Who really is Canadian?

After almost 14 years, I have been forced to revisit the whole Canadian bit! What the heck, right?

Today, I was in the elevator with a “privileged” ***** man. For the first time, I want to bring in race; but I am going to exercise some restraint. This man had a t-shirt with “Rat Pack” on it and I complimented him on it. He said thanks and shared that he and his friends came up with that for their group. So, I smiled and shared that my brother’s group of friends are called “Chooch Brigade”. He thought that was clever and wanted to know where I was from. So, I told him and added that I have been here since 1992, and I don’t feel like I am from another country.

So, this man asked me if I thought I was Canadian?! I nodded in agreement and he shook his head. So, I told him that no matter what I think, perception is everything, and that’s sad!

Then, I got out of the elevator and walked to my apartment seriously upset. For the first time, I wanted to do a MyLO - kick and punch and throw things around and make as big of a fuss as possible! Then, I realized how far the child has come.

Today, she put all her frustration into art on paper!

After lunch recess, she refused to come back to the classroom. Michael has been away for 3 days, and we had an SNA working in our classroom. She told MyLO that if she doesn't come back, she would have to take away her art supplies for a few minutes. MyLO walked in quietly and then, she drew something on paper. When you look at the drawing, it's MyLO and me, with happy faces, and when you open the fold at the bottom, it is the skull of the SNA buried in the ground.

It is still violent in some ways, but MyLO is finding ways to express her frustration and continue to communicate with us in less physical ways. The SNA has a great sense of humour, and she told MyLO that she understood why the kiddo buried her!

So, I told myself that this man and his friends did not even have the imagination of an 8-year-old child. How original is “Rat Pack” anyways?! When I complimented him, he could have at least acknowledged the origin of that term instead of claiming it as something he and his friends came up with!

Once I buried him in my own way, I decided to write about it.