#$@%! The strange things people say

Trees swayed in an ominous breeze that was building strength one hot, humid afternoon on a quiet neighbourhood street. I was delivering flyers announcing welcome to stand on our church's lawn to watch the East York Canada Day Parade.

At one house, a woman standing outside gladly took the flyer and we began a conversation about how people are so different than a generation ago. She bemoaned people's bad manners, violent outbursts and reckless driving. Later, as I prepared to get into my car to go home, I saw the woman talking to her neighbours across the street. A pizza delivery car sped past and the woman called out to me to be careful. The pizza car stopped at the bottom of the street and proceeded to make a right turn. Suddenly a large black van rounded the corner in a left turn the opposite way. His turn was too tight, but he managed to avoid collision with the pizza car. The van driver leaned out and let off a string of obscenities including calling the pizza car driver a "terrorist" who should go back to his own country.

I exchanged astonished glances with the woman and hers confirmed the content of our conversation.

The expected stormy weather never materialised, but the brief storm of violent speech I witnessed still lingers. It is somehow more memorable than any weather disturbance. On the drive home I pondered what brought me to that place. Less than half a block away from this verbal act of terrorism is the church who invites people to stand on its lawn for a parade and advertises itself as "A Safe Place."