I know I’ve already posted this but I wanted to post it again for all those who are subscribed here. It’s election weekend here in Ontario so maybe this will spark an interest to vote….
A few summers ago, this all happened—but for whatever reason, I decided not to post about it at the time. Maybe I felt unsure, wondering if I was wrong for writing the letter. But lately, I’ve been reflecting on it again, and I’m curious what you think.
Every person's journey is a map of their experiences—challenges, struggles, and beliefs shaped by what they’ve lived through. A local who lives a country block away from me, like many others, has likely faced hardships that have shaped their perspective in ways I may never fully understand. While I don’t know their full story, I try to approach situations like this with empathy, an open heart, and, perhaps most importantly, ears ready to truly listen.
Empathy reminds me that people’s actions and beliefs often have deeper roots than what appears on the surface. It encourages me to pause and consider the complexities of someone’s life before jumping to conclusions.
For a while now, at least 3 or 4 years, my this house down the road has had a bold “F*** Trudeau” sign on their garage door. I have to drive by it every time I head towards Vince’s Market, the nearest grocery store to me and it just bugs the hell out of me every time I see it. With Trudeau now stepping down, I can’t help but wonder—will the sign finally come down? Has their anger faded, or was it about something bigger?
When I first saw the sign, I felt a strong urge to understand because of the way it made my limbic system go absolutely bonkers. So, I wrote them a letter. (Again, I wrote this letter a few years ago, back when ChatGPT was still new to me. I’ll admit, it doesn’t capture my tone—it feels a bit stale—but I used it to help shape my words, guiding it with prompts like: don’t shame, don’t be self-righteous). I shared my curiosity and asked if they’d be open to a conversation. I wasn’t looking to debate—just to listen. Well, as I was about to place it in their mailbox, a truck drove up behind me. (Watch the video if you’re interested in knowing how well that all went).
Now, I find myself reflecting: Was that the right approach? Was I overstepping by reaching out? We have a flag at the top of our driveway—a trans flag that represents love, not hate—and I ask myself, what if someone put a letter in my mailbox wanting to talk to me about it? Even if they held deeply homophobic or transphobic beliefs, I would welcome them in, make them a cup of tea, and have a conversation. Because I’ve seen it happen before.
I remember a moment from about 20 years ago when Lisa and I were in Sydney, Australia, sitting at a restaurant. We got chatting with the guy at the table beside us, and at some point, he realized we were a couple. He went silent. Then he told us—almost as if he was confessing—that as a Baptist, he had always been against same-sex relationships. But then he admitted he had never actually met anyone who was gay before. You could see the shift happen in real-time, he teared up. We continued talking for the rest of the evening, and what started as casual small talk turned into an open, honest conversation about LGBTQ+ issues. I truly believe he left that night a different person than when he sat down. Another time, we pulled up alongside a young woman with a “Marriage is between a man and a woman” sign stuck to her rear window and we asked her to tell us more about the sign. The conversation went well—not because we agreed, but because we approached it without confrontation. The way I see it, when someone displays a message like that, they’re inviting a conversation. So why not have one? I believe in the power of conversation. I believe in meeting people where they are and in the possibility of change, however small.
And on the topic of things that make me shake my head—did you know Amazon sells not only pages and pages of F Trudeau bullshit products but now is selling Canada-as-the-51st-state paraphernalia? Who exactly is buying this, and how does Amazon feel good about selling it? During the pandemic, I boycotted Amazon for the entire time, then I caved. I’ve fallen back into the laziness of needing shit right away, and I’m not proud of it.
Honestly, I’m curiously inviting your input here. When we know better, we do better.
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