Going Vertical

Sometimes, we Canadians can get a little smug. We've come a long way in recent history and, for the most part, have become a tolerant and welcoming country. For the most part. We are far from perfect.

I saw this tweet from a Canadian black man. The OPP stands for Ontario Provinicial Police.

Age 24 🇨🇦 Store clerk accuses me of theft, detained as actual thief leaves store. Called dad (an OPP INSPECTOR) to advocate for me. Enter dad, Clerk calls 911, 6 officers hold me & dad at gunpoint. Did not release us until dad was permitted to reach for his badge.

On FB, I read this account from a person whom I know.

I'll never forget the day when Jamie was 12, walking to his school by himself and playing with his cell phone along the way, when unbenownst to him a police officer in a parked car saw him, followed him to the school, and reported to the principal that a child with a gun had just gone into the school. Even today one of the most important life saving messages shared with him is not to go outside with a hoodie pulled up over his head. With fatal anti-Black racism at the forefront of all the headlines right now, my heart goes out to all my Black friends and family who are enduring this intensity. I am hopeful that lasting systemic change is on the horizon....

That's all that I want to say about this right now. Let these accounts stand for themselves.

Meanwhile, let us return to the land of the banal, starting with a selfie.

I posted those two horizontal (landscape orientation) tree photos yesterday, saying I preferred them to the the vertical (portrait orientation) ones that I also took. It is true that horizontal shots tend to be more appealing for some reason, but when I looked closer, I changed my mind in this case, mainly I think because they show more of the trees and that's what the photos were about.

Landscape mode photos show up better on our wide computer screens, but the times they are a changin and many photos are viewed on phones and both FB and that Insta place show better in portrait orientation.

As I wended my way home later, I came to corner where I stopped for traffic lights, which I consider to be a good thing to do. As I looked to my right, I saw a church well-framed with lilacs blooming next to it. This is a church where Sue takes some exercise classes, or did until mid-March when the pandemic hit, so it did draw my attention.

Since I had my camera in the car, I drove around the corner, walked back to the spot, and squeezed the shutter. Due to its location, I don't think it would be easy to get a much better photo.

Today is to be the nicest day of the week, so it may be time for another round of coffee in the park.