Celebration Square on Canada Day, July 1 2018
(Sprinklers and shallow pool in the background)
[Photo By: KPA]
1. Walmart Elevator:
A woman and a small, blonde-haired boy rush to enter the elevator as the door was closing. "Sorry!" chirps the woman, for the extra wait as the elevator doors opened again.
"That's O.K." I replied. "It's nice that the store is so empty. People are afraid of the heatwave!"
"Oh we love it," said the woman, looking at the boy. "We just came from the sprinklers at Celebration Square."
The young boy just looked up at me. I get that reaction from young children because of my big orange summer hat.
"I think he likes my orange summer hat!"
"Yes. And he likes orange!"
I held the elevator door open as they went out.
"Thank you," said the mother and I got a faint smile from the boy.
2. Elevator in our apartment building:
Once again, I was the first one in and held the door for a woman and her young son to come in.
The boy was looking at me intently and I was pretty sure it was because of my big orange hat. He also looked grumpy.
"Hot isn't it!" I said to the mother.
"Yes," she replied
The elevator stopped and a couple of people, two black men who looked like they were contract maintenance workers, walked in. They were cheerful and communicative.
The young boy started to speak to his mother in a whiny voice, in Spanish.
One of the men said: "Oh sorry! We shouldn't have stopped the elevator."
"I think he's just hot," I said.
"Yes. We just came from the sprinklers," said the mother.
"Aha," said the man, by which time they had reached their floor. "Bye now," one of them said as they left. "Bye," I replied." The woman didn't say anything.
I was left in the elevator with the young boy and his mother, and it seemed strange to keep silent after our brief introductory conversation.
"He looks tired," I said.
"I think he getting sick," she replied.
I laughed and said: "Kids still want to play even if they're sick."
"Yes."
By this time, I realized that all that was happening was my initiation of a conversation and a brief reply by the woman. She had no desire to communicate with me.
The woman reached her floor and left without saying goodbye. I wasn't surprised.
She was from Latin America, I but couldn't place her Spanish. She wasn't Mexican.
This now prevalent mistrust of peoples towards each other is becoming a way of life in multicultural Mississauga. Neighbors don't say "hello" to each other; elevator conversations are avoided; any attempt at communication is viewed with suspicion.
And there is also the important factor of language. Most people speak a language other than English, and find it difficult to talk conversationally in English. Communication is thus left to the basics, if at all.
But the woman's behaviour is the suspicion that immigrants and non-Whites have toward each other. She probably couldn't figure out where I was from. Perhaps I am Arab (most people think so). In any case, I am not familiar.
Everyone becomes a stranger. And those who appear too friendly are viewed with suspicion.
"Why do they want to talk? What are they trying to find out?" becomes the underlying thought.
Neighbors are no longer neighbors.