by: Gord Barker
Maybe it's because of the "51st state" rhetoric emanating from the orange blob in charge of things south of the border, but I've noticed that, here in Canada, we seem to have accentuated our legendary niceness.
I noticed it the other day while riding on public transit in Hamilton, Ontario. Yup, in steel town, "the Hammer", arguably one of the toughest cities in Canada, people say, "Thank you." or, "Have a good day!" when getting off of the bus!
Patting dogs, holding doors, being kind to strangers, giving up seats on the bus for the elderly or disabled, tipping at the local coffee shop, dropping a looney to a busking street musician, simply smiling and striking up a chat with someone in a public space. It seems that the nastier and more divisive "they" get, the kinder and gentler we get!
Okay, Refractive Reasoning is a blog about photography and photographic life. What does this have to do with life behind the camera? Just this, it's always easier to make a photograph of someone when they are happy and smiling. It's also easier for the photographer to create a cool image when they are in the right frame of mind.
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| Yellow Glasses Guy This gentleman kindly consented to having his picture taken while he was waiting for the bus. James St. N., Hamilton Ontario |
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| Boy and "Dog" Barton Village Festival Barton St., Hamilton, Ontario |
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| Barton St. "Shootout" Barton Village Festival Hamilton, Ontario |
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| Steel Drum Player Locke St., Hamilton, Ontario |
Closer to home, Paris, Ontario is undergoing its second Summer of downtown construction. The "Downtown Dig" has been a substantial disruption for business owners and residents alike. Local business owner, Emery Silva, decided to do something to promote business in the downtown core by sprucing up the buildings on Mechanic St. where her own shop, Bird & Bee Vintage https://www.birdandbeevintage.com/ is located in Le Petite Marché. https://www.facebook.com/p/Le-Petit-March%C3%A9-61575548461219/
Businesses along Mechanic St. are receiving a new coat of paint in bright colours in a bid to help overcome the frustration and monotony of traffic having to take a detour through the downtown core. (Mechanic St. is part of the detour route.) Making the best of an adverse situation makes things nicer for everyone.
| Le Petit Painteurs L-R Emery, Mia and Hannah Mechanic St. Paris, Ontario |
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| Emery In Action Mechanic St., Paris, Ontario |
And finally, it's the little acts of kindness I see that make the difference in daily life. Like watching Liz Spanjer, Community liaison with Navicon Construction, assist Paris, Ontario resident, Emily, to navigate the construction matts across the Downtown Dig.
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| Liz and Emily Grand River St. N. Paris, Ontario |
Despite everything, human kindness conquers all.
...more later
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