revelations?

early on a Wednesday morning... would one expect something so divulging, perhaps not! But today walking along the fashionable (i.e. urbane) side of Bloor Street I encountered 3 people (of varying colour, persuasion, etc.) who were "asking" for money, I wouldn't say begging ---- since holding an old coffee cup at an angle to one's belly and glancing at you without saying anything as you pass by seems to me to not constitute begging ---- Now being the bearer of a somewhat social conscience I contrast this with the friends in my training group from last night, who arrive in nice cars and / or with fancy bikes (I have one too so this isn't a critique on anyone who is either successful or has money to spend on things they will use), and as we warm-up by jogging we talk about travelling to far-off races, or going looking for overpriced houses in this city... or adding this or that component to an already brilliant bike... and in comparing "us" to the person who is standing alone on a mostly deserted stretch of sidewalk --- glazed by the dawn glare of office buildings, i think back to the first time I was in Poland shortly after the fall of communism and most of the younger people kept telling me what a good thing it would be to have people working for themselves so they could spend their own money and make their own future, and the older people weren't as sure because even though they didn't like a lot of what communism stood for they felt that everyone was treated the same, and had the same things, benefits, health care, and were always looked after in some way by the state (though "taking the vodka" wasn't necessarily a most glorious means), and I don't remember as many street people in that first visit as I saw in my last... and now, since I was there in 2000, I know how different Poland is compared to the first time I was there, and the changes seem so much bigger than those in my own country, city, town, and yet the similarities of Canada to Poland are becoming nearer, and I think and I tell myself, "yes it is getting better, it must be getting better..."

apologies for any disjointedness but I am also working as "we" speak. carry on, live well, be kind - mika!