Saturday, September 8, 2012

Festival in the rain, and Dems triumphant

The Cabbagetown Festival today, rained out for the first time, or almost. In my 26 years here, this has never happened; there have been a few drizzly Festival Saturdays, but nothing like the biblical downpour of today. And I, with mountains of junk in the living room, priced and ready to be put out for a garage sale. Which did not happen. Tomorrow, is the hope. Tomorrow, the hoards will come back, purses and wallets in hand, eager to take away my possessions. Please.

In the meantime, however, I had paid for my entry in the C'town Mini-Marathon, which I've run for almost all of my years here. So, despite the downpour, I decided to go. Oh, stalwart souls, huddled under umbrellas, sodden, waiting for the starter gun - and then off we go, squelching 2 1/2 k. through the neighbourhood. And once again - I find it hard to believe that for years now I have placed in my category, which is Senior Women - women over 55. The first year I entered in this category, I won, despite stopping to tie my shoelace en route, which is an indication of the speed of my competitors. Now there are some zippy women out there, and I am slower than ever - but still, I came fourth. The fourth fastest senior woman in Cabbagetown! And won a gift certificate to a local dry cleaner. Now that's practical. The certificate was so wet by the time I got it home, it had nearly disintegrated, but still ... my prize. Too bad my legs and shoulders ached mightily for the rest of the day.

The rain slowed and then stopped, and by late afternoon the sun came out, then vanished behind rainclouds again. Still, the fest went on, Parliament Street and the crafts fair by the Farm crowded with the usual extraordinary assortment of souls eating, shopping, drinking, dancing to the many bands playing on every corner. Every size, shape and colour of human being. The usual Americans Abroad distributing Obama buttons - I now have one to wear in New York. A woman in full black hijab pushing a stroller and perusing the garage sales. Cross-dressers and ancient cowboys. My hood.

Both of my children appeared to celebrate the place where they grew up, and we ended up at Mary and Malcolm's, as every year, a crowded neighbourhood party, only now, there are babies. The Cabbagetown children are having babies. So Eli got to meet Charlie and Mabel, and many old friends got to meet Eli. We've all watched each other's children grow up.

Tomorrow is supposed to be milder and we're going to try the sale again.

One last word: the world is saved, I think, from the Republican menace. The Democratic convention was a triumph. After Michelle's wonderful speech, there were so many others, but particularly Clinton's. The man is a master, spectacular. And then Obama himself. The comparison with the vapid platitudes spouted in Tampa could not be more clear. As Obama said, the choice is stark - which kind of America do voters want to live in? And though my faith in human nature has diminished greatly in recent years, I cannot believe that a majority of my neighbours to the south, including my own relatives, are so divorced from reality as to vote for a man who straps his dog to the roof of his car.

2 comments:

  1. "The first year I entered in this category, I won, despite stopping to tie my shoelace en route, which is an indication of the speed of my competitors."

    Oh my God, Beth. So damn funny.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you find my athletic prowess so damn funny, Jason. So do I.

      Delete