loop. Not far from Sheppard Avenue and Meadowvale Road, just off Zoo Road, it is a quick eight-minute drive from home. 
The day does not disappoint, and early signs of Spring are found. Red-winged blackbirds perch on the tips of cattails along the edges of the pond. I’ve missed their flashy epaulets over the winter. I find budding branch tips and the hoped-for pussy willows, all waiting for their annual ‘photo opp’. Spring is like Fall here…we come out to wonder and wander,